A truck mounted aerial work platform is a boom lift built on a commercial truck chassis, used to raise workers and tools to working height at sites where no permanent access structure exists. In Russia, where roads are salted from November to April and winter mornings sit below -25 degrees C, the difference between a standard import and a properly localised machine shows up in the first month of operation - and eventually in the rental company's order book.
The client, and the machines he already runs
Mr. Vasily runs an equipment rental company in Moscow with a fleet of more than 50 machines - aerial work platforms and cranes. He first ordered 36 m and 45 maerial work platforms from us on ISUZU chassis, built to his own specification rather than to our standard export configuration. He has now placed a repeat order for five higher units at 45 m, 56 m and 60 m working height. Before that order is delivered, it is worth writing down what was actually changed on the first batch - because it explains why the machines came back for more.
What was customised, and why
Three of his requirements were not part of our standard build. All three were aimed at the same problem: keeping a machine profitable through a Russian winter.
1. Full-body protective film Every painted panel - boom,
chassis sides, turntable housing, basket - was wrapped before shipping. The film absorbs what would otherwise go straight into the paint: road grit, de-icing salt, chain marks during rail and road loading, and the repeated knocks of daily rental use. On a machine that goes out to a different site every week, cosmetic damage is not a cosmetic problem - it is what shortens resale value and pushes units out of the fleet early.
2. Chassis wax coating The underbody and chassis frame were treated with a wax-based anti-corrosion coating.
On Russian roads this is the single most valuable addition you can make. The salt spread between November and April sits on the frame all winter, and a factory paint film on its own does not stop it. Wax coating reaches the seams, cavities and bolt heads that paint never covers, and it is the reason the frame is still sound after a full season.
3. Enclosed operator cab with air conditioning
Not a canopy - a fully enclosed, heated and air-conditioned cab. In summer, an open platform turns into a greenhouse and the operator's shift gets shorter. In winter, at minus twenty, an open platform is unusable for anything longer than a few minutes. The cab is what converts the machine from a seasonal asset into a year-round one, and a year-round asset is the only kind a rental company can make money on. The chassis itself is the other half of the story. ISUZU is the platform most Russian operators already know how to service, which matters more than any specification sheet when a machine is 400 km from the nearest city and the customer's crew has to keep it running themselves. You can see the ISUZU-based 36 m and 45 m configurations we build in the 36 m ISUZU vehicle mounted platformand 45 m aerial work platform truck on ISUZU chassis.
Why these changes matter in Russia,
in one table Condition in Russia What it does to a standard machine What we built into these units Road salt, November to April Sits on the frame and boom all winter; factory paint alone does not stop it Full-body protective film plus chassis wax coating on frame and underbody Winter mornings below -20 degrees C An open platform is unusable beyond a few minutes at a time Fully enclosed, heated operator cab Summer heat inside a closed cab Operator fatigue, shorter effective shifts Air conditioning as part of the build, not an option Daily rental use, rail and road loading Paint chips, chain marks, panel damage on every move Protective film takes the damage instead of the paint None of this is exotic engineering. It is the difference between shipping what is on the production line and shipping what survives where it is going.
What it did for his business
The 36 m and 45 m units went straight into his fleet and became among the most popular machines he owns. In our September delivery report on this client, the company reported roughly 20 percent growth in business volume after taking the machines into service - which, for a rental operator, mostly means one thing: the units were out on site instead of sitting in the yard waiting for parts or for weather. The 36 m delivery is written up in Custom 36m Aerial Work Platform Delivered to Russian Client, and the 45 m ISUZU GIGA configuration is described in New Custom 45m ISUZU GIGA Aerial Work Truck for Russian Harsh Conditions. We have shipped into the same market before on other chassis - see the custom 80-ton Volvo chassis crane shipped to Russia for a heavier example of the same approach. The next order: 45 m, 56 m and 60 m Vasily is now planning a follow-up order of five units at higher working heights - 45 m, 56 m and 60 m. The 45 m continues a configuration he already runs and trusts. The 56 m and 60 m take the fleet above anything currently in his yard, which for a rental company means access to a different class of job: high-rise facade work, industrial maintenance on tall structures, and infrastructure projects where a standard platform simply cannot reach. Our current catalogue covers 30 m to 45 m truck mounted platforms, with the 36 m and 45 m units being the most requested in the Russian market. You can compare the full range on the truck mounted aerial work platformpage. Units above 45 m are built to order, and the 56 m and 60 m heights in this order are exactly that - built to order, to the same winter specification as the first batch. For buyers comparing a truck mounted platform against a self-propelled machine, the trade-off is set out in mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs): how to choose between types. Operators who want the extra reach of a self-propelled unit instead of a truck-mounted one can compare our 16 m to 28 m boom lift range.
Frequently asked questions
What chassis do the 36 m and 45 m aerial work platforms use?
Both units are built on ISUZU chassis. It is the platform most Russian rental operators already know how to service locally, which matters when a machine is far from the nearest city and the customer's own crew has to keep it running. Can an enclosed cab and air conditioning be added to any model? Yes. The enclosed, heated and air-conditioned cab is a build option across our truck mounted range, not a modification limited to one model. Specify it at order stage and it is fitted in the factory rather than retrofitted on site. What is chassis wax coating and why does it matter? Chassis wax coating is a wax-based anti-corrosion treatment applied to the frame and underbody. It reaches seams, cavities and bolt heads that paint never covers. On roads salted from November to April, it is the difference between a frame that lasts the season and one that starts corroding in its second or third winter. What working heights are available? Our catalogue covers 30 m to 45 m truck mounted aerial work platforms, with 36 m and 45 m the most requested in Russia. Heights above 45 m, including the 56 m and 60 m units in this order, are built to order rather than held as stock. Do you supply aerial work platforms to Russia? Yes, and we supply them repeatedly. Certification requirements are handled per model - EAC-certified units are supplied with the certificate numbers, and certification is in progress on the remaining models. Ask us for the certificate status of the exact configuration you are quoting.
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