Bucket Trucks

[wjmst]

Ok. I live in the country (hence the post in the rural living forum) and whenever I go to the big city I drive by the electric company. On the weekends they have all of their bucket trucks in their parking lot with the bucket extended up into the air about 90% of the way up.

Why? What is the purpose of this procedure?

I don't park my tractor and put the FEL up in the air.

Just curious. Thanks

Wes

 

[Mendonsy]

I see that a lot with high lifts like JLG also. I know of two reasons but there are probably more.
1) To keep people (especially kids) from climbing on them and away from the operator controls in the bucket.
2) It makes good free advertising.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I know that cherry picker operators also raise the boom up to about 45 degrees when parking for the night. I was told by one operator it was so that any rain water that might get into the boom sections would drain out rather than accumulate and then dump on the operator when the boom is raised. I don't know how true that was.

 

[Country Geek]

A lot of times at job sites you'll see them raised with a generator or some other expensive piece of equipment dangling from them, to keep them out of the hands of thieves.

 

[LD1]

I see that too and have also wondered. Just assumed it was to keep people out.

As to the Boom type lifts like genie/JLG/skyjack my guess is to save space and keep people from running into the basket. We do that at work with the boom lifts. Saves space.

 

[bcp]

It attracts lightning, causing thunder. That's why they are called BOOM trucks.



Bruce

 

[/pine]

...Saves space.

This is the reason a lot of tractor dealerships invert the rear wheels on their machines lined up on their lots...

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Most contract lineman leave their bucket tools in the bucket, if the bucket is left in the cradle there is a better than average chance in a lot of places that your tools will walk off, if you leave the upper boom raised they will be there when you get back the next morning.

 

[MossRoad]

It attracts lightning, causing thunder. That's why they are called BOOM trucks.



Bruce

NICE!!! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Search for it and you get some interesting reasons....

- Keeps homeless people out.
- Someone mentioned that there are security pins locking the toolboxes and the chip box has to be lifted to get the pins out. The chip box can't be raised if the boom is up. So its a security measure.
- Many mention tool storage.
- Many mention free advertising.
- Many mention its harder to steal the truck with the bucket up... you can't trailer it or tow it. That's interesting. Kinda like those shopping carts at the mall with the pole on them.
- And many mention drift testing... if the valves hold overnight. I find that one hard to believe. What kind of damage could be done if it came down with no one around, for example?
- Number one reason keeps going back to tools in the bucket, hydraulic saws, etc....