In this paper, an anti-sway control scheme for a container crane that is used for vessel-to-truck and truck-to-vessel loading and unloading of containers at a container terminal is investigated. The control objectives are to move a container to a desired position and to suppress its transverse vibration produced by trolley motion in the presence of the friction force and the control input saturation. In this study, friction coefficients are estimated using the recursive least squares (RLS) method, and are incorporated into a nonlinear control law. The designed control input for control of the trolley motion is modified to satisfy the saturation condition of the actuator (electrical motor). The nonlinear control law guarantees the asymptotical stability of the closed-loop system. Simulation results verify the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.