Four boom truck and two industrial crane manufacturers participated in the Lift and Access Showcase & Symposium, held last week in Scottsdale, Ariz., hosted by Lift and Access magazine. The event attracted representatives from more than 30 general rental companies as well as operators from local crane rental businesses.
All cranes on display were selected for their appeal to the rental market. Broderson and Manitowoc showed carry-deck style industrial cranes. Other machines included three non-CDL boom trucks in the 15- to 18-ton class from Altec, Elliott, and Manitowoc, which debuted a prototype of its brand new National NBT14. Look for a comprehensive review of these cranes in 2012 issues of Crane Hot Line and Lift and Access magazines.
During a roundtable discussion prior to the event, manufacturer representatives said that durability, user-friendliness, and return on investment are important to the rental buyer. Also key are cranes mounted on a chassis that does not require a commercial driver’s license. Likewise, it is expected that the bare rental market for cranes in this class may be temporarily impacted as the industry approaches OSHA’s 2014 deadline requiring all operators to be certified.
Meanwhile, Manitex showed its 28-ton 2892C boom truck, which was used as part of the Crane Operator Rodeo portion of the event conducted by Equipment Safety Services. Brian Doonan, president of Equipment Safety Services, directed nearly two dozen certified operators in a skills test covering hand signals, rigging, and practical crane operation. In addition, operators were tested on a crane simulator provided by Technology Testing. These scores were combined to determine the winner of the Crane Operator Rodeo, named at the conclusion of the event.
The high score went to Ryan Macliver of Marco Crane & Rigging, who was awarded $300 and a belt buckle.
All other operators were entered into a drawing for $100; Eric Ferketich of Mostert Cranes, Prescott, Ariz., was selected.
In the fall of 2012, the Lift and Access Showcase & Symposium will be collocated with a Ritchie Bros. auction in Orlando, Fla. Read more about the 2011 event here.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
