Utility fleet managers across the United States are increasingly relying on heavy duty vehicle lifts to increase safety in the shop and improve uptime on the road.
A recent Stertil-Koni marketing analysis notes utility fleet companies are selecting heavy duty vehicle lifts to deliver a combination of high-tech control, safety and heightened performance in their maintenance operations.
The demands are ever-present. Utility vehicles need quick turnaround times and maintenance technicians must maximize uptime so that trucks are prepared for emergencies and calls from the public. Energy company revenue and non-revenue vehicles need to log less time in the shop and more miles on the road.
Technicians responsible for servicing bucket trucks, Digger Derricks, articulated telescopic aerial lifts, cable placers, vans and pickup trucks have found maintenance can be problematic without the proper lift.
Today’s modern utility trucks need a dedicated maintenance schedule and powerful vehicle lifts make this routine activity safer and less time consuming.
Many trucks are heavier than in the past due to a decrease in axles, putting more weight on one axle as opposed to two. Heavy duty vehicle inground lifts facilitate raising the rear axle safely and efficiently.
Utility companies are more pro-active in keeping their workers protected from injury, while keeping fleets up to safety standards. Stertil-Koni lifts are electronically synchronized, have mechanical locking systems and fingertip controls for increased safety.
Utility companies have been required to incorporate green lifting technology into their environmentally conscious service facilities. EARTHLIFT columns are made from components that are 98 percent recyclable, use bio-degradable oil, feature batteries that are 100 percent recyclable, and employ an Active Energy Retrieval System to deliver 35 percent more lifting cycles at maximum load.
In addition, portable mobile lifts and four-post lifts by Stertil-Koni are suitable for lifting a considerable range of commercial vehicles. Easy drive on and drive off functionality allows for efficient oil changes and lube jobs.
“What many utility companies have found through the years,” notes Matthias Lennemann, Sales Manager for Inground Lifts at Stertil-Koni, “is the flexibility of inground lifts and the new technologies. For instance, the ECOLIFT ebright Smart Control System combines intuitive ease of use with real-time visual information about the lifting process on a full-color touch-screen control pad. And, the standard Continuous Recess system on the ECOLIFT is designed to accommodate vehicles with extremely low ground clearance.”
Another inground lift, the state-of-the-art telescopic piston-DIAMONDLIFT, also comes with the ebright smart Control System and Continuous Recess. The latter, helps solve the challenge of safely and efficiently lifting low-clearance vehicles. The movable lifting unit travels horizontally, while fully recessed below floor level, making it easier and safer to lift vehicles.
Platform lifts provide a “clear floor” concept for the user with a true vertical rise, saving space in service shops. The SKYLIFT’s design includes two independent runways, no crossbeams, overhang or base frame, providing free access to the undercarriage from all sides. SKYLIFT also comes in a wash bay model for heavy duty cleaning of vehicles indoors or outside.
Utility companies working with Stertil-Koni’s exclusive distributor network, know they are getting local support in sales, installation and service capabilities.
“Utility truck fleet facilities, like vehicles, come in all shapes, sizes, and requirements," Stertil-Koni President Jean DellAmore said. "That’s why Stertil-Koni is pleased to provide the broadest range of ALI-certified heavy duty vehicle lifts in the industry. Our goal is to make the repair process even more safe, speedy and efficient with the best performing most durable vehicle lifts.”
