BOOSTING YOUR BUSINESS
Insider Strategies to Outfit Trailers for Battery- Power Operations
By Jill Odom
IS YOUR TRAILER READY FOR BATTERY-POWERED EQUIPMENT? IT MIGHT seem like a cut-and-dried process to swap out your gas cans for battery packs, but reconfiguring your trailers requires careful thought and consideration to be set up for success.
RESEARCH IS KEY
The first consideration is determining how many pieces of battery-powered equipment and batteries each trailer will need to carry. Armando Vega, CEO and president of Enviro Views, based in Richmond, California, says you need to do your homework to know what tools you need to get the job done and what brand will give you the necessary range. “Talk to your local dealers who have
Photos: STIHL
vetted these companies, so you’re not the guinea pig,” Vega says. “The dealers have the information from the manufac- turers. They can tell you, ‘Okay, this one has been vetted, has been tested and proven to allow your professionals to do your work with this type of tool.’”
Bob Deasy, maintenance division man-
ager for Blue Claw Associates, Inc., based in Osterville, Massachusetts, says that one of the biggest expenses is outfitting the crew with enough batteries so they can work a full day. Once you know how many pieces of equipment and batteries you plan on transporting, then you can consider how much space is needed to accommodate them. Dan Mabe, CEO and president of American Green Zone Alliance, suggests using a carrying or storage case for bat- teries to provide safe transport, security from theft, and help protect the batteries and chargers in inclement weather. He also advises mounting as many tools as possible to save space and pro-
vide easy access. He says it also serves as a form of preventive maintenance. “AGZA has collected data for over a decade that clearly shows tools that are taken care of, mounted, and stored prop- erly during transport can last eight to ten years,” Mabe says. “Of course, the quality of the brand factors into this as well as workforce habits and behavior.” Vega says he mounted his equipment
so there is no vibration and the equip- ment is organized so his crews can be very systematic and productive. “I figured the electrical equipment is
three times more (expensive) than gas power; we better take care of it,” Vega says.
OPEN VERSUS ENCLOSED TRAILERS You may think a battery-powered fleet will require you to use enclosed trailers, but Mabe says open-air trailers can be used for battery crews. The three main considerations for this route are transportation, security and inclement weather. The DOT has rules for transporting lithium batteries and other local laws may be in place as well. “Make sure all of your batteries are
securely fastened and stored in an orga- nized, uniform way,” Mabe says. “Batteries should not be piled on top of each other, stored in places where they can contact metal materials, directly in the sun, and exposed to rain.” Like anything else on an open-air trailer, batteries and battery-powered
18 The Edge //July/August 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
