Utility Trucks and Crew from DUECO and Utility Equipment Leasing Corporation Help Restore Power Along the East Coast
DUECO, Inc., a Waukesha, Wis. based corporation, has customers throughout the East Coast and elsewhere in the country working their DUECO built trucks and crews hard to restore power throughout the area. Responding to a call Friday, November 2 from a major utility in the North East, DUECO’s Pennsylvania branch team members have been servicing trucks in Long Island, New York, repairing trucks and performing maintenance following the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. DUECO shipped over 100 new trucks to this customer between June 2011 and June 2012 and the trucks and linemen have been busy servicing customers.
DUECO service technicians are doing everything from aerial device to truck chassis related maintenance and repairs such as changing filters, fuel pumps, lights and tires. “With all the hours and chaos, it’s quite an experience,” says Leo Wade, DUECO service technician. “We’re doing a little bit of everything at the same time and the trucks are coming in bunches.” According to Wade, the customer appreciates DUECO’s critical support of their equipment. “They are bending over backwards,” explained Wade. “They’re supplying the parts we need and are taking care of us, including meals.”
As for shelter, the first night out, the DUECO crew slept in their trucks, as many who are supporting the efforts are doing. Because of no-vacancy hotel situations and exorbitant hotel prices, the crew of three is now sleeping in a pop-up camper in a wash bay of a customer facility, or in the parking lot when the garage is full with vehicles being serviced. In addition to keeping the trucks up and running around the clock to restore the power along the East Coast, DUECO’s crew is providing vital relief to linemen who can take a break while their truck is being serviced. Two more mechanics were dispatched, with a rental camper, to aid in the effort on Friday, November 9.
Utility Equipment Leasing Corporation (UELC), also based in Waukesha and a sister company to DUECO, Inc., has numerous rental utility trucks supporting the effort. The company received a voice message on their after hours line from Marilyn S. of New Jersey saying she was watching a line of utility trucks heading east in New Jersey and noticed that they all said "M. J. Electric" on them. One was a rental unit from UELC with an 800# on it. Her message said "Thank you to the company from Michigan that is coming to New Jersey to help in our time of need. God bless all of you for your help."
Michigan based M. J. Electric provides electrical construction services nationwide specializing in transmission and distribution line, substation, electrical and instrumentation construction.
On November 8, UELC received a call from a woman in New York City who had seen UELC truck #18206 in her neighborhood and she shared, “Thank you so much for sending your trucks to us and returning our power." The UELC rental trucks were sent to New York City by WeEnergies, who had the trucks on rent prior to the storm and sent them to aid in the effort. WeEnergies provides electric and natural gas service to customers in areas of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
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