There’s no shortage of crane rental services with approximately 441 crane rental businesses and a market worth of about $2 billion. This sounds like good news until it’s time to pick a crane rental company for your business. With so many options to choose from, choosing the right crane company can be a bit overwhelming.
Needing a crane for your project isn’t construction news, especially if you’re building lofty structures. Cranes help move large objects like materials, equipment, and even ready-made structures during construction. Since most contractors can’t afford their own cranes, they have no option but to rent one out.
If you’re renting a crane, you need a knowledgeable and experienced rental company with a well-serviced fleet. Today, we’ll be highlighting a few things you need to consider when picking a crane company for your project to make the right pick.
1. Experience
The first thing you want to consider when hiring a crane rental company is how much experience the company has. The more the company’s experience, the more knowledgeable, and reliable they’re likely to be. Be sure to ask how many years the company has been in the industry before taking your pick.
Experienced companies may charge slightly higher, but they’ll definitely be worth the extra cash. A few bucks are nothing compared to years of experience and unmatched expertise in the crane rental business.
Aside from the number of years in business, ask how many clients they’ve worked with before. Ask if they can recount to you any challenging obstacles and how they overcome obstacles.
Any experienced company will be happy to give you referrals that you can speak to.
These referrals can tell you their experience with the company to give you a firm idea of who you’re dealing with. As a rule of thumb, look for a crane company with at least three years of experience for the best results.
2. Safety
Safety is another crucial factor to consider when hiring a crane rental company. Hiring the wrong crane company is putting your employees’ safety at risk. That’s why any company that doesn’t prioritize safety is a definite no-no.
On matters of safety, make sure the company has valid workers’ comp and general liability insurance. The former compensates workers for any work-related injuries, while the latter compensates for any damage to property during crane operations. Insurance ensures that you don’t foot the bill for any property damage or worker injuries.
Aside from insurance, the company should implement proper safety protocols to guarantee the safety of everyone on the site. The crane company should have a contingency plan in case anything goes wrong. Any crane company that throws safety out the window is not worth your time.
3. The Company’s Responsiveness
Most construction projects run on tight deadlines that contractors must meet. As such, you need to find a responsive crane company that will get to work ASAP. Early signs of responsiveness shows in how fast they answer your emails, phone calls, and queries.
If a company shows timeliness in its responses, you’re in the right hands. If they take or even weeks to answer your emails, you’re better off with another company.
4. Availability
It’s no surprise that most of the best crane rental companies are booked throughout the year. This is because of the heavy demand from clients countrywide. However, if you do your digging, you’ll be able to find a hidden gem that will be available to meet your needs.
Availability is also a crucial factor to consider when picking a crane rental company. Ask the company whether the crane will be available during the days you need it. Maybe your schedule will coincide with another client’s, making the crane unavailable.
Despite having busy schedules, some companies manage to come through for their clients. These are the types of companies you should consider for your crane hire.
5. Check the Company’s Reputation
Another important thing to check when looking for a crane company is the company’s reputation. Reading online reviews and testimonials will give you a clear picture of the company’s reputation. Focus on reviews that talk about their service quality, rates, availability, and compliance.
The review that you find on the crane company’s site might sometimes be misleading. It’s hard to tell real reviews from fake ones. For honest and unbiased reviews, consider looking at authority review sites like the BBB and Yelp. They should give you a clear picture of the company that you have in mind.
6. The Types of Cranes They Have
It’s important to pick a company with the right type of crane to suit your needs. There are different types of cranes like crawlers, floating, and tower cranes, to name a few.
Not all types of cranes may be suited for your particular needs. That’s why you need to first determine what type of crane works for your needs. Next, ask the crane company whether they have that type of crane and whether it’s available.
There’s no use hiring a company with a crane that’s not cut out for the job. This will only waste your time, drain your resources, and delay the project.
7. The Company’s Customer Service
The customer service of the crane company will speak volumes about the company in question. It’s a reflection of the company’s professionalism and general conduct. Pay attention to the tone of the customer service reps, their attitude, and how they answer questions.
Proper customer service reps are attentive, respectful, and give proper responses to your queries. Even the slightest hint of disrespect is a huge red flag. Any company with substandard customer service isn’t worth your time.
8. The Company’s Equipment
The type of equipment a company has is what makes a crane company good. Apart from having a large fleet of cranes, the company should also have the right equipment for the job. Examples of must-have equipment include:
- Cell towers
- Roof trusses
- Structural steel
Apart from the above equipment, it’s also important for the crane companies to have proficient subcontractors as part of their team. By subcontractors, we mean mechanical and electrical contractors to sort out electrical and mechanical issues with the crane.
Construction News: Picking the Right Crane Company Made Easy
The above information should make choosing a crane rental company a walk in the park. Remember to explore all your options before finally settling on a crane company for your project.
For more construction news and informative content, check out the other posts on the site.
