JLG Report Highlights Trends Reshaping Access Equipment Selection

JLG Industries has published a new whitepaper exploring five trends affecting work at height and access equipment selection across modern construction environments.

The report, Five Trends Reshaping Work at Height, focuses on labor shortages, specialized applications, technology, and coordinated workflows and how those factors are influencing decisions made by contractors, rental companies, and equipment owners.

"Today's job sites continue to evolve, driven by changing project requirements, workforce challenges, and advances in technology," says Brent Miller, vice president sales administration, marketing and Latin America, JLG. "These trends reflect what we're hearing from customers across the industry and highlight the growing importance of matching the right equipment and technologies to the application."

The report points to ongoing construction workforce challenges as one factor influencing equipment decisions. ABC estimated that the construction industry needed to attract 439,000 additional workers last year to meet anticipated demand, while an AGC and NCCER Workforce Survey found that 88% of contractors had unfilled craft positions.

At the same time, construction applications are becoming more specialized, according to JLG. Data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities, urban construction, and infrastructure projects can each present different requirements for access equipment.

The report also examines the role of connected technologies in equipment management. These systems can provide greater visibility into machine status and utilization, while integrated machine features can support operators working in increasingly complex environments.

JLG said the trends do not operate independently. Instead, the whitepaper looks at how workforce availability, application-specific equipment, connected technology, and coordinated workflows collectively affect equipment selection and project execution.

"Whether you're managing a rental fleet, planning equipment for a complex project or evaluating new technologies, understanding the trends shaping today's job sites can help support better equipment decisions," Miller says. "Customers can apply practical insights across a wide range of industries and applications while preparing for the evolving demands of work at height."

The whitepaper is available as a complimentary download through JLG DirectAccess and includes considerations for selecting equipment based on specific applications, and changing jobsite requirements.