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Choosing the Right Crane Service Provider

When looking for a crane service provider, there are many things you must consider. How do you decide which service best suits your project? Do you know what kind of equipment you need and where to find it? Are you getting the best quality machine? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look at 9 key tips when searching for a crane service provider.

Evaluating Crane Service Providers

Renting or buying industrial machinery is not cheap. Nothing worth the investment ever is! Your money has tremendous value, and the last thing you want is to spend it in the wrong place. Doing your research ahead of time can save you a lot of trouble later on. Here are some tips we gave our own clients before they decided on a crane service provider.

1. Check their reputation

In some markets, newer contractor services seem favored over seasoned competitors. Any number of things could account for this, including the drive to support local business or unsatisfactory customer service. However, if you feel more comfortable working with a professional crane service with a solid reputation, companies with years of experience (regardless of their size) are the most reliable option. An established crane service provider usually has a number of important strengths, such as technical expertise and inventory support. In other words, you can rely on them to get the job done well.

2. Evaluate their availability

Depending on your timeline, you may want to prioritize certain contractors over others. Whether you have a longer-term project with a flexible time frame, or your project requires immediate service, checking the availability of the crane provider is crucial. Keep in mind that not all companies provide both forms of services. Therefore, knowing which companies can accommodate your timeline helps you keep your list of potentials short and relevant.

3. Check Proof of Insurance

This is perhaps one of the most important tips we can provide. Every company worthy of their reputation can (and should) show you proof of insurance upon your request. No one wants to risk working with someone without full insurance coverage from a reputable insurance company. Accidents do happen, and they can cause a significant amount of damage. Without insurance, the company wouldn’t provide any compensation for the damages and that burden would fall to you.

Bottom line: Always ask (or search) for proof of insurance when you begin engaging with a crane service provider.

4. Make sure the company knows of all the required permits

Every state has its own laws regarding crane operation, especially when it comes to the open/public spaces. Since most cranes are highly visible, it’s likely that local officials will ask to see the permits and proper qualifications to conduct the project. As such, the crane service provider should know the local laws for your area. They should also be able to offer guidance through the necessary steps. This helps ensure the project is executed in the most professional and safest manner possible, and helps you avoid the possible fines and hazards.

5. Know what service(s) and crane you need

If you’re not sure what sort of crane you need, contact a specialist. Tell them what kind of project you have, and they should tell you what type of crane would best fit your project. Then, once you have one opinion, get another. And another. Do this several times, and see what these different experts tell you. They will most likely tell you that you need one of the following:

  1. Hydraulic Crane: Use for heavy lifting projects; typically named based on how much weight they can handle
  2. Forklift: Perfect for smaller jobs, like moving something heavy indoors
  3. Crawler Crane: Carry loads up to a few thousand tons; more mobility and require minimal set-up

If you know a qualified crane operator, renting the crane will often do just fine. And it will end up saving quite a few bucks! Some companies (like ours) provide an operator along with the crane. While this may cost a bit extra, you can rest easy knowing the company will do their job well.

6. Ask to see their credentials

Different companies have different training requirements for their crane operators. The contractor should be able to show you their staff’s credentials on request. Once you have seen their credentials, compare these to other crane service providers. This allows you to make the most informed decision about who to trust with your project.

7. Inspect the equipment

Make sure the company regularly inspects and maintains their equipment. Any reputable and reliable crane service should have records for their routine maintenance inspections. Take a look at these. They will tell you for certain whether your money is paying for an efficient, well-cared-for machine that can safely perform the tasks you need for your project.

8. Evaluate their customer service

Nine out of ten Americans use customer service as the primary gauge for deciding to do business with a company. So many companies ignore this, enough to collectively lose over $1.6 trillion in potential revenue every year. When shopping for a crane provider, pay close attention to the way they treat their customers. This goes for over the phone, on their website, and on-site at their office building/headquarters.

Do they treat you with the care, attention, and respect you deserve? If not, how could you trust them with your important project? If the company values its clients, it will show. Choose the ones that make you their top priority, not profits.

9. Find a good price

Lastly, compare price figures between crane companies to get the best deal. Most crane service providers (like us) provide you with a free quote for your project. This helps make sure you are not being “ripped off.” Don’t forget that a better service usually comes at a price. But there are times that a higher price is well worth it!

Conclusion

To sum all this up, we will leave you with three words: do your research. Know the company inside and out before deciding to do business with them. You will thank yourself later when the project runs smoothly and you get the best value for your money.

24 Responses

  1. I appreciated the tip that you gave to consider the years of experience when it comes to a crane service provider’s reputation. My wife’s brother is needing a company to help him because he needs a crane to lift some things for his next project, and he told us that he wants to find one that he could trust. When we look for one to refer him to, I will be sure to consider their experience.

  2. I love that you mentioned making sure the company knows what permit they need depending on the job and state. My husband is looking for earthmoving equipment hire that can help his company with some of their digging needs. He will keep these tips in mind as he searches for a professional that can help his company best.

  3. My uncle Jed asked me to look for flatbed services near their area since he wants to transfer heavy equipment to his working place. The equipment then will be used for the construction of new machinery his coworkers will be creating. Although I’m not familiar with what they will be doing for the next two weeks, it’s good to have read your article about choosing the right crane provider. I will take note of what you said about looking for the company’s credentials to check if the service provider is trusted and reliable. I shall then carry over this valuable information to my uncle in case he asks for referrals from his companions.

  4. Thank you for explaining that it is important to check the reputation of those you wish you hire as a crane service provider to make sure you can feel comfortable with working with them. My husband mentioned that his office is looking for a hydraulic crane to help during the construction of a new building. I think they should look for a company that has a good reputation and all of the services they need.

  5. I hadn’t thought about the reputation of a crane provider, so I am glad that you mentioned it. My brother and I have been talking about finding a crane for our next project, and it will be important for us to know that we could find the best one. When we look for one, I will be sure to consider their reputation.

  6. I like your suggestion to consider the level of customer service we’re treated with, both over the phone and on-site. The company I work for needs to find a crane service to help with the steel erection for our new warehouse next year. Thanks for letting me know what factors I should consider as we start looking for a mobile crane service!

  7. My husband needs two cranes that can lift the heavy load boxes in his construction site. Therefore, we have decided to start looking for a crane company. We’ll keep in mind to check if the chosen crane company has full insurance coverage from a reputable insurance company.

    1. Rachel,

      We are glad you found this content helpful! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Patrick at (412) 596-4524. He will be happy to assist your husband with his project planning.

  8. Thanks for mentioning that one should make sure the crane service they hire is available during one’s project. One of my uncles is actually building a ranch, so he may need to rent a crane. Thanks for all the great tips for choosing a crane service.

    1. Taylor,

      You’re welcome – glad you found our content helpful! Feel free to have your uncle give Patrick from our support team a call at (412) 596-4524. He would be more than happy to discuss some options with him!

  9. Thanks for these tips on how to find a good crane service. I agree that you want to check if they have the required permits before you choose them. My husband and I are looking for a crane service, so we’ll have to check their permits first.

  10. I like what you said about finding a crane contractor that can show you their credentials when you ask for them. My boss has been telling me about how he wants to get a new facility built in the coming months, and he’ll need some heavy equipment to help with his. I’ll share this information with him so that he can look into his options for professionals who can help him with this.

  11. My favorite part about this article is that you explained that you should check if the company you are hiring treats you with respect and care. My sister and her husband are working to build some structures in the land they inherited, and they need the help of a crane operator for parts of the project. I am glad I found this article because I feel like these tips can be applied to all aspects of life.

  12. I like that you mentioned that we have to review the proof of insurance coverage that the company can provide to compensate for the damage. My dad is looking for a crane lifting service provider that can help to build his dream building. Moreover, we are urgently looking for a specialist that specializes in lifting, moving and installing large heavy and unwieldy objects. Cheers!

  13. A friend of mine is thinking about renting a crane for a project, and we were curious about how you would choose the right one. I really like that you say to look at their credentials first. That way, you can see what kind of things they have gone through to get there.

  14. My father-in-law is building a warehouse, and he needs to find a crane service to set the trusses up. Thanks for suggesting a hydraulic crane for lifting heavy items. We will keep in mind to ask about what cranes they recommend for his project.

    1. Hi Eli,

      We are glad our content was helpful to you! Please feel free to reach out to Patrick at (412) 596-4524 – he would be more than happy to help with machine recommendations in any way he can!

  15. I liked that you mentioned depending on your project’s timeline, you may want to prioritize certain crane providers over others. My husband is working on a huge remodeling project at my mom’s house, and we are looking for advice about renting a crane to move a hot tub. I will let him know about your recommendations to choose the best crane rental company available.

  16. My boss has wanted to do some things with getting water moved because it relates to the services our business offers. We don’t have the equipment to do this though. We’ll need to look into crane services. I appreciated how you mentioned that after getting the first opinion on services you need, look for another. We’ll have to do that.

  17. I can believe that nine out of ten Americans use customer service to decide whether they work with a company. You don’t want to work with somebody who is rude and disrespectful. You can be the best at your trade in the world but if you’re rude you’re not going to have many customers.

    1. Randy,

      Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment on this post. You’re absolutely right. What astounded us was seeing how much business a company can lose because of poor customer service! What a number! Most companies and their employees unfortunately treat customers like an inconvenience. (Pay close attention the next time you go to a fast food restaurant or to a grocery store, for example.) But our customers come to us for help, and we have the expertise to solve their problem! Why wouldn’t we treat them with care and listen to them? Trust is key in doing business with someone, especially when you are looking at a relatively large investment!

  18. I like how you said that you should make sure the company regularly inspects and maintains its equipment. My husband has a construction project coming up and he needs to use a crane for it and wanted to know some tips about crane services. I’ll make sure to pass this information along to him as he continues to plan for his project.

  19. It’s good to know that you should look for crane services that know the local laws and which permits are required for your area. My boss would like to build a new facility in an unfamiliar town so that he can move forward with a top-secret project. I’ll pass this information along to him so that he can look further into his options for hiring a crane service that knows the laws already.

  20. I am building a new office space next to my company’s current one because we are planning to expand the business and hire new employees. In order to add the roof to the new building, we will need to hire a crane service company and you make a great point that you should choose a company with proof of insurance. This would definitely give me peace of mind that my company would not be liable if an accident or injury happened. Also, in my opinion, it would be great to find a crane service that has been in business for many years because this shows that they have a lot of experience with similar projects.

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