Five Features to Look for When Hiring an Emergency Crane Company
Certain situations call for an emergency crane, and if you need to remove a fallen tree from the road, pick up another crane that has fallen down or deal with any similar situations, an emergency crane service may be the right answer. When choosing a company to help you, look for these essentials.
1. Fast Response Time
Emergency crane companies should have the power to mobilise quickly. When you contact the service or look at its webpage, you should easily be able to see how long it takes them to respond to an emergency. Ideally, you want to choose a company that can be ready to help you within 24 hours from the time you call them. Note however that number can vary depending on where you are. If you are in a remote area, travel time alone can delay the reaction time of the emergency crane service.
2. Experience
Experience with emergency situations is also key. Typically, when you're doing a project with a crane, you have lots of time to figure out logistics such as the best spot to put the crane, where you are going to move the load and similar details. In an emergency, time is at a premium, and you need a company that can come in, quickly assess the situation and move forward accordingly. Experience is critical to successfully navigate that process.
3. Crew Included
When you hire a crane, you can often let your own crew members handle the operation, but when you need an emergency crane, you may want to let the crane company supply the crew members. As long as the company has experience with emergencies, you can usually rest assured that the crew handling the work is going to do the best job possible for your needs.
4. Safety Features
In some cases, in order to bail you out of your current situation, the emergency crane also ends up working in an emergency type situation. In particular, if you are using electric cranes, you may want to ensure that the cranes have fail-safe safety features in place. If the power goes out, the cranes should have a way to gently lower their loads to the ground and then go into a neutral position. That way when the power returns, the crane doesn't lurch into action unexpectedly. In addition, if the crane has to stay with the load suspended, it should be able to do so safely without moving.