The Estex bucket lantern delivers 360-degree work area illumination for aerial buckets, enhancing lineworker vision and safety during nighttime bucket operations. The system uses an 18-volt battery (Milwaukee or Makita) with a runtime of up to eight hours on a fully charged 5-Ah battery. Featuring high-output LEDs that produce 12,000 lumens, the lantern securely mounts to the bucket with a cam bu…
The Longhorn Folding Guard Arm from LineWise is a versatile attachment for boom trucks, digger derricks and various cranes, designed to protect highways, railroads and other crossings during conductor installation, repair and maintenance. When a conductor or pulling rope droops too low, the guard arm helps to keep the travel route below the work clear, protecting people and traffic.
Line crews ha…
Tough cleaning jobs are often part of the workday, but utility crews don’t always have convenient access to soap and running water. From cable jelly and lubricants to paint and everyday dirt, keeping hands, tools and surfaces clean requires a solution that works wherever the job takes you.
SCRUBS In-A-Bucket industrial-strength cleaning towels provide a convenient, no-rinse solution to remove tou…
Acela Truck Co. is expanding its severe-service chassis portfolio with new Class 3-5 Ford F-Series and Ram 4×4 platforms equipped with its proprietary DuraLink suspension system, providing specialty vehicle manufacturers and upfitters with a turnkey alternative to conventional lift kits.
Designed for demanding on- and off-highway applications, Acela’s DuraLink suspension solutions transform OEM F…
ACT Expo has opened early bird registration and revealed its 2027 conference agenda. Scheduled to take place May 17-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the event is expected to bring together fleet operators, shippers, vehicle manufacturers, technology innovators and industry leaders for a comprehensive program that will span advanced vehicle technologies, diesel and alternative fuels, artific…
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 timeli…
After three years of law school, Maria Neve realized that she did not want to practice law. Instead, she pivoted to alternative fuels and transportation safety, consulting for automakers and the U.S. Department of Energy. That path eventually led her to fleet, where she chose to stay.
“I’d like to say I found fleet, but fleet definitely found me,” she recounted in a recent interview with UFP. “Wh…
We hear it all the time: “I’ve been pulling stuck vehicles out on the farm for 30 years. I don’t need training.”
Experience has value, but successful recovery of a stuck vehicle does not necessarily indicate that the recovery was done safely. Sometimes it means that everything simply worked out (i.e., you got lucky).
Vehicle recovery techniques, recovery equipment and safety expectations have see…
When wintry weather arrives, utility crews in colder climates often rely on tracked all-terrain utility vehicles (ATUVs) to reach places that conventional trucks and equipment can’t. Proper spec’ing, preventive maintenance and operator preparation all play a role in keeping these machines moving.
Ideally, fleet professionals will spec ATUVs for their intended application, which is critical to equ…
Fluids and lubricants are generally part of a fleet’s preventive maintenance (PM) checklist along with assessing tires, brakes and other wear components, helping to ensure that vehicles don’t experience unscheduled downtime.
“The reality is that fluids are an integral part of the fleet business, so whether it’s engine oil, engine coolant, transmission, all the fluids in a drivetrain system – all…
For utility fleets, a truck is a toolbox, workshop and commute all rolled into one machine. Driving to and from jobsites presents a certain level of inherent risk exposure – exposure that will likely increase if operator behavior does not align with industry regulations and best practices. Today’s telematics systems can help to mitigate exposure. Vendors say the technology has matured from basic…
Utility work zones often place serious hazards on the same strip of pavement as your crew. Where a driver observes another row of traffic cones, a worker sees the hard edge of their worksite. Danger lurks in the space between those two perspectives.
Fortunately, industry employers can take three steps to reduce this risk. Begin with identifying site-specific hazards that could generate significan…
Billed as the place where roadway safety and innovation intersect, the American Traffic Safety Services Association’s 57th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo will take place February 5-9, 2027, at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in California.
The event brings together the people, technologies and ideas shaping the future of roadway safety via industry-leading education and…
Winter often puts utility fleets to the test. Snow-covered roads, frozen ground and remote jobsites can complicate access, while dropping temperatures place added stress on vehicles and equipment. Keeping crews safe and operations moving requires preparation long before the first major storm hits.
That is why commitment to readiness and operational discipline runs throughout this issue of UFP.
Tu…
The Hard Hat Caddy is an innovative, versatile PPE storage solution designed to keep essential safety gear organized, protected and easily accessible. Its unique, multifunctional design allows the caddy to be hung from a vehicle headrest, worn on the hip or magnetically attached to metal surfaces, giving workers convenient access to their gear wherever the job takes them.
More than just a hard ha…
The Fire Extinguisher Holster from Line Work Bucket Products, designed for a 2.5-pound extinguisher, mounts inside a bucket corner with adjustable hooks that fit 2- to 4-inch bucket lips. It includes an inset bottom shelf and a retention latch, with no bungee cords required. UV-stabilized polypropylene, stainless-steel set screws, bumper standoffs and a tongue-and-groove lid interface are enginee…
The Kranken is a patented, stainless-steel, corrosion-resistant, constant-tension snow chain tensioner designed for utility trucks, bucket trucks, commercial vehicles and heavy-duty fleets operating in demanding winter conditions. Installed in under 30 seconds, its self-balancing mechanism automatically maintains tension as tire chains settle and shift during operation.
Tighten it once, and The K…
Summit Truck Bodies has completed the rollout of its next-generation hydraulic crane lineup, adding the 620, 629, 820, 1020 and 1029 models.
The five new cranes extend the platform that was first introduced with the 829 and later scaled into the heavy-duty capacity class with the 1229. Together, the seven models offer maximum lifting capacities from 6,000 to 12,000 pounds and options in both 20-f…
Weather Guard’s redesigned line of Transfer Tanks has been engineered to reduce downtime, simplify installation and deliver longer service life for today’s work trucks. Built around the realities contractors and fleet operators face when fueling equipment in remote work areas, the next-generation Weather Guard Transfer Tank incorporates structural improvements that deliver increased durability an…
Buyers Products has expanded its GuardDogg headache rack offering with a new aluminum construction option. Building on the popularity of the existing steel GuardDogg, the aluminum version delivers the same practical design and drill-free installation in a lightweight, corrosion-resistant package.
The aluminum GuardDogg is designed to help contractors and fleet operators maximize their work trucks…
