Ticking Off the Checklist for the Bucket Truck

A fully upgraded and well-maintained used bucket truck can be a veritable addition to your business’ fleet. However, it does pay to have the rig you’re thinking of buying undergo inspection before it can go to action. Pre-deployment inspections of bucket trucks have a number of key stages to undergo, the most notable of which are listed below:

Testing for Toughness

A bucket truck up for inspection will usually have its bulk and structure passing through the proverbial fine-tooth comb. Established inspection standards require testing 13 systems, including the rotation bearings, the upper and lower booms, the hydraulics, and the outrigger arms. The truck’s load rating, especially on the bucket itself, will be tested as to whether it holds true to the labeling.

Electrics

Under American National Standards Institute (ANSI) rules, a bucket truck should be put through AC or DC dielectric testing every year. Department of Tranportation (DOT) inspections, tests on mechanical body part thickness, stability tests, and oil spectroanalysis are examples of the required annual AC or DC tests.

Too Quiet or Too Loud

Bucket trucks have a lot of steel and fiberglass parts which must be tested for tolerable noise levels. Acoustic testing involves putting heavier-than-stated loads on the vehicle while a computer checks the sounds the vehicle makes under these conditions and determines if these are acceptable.