How to Safely Operate a Bucket Truck

Operating a bucket truck requires attention to safety. Some accidents may not be preventable, but you want to minimize the hazards as much as possible. In addition to making sure your equipment is working properly, you also want to see that others don’t run into your truck, its boom, or your team.

Daily Safety Checks

Before you leave for a job be sure to check your truck and the equipment. Look for any damage, leaks, or broken or missing parts. At your worksite, it’s best to park on even ground if possible. Be sure that your wheels are chocked and that there is nothing overhead to obstruct your equipment. Your emergency brake should be on.

It also helps to take stock of traffic patterns. For example, if you are working at an intersection, use extra signage, and request a police officer to direct traffic. When your boom is expected to cross over a second lane, both lanes should be blocked off.

Prevent Accidents from Inside the Bucket

Make sure you are following these safety guidelines to prevent tipping over and other kinds of hazards when you are working inside the bucket:

• Keep Your Fee on the Floor
• Strap Yourself In
• Stay Off the Edge of the Bucket
• Keep the Bucket Free from Ladders and Step Stools
• Wear Fall Protection

When you are searching for used forestry bucket trucks for sale, contact Centec Equipment Sales for safe trucks that have been thoroughly refurbished from top to bottom.

Choose to Use an Over-Center Bucket Truck

Each job your tree-trimming or landscaping business takes on has its own unique demands. One of the decisions you have to make when you need to reach certain heights is whether you need an over-center bucket truck or not. Consider the working height, side reaches, and other specific factors when you are figuring out your needs.

An over-center bucket truck refers to the position of the upper boom when it is fully extended and goes past the 90-degree mark; thus the term “over center.” An extensive reach function helps your operator extend the lower and upper booms out vertically, which gives him the necessary ability to reach the sides of the tree to get the expected results.  The operator may also need maximum maneuverability and additional side reach, so the over-center bucket truck is perfect for projects that require flexibility.

To put it simply: an over-center bucket truck helps operators access the most hard-to-reach spots. An over-center bucket truck can reach a working height from 35 to 55 ft. These trucks are ideal for use in landscaping, construction, and forestry, among other similar industries.

Find the over-center bucket truck you need among the used forestry trucks at CentecEquipmentSales.com/. We have the right bucket truck to fit your project.

The Benefits of Buying a Used Bucket Truck, Part 2

Bucket trucks are used in a variety of industries, including any industry that needs to move workers up and down to accommodate heavy moving or working in adverse conditions. Bucket trucks come in various shapes and sizes; they are versatile and can be used for a multitude of different tasks. To continue our blog on “The Benefits of Buying a Used Bucket Truck,” we offer more information for those who are deciding whether to buy a new or used bucket truck.

Repair & Maintenance Costs

The repair and maintenance costs are not that different between a new and a used bucket truck because the maintenance intervals remain constant whether the truck is new or used.

Consider buying your truck from Centec Equipment Sales, which offers you options from a number of high-quality preowned bucket trucks. Call our team toll-free at 877-499-2077 to help you plan and know where replacement parts can be obtained. 

Technology

There’s not a wide gap between the technology of a new and a used bucket truck. Not a lot of substantial changes have been made in the last ten years. There have been upgrades and changes along the lines of working height and operator comfort and efficiency.

Whether you need a late-model bucket truck or you would like one as soon as it leaves a fleet, compare your needs and weigh the costs and benefits of each. 

The Benefits of Buying a Used Bucket Truck, Part 1

The demand for bucket trucks has increased for a variety of reasons in high-elevation work. There are numerous benefits to purchasing small-duty or medium-duty used bucket trucks. They consume less fuel to perform more tasks efficiently. In comparison to other trucks, they incur less operating costs. Keep in mind that you should base your purchase of any bucket truck on your company’s needs in terms of performance, reliability, purchasing cost, operational cost, and technology. There are advantages to buying a used bucket truck, including all of the following:

Performance

A well-maintained used bucket truck has been built to be tough and has a long service life. Typically, even a 15-year-old used bucket truck can perform as well as a brand new model.

Reliability

As long as the used bucket truck has been well-maintained reliability shouldn’t be a concern. However, there is no 100% guarantee of a perfect performance throughout its serviceable life even when you buy a brand new truck.

Purchase Cost

The most obvious benefit to purchasing a used bucket truck is a lower cost than a new one. A deal on a used bucket truck may sometimes be half or one third as much as the truck’s original price. The lower cost is due to depreciation. The value of a truck can drop as much as 30 percent in its first three years.

When to Use a Digger Derrick Truck

A digger derrick is a powerful machine that’s used to bore into the ground. It is the same as a boom or crane truck except that it includes a large motor that drives an auger into the ground by rotating. Commonly used by electrical companies, telecommunications, and construction industries, this rotation equipment is specially designed to pierce hard soil and dirt and remove broken and loose material out of the ground.  Using a digger derrick is a fast and effective method for boring holes into the ground with an auger that has an extremely large bit.  

The most vital components of a digger derrick are its hydraulic motor and auger. The auger drill is essentially a mechanical hole digger that loosens dirt and debris and moves it out of the hole that is being drilled. To power the system that provides the rotation energy, the digger needs a combustion engine to ensure it performs up to the speed and efficiency that is needed.

The auger in a digger derrick is often used in construction to dig holes deep enough to add foundation pilings. This versatile machine is cost-efficient for most projects because it is fast and simple to use if the operator has been trained properly. Contact Centec Equipment Sales when you are searching for digger derricks or used forestry trucks.