What are the uses of boom trucks?

If you spend a lot of time browsing cranes, you have probably encountered a boom truck. From the first impression, it may look like a typical Class 8 truck with a crane tied to a flatbed. In many ways, this is the essence of boom trucks. This unique configuration may make you ask: What is the use of a boom truck?

What you may not know is that boom trucks are one of the most extensive and useful types of cranes. They are used across industries and are a frequent visitor to almost any major construction site.
To know why a boom truck is so useful in so many situations, we must know what it is.
What is a boom truck?
Let’s start with the dissection of the boom truck. The boom truck is a mobile crane consisting of three basic parts:
Hydraulic crane: The most commonly used crane type for boom trucks is a rotating telescopic boom. The boom may also have a jib for greater horizontal control and range.
Tablet PC: The actual crane (ie operating room and telescopic boom) is located on the tablet behind the truck cab. But this area can also be used to store or transport goods.
Cab: If there is no crane, the boom truck looks like a trailer with a cab and a long flatbed truck. In fixed cockpit boom trucks, the boom control device is also located in the cab. The independent cab is located on the flatbed of the swing arm truck and rotates with the boom.
Other features
The size, capacity, and range of boom trucks are also very different. Their weight can vary from 17 tons. The typical boom length is about 70 feet or more, and the boom can be increased by about 40 feet.
The boom truck can add 10 to 60 tons of weight. The more the cantilever can lift, the less it stretches, and vice versa. Each boom truck should be accompanied by a chart to illustrate its capacity at different extension levels. The most common capacity is about 16-20 tons.
The boom can be equipped with different cranes to meet different conditions and lifting requirements. For example, the personnel elevator consists of a basket, so workers or inspectors can be safely lifted.
Because it is basically a truck, the boom crane can travel on ordinary roads. This means that they do not need to be transported like other types of cranes (such as crawler cranes).
Boom trucks are one of the most affordable crane types because they are not highly specialized. They are also easily available.
This makes the boom truck one of the most widely used crane types. No matter what type of construction site, there will almost certainly be boom trucks.
What is the purpose of the boom truck?
Although these are the most common uses for boom trucks, they are by no means the only uses. These multifunctional cranes are like the Swiss art knife of the crane industry, you can find them almost anywhere.