Boom trucks, the industry’s work horses, are dual rated for crane and personnel lifting, taking installers and their projects to new heights. Photos courtesy Altec, Inc.
By Kayla Phillips
Behind every sign colouring the sky is a dedicated crew of installers, as well as the equipment that helps them get the job done. Boom trucks, the industry’s work horses, are dual rated for crane and personnel lifting, taking companies and their projects to new heights.
Whether it is setting up quickly, reaching higher and further, lifting heavier loads, or dealing with awkward or hard-to-reach signs, today’s equipment is designed with operators’ needs in mind, reflecting the current demands of the industry.
Over the years, innovations in boom truck technology have allowed professionals to work safer and smarter through all types of projects and installations.
Maximizing safety and efficiency
At the end of the day, equipment manufacturers and operators share common goals. When it comes to successful installations, safety is the most important, followed by a focus on efficiency. Some equipment manufacturers offer the following features on their boom trucks, in order to meet industry needs.
To help installers work more effectively, certain pieces of equipment come with outrigger configurations which allow for short jacking. When using this function, the outriggers are fully extended outward on
one side of the truck, and do not extend on the other. The installer then works on the side of the truck with full outrigger extension. This allows for setup in tight spaces when work would otherwise block parking or lanes of traffic.
Some manufacturers have trucks with a material handling attachment, which helps installers avoid damage to signs or buildings. The attachment allows them to install from underneath an existing sign, rather than reaching from above with a crane or another lifting mechanism. Adding this accessory to a truck may eliminate the need for additional crew members or equipment, which can ultimately help operators reduce costs and time spent on a project or jobsite. Further, by installing from underneath an awning or soffit, operators do not have to worry about the winch load line hitting any sign or structure above.
Additionally, some truck models come standard with hydraulic overload protection (HOP). The HOP system monitors boom lift cylinder pressure and helps prevent operator errors from causing excessive and possibly damaging overloads. During operation, a load indicator displays the percentage of hydraulic capacity in use, giving operators a real-time view of what the HOP system is monitoring. If the cylinder pressure reaches a preset maximum limit, the system stops certain boom and winch functions to prevent excessive overloads. The remaining functions stay active, so the operator can relieve the overload condition, which automatically resets the HOP system.
When it comes to successful installations, safety is the most important, followed by a focus on efficiency.
Some products also offer other helpful features, such as radio remotes. In a typical two-person sign install, distractions can be everywhere. With one installer on the ground and another working traditional controls at the base of a crane, communicating over the noise of the machinery can be a challenge. Couple this with the additional obstacles common on an active jobsite and the potential for unsafe situations increases.
Radio remotes connect wirelessly and allow operators to get close to the pick, instead of being confined to the lower controls at the base of the crane. The remotes are metred for precise movement, and the range covers most jobsites, making them easy to connect and use, even for newer operators.
“Sometimes operators have to fit the trucks into tight spaces, and they cannot necessarily get the best vantage point in terms of understanding where their load is,” says Nathan Mulcahy, lights and signs market manager for Altec. “These remotes offer full flexibility for the operator, improving safety and efficiency.”
