Tips to Ensure a Good Purchase of Utility Trucks

Service providers and contractors from various industries require dependable and durable equipment to help them in their tasks, especially the most demanding ones. Utility machines, like bucket trucks and digger derricks, play important roles in completing a pole installation, paint job, or tree-cutting request, just to name a few. If you are planning to invest in a utility truck for your business, follow these simple reminders that will go a long way.

It’s All About the Boom Factor: Types of Booms

A bucket truck driving down the street is quite a sight to behold. These trucks can easily reach heights of up to 105 feet, so seeing them in their full glory is always a wonderful thing.

With their booms and baskets, it’s easy to assume that these trucks are all the same. This is not the case, however, as there are in fact different types of bucket trucks that vary according to their usage. These trucks can also be categorized according to their most distinguishable feature.

Why You Should Buy a Used Bucket Truck

One of the biggest (and pleasurable) concerns a growing company will have is the need to acquire new equipment. Buying more necessary equipment will allow the company to successfully meet the needs of its clientele.

This is especially true for telecom and electric companies. They need to have more bucket trucks in order to effectively service more of their clients’ needs in a shorter amount of time, as their products are usually located in hard-to-reach places.

The problem now is if the company would rather buy a new machine or a used one. There are different arguments as to why a new one is a good option for growing companies, but there are several reasons why considering a used truck is the better option.

How to Determine Which Bucket Truck to Rent

Sometimes, choosing to rent a bucket truck instead of buying one is the smarter decision. This is especially true if you will no longer have a need for the truck after one or two jobs.

Bucket trucks come in all shapes and sizes, which can make it difficult to choose which truck to rent. To avoid work-related accidents and help you find the right truck for the job, keep the following factors in mind:

Avoiding Preventable Bucket Truck Situations

Activities that make use of bucket trucks are as fraught with danger as other lines of work. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the American National Standard Institute have a set of guidelines meant to protect the likes of bucket truck crews, there’s always a chance that something will go wrong. Analyses of various bucket truck-related accidents over the years identify overturns and boom failures as the most dangerous pitfalls to hurdle when running the vehicles.

Keeping the Boom’s Dielectrics Stable

Dielectric testing is a must when choosing a bucket truck, under ANSI standards. The test involves checking the insulation at FRP upper and lower booms, the bucket and its control panel, tool circuits, and other FRP parts to see if they can handle up to 100 kilovolts of power. However, even if your prospect truck passed the test and you brought it home for your operation, the onus is still on you to fully maintain the vehicle.

How to Get the Best Deal for a Bucket Truck

Bucket trucks are useful pieces of equipment for businesses in several industries. The main obstacle to buying one is often the price. However, like any product, it is possible to get a good deal when looking to purchase one.

The key here is to recognize what you need the truck for and use that as a baseline when looking for a deal. First, decide whether you’re buying new or used. Buying new has its advantages: the truck is without history of issues, and the warranty is guaranteed. Before you pick out from the many brands available in the market, it would be best to rent out a truck from different brands first to see how each one operates.

A Quick Digger Derrick Inspection Guide

Digger derrick trucks are incredibly convenient when you need to dig holes in the ground to place poles. These trucks are commonly used by electrical companies and telecommunications companies when they erect their cable poles.

Like with most other heavy machinery, digger derrick trucks pose risks to all those who operate them. As such, safety should be the number one priority among digger derrick users. One of the best ways to ensure safety is to inspect the truck before heading to the work site. Here is a short list of sections you should thoroughly inspect:

Types of Booms Trucks

Whether you’re washing windows, picking fruit, or repairing telephone poles, the boom truck is a useful piece of equipment. In the same way that is has many uses, boom trucks also have many designs, specifically when it comes to the boom—the arm-like extension found at the back of the vehicle.

The Multiple Functionality of Digger Derricks

While some people find single-purpose devices ideal for their household or industrial works, others prefer multipurpose ones. For instance, travelers would choose a multi-tool Swiss army knife over a set of individual tools. Besides having more tools than the travelers have in their arsenal, this small multi-tool is much more convenient to bring and handle.

The same goes with larger equipment that perform heavy tasks, such as digging, pole setting and lifting. Companies whose services involve these tasks need a single device that consists all the tools they need. This is why a digger derrick was invented and introduced in various industries that demand digging and lifting.