What Exactly Is a Boom Truck?
A boom truck utilizes a winch to recover heavy items or move supplies to places that are typically not accessible. For instance, they are normally used maneuvering materials over a ditch or to a hillside or to reach the top of a building.
Bigger trucks are outfitted with a boom winch which is mounted in the truck's bed. It is capable of moving construction items and other equipment from the side of the street to a specific location. There is another boom truck configuration which is outfitted with a cherry picker. This version allows arborists to easily access treetops.
The Vehicle
Terex's Stinger BT 3063 model has a reach of 113-feet and is equipped with both stabilizers and outriggers. A boom truck could range from an aerial work platform which is moved by a hydraulic lifting mechanism that is mounted on the bed, up to a Class 8 tractor-trailer rig with a bucket. It is also possible to have a customized boom lift manufactured for a specific buyer's requirements.
Cherry Picker
Cherry pickers or bucket booms allow employees to reach excellent heights. Usually, cherry pickers or buckets move workers from the ground up to high areas like treetops, the sides of a building, for fire department and firefighting or up utility poles.
Location
The boom platform can be operated by remote from the truck's cab. Either the boom is mounted on a separate trailer or on the bed of a large truck. Larger booms require outriggers which horizontally extend from the truck in order to stabilize and level out the crane throughout its operation.
Controls
This type of boom truck has a cab-over-engine that has a control cluster which could move the boom from inside the cab. It is normally a panel in the boom itself on the side of the bed.