03.10.2004

Snug calls for European Crane Hire standards

At a meeting of the French Crane hire industry on Friday October first, Christian-Jacques Vernazza, President of leading crane and access hirer Mediaco and vice president of SNUG Snug, (Syndicat Nationale des Utilisateurs des Grues) the National Association of Crane Users, in France, called on French Crane Hire companies to look to the UK crane hire industry for examples of how to improve its profitability and raise its proffessionalism.

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L to R Christian-Jacques Vernazza, Eric Aguettant, President of SNUG and Claude Pibarot head of Road Regulation at SNUG

Vernazza was updating SNUG members on the progress being made by ESTA the European Association of Heavy transport and mobile cranes, of which he is the current president. During his presentation he stressed the need for European Crane hirers to adopt consistent standards of professionalism and common standards. As an example he cited the Car rental industry where no matter from which company or country you rent a car the charging practices are the same the invoices are the same and they have coherent common standards.

He pointed out how UK crane hirers had improved their professionalism and their profitability in recent years thanks a greater consistency and increasingly common minimum standards. “For example the UK crane hirers itemise their bills showing clearly the extra charges for delivering additional counterweights or lifting equipment and add 16 percent on for insurance cover. As a result they have increased the professionalism and profitability of the industry as a whole” he said.

“We need to work towards a point where Crane Hirers all over Europe invoice their customers and base their services on a consistent basis. The big contractors and other customers are becoming more international, with the single market; we need to start working as a European industry rather than a series of local ones.” He continued.

The meeting also covered new road regulations in France which make it increasingly difficult to move larger cranes around, while adding significantly to the costs. Listening to how the French government are dealing with crane movements really brings home how simple, free and easy the new STGO rules are in the UK.

Vertikal Comment

The French mobile crane hire industry has gone through a tough time in recent years, but with activity increasing companies should be starting to benefit, but as in the UK many hirers continue to be “busy fools” persisting with uneconomic rates while they run their cranes ragged keeping up with the workload. As Warren Wadsworth stated in his latest Cranes &Access comment page, “Now is the time to make Hay”

The call for the adoption of a European wide approach to standard terms and conditions, a common method of charging and consistent practices makes complete sense and as Vernazza pointed out will help raise the perceived professionalism of the crane hire industry, which all too often is seen rightly or wrongly as erring towards the cowboy side of professionalism. The CPA crane interest group has played a significant role in the UK to encourage standard practices, as one of the most organised and long established associations in Europe it could play a vital role in helping make this a reality and should actively join with SNUG in France and the BSK in Germany to help promote this idea.
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