Aerial plant materials have come a long way. Today, they are high speed, high bandwidth, fiber optic cables. But the process by which more than 100 million miles of cabling that comprise the domestic telecommunications network are strung up has been the same since the 1960s.
This is by using cable placer trucks, also known as cable dispenser trucks or cable reel trucks.
WHAT ARE CABLE PLACER TRUCKS?
Essentially, cable placers are bucket trucks designed for the purpose of placing fiber optic cables for cable TV and telecom aerial cable networks.
HOW ARE CABLE PLACERS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BUCKET TRUCKS?
Though cable placers are essentially a bucket truck, they differ from other bucket trucks in a few different ways:
1. Cable Placers can be deployed with the boom extended and a man in the bucket, doing his job of stringing, placing, or pulling cable, even as the vehicle is moving.
Every other bucket truck, by all rules and regulations, must stop, put the parking brakes on, and deploy the outriggers (if they have them) before performing its task.
2. Some cable placers, such as the Posi+ LineRunner 800 are equipped with a reel lifter on the rear of the chassis, to help place cables (hence the name).
• It’s true that the recommended speed at which the truck can move while on the job is only 2-3 miles per hour. However, the laborious task of installing overhead cables, from one utility pole to another, is much more efficient and less time-consuming when performed from a moving truck. After all, the alternative would be to park in front of each pole, deploy the aerial lift, finish the installation, retract the aerial lift, and then proceed on to the next post.
• The need for broadband access has exploded in the past few years as technology has changed how we live and interact with the world. In fact, this need has overtaken our existing infrastructure in a very short space of time. To keep up with the promise of 5G technology – lightning fast speeds, incredibly low latency, and the capacity to carry a massive number of connections simultaneously – there’s still a lot of groundwork to be done. Fleets of cable placer trucks are one of the primary components bringing us 5G.
• Other than improvement to existing infrastructure, cable placers also play a crucial role during times of natural disasters such as hurricanes, snowstorms, and floods. Being able to repair and restore broken electricity and telecommunication lines is an urgent need for communities. Without efficient cable replacers, rehabilitation efforts would be seriously hampered.
At Custom Truck One Source, we are the exclusive dealers of Posi+ in USA – the oldest and only brand in the market that was custom designed from ground up for cable placing jobs.
• Under CDL
• 38.5’ Working Height
• 29’ Side Reach
• 300 lb Platform Capacity
• 11’ Travel Height
With a working height of 40’ and side reach of 29’, the Linerunner 700 offers increased range and maneuverability for telecommunication installations.
These non-CDL units delivers decreased fuel consumption and maintenance costs while offering unsurpassed safety features. With a clear-floor design, a cooler or hydraulic tank is not mounted in the bed of the truck. The industry’s first operator camera is mounted on the boom, which enables safe operation while improving efficiency.
Other notable features include an ergonomic work platform, featherable joystick controls, and a state-of-the-art electrohydraulic system. The unit is available in customized configurations and options. Posi+ units are easy to maintain, with components placed in areas easily accessible for technicians. Additionally, Posi+ offers a cylinder exchange program that provides both time and cost-saving benefits.
Check out our inventory of Posi+ Linerunner 700 Cable Placers by clicking HERE.
• 40.3’ Working Height
• 29’ Side Reach
• 500 lb Platform Capacity
• 11’ Travel Height
• 600 lb Side Pull Capacity
The 800 series, in line with Posi+ tradition of building the strongest and longest lasting aerial devices, innovates to offer you capability, flexibility, serviceability, ergonomics and safety. The non-insulated cable placer offers a working height of 40.3′ and side reach to 31.4′.
Check out our inventory of Posi+ Linerunner 800 Cable Placers by clicking HERE.
Large placers have the cable reels mounted on the truck, so the trucks have to be bigger. They have a reach of 50 feet or even higher, mounted on a heavier chassis and have the capacity to carry as much as 8,000 lbs of strand cable on the truck itself.
Smaller cable placer trucks simply tow a trailer with a reel of strand cable on it.
The bigger ones do the lion’s share of installing new systems. The smaller ones are used more for repair and maintenance work of the existing systems.
Contact Custom Truck One Source. We’re America’s first true single-source provider of specialized truck and heavy equipment solutions and we’re standing by to help you!
Call us at 844-282-1838 or email us at [email protected]
