07.08.2025

Quick payback for City Lifting

UK crane rental company City Lifting has invested in a new laser wheel alignment system that it says has proven to be far more financially beneficial than it anticipated.

The system is the Laser AM developed and produced by Swedish company Josam - a division of Snap-On tools - and supplied by UK distributor AES UK.
Until now City Lifting has relied on external contractors to align the wheels on its cranes and other vehicles, but in the face of price increases and delays which led to unnecessary tyre wear from machines having to go out with mis-aligned wheels has invested in its own system.

After looking into its options and researching what systems might be available, it contacted AES which provided an on-site demonstration of the Josam Laser AM, an analogue laser based wheel alignment and chassis measurement system designed specifically for heavy duty commercial vehicles.

The alignment system works by projecting precise laser beams from mounted brackets on each axle to measure toe and camber angles. Technicians can then compare the readings against manufacturer specifications and make accurate adjustments quickly.

After seeing the system in action, City Lifting immediately decided to give it a try, AES delivered the equipment and conducted the training required for City Lifting’s technicians.
The company says that the system means that the axles and wheels on its vehicles are always perfectly aligned, and as a result tyre wear has dropped dramatically, while also providing noticeable fuel savings, both of the benefits due to reduced rolling resistance.

On top of that its says that driver feedback has been highly positive, with operators reporting that the cranes now “drive like a dream,” with noticeably improved handling and stability. Separately, the company has acquired a tool that resurfaces brake discs on cranes without needing to remove them.

Workshop manager Simon Sanderson said: “We were spending a lot on contractor alignments, and when timing didn’t line up, we would end up sending out vehicles before they could be aligned properly. That sometimes meant we’d ruin tyres that can cost around £1,600 each. We knew we needed to take control of the process.”

“Once we got started we saw an immediate improvement and the ability to carry out alignments in-house has led to major savings on tyres alone, even before factoring in the cost of using external contractors. We estimate that the system paid for itself in about six months.”

“Our decision to invest in the Josam wheel alignment system is a great example of how bringing key services in-house and using the right equipment from good suppliers delivers both cost savings and performance improvements across the board. The service from AES UK was also second to none and an important factor in our decision. From the initial demonstration to the delivery, setup and training, they were professional, knowledgeable, and completely supportive every step of the way. It gave us total confidence in making the investment.”

Josam was founded in 1972 by Jonas Samuelsson, when he and two colleagues decided to commercialise his invention of a truck frame straightening device. Two years later they launched their first generation alignment system - the ‘Josam Laser AM’, based on the idea of using the centre line of the truck frame as a reference when aligning wheels and axles using lasers and alignment scales.

Samuelson sold the business in 1988, and it went through a number of private equity and holding companies including London based 3i and Finland’s Partek/Cargotec before becoming part of Snap-On in 2016.

AES UK is based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, and was established in 2005 to distribute workshop equipment and tooling for commercial vehicles, including Josam’s product range.

The following video shows how easy the system is to use

In a serparate move City Lifting has acquired a tool that resurfaces brake discs without needing to remove them from the crane.