What Exactly Is a Boom Truck?
A boom truck utilizes a winch to recover heavy things or transport supplies to places that are normally inaccessible. Like for instance, they are usually used maneuvering materials over a ditch or to a hillside or to reach the top of a building.
Larger trucks are outfitted with a boom winch which is mounted in the truck's bed. It is capable of moving construction things and other equipment from the side of the street to a particular location. There is another boom truck design that 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 outriggers and stabilizers. A boom truck could range from an aerial work platform that 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 made to suit the particular requirements of the buyer.
Cherry Picker
Cherry pickers are bucket trucks which can raise employees to great heights. Typically, cherry pickers or buckets move workers from the ground up to high areas like for example the sides of buildings, treetops, for fire department and firefighting or up utility poles.
Location
The platform on the boom is operated from the truck's cab by remote. Either the boom is mounted on a separate trailer or on the bed of a large truck. Booms which are larger need outriggers that horizontally extend from the truck so as to stabilize and level out the crane during its operation.
Controls
This model of boom truck has a cab-over-engine which has a control cluster which can move the boom from inside the cab. It is normally a panel in the boom itself on the side of the bed.