Elevating Aerial Equipment Performance

Building and maintaining modern utility infrastructure demands an unprecedented level of field equipment versatility. In this product showcase, check out 10 of the latest advancements from today’s leading aerial equipment manufacturers – built to deliver the elevated reach, material-handling capacity, extreme-terrain mobility and enhanced dielectric protection needed to keep crews safe and timelines on track.

Achiever and Kodiak Tracked Utility Vehicles
UTV International
www.utvint.com

For electric utilities, getting an aerial or digger derrick to the pole can sometimes be as challenging as the work itself. Rural distribution lines, remote rights-of-way and storm-damaged infrastructure can take crews beyond maintained roads and into mud, snow, soft ground, steep grades and rugged terrain.

UTV International builds tracked utility vehicles specifically for this challenge. The Achiever and Kodiak ranges provide utilities with two distinct platforms to get line crews and equipment where conventional wheeled vehicles may have difficulty operating.

Achiever aerials and digger derricks combine ultralow ground pressure with a lightweight, well-balanced carrier, making them particularly effective across soft or sensitive terrain while remaining easy to transport between jobs. For rougher and rockier access, Kodiak utility vehicles use steel-reinforced rubber tracks and an articulating walking-beam suspension to maintain ground contact, traction and stability over changing terrain.

Once on-site, crews can perform the work with purpose-built aerial and digger derrick configurations offering capabilities such as augers, pole claws, winches, material-handling jibs and working heights up to approximately 65 feet.

9 Series Man-Bucket Service Truck
Summit Truck Bodies
https://summitbodies.com/man-bucket-truck/ 

The custom 9 Series man-bucket service truck from Summit Truck Bodies offers utility and equipment service crews a versatile way to carry tools, parts and elevated-work equipment on one vehicle.

The service body design combines a built-in platform, an easily accessible and removable man bucket and attachments, and cargo space for other equipment. This versatility enables crews to carry needed tools, parts and elevated work equipment on one vehicle. Enclosed side compartments can be configured with adjustable shelving, drawers and dedicated storage for frequently used tools. Customers can also specify work lighting, air compressors and welders to match their field operations. A side-step bumper and grab handles provide cargo area access.

For elevated access, the single-person bucket – which offers a 300-pound load capacity – attaches to the truck-mounted hydraulic crane. Crews can also use the crane to lift components during service work.

SkyVan, SkyJacker, SkyTracker and SkyTel Lifts
UTEM
https://utembuckets.com 

Texas-based UTEM has been building aerial lifts since 1999, carrying forward the SkyJacker, SkyTracker and SkyTel designs that date back to 1975. Today’s lineup features telescopic, articulated, over-center and van-mounted configurations, with working heights up to 52 feet and insulated or non-insulated booms. Category C and D insulated models are available, designed for 46 kV and below per ANSI A92.2-2021. The company’s fiber-splicing trucks, vans and trailers go a step further, pairing an aerial with a climate-controlled splicing lab.

Every UTEM aerial is designed around simple, dependable operation, offering 540-degree rotation with a self-locking worm gear drive, proportional upper controls, and hydraulic systems built for easy field service. That simplicity is why UTEM still services aerials built in the 1980s.

For fleet managers, availability matters as much as specs. UTEM builds to order in three to six months and keeps select units in stock for immediate delivery. Custom configurations are available on any size order, and rental units are available across the lineup. Every unit is made in America.

AA/AN+ Series
Altec
www.altec.com

Altec’s AA/AN+ Series combines advanced safety, productivity and serviceability features to enhance operator confidence and jobsite safety. AA/AN+ units include updated hydraulics and controls; standard lanyard detection; platform-to-ground access in the non-overcenter position; auto-stow available as an optional feature; and a lower control pendant that improves visibility and access.

The series also includes fully meterable one-handed platform controls, visual E-Stop indication at every control station, and updated jib architecture that improves responsiveness while bringing the winch line closer to the operator. Simplified plumbing reduces leak points by more than 50%, helping to improve reliability and ease of maintenance. Through Altec Insights on Altec Connect, operators can access diagnostic trouble codes, vehicle status and actionable information to mitigate downtime.

Available on AA/AN+ models, Altec’s patented EZ-Egress platform is the first insulating platform for aerial devices that offers a walk-through door. It provides dielectric protection, including a conventional platform with liner, while allowing operators to use a door for entry and egress. A primary latch and door retention bar provide redundant security.

TRX Series
Terex Utilities
www.terex.com/utilities/en/products/telescopic/trx-series

The TRX Series by Terex Utilities is a next-generation family of insulated aerial devices built for trouble truck and electric distribution work. Designed for modern utility fleet demands, the series combines lightweight boom technology, increased payload and simplified operation on a Class 5 or 6 chassis, with no CDL required in typical configurations.

Included in the series are four models with working heights from 46 to 60 feet, delivering a versatile, standardized solution for most distribution applications.

At the core of the TRX Series is a redesigned articulating boom using rectangular, biaxial filament-wound fiberglass. This reduces weight by several hundred pounds compared to previous models yet maintains strength and insulation, enabling up to 6,000 pounds in payload capacity. Crews can carry more tools and materials per trip, improving jobsite efficiency without moving to a larger chassis.

Operator productivity is enhanced through full-pressure hydraulic controls; a four-function, single-stick controller; a 500-pound platform capacity; and a 1,000-pound material-handling capability.

The Ranger Jib further elevates versatility, offering improved articulation, enhanced ergonomics, reduced weight and compatibility with a wide range of attachments.

Aerial Platforms Built for the Line
Bronto Skylift
https://brontoskylift.com/us/bronto-aerial-platforms-built-for-the-line-us/

Designed for transmission, distribution and substation work, Bronto aerial platforms help utility crews safely access hard-to-reach infrastructure while maximizing productivity and uptime.

With exceptional working height and outreach, crews can get more work done from a single setup, reducing repositioning and improving efficiency throughout the day. The insulated aerial platforms are designed for work at sub-transmission and transmission lines up to 765 kV and enable barehand maintenance, inspection and repairs while the line is energized. Combined with fast road travel, reliable performance and comprehensive life-cycle support, Bronto platforms help utility companies maximize uptime, improve operational safety and reduce the total cost of access operations.

Bronto Skylift aerial platforms are backed by the company’s nationwide partner network and its OEM service center in Texas to maximize the uptime of your fleet.

Bucket Trucks
Palfinger
www.palfinger.com

Aerial equipment must support safe, efficient fieldwork while enabling crew productivity. The PB 38 AT P cable placer and PB 30 T bucket truck from Palfinger are built for telecommunications and utility applications where reach, control and uptime matter.

The PB 38 AT P offers a 43-foot working height, more than 27 feet of side reach and a 400-pound bucket capacity, giving fleets a practical solution for efficient cable placement and utility work. Operators can control the boom while the vehicle is in motion, helping to reduce installation time and improve jobsite efficiency. A flexible platform stowage provides convenient tail-shelf access while helping to maximize deck space for tools and materials. Standard features include 12-volt emergency hydraulic power, a removable fork arm and an intercom system.

Designed for speed and simplicity, the PB 30 T provides a 35-foot working height, 22-foot side reach and 350-pound platform capacity. Its 1-foot-4-inch bucket entry height allows crews faster, safer platform access, while quick boom movements make field positioning simple.

Both models are non-insulated and include intuitive one-handed controls, permitting operators to keep one hand free for tools, materials or added stability. Backed by more than 100 mobile field units and nationwide service centers, Palfinger brings preventive maintenance and repairs directly to the jobsite.

VST-55-HDI
Versalift
https://versalift.com

The Versalift VST-55-HDI is an insulated, articulated telescopic aerial designed to give utility fleets more capability without moving up to a CDL-class chassis. With 59 feet, 6 inches of working height, it helps crews reach more jobs with the same class of truck, reducing the need to dispatch larger, heavier equipment. Its articulated telescopic architecture provides added positioning flexibility around obstacles, while a 600-pound, two-person platform allows qualified crew members to work together at elevation. An available jib and winch with up to 1,000 pounds of capacity adds even more versatility for lifting and positioning material.

The VST-55-HDI is engineered to help reduce maintenance and keep crews working, with non-lube lift bearings, an open-access service design, and torque striping that makes critical fastener movement easier to identify. Its lightweight architecture helps to preserve usable payload for tools and materials while maintaining non-CDL operation. The result is a rightsized aerial that gives fleets broader job coverage, more operator flexibility, and the working capability needed without stepping up to a heavier chassis.

E190 E-Line
Elliott Equipment Co.
https://elliottequip.com/products/e-line/e190-e-line/

In transmission work, the hours lost to setup and repositioning add up fast. Elliott’s E190 E-Line was built with this in mind. Its fully powered, five-section telescopic boom delivers 190 feet of working height without a jib, so the great majority of crews reach the work zone without the added time of rigging and stowing extra components. When the job calls for more, the E190 can reach 240 feet with optional accessories, including a jib. Side reach extends to 90 feet.

The E190 is also a true material handler. Its 30,000-pound main winch lets crews lift and set heavy components with the same machine that puts lineworkers in the air. The available E-Line self-leveling platform handles up to 1,500 pounds of material with a 2,000-pound combined capacity. In many applications, this means one less crane on the jobsite.

Material-handling functions are certified to ANSI A92.2, the same standard that governs the lift itself. A 30-mph wind rating, standard anemometer and EZ-Crib outriggers that reduce cribbing help crews stay productive in real field conditions. The E190 is designed and built by the employee owners of Elliott Equipment in Omaha, Nebraska, and backed by a lifetime structural warranty.

Insulated Tracked Lifts
CMC North America
www.cmcliftna.com 

Right-of-way rarely runs alongside pavement. The CMC Utility Pro Series insulated 75i and 90i put line crews on energized corridors where bucket trucks can’t follow. Tracked and compact, they travel off-road to the conductor, cross soft ground, climb grades that stop wheeled equipment and set up on uneven terrain. Crews can work the span from the position that the job requires rather than the nearest road.

The 75i offers 75 feet of working height and 33 feet of side reach; the 90i offers 90 feet and 43 feet, respectively. Both are dielectrically rated to 46 kV and category-tested for work near energized conductors. Crews keep a safe distance and hold the boom steady through the cut, which protects the operator and the line. One machine covers the spans that a truck skips and the backyard easements that a truck can’t enter.

Getting to the job is just as flexible. Lift Carrier Pro – CMC’s under-CDL truck upfit on an Isuzu cab-over or Ford F-650 chassis – carries the lift and lets crews operate it from the back. Fleets that would rather tow can pair either model with a trailer from ANTS Trailers or BWise.