MEWPs are essential for many infrastructure projects, enabling faster, safer work at heights. Choosing the right MEWP will:

• Save time by reducing delays
• Save money by enabling faster, more efficient work
• Improve workers’ experience on-site

But how do you know who has the capability and who to trust with the responsibility of providing your MEWP?

At Access Hire, we pride ourselves on being trusted advisors to our customers. Which is why we’ve put together this guide to choosing the perfect MEWP supplier for your project.

Here are four factors contractors should consider before hiring a MEWP:

1. Site Safety and Conditions

Whether working on a town or city street, or in more rural environments, the central concern for any MEWP hire is picking the correct MEWP for the job. This will depend on the specifics of the job and industry: working on a smaller site will require a smaller, more agile vehicle; jobs in rural areas will likely benefit from a 4×4 pickup style MEWP.

The majority of projects, however, will benefit from van mounted MEWPs. Without the need for towing, they can simply be driven to wherever they are needed and get to work. This is not only more efficient; it allows the vehicle to be moved more quickly – granting your project more flexibility. 

2. Service offering

From rigorous testing to fast delivery, the service of a MEWP provider can make all the difference to your project. What level of support does the vendor offer? Is maintenance and servicing included in the contract? And how quickly can your vehicle be delivered to the site? 

These factors can impact the overall economics of your hire: costs incurred due to faulty machines, downtime, maintenance and servicing are often underestimated and overlooked when planning to source a MEWP.

3. Courtesy Vehicles

How easily can a vehicle be replaced? And what does that potential downtime cost you? For most contractors, time without their MEWP can lead to big losses. And delays will typically slow down the entire project’s workflow.

Your chosen provider should therefore be able to resolve issues with their MEWP quickly. Signs to look for are the size of the supplier’s fleet (as this indicates whether a replacement vehicle is likely to be ready) and the quality of their engineers.

At Access Hire, for example, we employ a highly responsive team of engineers who are experts in the specific units we hire out. As a result, they can often diagnose issues over the phone – reducing your potential downtime from hours to minutes.

We also have dedicated courtesy vehicles to minimise downtime and help our customers to get back to work quickly!

4. Environmental impact

A growing number of tenders require contractors to demonstrate their eco-credentials. This is a key topic currently and it will be a growing priority moving forward – and project managers should be aware that environmentally friendly Van Mounted MEWPs are now available.

The first fully electric MEWP lease package, Access Zero, was recently launched, enabling Fleet Managers to reduce their carbon emissions and show their dedication to environmental concerns. If you believe improved ESG will give you a competitive edge, this may be the unit for you.

Explore Access Hire’s full MEWP range here or contact sales for more information.