Bucket truck

[CentralSigns]

We have been debating for some time now whether to buy a bucket truck or not. We have an arrangement with an equipment company and use their truck at least twice a month. Do you all think if you had the truck the work would find you or do you need to have a more steady supply of work. We have went back and forth for some time now on this. With a 40-50 ft reach we would be the only on for 150 miles, around several communities. How many sign companies market their trucks for all kinds of stuff(christmas lights, window cleaning, sign cleaning) What else could it be used for? Please respond no idea is foolish.

 

[SignManiac]

You could string lights on extremely tall Christmas trees.

 

[Techman]

can you get about 150 bux an hour with enough work to pay the mortgage and the insurance and the maintenance and the inspection fees?

 

[HulkSmash]

I contract a guy at 80 bucks an Hr. I won't touch one. Insurance to run that thing is obscene.

 

[CentralSigns]

This is in Canada. Haven't looked at insurance yet, you mean liability policies, or vehicle. We aren't worried about Workers Comp, a partner will run it. We can easily get $120 an hour. The nearest bucket truck is 2.5 hour drive. Hoping I can do better locally. There is another bucket in town but it can only reach 28 ft and is used mostly by a electrical shop for their work. Still a good idea?

 

[ProWraps]

hard to say without knowing all the variables aka insurance. how can one make a educated and informed decision only knowing half the story?

in california, i would imagine the truck itself would be the cheapest part of the equation. canada may be different, but insurance on that thing would make me shudder to think about. let alone the repercussions from a tip over.

really just boils down to the cost benefit analysis. can you keep it busy enough to justify the cost to ad a benefit to your company either financially and or conveniently.

 

[Billct2]

Agree, need more info
For instance, what are the licensing requirements up there? Around here you need an electrical license to work on anything electrical, the level of license depends on what you do. Also if the truck is over a certain size you need a Commercial drivers license. Plus all the insurance issues.
Crane work can be very profitable, IF you keep the thing busy.
We had a bucket truck for a while, but didn't have enough work for it on our own and decided we didn't want to service signs that we didn't build/install. Plus it sucks working 40' up in sub freezing weather and rain.
You say you need to use one twice a month which certainly doesn't justify buying it, so you would be starting a new business that would require full time involvement to get it to a point of profitablity, who's going to do that? If it's one of the current employees, who's going to do their job while they're out drumming up business and doing the service calls?

 

[CentralSigns]

We always see the older trucks in the us going for 10-15 k, and think gee 4-5 big jobs on our own would pay for one of those ex-utility trucks, instead of renting one as we need it. A new truck is out of the question $$$$$$, but a older not as fast truck could make enough to get a good truck, by the time its dead. We already have a good business to keep us going, its just us wanting to make more by covering a shortage in our area, instead of the higher signs jobs going to the out of town installation companies. We have been getting alot of corporate work and the bucket truck stuff is far more profitable than some of the little stuff. If a guy could get 3-4 of them a month and fill in between with the smaller stuff. I guess I,'m trying to say we are very busy but still have some room to grow with our current set up.

 

[player]

I am not sure of the costs but you might have to get yearly stress tests/safety done on the crane. Can be big money. Especially when replacing parts.

 

[CentralSigns]

Thanks guys. We will have to look at everything a bit deeper.

 

[Gino]

We always rented them, got another shop to do it or worked around having to use one. We got ours almost two years ago for a really good price, put some money into it and it's the neatest/best thing I did in a long time. Not only has it helped us in installations or removals, but, if we take an extra 20 minutes or even an hour, it ain't costing me a dime..... so to speak. So, not only are we more efficient in-house, but more cost-effective, at the same time. I can do it, when I want to do it. I don't have to rely on someone else. All the more reason to bring something in-house..... when you can control quality and cost.

Not to mention all the things I can do around the house, shop, for neighbors and friends.
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[J Hill Designs]

love having a bucket truck. even my 35' max reach isn't too bad...the 1 or 2 times a year I need something bigger, I rent it

 

[visual800]

I debated like you before we bout ours. F550 34'. Paid 13,500 on ebay for it. We bought it for convenience. Has the phone calls increased more, no. Is insurance high not really $500 per year liability. I can tell you one thing about owning heavy equipment, if it aint one thing its another.

i didnt buy it to bring in $100k per year but it has helped with convinience and ive done quite a few installs for other companies. Damn nicer than ladders are acaffolding

 

[player]

I had a 20' flatbed with a 32' electric hydraulic man bucket on it. We did a ton of work with it. The flatbed was great for carrying signs. The trouble is with a man bucket although we used it to lift signs as we installed them with a guy in the bucket, that operation would be against labor laws so if anything ever happens the liability could take everything you own, and the insurance can wash their hands of the whole thing.

I also had a big 5 ton dual with a 40' crane, which, bucket and 18" auger. It was also nice but the costs of getting it repaired were not in our league. If I was to get another bucket truck I would probably get another electric hydraulic because the truck can be turned off when using the crane. They run on large deep cell batteries that get charged by the truck and you charge them at night.

 

[CentralSigns]

The trouble is with a man bucket although we used it to lift signs as we installed them with a guy in the bucket, that operation would be against labor laws so if anything ever happens the liability could take everything you own, and the insurance can wash their hands of the whole thing.

Good to know about the material handling liability issues. Anyone got a dual with the bucket and material handling boom? They sure look cool. What about a Genie lift, anyone use them much?

Gino what you have is sort of what we are looking, an older machine. Right now we pay $190 an hour for a boom truck and a bucket truck rental together or $90 for just the bucket. Sometimes its cheaper to us a Genie boom lift, day rates are better than per hour but the lowbed cost is high. You have to make every move count to make anything. We think a bit like you if we own it and problems crop up who cares if it takes twice as long. Then if you need to look at something first no 1 hour min. rental rate.

 

[player]

I think a good option is the crane with the ladders that run up the length of them. They also have a winch to lift a sign up with, and a flatbed to carry the sign.