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Signsfast

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Posts posted by Signsfast

    Ladder trucks vs standard bucket?

    in Cranes, Buckets, & Trucks

    Posted

    Has anyone transferred a bucket to a new chassis? I have three older bucket trucks with good buckets but the truck maintenance is starting to add up. I can buy a brand new F450 for $41K which is a lot less than a new bucket truck...

    Any thoughts?

    would you do the work yourself? if not its going to cost you 6-10k for a reputable place do to it, plus new pto, do you want to keep the utilty body or do a flat bed?

    I have been thinking about transfering mine to a new 550 and getting alum flatbed and underbody boxes and nice lamp bin. its going to end up around 65k. Not sure I want to spend that on a single man basket with no jib.

    Ladder trucks vs standard bucket?

    in Cranes, Buckets, & Trucks

    Posted

    Just lease a nice double basket like pauls trucks or an elliott like mine. Worry free and make some money. Unless its a part time business. 1-2 jobs a month and lease is covered. I wasted so much time with used trucks. Cost more to keep them alive. When the mechanic cant get to it for a week because parts are not available you lose too much money.

    i hear you. we are dumping our 97 ford because it is wasting us time and money. right now looking for a stepping stone to the lease or big purchase. the truck goes out once or twice a week usually, but this winter the service and install has been slow so makes it difficult to justify a purchase even though in the long run the overall year is good. the $2+k a month is a tough nut to swallow when you've basically had a truck for free. our last truck only cost $7k!!!! I

    I am in a similar positon as you in the sense that My primary service truck 01 f450 7.3 I got for 6k and paid for itself the first month I had it. Now its getting worn out and I need to buy another and keep that for local service work. My trucks run 5 days a week so buying a new one isnt out of the question it is just like you said a hard nut to swallow to drop 130k. But like paul and rocco are saying I am sick of being in the truck repair business and tired of being worried if the truck is going to break down when we are 2 hours from home and pulling a trailer. I am starting to think dropping the dough will alleviate that stress. It will be something that makes my crew more efficient and will also hold a decent resale value, not to mention when the truck is worn out just swap the body and boom to the next one... Paul is probably smiling right now because he has been telling me this shit for years and its finally starting to sink in.

    and for the record, do not get a over center knuckle boom, they suck. Get and articulating/teloscopic. Its the only way to roll in this industry for sign install if you dont want a crane.

    How busy are you?

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    We are in the same boat. Blowing every years past sales out of the water, we could add another truck and crew but like you who knows when its going to slow down. We run a super lean company. I would rather have people with as much work as they want to handle then too many people and them sweeping up when it slows down. The workers have nothing to complain about. they are out of here at 5 everyday working 5 days a week. Its us owners what work 70-90hrs a week. Not that I am complaining. I built up this monster so I have to slay it. We will be adding our first outside sales rep in the coming months to take some of that work load off. With estimates of how many people we have to brush off because we are too busy that should pay off in spades.

    Skyhoist or Elliott???? Going to get new used truck

    in General Message Board

    Posted · Edited by Signsfast

    I dont know how people use knuckle booms in the sign industry. so bulky. If you are asking my opinion I would keep the 40' truck you have unless it gives you problems. I couldn't imagine NOT having a smaller truck that can get in anywhere and close to buildings for service work and installs. keep the 40' for backup, im sure it doesn't owe you anything anymore. if it is still reliable then hang onto it. Keep the wilke for bigger lifts and get a sx57 on a single axle with front and rear outriggers and make that into your rolling shop. Good boxes with roll out drawers, welder with cables on reels, tanks with lines on a reel, water tank, ladders on the boom. trailer hitch ect.

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