The Importance Of Bucket Trucks

Answer 1

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines a bucket truck as “a truck with a cherry picker”. Wikipedia defines a cherry picker as “a type of aerial platform that consists of a platform or bucket at the end of a hydraulic lifting system”.

Bucket trucks are used in orchards, for trimming trees, repairing utility lines, washing windows, and any other task that requires a worker to go high up. Some innovative uses include attacking hornets’ nests and bat control.

Ford, General Motors, and Chevrolet manufacture bucket trucks. Ford bucket trucks include the F450 and F550. General Motors makes GMC 6500, GMC 7000, and GMC 7500. Chevrolet manufactures the Kodiak C7500.

Being large, the trucks only get about eight to ten miles to the gallon, but hybrids are already on the market to solve this problem. A consortium of fourteen utilities, including Southern California Edison (SCE), has worked with industry to create a plug-in hybrid bucket truck. The truck uses thirty per cent less fuel than earlier models. SCE plans to take delivery of eighteen more hybrid bucket trucks for its street maintenance fleet later this year.

For anyone planning on buying or operating a bucket truck, OSHA has established safety rules. When a worker is in the bucket, the brakes must be set. Workers must stay in the bucket at all times while elevated, and not try to climb outside it when working. Workers may never ride in the bucket when the truck is moving. Any medications to the bucket truck must be made with written approval from the manufacturer. The truck and bucket must be kept a safe distance from power lines and only qualified employees must be allowed to work on the lines. Lines should not have electricity flowing through them when they are being worked on. Controls must be clearly marked and tested daily. Loads and distributions must follow manufacturer’s recommendations. Protective gear such as goggles, gloves, hard hats, and boots must be worn as appropriate. Drivers must not move the bucket without permission of the passenger except in case of emergency.

These large tools can be invaluable for many functions, and new developments are making them more “green.” When used appropriately and safely they can be highly effective.

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