We’re hearing a lot recently about the raging wildfires in California and the Santa Ana winds that fan the fires. You might ask what this has to do with bucket trucks … well, once the fires are extinguished, California is going to have to rebuild communities – that includes the utility poles and power lines. We’re kinda partial to utility equipment vehicles here, so we can think of lots of other ways bucket trucks and digger derricks will be used in the restoration process. But, getting back to Santa Ana winds, what the heck are they? Are they named after Santa Anna, the leader of … [Read more...]
DICA … The Lineman’s Rodeo Brand
Ever have someone say, “Hey, it’s not my first rodeo?” Once you have some experience with bucket trucks and digger derricks you know there are some things worth “bringing to the rodeo” to keep everyone safe, like outrigger pads. We were doing a little research on the web and came across some new reasons why we think DICA outrigger pads are the best and discovered that DICA outrigger pads are actually used in a rodeo. Not the kind with horses and bulls, but the annual International Lineman’s Rodeo. DICA has been the official outrigger pad for the Lineman’s Rodeo for many years. … [Read more...]
Hydraulics, etc.
We were looking at activity on our website and discovered that lots of you are looking for information about hydraulics. Since hydraulic power is key to a number of pieces of utility equipment and how they work: Tiiger Pole Pullers and Cubes Bucket Truck Booms Digger Derricks we thought we would gather some of our best resources into a single place. Read on to learn more about utility equipment hydraulics, parts, and maintenance. Bucket Truck Bucket trucks have an extendable boom and a bucket (large enough to hold a person) attached at the end. The boom is raised and lowered … [Read more...]
Whether to Watch the Weather
Weather is something we cannot ignore in the bucket truck business. Tree trimmers get busy when high winds knock down trees, and utility companies respond when weather-caused emergencies occur. And now another hurricane season (June – November) is upon us. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that we were talking about 2017 and the monster hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas – not to mention the devastation of some other Caribbean islands. With that in mind, here is what NOAA predicts for 2018. Boy, wouldn’t you like to have a job that allowed such room for error?! In … [Read more...]
History of Digger Derricks – Part II
If you had a chance to read History of Digger Derricks, Part 1, you know that a digger derrick is essentially a mobile machine with a digger derrick mounted on a truck chassis. It is extremely large due to the physical dimensions and heavy weight of the attached boom pedestal and booms, the hydraulic motor, auger, and accessories. The digger truck has a powerful engine to multiply the torque and control the hydraulic system, which in turn directs the rotational capacity of the auger. We gave a brief history starting in the early days of electrification when power line construction was a … [Read more...]