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Nothing New? I Don’t Think So!

Aug. 1, 2016
At a recent trade show I was surprised by comments from a couple of rental people who said there was nothing much new in aerial technology.

I hope all of you who are interested in aerial equipment, which increasingly is just about everybody in the rental industry these days, will check out this month’s cover story on the thoughts of the industry’s leading aerial equipment manufacturers. At a recent trade show I was surprised by comments from a couple of rental people who said there was nothing much new in aerial technology. “They all go up and down, there’s not much new, just a few bells and whistles and a few feet higher, otherwise there haven’t been any real breakthroughs.” 

Well, I’m not sure what it would take to convince these guys that aerial equipment has come a very long way in recent years. I admit that those comments kind of stuck in my mind for a while and had something to do with the topics raised in these interviews with aerial equipment manufacturers. I’m not an engineer and I won’t pretend to be one but I try to keep a close eye on equipment evolution. 

One of these guys also pointed out that his rental fleet still included machines he bought in the late 1990s and they still work great, which, to me, is quite a testament to the quality of aerial technology then as well as now. But to him this longevity enhanced his view that there was little new under the sun. 

That said, I think you will be impressed with these manufacturers’ comments summarizing some of the recent developments in aerial technology. I’ve been up in both JLG and Genie’s remarkable 180-foot-plus machines and was very impressed with their sturdiness, the way they handle and their capabilities. Both companies’ 150-foot units with their long outreach and huge working envelopes must be experienced to be appreciated. The manufacturers talk about the developments of hybrid machines, which are now being used in rough-terrain applications and are finding a growing market interest. Once viewed as a niche, these machines are increasingly mainstream and an integral part of a well-rounded rental fleet. 

The manufacturers are also strongly influenced by growing customer awareness of the importance of safety. Check out JLG’s SkyGuard, the Haulotte Activ’Shield bar that reduces the risk of overhead crushing injuries, and the Snorkel Guard that shuts down the machine in case of danger to the operator, as well as Genie’s Fall Arrest Bar. There are multiple other developments that are making machines safer that are discussed in these interviews. 

Also new ANSI standards that will soon be in effect will require manufacturers to incorporate new requirements into their designs. AWPs will be required to continuously check the weight in the platform and disable functioning if the load surpasses plat form load limit, or attempts to operate outside of its slope limit. We’ll be providing more information about these standards in the near future. 

Improvements have not just been about going higher. There have also been some impressive enhancements in the low-level access area, which has brought a whole new customer segment to the world of aerials. Manufacturers are working to add functionalities and efficiencies to the long-established core of rental fleets at the 60- and 80-foot level and you’ll read about some of those contributions. And manufacturers are responding to customers’ requests for platforms that can provide greater weight capacity and some of that is addressed by our interviewees as well. 

These interviews discuss all those topics and more. 

So by all means, continue to rent those fine 15- and 20-year-old AWPs that are still working well. But I think you’ll be impressed with what these manufacturers have to say and what they are working on. Also make sure that your customers and employees are properly trained. The opportunities for training have greatly increased thanks to the efforts of the International Powered Access Federation and many of the fine programs being offered by manufacturers that have developed outstanding training modules for online education, and willingness to train your people at your facilities or theirs.

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Over the past couple of decades, I couldn’t count how many times I, and others, have heard that Hertz Equipment Rental was either put up for sale by the parent company, taken off the market, or about to be acquired by some company from inside or outside the rental industry. Well, Herc Rentals as it is now called, is now an independent company as you can read on page 9. So while speculation and rumors might very well continue at least they will have nothing to do with the corporate decisions of a car-rental firm. So congratulations to Herc Rentals and you’ll be hearing more about it from us in the months to come.