Are you thinking about renting a crane? What are some questions you should ask when renting cranes?
There are many types of cranes that can handle different functions on job sites. Think about what you’d need a crane to do– would it be to lift and install heavy mechanical equipment, for example? Or perhaps you’re constructing cell service towers, placing glass in windows, or moving modular buildings. Also take into consideration the terrain you’d be on– will it be flat with easy access or not? When it comes to picking out a crane to rent, you need to know what you’d use it for, and then ask a crane rental company, like Astro Crane, if they have a crane that would meet your specific needs.
Questions to Ask Your New England Crane Rental Company
Who operates the crane you rent? Is it someone you hire or does the crane rental company send someone with the crane who knows how to operate it? Can the rental company also send signal operators and riggers to your job site?
What safety measures does the crane rental company have in place? Ask about their certifications– are they DOA HUB certified? Do they have NCCCO certified operators? Are their personnel OSHA and MSHA qualified?
You can also ask for references. If the crane company has a solid reputation, they should have no problem offering you some names and numbers. You can ask those previous clients about their experience renting cranes from that company.
What are some questions a crane rental company might ask you? They’d want to know the weight of the loads being lifted, as well as the types of materials being lifted. They’d also ask about the ground conditions at the job site, including the site’s proximity to buildings and/or congestion. And, since certain cranes might already be rented out at certain times, they’d want to know the timeline for your particular project.
Questions to Ask a Crane Rental Place
When talking with crane rental companies, you might also ask how far their cranes can travel– for instance, if they’re located near Boston, can you rent and use one of their cranes in New York City or Philadelphia? What’s their geographic range? Would the crane you need and want be able to be used on the days you’d request it?
What services come with a crane rental? You can ask a company if they offer things like site evaluations, engineering support, lift planning, project management, heavy hauling and/or specialized rigging solutions.
What about a company’s maintenance and service program? Ask how they maintain their cranes. Do they receive regular inspections? Who fixes them? What if you rent from them and there’s a problem– will they solve it on-site?
How is the Insurance?
Do they offer insurance coverage to make sure you and your company are protected? Ask about general liability coverage, auto liability (for when a crane goes on the road), and riggers liability. Speaking of insurance, there’s the Experience Modification Rating (EMR), a metric used by insurance carriers to gauge both the past cost of workers’ comp claims and the future probability of additional claim costs. You want to work with a company with a rate of at least .7 or below. If they have a rate greater than 1.0, they’re sub-standard! So ask for the company’s EMR rating.
What are some other questions to ask when looking for a crane rental company to work with? Ask how much weight their cranes can hold. What’s the maximum weight capacity of the crane you’re most interested in renting? How do specific weather conditions, like wind or rain, affect lifting capacity for their cranes? What precautions need to be taken if and when the weather’s particularly bad? Find out the weight of the crane you intend to rent– it might press down on underground wires or pipes and break them; You might need to have a survey done to locate underground utilities and avoid them if you’re using a heavy crane.
In the New England region, from Maine toward New York City, including cities like Boston, Hartford, and Providence, Astro Crane is known and respected for its crane rentals. Please call 978-429-8666 and ask as many questions as you’d like about renting cranes from Astro Crane!
