Hurricane Matthew: Storm Recovery Equipment

Utility and tree care companies have been hard at work in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power during the storms and thanks to many brave men and women, power was restored quickly for those affected by the natural disaster.

After any storm, Altec wants to help utility and tree care companies in any way we can, whether that’s through rental, parts, supplies or service. Beyond the services we offer, innovative equipment is the best support Altec can provide for our customers who rely on our units during storm cleanup. Following Hurricane Matthew, there were several types of Altec equipment that were most helpful during the restoration efforts. Below is a list of the most popular Altec equipment that was used after Hurricane Matthew.

Material Handling Aerial Devices

Popular among utilities, trucks like the AA55, a non-overcenter articulating aerial device, were heavily used for rebuilding power lines using the material handling capabilities.

A major benefit of this unit is the extended reach option. This allows the platform to touch the ground, eliminating the need to stow the boom each time a lineman needs to get out of the platform, or gather additional materials to restore the power lines.

Extended reach allowed linemen to set up farther away from the jobsite if, for example, a tree or other hazard was blocking the area the crew needed to access. Travis Bond, Fleet Manager at MDR Powerline Construction, notes, “For us, the extended reach made it possible to reach over flooded ditches to access power lines that had fallen.”

MDR had 17 crews at work, each with two aerial devices. “Because the AA55 is a personnel lift and material handler, we were able to spread crews out by setting up one aerial device per pole,” says Travis. “The hours following a hurricane are crucial and spreading the crews allowed us to restore power that much faster.”

Digger Derricks

Altec Digger Derricks, like the DM47B, were widely used as utilities began digging holes to set new power poles. Optimized for lifting and setting 50-55 foot poles, the DM47B is built to handle the majority of the structures utilities rebuilt after Hurricane Matthew. Because the unit is mounted on a single axle chassis, it made it easy for linemen to fit the trucks into tight spots and the optimal payload capacity allowed for needed storage in boxes and bins.

Rob Slayman with Sumter Utilities in South Carolina says the DM47B was a major asset when working in flooded areas. “The digger derrick was critical to our restoration efforts and allowed us to reach each jobsite safely and efficiently. With the pin-on platform, we were able to use the DM47B as both a digger derrick and aerial device. This eliminated the need for an extra truck on site and helped get the power back on quicker.”

MDR Powerline Construction used the remote control option, which allowed linemen to operate the unit either up close to enhance visibility or from a distance if the area was hazardous. “The remote control is a great tool because you can be right where the work is and don’t need to be on the truck to operate it,” explains Travis. “Also, at times, what would’ve been a two-man job became a one-man job because crews could operate the controls from a position within easy reach of the pole.”

“We also utilized the DB37, a small backyard digger, when dealing in wet, marshy areas,” says Travis. “These tracked units offered great stability when working in soft areas.”

Cranes

Cranes were a major help during the restoration efforts, as sometimes utility or tree care companies needed to remove heavy trees that had fallen on top of houses or buildings.

The AC38-127S was heavily used during storm cleanup. The unit has an automatic transmission and is the perfect mix of compactness with optimal curb weight and maneuverability. Ideal for the tree care industry, the unit features LMI reel and anti two block guards, LMI wire which is run inside the boom, polycarbonate front and upper cab glass and plenty of storage bins with rigging boxes.

Adam Congrove with Arbor Nature bought his first Altec crane, an AC38-127S, one week before Hurricane Matthew.“We’ve been using it all day every day since it was delivered and it’s been working great,” says Adam. “We’ve bought six aerial devices from Altec over the years and we’ve always been happy with the quality of the trucks – that’s the main reason we decided to buy a crane from Altec.”

Much of Arbor Nature’s work requires a crane, and the closest day trade crane rental is a little over an hour away. Having their own crane gives Arbor Nature more flexibility, versatility and increases efficiency; they will likely use the AC38-127S on jobs that don’t necessarily require a crane, but a crane is more useful and efficient to get the job done.

Woodland Tree Service of Memphis, TN travelled to Hilton Head, SC to help with storm cleanup. Terran Arwood, President of Woodland Tree, says, “It’s difficult when you’re working in an area where people don’t know who you are or what your reputation is, so you have to get your foot in the door. Obviously, by having dependable and well operating equipment, people understand you’re legitimate. With our AC38-127S, we went from one job to multiple jobs in the span of time we’ve been working after Hurricane Matthew.”

Small Aerial Devices

Trucks like the performed smaller jobs or helped assist some of the larger aerial devices. Often referred to as “trouble trucks”, the AT37G was helpful when minor replacements, such as a blown fuse or transformer, needed to be made.

Sumter Utilities used backyard aerials in neighborhoods and yards for hard-to-reach spots without tearing up grass, shrubs, etc. “The was extremely useful in tight areas where we couldn’t drive our other aerials,” notes Rob.

Tree Care Equipment

Popular among tree care companies, trucks in the LR7 Series helped with the bulk of the tree care work. In fact, tree care companies are still working to clean up after Hurricane Matthew, some saying work could continue for 2-3 more weeks.

With an impressive fleet comprised of LR7 Series aerial units, AF1472 chip dump bodies and AF1360L chip dump bodies, Bartlett Tree played a major part in the cleanup following Hurricane Matthew. Steve Johnston, VP Southeast Division Manager for Bartlett Tree, says the best help to them was Altec’s stock program. “Within a day or two, Altec delivered eight trucks that we’d planned to take delivery on in the future. They had more equipment available for delivery than any supplier I’ve ever worked with before and I’ve been in this industry for 29 years.” Bartlett used their existing fleet and the additional eight trucks for cleanup from Savannah, GA to Raleigh, NC. He adds, “It’s been a busy couple of weeks.”

Various types of equipment were heavily used after Hurricane Matthew. Work horses like the AA55 and DM47B were major assets to utilities, while cranes like the AC38-127S and forestry units in the LR7 Series were beneficial to tree care companies. Altec is thankful to the companies and crews who worked day and night to restore cities following the strongest hurricane we’ve seen this year.

To learn more about Altec’s products and services, call 800-958-2555 or contact an Altec representative online.