Your company is at the point when it’s time to add an aerial device to your fleet. If you have been assigned the not-so-simple task of deciding what that new addition will be, it’s very important to consider a few things before making an investment in a new truck. For the first-time buyer, or for a company relatively new to the industry, this guide will serve as a great starting point to help prepare you for your initial conversation with a sales person.
GETTING STARTED
Before any consideration is made, it is important to ask the question, “Who is the best person to make this decision?” Before you invest in a new or new-to-you piece of equipment, include the correct people in the decision making process. The best way to start writing the ideal set of specifications is to include the right people—not just the people who make the final financial decision.
DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS
Next, decide exactly what you need this machine to do to help make your job easier. Will this unit be used for building, electric utility, street or traffic light maintenance, tree trimming, or a combination of several duties? Are you already using a piece of equipment? If so, what more would you like this machine to help you accomplish. For example, a sign company may have a unit with proper working height and adequate storage space, but needs to have the ability to lift two operators in the air when working on a storefront sign.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
When determining your equipment needs, it’s important to consider the physical locations of the signs, storefronts, billboards and other areas where you will be working. When comparing specs, make sure the specified maximum working height of the unit meets the requirements for your work location. When your work site is not close to the truck, be aware that the working height will diminish the further away from the truck the boom has to travel to perform work. For example, if your highest job is 50 feet, but cannot be accessed directly underneath, you will need a unit rated greater than 50 feet maximum working height to reach that work if the truck is located several feet from the lateral position of the job site.
Type of Work
Does the type of work performed require any material handling capabilities? The amount of weight you need to lift will affect the available payload of the chassis. Several factors including platform and material handling capacity requirements will affect the chassis class you will need for sufficient stability.
A unit with sufficient side reach is important when you aren’t able to park your truck beneath the work site. For example, if your work requires traffic signal or billboard maintenance, you may not be able to stop four lanes of traffic to perform an hour-long repair.
Chassis Requirements
Something else to consider is the type of chassis best suited for your unit. Chassis selection can vary depending on several factors. For Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (GVWRs) exceeding 26,000 pounds, a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) will be required. Keep in mind that for some companies, federal excise taxes can also be applied to chassis over 33,000 pounds.
Due to recent changes in federal emissions regulations, minimum chassis requirements have been affected. These changes may affect payload, material handling capabilities and some special unit specifications. Be aware, a configuration from a truck spec’d five or ten years ago may require an upgraded chassis type.
Also, the type of chassis you choose might affect the platform height. In general, small duty chassis frame heights are around 32-33 inches and medium duty chassis are closer to 40 inches. The difference in eight inches may not make a difference for you, but it is something to consider when trying to make your job as easy as possible.
Body Type
Once you have determined what type of unit is needed for the job, it is time to choose the correct service body. Altec offers steel, aluminum and fiberglass configurations to fit a variety of different applications including service, utility and forestry bodies. For many companies, the work truck also serves as the office space, material storage unit and company car. It is important to have adequate amount of space for storing all equipment and tools.
The body type begins with a list of customer requirements and the design is built from that—both on the internal and external portions of the body. For a company interested in increasing payload while saving on fuel costs, an aluminum or fiberglass body is something to consider. Aluminum is up to 45 percent lighter than steel with a greater resistance to corrosion. An added benefit is that aluminum retains its value and can be recycled. While aluminum bodies are more costly, they offer a nine percent fuel savings along with reduced tire suspension and brake maintenance.
FINISHING UP
If you aren’t ready to pull the trigger on a specific unit or are unsure if you want to make a long-term investment, Altec offers several options that could help make that decision easier. Altec NUECO keeps an up-to-date list of used units allowing the customer to filter a search with specific criteria. There are circumstances that make sense financially for the buyer to rent a unit rather than purchase new or used. For example, contract work often requires a quick start, which may not give enough time to purchase a new unit. Altec Global offers flexible rent to own programs that allow a portion of the customer’s rental investment to go toward the cost of the rented piece of equipment if they choose to purchase.
While there are several items to consider when creating specifications for a new truck, this list will help point you in the right direction. No matter what piece of equipment you decide to purchase, it is important to speak directly to an Altec sales representative when making your equipment decisions.
View Available Aerials OR to learn more about what Altec has to offer, call 800-958-2555 or contact us online today.
The days of summer’s sweltering heat are upon us. It’s very important to prepare both you and your Altec unit including aerials, digger derricks, cranes and wood chippers for the hot temperatures. Here are some suggestions that will keep you operating efficiently when the temperatures are on the rise.
At Altec, we are committed to helping your crew work safer and smarter. We believe this is possible through a thorough knowledge of how to operate our equipment. 
Altec Parts offers savings up to 25 percent when you add on a remote control system or a platform to your derrick. Maximizing your system’s functionality is critical to optimizing your time spent at the job site. Both of these systems require very little, if any, modification to your existing unit configuration.
Adding a platform to your unit greatly increases your jobsite performance by increasing the type of work functions your unit can perform. Platforms can be stowed parallel to your unit when not in use and will not interfere with any derrick functions. When installed with a liner, your derrick can instantly become an insulating aerial device to potentially eliminate the need for additional equipment at the job site.
Altec engineering has made several improvements to the derrick remote control system allowing more ease and comfort than ever before. These radio controls allow complete control of all derrick functions including pole guide, winch and digger from any location at the job site. When attached to a platform, the radio unit can be used as upper controls without running mechanical controls to the boom tip, allowing a greater boom capacity and smaller working envelope.
Altec recently announced a new riding seat option for the DC Digger Derrick product line. This riding seat offers best-in-class clearance for customers who have dual pole racks (one on each side). The configuration includes a hand-activated throttle, standard foot-activated interlock, and batwing controller for main boom functions. A relocated digger winch valve maximizes the control layout, which gives clearance for rotating past poles on either side of the pedestal.
With the large variety of Altec products available, in a variety of working heights and capacities, it’s hard to imagine more possibilities being available to our customers. But there are. A number of our digger derrick units are available installed on track vehicles. You may wonder why and how a track carrier would fit into your job needs, but the answer is as simple as it eliminates limitations many crews face due to terrain and land conditions.
A variety of track vehicle sizes are available to accommodate the many digger derrick and aerial lift units Altec manufactures. Whether your job requires you to travel up steep hills, over wet and muddy ground, through swampy land or over snow and ice, there’s a track vehicle with an Altec unit installed that can get you there.