I bought my first bucket truck…..now what?

After I bought my first bucket truck several years ago, I found myself asking, now what. Sure I know what the truck does and I know how to go up and work on the jobs, but what do I really know about the truck and aerial.

How am I supposed to know everything I need to do? What is the required maintenance and inspections that need done? These manuals that came with it are as clear as mud.

I figured my best option was to really apply myself and study these manuals front to back. Well at least I read through them. That has got to put me ahead of most. I had some ideas, but also some conflicting items. I tried to make a chart and a plan, but it just seemed like it was not working out right.

I swallowed my pride and contacted the dealer I bought the truck from. I remember how he explained everything to me when I bought the truck. I discovered that he was an amazing resource to turn to. He knew what the manufacturers and ANSI requirements were, and quickly put me on the fast track to bucket truck maintenance and inspections, and all I had to do was ask.

Several years later, I run my own electrical contracting company with a fleet of bucket trucks, digger derricks and trouble trucks. I reflect back on that first truck and am truly thankful that I made that phone call that day.

Glen

General Electrical Contractor

Visibility on the Job Site

Whether it be day or night, having effective visibility on the job site, whether along the road or other areas is essential to the workers safety. Night work has it set of challenges but also with the spring mornings we are having excessively bright sunlight on the horizon when the motorists commence about their day. Work vehicles equipped with the 360 degree amber lights, front and rear amber safety lights and arrow stick lights at the rear are the benchmark of the industry today. Though it may seem to be lit up like a Holiday Season display, in most cases more is always better. Then adding to any unit high conspicuity reflective stripes with bright colors enhances the unit with red-white on the rear of the unit, front bumper areas and then along the sides of the unit adds to the total visibility. Adding to the area of the unit illumination, it appears that the use of LED type lamps and the effective visibility is enhanced to the human eye over the past generation safety lights, thus adding to the visibility. Having all the illumination placed at a normal driver height from a passenger vehicle view point certainly would add that extra part to the safety. Maintain the light systems for optimum safety, when these are not working properly get them repaired in a timely manner to insure your safety.

How Technology Changes an Industry

Back in the early 2000's I started to work in the IT field with the utility equipment industry.  An old boss back at a previously company stated, "No one will ever buy a bucket truck from the Internet!"  Oh how times have changed!  Not only did we create a website for that company, it became one of the main sources of income by drawing in people that would have never found or heard of them otherwise.

It’s true the business world is very different now in the age of the Internet.   Although the utility equipment industry is still somewhat old school, the need and want for technology is all around.  The questions always being asked are: “How can we make it better?”  “How do we get the data to the customer in the most accurate and fastest way possible?”

These are our goals here at Versalift East.  We want to give our customers as much information as we possibly can, while still staying competitive. We have an online inventory system that keeps our website up-to-date all the time.  New equipment specifications are spelled out to give website visitors all the data they need to help in their product purchase decision- making process.

Versalift East uses video to show a unit in working order, interior details, the boom in action, etc.  All of our videos can be seen on our YouTube Channel.  We have also produced other videos such as safety and product demonstrations.

We have created this blog to give customers fresh ideas and to answer those common questions.  Employees from all departments participate with these blog articles in order to give a well rounded view of different aspects of the utility truck/equipment segment.  We have other informative segments on our website in the "Other" section of our menu on our main website.  We have industry related new articles, interesting utility equipment related photos, and section for other useful websites. 

Versalift East joined the networking social media with its page on Facebook.  If you haven't joined us on Facebook yet, we encourage you to "Like" us!  We talk about industry related topics and other events and happenings going on at Versalift East.

Our online store continues to grow, adding a way for people to be able to find parts and accessories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Our store contains common Versalift parts such as bucket leveling shocks, replacement decals, and control panels and non-specific parts for all aerial units like saw scabbards, bucket covers, hydraulic tools, augers, winch rope, lighting and safety equipment to name just a few.  Peter and Greg in the parts department are always looking for more products to add to the store to give our customers everything they need.

The Versalift East website also has an online support feature.  If a customer has a question about a certain product or service, they can chat live to an agent right on the website.

One of our newest advances is our new Diamond Partner program, where customers who purchase a certain amount of units from Versalift East have a login and they can access all the history to their units on the website.  They have access to digital manuals, parts ordering, safety bulletins, engineering drawings, unit specifications and more.  We are very proud of this program and continue to grow its capabilities.

Versalift East will continue to move forward in technology to meet the needs of our customers.  We invite you to visit our website at www.VersaliftEast.com and see what we can offer.  Can't find what you are looking for?  Please contact us at info@versalifteast.com and we will be happy to help.