What Is A Boom Truck – Difference Between Truck Crane & Boom Truck

A boom truck is a commercial truck with a hydraulic crane mounted to its frame. The boom truck could be made in a variety of different ways thanks to this structure.

Despite their similar appearances, crane trucks and boom trucks are not designed for the same jobs. Both can be seen on construction sites, in warehouses, and on public streets. For maintenance, installation, or construction, they place workers, tools, and materials where they are required.

What is a Boom Truck?

A boom truck’s anatomy will be discussed first. A boom truck is a type of mobile crane that consists of three essential parts:

• A hydraulic crane: Rotating telescopic boom cranes are the most typical type of cranes used on boom trucks. A jib can be added to a boom for even more horizontal control and reach.
• A flatbed: In actuality, the crane, the operator cabin and telescopic boom) are positioned on the flatbed behind the truck cabin. However, you can also transport or store things in this area.
• A cabin: A boom truck would resemble a hauling truck with a cabin and a long flatbed if it were not for the crane. Boom controls are also found inside the driver’s cabin of fixed cabin boom trucks. A separate operator cabin is mounted on the flatbed of swing boom trucks and rotates in unison with the boom.

Other features

Additionally, the size, capacity, and reach of boom trucks can vary significantly. They can weigh anywhere between 17 and 50 tons. The average boom is 70 feet long or longer, and a jib can add another 40 feet.

Boom trucks are capable of lifting between 10 and 60 tons. The less extended a boom is, and vice versa, the more weight it can lift. A chart demonstrating the capacity of each boom truck at various levels of extension should be included. Between 16 and 20 tons is the most typical capacity.

For a variety of lifting requirements and scenarios, a boom can be equipped with various hoists. A personnel hoist, for instance, has a basket to safely lift up employees or inspectors.

A boom crane is essentially a truck, so it can be driven on regular roads. This implies that they don’t require transportation like some other kinds of cranes, like a crawler crane.

Boom trucks are among the most reasonably priced varieties of cranes because they aren’t as highly specialized. They are also simple to find.

Boom trucks are among the most adaptable cranes because of this. Any construction site will almost certainly have a boom truck, regardless of the type.

What Are Boom Trucks Used For?

While these are the most typical uses for a boom truck, there are a variety of other uses as well. You can use these adaptable cranes almost anywhere; they are like the Swiss Army knives of the crane world.

Municipal Works

Boom trucks are frequently used in municipal work, which is one of their most popular applications. Boom trucks can travel throughout a city or town, enabling them to reach nearly any location. It’s almost exclusively appropriate for maintenance work on structures like buildings, street lamps, transmission towers, etc. with a personnel hoist.

Transporting Goods

Boom trucks typically have a sizable flatbed with lots of room to spare, depending on size. When bringing goods to a location to be lifted by a crane, boom trucks are frequently used. By doing this, it is no longer necessary to hire both a crane and a hauler.

This makes moving and setting up outdoor air conditioning units ideal. On the other hand, it works well for almost any appliance or piece of furniture. Boom trucks come in handy for a variety of tasks, including house moves and skyscraper air conditioning installation.

A Personnel Platform

A boom truck is an excellent choice for elevated repairs or maintenance when a personnel hoist is attached to the boom. Smaller and more maneuverable boom trucks can be used for this because it doesn’t require a lot of lifting capacity.

It can be used on construction sites by anyone, including inspectors and repairmen. However, arborists can also inspect trees or gather fruit using boom trucks.

Is a Boom Truck the Right Choice for Your Worksite?

Almost any construction site will have a job suitable for a boom truck if you look long enough. There are numerous varieties of cranes, though, so it’s a good idea to educate yourself to make sure you select the best one for the job.

In particular, make sure to think about:

• Whether the crane can reach your site
• How much weight you need to lift
• How long you need the boom and/or jib to be
• The surface conditions of the site
• Your budget

Only extremely rough terrain or the need to lift hundreds of tons at once make a boom truck inappropriate in other situations. It might be the most practical and cost-effective choice for all other jobs.

How a Boom Truck is Different

When a relatively light load needs to be lifted, a boom truck is the best tool for the job. A boom truck can move swiftly and enter small spaces relatively easily due to its small size. Cherry pickers are the most well-liked and practical kind of boom truck. Loading baskets for lifting personnel and their tools are available on cherry pickers. This is perfect for carrying out at-height drywall or street light installation work, as well as tree and branch maintenance.

A boom truck may be equipped with articulating lifts or telescoping booms. These bend for precise positioning, assisting employees in maneuvering around objects and barriers. With a swing cab or a separate cab mounted on the boom, safe access to high places can be made possible.

Several industries, including oil, gas, power, telecommunications, and electricity, use boom cranes. But there are restrictions because this kind of truck lacks a counterbalance, which makes lifting heavy objects risky.

What is Different About a Crane Truck

On the other hand, crane trucks are less constrained. Their main function is to transport supplies, equipment, materials, and small vehicles to and from the construction or work site. Due to its ability to load and unload by itself without the aid of other lifting devices like a standalone crane, forklift, or digger, the crane truck is extremely useful in a variety of circumstances. This skill alone can save your business or your clients a considerable amount of time and money, assisting in meeting deadlines and safeguarding valuable profit.

Crane trucks are used in a wide range of industrial settings, from builders’ merchants delivering palletized goods to chemical, oil, and agricultural plants transporting machinery, supplies, and materials over sizable sites.

What You Need to Know About Renting Boom Trucks

A hydraulic crane of the boom truck variety is mounted on the frame of a work truck. The term “boom trucks” can refer to a wide variety of automobiles. For hoisting personnel, they may be equipped with cherry-picker attachments or winches at the end.

‌It’s crucial to become knowledgeable about boom trucks and the legal requirements for boom truck operation before hiring boom truck services for your project. The goal of this article is to give a basic overview of boom trucks and the licensing needed to operate them. For more information on boom truck regulations in your state as well as OSHA regulations generally, get in touch with Maxim Crane Works.

Conclusion

Boom trucks have been a vital component of the US crane industry for decades, and they enjoy popularity with customers thanks to their strong capabilities, dependability, and high level of mobility provided by being mounted on a commercial truck chassis that can be driven on freeways.

There is also a small self-propelled boom truck, similar to a forklift, that is available for large warehouses or manufacturing facilities. Boom trucks are frequently a replacement for, or an adjunct to, many of the older hook-and-ladder trucks. Workers can be hoisted using these little boom trucks to reach the storage areas above or the building’s ceiling. Compared to using an extension ladder for the same task, they are much safer and more practical.