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Fixed Wireless Equipment

That's Why They Call it a Truck Roll

It's a key tool for any WISP business, although it's more like a tool belt: a very, very big tool belt.

[February 21, 2006]

On the ISP-Wireless list in February, TR asked a question about a key WISP tool, known as a "bucket truck" or "cherry picker":

Initially, I thought that it would be crazy to buy a bucket truck instead of a bucket van, because the bucket van allows you to lock up your gear safely when parked in the city (less theft), and, more importantly, gives plenty of storage room for electronics that must be sheltered from the elements.

However, one of the problems with vans is that you have to get your stuff out from within it! The outer walls are walls :-). This is an inefficient way to get stuff, as often other stuff gets piled on top of the stuff that you want to get out. You can always put up shelves, but then you need an aisle way to get stuff off shelves.

With an industrial truck (such as a bucket truck) there are tool bins that are accessible from outside the truck. No aisle way is needed; you are standing outside the truck. It would be much quicker for a team of techs to grab their tool belts and other supplies from the outside of the truck, without them getting buried in an unorganized way. Plus, the open space in the back of the truck is free for large stuff, like cable spools, that do not get damaged by weather. The benefit of quickly being able to get to your things may outweigh the benefit of the van that only offers a single enclosed storage area.

I find that a regular residential van is way overcrowded for all the things a WISP needs. However, a larger van, like a bucket van may allow more room for nicely organizing stuff. Does the larger space solve the problem?

Although a truck may have locking bins, thieves can easily bust them open without being seen.

So for those of you that use a bucket truck or a bucket van, which has worked best for you? Any regrets after the decision? Such as not enough space for X?"

Some respondents recommended using neither:

[SC replied] "I don't know how you all use either—everywhere we have to do installs, I wouldn't even be able to get a bucket truck in there. It would be a time-saver for site surveys, though, but I can't justify the cost. We do computer work for a local sign company and swap for use of their bucket truck when necessary. It's much cheaper that way."

[MS added] "As a WISP, you'll usually not drive around in a bucket truck. It's too expensive to run, insure, fix etc. I love my car. It's low, so it's not hard to put the ladder up. It's got 4 doors so I can reach everywhere and still use the whole floor. The truck or a pickup won't work out here most of the time because I can't keep the tape warm or cold enough, let alone all of the drills, laptop, etc. And forget about keeping antennas and radios dry till you can install them!

Buy the rig with the boom length that you need. Nothing else really matters to you. (Well, you gotta be able to afford it :-).) And make sure you get the dang thing tested! Getting stuck up in one can kill you in bad weather just as fast as running into a power line or falling out.

These trucks are great, but they can get you into a lot of trouble very quickly. I'm looking for a Cherokee or Durango to replace the wagon when it dies (220,000 miles). I'd go with another wagon, if not for dang tower sites I end up at from time to time. The Suburban is great, but it's a pain to move all of my stuff from the car to that and back just to do minor tower work.

Most of the remaining respondents preferred trucks:

[TT said] "We have a bucket truck with outside bins—very handy and easily organzied. The center, below the boom, can be used like a pickup for hauling conduit, tower sections, cement blocks and so on without interfering with anything stored in the bins. Above the bins on one side are ladder racks. On the other side are conduit and pipe racks. It has a 3000W generator and an air compressor, with power and air both front and back plus the boom. We have mounts for antenna and radios on the boom as well, and it enables quite reliable site surveys and AP placement evaluations."

[TJ said] "We used to have two bucket trucks in full production doing installs. However, after calculating any "time savings" and getting 6 MPG compared with a V6 all wheel drive van and a ladder (getting 15 MPG), it just wasn't worth it. We sold one bucket truck, and keep the other for hard to reach installs, running cable between buildings, etc."

[TL noted] "I love our bucket truck! Saves tons of time, especially with a site survey. The only problem I ran into was in the cold, the hydraulics would not work. Keeping it in a heated shop solved that problem. We use it every day and love it. Even when we don't use the bucket, having every tool and type of mount right there has been nice."

[BL stated] "We have what looks like a standard GM van which has doors that pop open via remote control to expose the bins inside. The doors cover the areas where windows would be if installed. When closed it looks like a standard panel. Works well for us."

[BD complained] "I will never ever buy another van. They are inefficient. Our bucket sits on the back so the back doors are not usable, a major problem in my book. And when it is windy, we are just like a big sailboat. The bucket blocks one door and the bracket the bucket sits on blocks the other. Oh well , we bought it on eBay and did not think about the back door when we were bidding."

[SC replied] "Sounds like the configuration is bad. We have used several bucket vans a sign company owns here and I like them the best. The bucket is on the front."

[DV objected] "The telco and cable guys I know that use bucket vans around here hate them. I wouldn't have anything that wasn't diesel with Dual /Dual battery system, one pair for starting and the other pair for emergencies and equipment use. (Mine has an electric hydraulic backup pump that will at least get you back on the ground.) It has an electric heater, compressed air, remote engine start and stop and remote dual battery jumper control, all in the bucket. My next addition is going to be an IP cam in the bucket and a remote reading flux gate compass.

It is super for pre quals. It takes 30 minutes at most at a site and that is using the spectrum analyzer to make sure I am not going to get bombed by someone. I used to have tool boxes; now I have closets! I love mine, even if it does smell a little!"

—End