Digger Derricks: Making Electrification Easier

Electricity is one of those necessities that people just can’t live without. In fact, a study conducted by World Net Daily in 2012 revealed that almost half of Americans said they couldn’t survive two weeks without this vital utility. Fortunately, agencies like the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability strive to make electricity supply stable and reliable across the country.

Of course, generating power is just one part of the equation. Before people can benefit from electrical power, there first has to be a way to deliver it to homes across the nation—a job that electric poles fulfill.

Installing these poles is not an easy task, however, since their bases have to be firmly planted into the ground. Fortunately, installers no longer have to use shovels to do the digging; these days, they use specialized trucks called digger derricks.

Basically, digger derricks were designed as a portable means of carrying an auger. Most derricks can gouge an 18-inch-diameter hole at depths of up to 10 feet, though some models can dig as far as 40 feet.

Digging holes isn’t the only function that digger derricks perform. These days, many models are sturdy enough to haul the poles and they even have telescopic arms that can set the poles in place. Hence, these versatile vehicles have become an all-in-one solution when it comes to electric pole installation.