The Crossover Bucket Truck for service/installation

The slash between service and installation sometimes confuses people. Not long ago, we dropped off a new Van Ladder with a potential customer. They wanted to try it out and see how it worked. A few days later, when we returned to pick up the truck, we discovered there’d been some head-scratching as to whether it belonged in the service department or with the installation crews. With its installation accessories, and its increased weight capacity (now 400 lbs.), the new Chariot Bucket has blurred the distinction between a service truck and an installation rig.

Before the advent of the Chariot Bucket, sign guys would look at our truck and say, “That’d make a nice service rig.” They were referring to the truck’s organized cargo space for stocking inventory, and its agility in tight spaces. Often though, that comment was followed by another– “I wish I could justify having a dedicated service truck, but I can’t.” For those companies, the new Van Ladder with the Chariot Bucket might be the best of both worlds.

Let’s say your installer weighs 200 pounds. That means you have an extra 200 pounds available for material handling—lifting a raceway, installing large channel letters, or mounting a cabinet sign. We’ve been asking installers what percentage of the signs they install weigh less than 200 pounds, and the answer is usually around 60%. Understandably, if you don’t have a larger truck, purchasing a Van Ladder as your sole installation rig could pose a problem. But if you do have a larger truck, why send it out for work the Van Ladder can accomplish more efficiently? Why not save wear and tear on your more expensive vehicle(s), and give your techs the ideal tool for the smaller jobs? The biggest tool isn’t always the best answer.

The Chariot Bucket is also carving a niche’ with larger sign companies who have one or more dedicated service trucks. It’s not unusual for the installation division to be busy when the service division is slow (or vice versa). In times like that, the Van Ladder makes the perfect crossover vehicle, able to run where the fire is burning the hottest (Maybe that’s why it looks like an emergency vehicle).

Todd Thomas

Todd Thomas

Owner of Creative Sign Company Inc., De Pere, WI

“Having a vehicle like this with its flexibility and economy would be very beneficial for any sign company.”