Month: February 2021

Have you taken advantage of the recent Altec Connect updates?

Our platform provides a more focused experience that allows our customers to view and search fleet information, order replacement parts, view Altec Product Notices and more.

Let’s take a look at the most recent update inside Altec Connect – viewing inspection paperwork & schematics for your units as well as how to bulk download invoices.

View Inspection Paperwork

The most recent preventative maintenance, dielectric & DOT forms are available online from our Service team at Altec Connect.

To access your inspection paperwork:

• Search the unit you are looking for
• Click on the header to open more information about the unit
• Once on the page, select the documentation tab

Here you will find copies of the unit-specific schematics & manuals, as well as any inspection forms. If you click on the link to any of these, it will open a copy of the form or manual in a new tab for you to download or print.

You can also view any relevant inspection paperwork by looking at the service job. Simply locate the service job you are looking for, and the same paperwork will be available on that screen.

Invoice Downloads

The other new feature that is available is the ability to do a bulk download of multiple invoices, so you do not have to download them one at a time.

To use this feature:

• Go to the invoices page on Altec Connect
• Select the button that says download multiple invoices and select the invoices you would like copies of
  Once you have selected them all, hit the download button

There, you will have the option to download each as an individual PDF or as one single combined PDF.  Once you have made all your selections, you will get an email from connect@altec.com with a link to access your downloaded invoices.

Learn more about this feature in Altec Connect – contact your representative or send an email to altec.connect@altec.com.

Digger derricks offer incredible versatility at the work site – digging holes, setting poles and personnel use are common around the country. While the first derricks were offered with body-mounted control stations, today’s models offer a variety of control options, including radio remotes. From our smallest backyard derrick, the DB37, to our largest transmission derrick, the DT105, Altec’s electric-over-hydraulic derrick model line offers radio control solutions to meet your needs.

Increased Jobsite Safety 

Our radio options offer full control of the derrick and allow the operator the flexibility to get the best position for the task at hand.

By keeping the operator on the ground, the freedom to reposition enables the operator to:

• Distance themselves from hazards
• Improve their view of derrick operation
• Reduce slip, trip and fall risk

Additionally, every radio comes standard with a tilt sensor that deactivates the radio in case of drop or fall.

We offer two radio options – Hetronic and Scanreco, which are available with load indication as an operator aid for quick reference of the machine’s loading. The radio can be attached to a platform docking station for upper controls, eliminating the need to run mechanical controls to the boom tip.

Michael Newman, Altec Market Manager, said, “Our customers continue to identify solutions to mitigate slip, trip and fall hazards. A radio remote reduces trips to and from the riding seat, and it offers an unhindered view of the work at-hand.”

On Altec electric-over-hydraulic derricks, radios can be added in addition to a riding seat or body-mounted control station. In many instances, units are being ordered with radios as the primary control station, which has many benefits, including freeing up the curbside for an additional pole rack.

Ease of Use for Operators 

The next generation of line workers were raised in the era of computers and video games, and they are eager to work with the latest technologies that make the work easier, faster and safer. Operators find it easy to use the joystick controls for metered unit operation, even while wearing gloves, for precise operation even in tight working envelopes.

Employers who offer options like remote operation can gain an edge in recruiting new operators and retaining current employees.

See our most popular derricks available with radios: DB37, DB41B, DM47B, DH48E, DH50E, D3060E, DT65E,and DT105.

Are you interested in seeing what Altec remote controls can do for your business? Check out our full line of digger derricks to learn about their features and options.

You can also contact us online or call 800-958-2555 to speak with an Altec representative.

Many businesses are establishing aggressive corporate sustainability goals to reduce the environmental and health issues that come from idling emissions. Also, states across the nation are implementing idling regulations and/or laws.

Not only are businesses recognizing the emissions risk due to idling but also the increased cost to their fleet operating budget from idling. Annual fuel and maintenance costs due to idling one truck alone can be close to $10,000.^1-5 This is a significant amount of savings when this cost is applied across a conservative fleet size of 15 medium/heavy duty trucks. For example, a fleet of this size can see annual idling costs of $150k.

If you’re looking for a simple solution that will reduce your fleet’s idling at the jobsite, support sustainability goals and idling regulations/laws, and improve your fleet’s operating budget, consider choosing Altec’s JEMS (Jobsite Energy Management System).

What is JEMS?

JEMS is an integrated plug-in system that uses stored electrical energy from a lithium-ion battery to power the hydraulics (such as the PTO aerial device), jobsite tools, cab comfort (AC and heat), and offers exportable power. The energy storage system is recharged through the following convenient options: plug-in charging Level I and II (SAE J1772) jobsite and mobile charging.

Altec’s 10+ years of developing, supporting and innovating jobsite idle mitigation technology has allowed our JEMS system to be recognized as the market leader for reducing idling at the jobsite.

JEMS has:

• Eliminated over two million jobsite idling hours
• Eliminated over 65 million “idling” miles of engine wear
• Avoided over 43 million CO2 lbs. unnecessarily emitted

Altec’s Latest JEMS Product Updates

Altec recently launched the JEMS S/SE/ and LE models. All the new JEMS models include the jobsite anti-idle feature; however, the SE (small aerial with ePTO) and LE (large aerial with ePTO), also includes an electrified PTO (ePTO). Altec’s new JEMS products include configurable options to offer our customers the JEMS solution to meet their work application and preferred payback period.

The introduction of Altec’s JEMS S/SE and LE offers ample energy for daily work and is designed for operation year-round. The updated Altec JEMS delivers a simplified, easy to use operator interface.

The easy-to-use JEMS in Cab Display gives the operator the ability to:⁶

• Engage JEMS with the touch of a button
• Monitor the charging level
• Receive proactive system alert notifications

Monitor your Jobsite Performance and Savings with JEMS Connect

The JEMS performance can be tracked and analyzed through the JEMS Connect dashboard. The intuitive dashboard allows you to easily identify opportunities to optimize your fuel and maintenance savings.

Operators can view the following metrics from the dashboard:

• Jobsite anti-idle performance
• Fuel and emissions savings
• Other key metrics to optimize your fleet’s jobsite anti-idle

Having visibility into this data ensures you’re maximizing JEMS performance and reducing your operating expenses.

In addition to these features, Altec offers financing through Altec Capital Services. When it comes to financing solutions, ACS customers can expect market expertise, industry knowledge and an unparalleled quality of service.

For more information on how JEMS can help reduce your fleet’s operating budget and achieve your fleet electrification goals, visit https://www.altec.com/products/green-fleet/ or contact Altec at 800-958-2555.

References:
1. Edison Electric Institute (EEI); Transportation Electrification; Utility Fleets Leading the Charge, June 2014.
2. ORNL – RNL: Lascurain, M.B.; Franzese, O.; Capps, G.; et al. (2012). Medium Truck Duty Cycle Data from Real-World Driving Environments: Project Final Report (ORNL/TM-2012/240). Work performed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. DOE
3. U.S Energy Information Administration for current fuel price: https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
4. OEM Recommended DPF Cleaning Intervals
5. Mancilla, K. (2018, November 9). How to Maintain Your Boom Truck. Retrieved from https://blog.beaconfunding.com/business/how-to-maintain-your-boom-truck/
6. Altec Internal JEMS data on file.

Kermie Jackson, a Service Supervisor at Altec’s Florida Service Center in Riviera Beach, FL, has worked at Altec for 14 years. After working at a bakery as a mechanic, he decided he wanted to learn how to repair bucket trucks and came to work at Altec as a technician. He is passionate about customer satisfaction, teamwork and helping others achieve their career goals.

We sat down with Jackson to ask him about his job and learn more about what it’s like to work for Altec’s Service Group:

Altec: Where did you work before you came to Altec?

Jackson: I was a mechanic at a bakery. It was mostly electrical, with no hydraulics or pneumatics. I worked there for nine years and decided I wanted to be a mechanic somewhere else. So, I put my resume on Monster.com and was contacted and asked to interview. Here I am today, 14 years later.

Altec: What role did you start out in at Altec?

Jackson: I started as a Technician. Once I mastered that, within five years, I became a Master Technician. I took the initiative to make myself better. Altec helped me a lot with classes. After being a Master Tech for about nine years, they moved me up to Supervisor. I had no plans at first to be a supervisor. I just did my work and the manager saw how aggressive I was at working and the ability I had to talk to customers, so he decided to move me to Shop Supervisor.

Altec: How would you describe your coworkers?

Jackson: As far as a work family goes, I think we are much closer than that. It’s like your mom and dad, for example, and Altec is your mom. Altec helped me out tremendously. Our son got in an accident and they were there behind me one hundred percent. If I needed anything or needed anybody to talk to, they were there. That was a big help. There’s no us, I, or you; it’s a team. That made a big impact on me as far as being a team player.

Altec: From your experience, what career options does Altec offer to technicians?

Jackson: As far as your career goes, there are different avenues. Becoming a supervisor isn’t the only route you can take. There’s also a technician who went to work in our training department. We even have a Master Tech that’s going to work in our Tech Support department. It depends on you and where you want to go and how you want to get there, to prove to yourself that you can do something.

Altec: Can you describe what it’s like to work at Altec?

Jackson: Every day of my 14 years, I’ve learned something, or somebody has taught me something that’s been here less time than I have. It’s easy to move up; you just have to want it. Once you get on the Altec team, you’re in. They’ll treat you with respect. They’ll teach you anything you want to know. They’ll inform you.

Altec: What do you enjoy about your job?

Jackson: I like working with our customers. The best part is when they get their truck repaired, and say a week later, you call them and ask them, ‘How is your truck doing? Are you having any problems?’ That’s customer satisfaction.

Altec: In your 14 years at Altec, what values have you noticed are important to our company?

Jackson: Customer support, that’s the biggest thing. We support our customers one hundred percent. We support manufacturing. We support sales. That’s the Altec team, support. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. Nobody supported me in my previous jobs the way Altec did.

 

At Altec, we know if we put our minds and hearts and backs into something, we can do anything. We care about people. We look after each other.

And no matter where we go, across the nation or the globe, we know one thing holds true: our equipment, our services, and our solutions are used to advance our communities and improve other people’s lives.

Does a career at Altec seem like the right fit for you? If you’re interested in joining Team Altec, check out our current job openings here.