Author: Kate Wade

Terex Utilities has introduced a new generation of the General 65 digger derrick for utility transmission applications.

At a 10-foot radius and fully retracted, the General 65 MAX can lift 22,620 pounds. With the optional X-Boost, the machine features 25,000 pounds of capacity at high boom angles, which is 26% more power than its predecessor. X-Boost adjusts hydraulic pressure to increase load-handling capability and enables strong performance for lifting at high boom angles.

The General 65 MAX leverages many Terex pioneered digger derrick design features, such as trapezoidal dual hydraulic cylinders, a retractable rectangular boom and a filament-wound fiberglass third boom section.

Other common features will make life easier for technicians and operators. Radio controls and other control station options are available so controls can be customized. Technicians will also experience ease of maintenance working on a simple, full-pressure hydraulic system and overall maintenance access to features such as the collector block and extension cylinders.

The General 65 MAX can be equipped with a variety of tools and accessories to increase productivity. Options include several styles of transferable pole guide arms, a full lineup of Terex augers to match digging conditions and material-handling jibs. www.terex.com/utilities/en/product/commander-general-series/General-65

Webfleet Solutions, one of the world’s leading telematics providers and part of Bridgestone, has launched WEBFLEET Video into the market. With the technology of Webfleet Solutions and Lytx, a leading global provider of video telematics solutions for fleets, integrated on one platform, users can access and manage both their vehicles and their in-vehicle cameras from a single interface.

Road-facing and optional cabin-facing HD dashcam event footage is displayed alongside driving data to give users the full context of road incidents. Users can request video from a specific time and position of a previous trip or instantly livestream from the road to take action immediately when an incident occurs.

Accompanying WEBFLEET Video is the CAM 50 dashcam. This hardware uses artificial intelligence technology to automatically identify risky behavior, such as distracted driving and mobile phone usage. When it does so, it notifies the driver with a visual and audio alert, helping them avoid dangerous situations. www.webfleet.com

Reading Truck Group, a premier truck equipment manufacturer and distributor, has added an all-new crane body to its product lineup. The RM-45 is designed and built to deliver unsurpassed lifting capability, enhanced safety and lighting, and ease of accessory installations. All systems on the body have been thoroughly re-engineered and reimagined to deliver the most capable, best-performing Reading crane body ever.

One of the most notable enhancements to this crane body is the addition of the torsion box understructure, which provides the strength and resistance needed to enable a powerful 45,000-foot-pound lift at full 100% capacity rating throughout the lifting zone. Built from galvannealed steel to resist corrosion, the RM-45 also features a seamless wheelhouse panel, a redesigned workbench bumper with built-in grip steps and quick-mount brackets for easy accessory installation. A headache rack and rear compartment mounted work lights and strobes provide additional lighting and enhance safety for the operator. www.readingbody.com/rm-45-crane-body/

Xantrex, a subsidiary of Mission Critical Electronics and a leading supplier of inverters and inverter/chargers, has introduced a no-idle solution to the work truck market. Freedom e-GEN is a lithium-ion battery-based power system that can be requested as an OEM install with most truck upfitters or as an aftermarket solution through Xantrex authorized dealers.

The heart of the Freedom e-GEN system is the dedicated lithium-ion battery bank that offers twice the power capacity in the same physical size as a traditional deep-cycle battery. Available from 125 Ahr to 1260 Ahr as part of a fully customizable power generation system, Freedom e-GEN batteries last six to eight times the life of traditional batteries, providing up to 6,000 charge-discharge cycles.

The Freedom XC Inverter/Charger converts DC electricity from the batteries into stable AC power. It is also power factor corrected to use AC current as efficiently as possible.

Further, the Freedom XC Inverter offers the added benefit of supplying up to 3,000 watts of continuous utility-grade, true sine wave power, which is especially important for proper function of sensitive electronics such as laptops, utility test equipment, and charging bases for power tools and two-way radios. https://xantrex.com

Andax Industries has announced the introduction of the Big Containment Pac, a spill kit that can contain spills up to 110 gallons and fits in an 18-inch-by-15-inch-by-5-inch vacuum-sealed package that can easily be stowed behind truck seats or in other tight spaces.

The Pac includes everything needed to respond to a spill up to 110 gallons, including three 48-inch oil-selective Sorb Sox (mini-booms); 20 15-inch-by-19-inch oil-selective absorbent pads; a disposal bag and tie; protective gloves; and a 60-inch-by-10-inch-high pop-up containment pool with a carrying case and CO₂ cylinder. 

In the event of a spill, the mini-booms and absorbent pads can be used to block off a storm drain or waterway while the inflatable pop-up pool can contain the bulk of the spill. The Big Containment Pac is a complete spill response system in one pilfer-proof package. www.andax.com

Okos Partners LLC and Crane Industry Services LLC have announced the launch of TradeUp, a collaborative partnership program providing workforce development services for employers seeking skilled craft professionals.

Employers who participate in the TradeUp program first receive an assessment of their skilled labor requirements to see how that aligns with growth goals and the company culture. TradeUp then assists with recruiting and placement, career development, and safety culture and leadership training for employers in construction, utilities, manufacturing, and ports and terminal logistics markets. www.tradeupworks.com

Terex Utilities recently announced a new Hi-Ranger telescopic aerial device with superior jib capacities to meet the needs of trouble truck applications.

With an industry-leading side reach of almost 32 feet, the TL48 has a 500-pound bucket capacity plus a maximum material-handling capacity of 1,000 pounds. The key feature is when the upper boom is at a horizontal position, it still achieves 800 pounds of jib capacity with the inner boom retracted at 23-foot side reach and 26-foot working height, and 200 pounds fully extended at 32-foot side reach, where similar units have no material-handling capability. The product is offered with an end-mounted, cobra-style hydraulic articulating jib as well as side-mount bucket and jib configurations.

All TL units support ground access, making it easier to hand off tools, support personnel rescue and clean out debris in the platform. Like all Hi-Ranger telescopic booms, the TL48 is equipped with a rigid rectangular boom constructed from epoxy resin and bi-axial wound fiberglass filament. This process and design achieve consistency in insulating properties, size, density and strength-to-weight ratio of the boom. www.terex.com/utilities/en/product/hi-ranger-tl/tl48

Michelin North America Inc. is launching its next-generation on-/off-road drive tire optimized for exceptional traction, toughness and wear performance. The tire is designed for the construction, energy, concrete and logging sectors operating in mixed-use conditions.

The MICHELIN X Works D tire is designed to maximize safety, uptime and efficiency. Full-tread-depth lateral groove tread patterns provide optimum balance between stability for increased wear and improved rubber-to-void ratio for maximum traction. Teardrop sipes in the tire open as they wear, providing additional traction.

In terms of wear performance, the new Michelin tire has 15% longer life compared to X Works XDY.

Additionally, four steel belts at the crown of the tire protect from shock, impact and road hazards for enhanced durability and puncture resistance.

The new MICHELIN X Works D tire is available in the United States and Canada in 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes in load range LRH. X Works D is backed by Michelin’s worry-free six-month road hazard guarantee. https://business.michelinman.com

FiberTech Outrigger Pads are an ideal solution when extra rigidity is needed and weight is a concern. FiberTech Pads effectively spread outrigger loads and create stability for equipment such as mobile cranes, concrete pump trucks, high-reach aerial devices, rock crushers and mobile substations.

With crush ratings up to 600 psi and rated capacities up to 170,000 pounds, FiberTech Super Duty Outrigger Pads (formerly FiberMax Heavy Duty) are an economical, high-performance load distribution solution. FiberTech Pads can be used alone or as part of a multipad setup.

At least 13 layers of quad-axial continuous glass fibers and vinyl ester resin give FiberTech Super Duty Outrigger Pads exceptional structural strength and stiffness. A 1-inch-thick FiberTech Pad weighs 25% less and delivers the same load distribution performance as a 3-inch-thick SafetyTech Super Duty Outrigger Pad.

High-visibility yellow FiberTech Outrigger Pads are nonconductive, waterproof and chemical resistant. They feature DICA’s patented Hi-Viz TuffGrip Handles to simplify handling. FiberTech 36-inch, 42-inch and 48-inch diameter sizes are standard stock products. Other sizes are available upon request. https://dicausa.com

JLG Industries Inc., an Oshkosh Corp. company and leading global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers, has announced a planned investment by parent company Oshkosh Corp. in Microvast, a global provider of next-generation battery technologies for commercial and specialty electric vehicles. This new partnership, in combination with the company’s existing electrification supply chain partners, will continue to strengthen and advance the development of industry-leading electrified solutions across the JLG product line, including boom lifts, scissor lifts, low-level access lifts, vertical access lifts, stock and order picker lifts, towable lifts and telehandlers.

JLG has been at the forefront of the industry’s movement toward electrification, having offered electric products since the mid-1990s when the company launched its first electric boom lift. Recent electric product introductions include the industry’s first all-electric scissor lift, the AE 1932 DaVinci model.  

Oshkosh agreed to make a $25 million private investment in public equity in Microvast, which announced a merger with Tuscan Holdings Corp. on February 1, 2021. Oshkosh and Microvast also entered into a joint development agreement highlighting future battery collaboration and integration. www.jlg.com