What Size Truck Do I Need?

Buying a bucket truck isn’t all that different from buying any other vehicle. There are specific factors to consider, but for the most part, a buyer looks for the same things: maintenance records, overall vehicle condition, vehicle specifications, and agreeable price. With that in mind, we’ve detailed some of the factors specific to bucket trucks that a buyer should keep in mind before purchasing.

Questions To Ask When Buying a Bucket Truck

Early in the buying process, you should determine exactly what size and type of truck you’ll need. You’ll want to ask questions like: What will most of your worksites be like? Will you be working with trees? If so, how tall will they be? How old are you, or how old is your climber? Do you have a place to keep the truck? How much is the insurance a year? What’s the fuel economy?

There’s an old saying: you shouldn’t use a ½ horsepower drill for a ½ horsepower job. In other words, it’s better to have more power and function than you need, rather than to need more power and function and not have it. That’s true for bucket trucks; however, you don’t want to go too big, or you’ll likely overpay for the truck and struggle to cover the costs, making it a less than fruitful investment.

You’ll want to purchase a boom truck that can handle 90% of your projects. The rest of the time, you’ll want to simply rent a larger capacity crane. This will ensure you’re getting the biggest return on investment, and will reduce the size of crane you need to purchase.

Determining What Size of Bucket Truck You’ll Need

Consider the physical locations of the signs, storefronts, billboards and other areas where you will be working. Make sure the specified maximum working height of the unit meets the requirements for your work location. Remember, too, that the working height will diminish the further away from the truck the boom has to travel to perform work. If you have to park the truck several feet from the job site, a truck with a 50 foot reach won’t reach a 50 foot height due to the increased angle.

Determining What Features You’ll Need on your Bucket Truck

As for body style, fiberglass or aluminum bodies are more popular at co-ops and municipalities because they are light and they don’t rust, and can last well into the 12-year replacement timeframe. Single axle truck vs tandem axle truck: The lighter weight and shorter wheelbase will afford you greater access to tighter spaces and reduce the likelihood of property damage. Commercial projects or projects that require larger lifting capacity will be best suited by a tandem axle truck, which will increase the truck’s hauling power and accommodate larger capacity cranes.

Boom Crane Locations

Standard Mount: The boom is located directly behind the truck’s cab. This is the most common and cost effective mount location. It also provides increased storage and bed-space.

Rear Mount: Located at the back of the truck bed, which allows the crane operator to get closer to his work area. It does come at a cost, however: it reduces storage space and hauling capacity.

Boom Size

Short booms are lighter and easier to operate, which allows for a smaller workspace. These are ideal for tight working conditions and lighter lift requirements, but remember this limits the projects you’ll be able to handle. Conversely, a long boom has a greater reach and height but a reduced lifting capacity due to the altered center of gravity.

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