3 Essentials to Understanding Hooklift Hoists

04.24.23

At first glance, a hooklift is easy to understand. It’s all right there in the name. A hook lift assembly is used to lift containers and other bodies onto and off of the truck for easy, secure transport. Yet there’s so much more that makes Stellar^® Hooklifts the most versatile equipment you can own, separates them from cable hoists, and makes them the high productivity choice in industries such as waste, construction, demolition, rental, landscaping, government and municipalities, and more.

While Stellar makes a wide range of productivity solutions, hooklifts are near and dear to our hearts. Our company was established in 1990 as the first U.S. corporation to design and manufacture a domestic hydraulic hooklift hoist. We’ve since created more than 40 different hooklift hoist models featuring single-pivot, double-pivot and sliding jib designs, including the NXT™ Series, Shuttle Series and Slider Series. No matter what weight capacity or hook height you need, Stellar has you covered. 

Whether you’ve been using a dump truck or a roll-off cable hoist, or if you’re simply looking for a way to get more productivity out of one truck, check out these three things to know about heavy-duty Stellar Hooklift Hoists.

1. Unmatched Versatility

When a business adds a hooklift hoist, productivity rises. In a single day, a construction company might use a hooklift as a flatbed to haul equipment, with a dump body to haul rock or dirt, to move containers with demolition refuse or jobsite scrap, as a platform to stage material loads for delivery and more. A municipality may use a hooklift for recycling and waste collection, for mosquito spraying, with a leaf vacuum body, as a salt spreader, as an asphalt hot box, even to set up a portable office or classroom. 

The list goes on and on for a wide range of industries. In fact, more than 100 different uses for a hooklift have already been established, and the list gets longer every day. Need to haul a concrete mixer? Use a hooklift. Want to transport a skid steer? Use a hooklift. With its incredible versatility, a Stellar Hooklift offers an outstanding return on investment because you can do more with one truck. 

2. It’s the “Yes You Can” Truck

You probably know a guy who always seems to figure out a way to get something done. A hooklift is the truck version of that guy. In addition to the wide range of containers, bodies, platforms and more that give hooklifts their versatility, they’re also the truck of choice when a new project comes along. 

For instance, if there’s a load that needs hauled and you don’t already have a body for it, you can mount it on a skid or sled and pull it right onto your hooklift. If you’ve been hiring someone to haul away debris containers from a jobsite, a hooklift lets you handle it yourself without investing in a specialized truck. Need to transport a wood chip box? Use a hooklift. Have a job come up where you need a mixer for curb work? Just rent a body for a morning and use your hooklift. The only limit is your imagination. 

In fact, Stellar Hooklifts are popular with rental companies for that very reason. They can keep several bodies on the lot while just buying one truck chassis, so when a customer calls asking if they can do something, the rental company can say, “Yes you can,” put on the proper body or platform, and serve the customer to perfection. Or the rental company can use the hooklift to deliver equipment or haul containers packed with materials for events. Again, the list goes on and on. 

3. Higher Productivity, Lower Expenses 

Because Stellar Hooklifts are so versatile, one truck can do the work of three. That means your initial capital expenditure is a third of what it would be with three trucks. You’re also saving by not paying insurance for three trucks. You only have to pay for one driver, too, which not only saves money but also saves headaches that can come with today’s shortage of CDL drivers. 

Uptime is essential, and hooklifts provide easier maintenance schedules. You won’t have three different truck types to take care of. Plus, if you have more than one hooklift, you can keep operating with one whenever the second is in the shop. That makes it a breeze to schedule routine maintenance as well as handle any emergencies. 

The savings are big in the long term, too. Rather than having the major expense of completely replacing an aging truck, you can replace the chassis and still use the bodies you’ve already paid for. You’ll have a lower capital expense, and you can get right back to work without time lost for setting up a new truck. 

Getting Started Is Easy

The extreme versatility combined with the long service life of both the hooklifts and the different body types ensures that a Stellar Hooklift will be a great addition to your business. Plus, unlike specialized truck purchases, you don’t have to pay for everything up front. Start by getting your hooklift and the body type needed for what you’ll be hauling right away. Then simply add containers and other body types whenever more needs arise. You’ll just have one truck, but it will feel like a fleet. 

Our knowledgeable team is here to help you find the perfect hooklift your needs. For more information or to talk about your vision for hooklift use in your business, visit our hooklift section, contact us or find a distributor.