Important Questions to Ask When Considering a Crane Rental or Hire

Many contractors and construction workers hire or rent cranes for temporary use; this allows them to have a wide variety of cranes available for a number of different jobs, without the expense and hassle of owning the crane, storing it when not in use, and so on. When you are ready to rent or hire cranes for any type of job, note a few important questions to ask the rental agency so you can ensure you choose the right crane and know what's involved overall.

1. Always ask about the weather

Be sure you know if any weather conditions affect the crane's use. This can mean very high winds, strong storms, and even high heat. You might need to hold off using the crane in extreme conditions so that you don't pose a safety risk to workers or anyone near the crane.

In some cases, workers may be eligible for added pay when working in extreme conditions. This too might affect your rental, as the agency may increase the fees during certain days throughout the year.

2. Ask about time and additional assistance needed to lift a load

Contractors are typically worried about time as they need to ensure a project is done within a projected timeframe; when renting a crane, you should ask about the time it takes to load something into the rig and then lift the load to the desired height. This may seem like a small thing, but note that if you're off with your estimate of what is required to load and lift your materials by just five or six minutes, every ten loads will delay your schedule by a full hour!

Along with time, ask if there is additional assistance needed to load up the crane. Some may be fully operational from the cab, depending on the load to be lifted and the rigging, whereas others might need an additional crew member to lock chains in place or otherwise assist. If you're not prepared for this, you can wind up being shorthanded when renting the crane.

3. Ask about traffic management

Traffic management is often needed when you rent or hire a crane, and it's good to ask the rental agency what's required. They may be able to organize traffic management for you by working with your local municipality to get lanes blocked off and to close up driveways and entryways to buildings, to ensure everyone's safety.