COVID-19, or the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has made a significant impact on the United States in the last few weeks.
Lift and Access has been closely following the latest news directly affecting the construction and lifting industries. Last week, we saw Durante Rentals close 10 U.S. locations; Manitou Group close its French operations; Ritchie Bros. move to online auctions; and JLG close all U.S. manufacturing plants. Caterpillar, Genie, and JLG announced they were limiting travel of their employees, and encouraging remote work and social distancing. And lastly, Boston and Pennsylvania both halted all construction projects.
There are now 17 states that have issued "stay at home" orders that restrict movement and non-essential businesses from being open, including: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Certain counties and cities across the country are also implementing these orders, such as Denver, Atlanta, and St. Louis.
Organizers of the 2020 ConExpo-Con/Agg, held in Las Vegas from March 10-14, say they not have not received official information from the CDC or the Southern Nevada Health District regarding occurrences of COVID-19 from those at the show.
They are asking exhibitors and attendees to continue to monitor their health and be guided by and follow CDC alerts and advisories.
Show organizers say that if they learn of any official occurrences of COVID-19 from the CDC or the Southern Nevada Health District, they will communicate that information to attendees in a timely manner.
For more information, visit https://www.conexpoconagg.com/visit/covid-19-update/.
IPAF has doubled the maximum amount of time between a candidate successfully completing their operator theory module via eLearning and the mandatory practical assessment to 90 days in order to allow training centers to manage demand against recommended safe practices during the coronavirus pandemic.
New applicants will not receive a Powered Access Licence (PAL Card) until successful completion of the practical test, but any current PAL Card holder whose card is due to expire may have the expiration date extended under special measures.
In the face of the chaos created by COVID-19, TVH Parts Co. (TVH) is working to do its part in bringing stability to a rapidly changing situation by keeping their supply chain to critical industries such as material handling and logistics available. “Every day that we continue to ship parts, is a day that our customer can and will keep a machine in operation somewhere across the globe,” said Dirk von Holt, president of TVH Americas. The company is making every effort to follow governmental regulations regarding social distancing, essential travel, and good hygiene practices.
Sunbelt Rentals has set up a webpage outlining its rental store policies and adjustments it has made due to COVID-19.
The company says it expects its stores to remain operational, but it has moved all rental contracts to nontouch digital signatures, paused classroom-based instructor-led operator training in lieu of digital training courses, and advised their sales teams to support customers by phone, video calls, and other digital channels when appropriate.
For more information, visit https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/blog/covid-19-update-march20/.
Applied Machinery Sales-Merlo is maintaining normal office hours and shipping parts orders, the company said in a post on LinkedIn.
The company is rescheduling customer visits, since travel and in-person meetings are on hold. Telephone assistance is available for customers as needed.
For more information, visit www.ams-merlo.com.
Oshkosh Corporation, parent company of JLG Industries, announced it is withdrawing its financial forecast for fiscal year 2020 due to the economic upheaval caused by COVID-19. JLG is also closing its U.S. manufacturing from March 30 through April 13.
Oshkosh said in the statement that the company plans to provide an update for the remainder of fiscal 2020 when it announces fiscal 2020 second quarter results.
Due to the coronavirus, Ritchie Bros., has announced that all auctions are now online bidding only. Customers need to register and bid online, and registration is free. Limited auction site inspections will be allowed in accordance with local regulations.
For more information, visit rbauction.com.
United Rentals has released new resources for customers, including a dedicated customer resource center website, a dedicated email address where people can submit questions, and a United Rentals Emergency Operations Center. Customers can also conduct order and pickup transactions online or on the United Rentals mobile app.
The company has also taken a variety of steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees, customers, and the public-at-large, like eliminating in-person meetings, social distancing, waived signature requirements on handheld devices, and suspended classroom training and focused on online offerings.
For more information, visit unitedrentals.com/COVID19.
The American Rental Association (ARA) has announced free webinars during the week of March 23. The schedule is as follows:
Monday, March 23, 2 p.m. CDT: PPE and Safety Considerations During the COVID-19 Crisis - Kevin Gern
Registration link: https://bit.ly/2UEIVyb
Tuesday, March 24, 2 p.m. CDT: How COVID-19 is Impacting Party and Tool Rental Online Service Behavior - David McBee and Josh Eliseuson
Registration link: https://bit.ly/2UoZk9O
Wednesday, March 25, 2 p.m. CDT: General Safety Considerations and Practices - Kevin Gern and Jamie Cox
Registration link: https://bit.ly/2WxAMOp
Thursday, March 26, 2 p.m. CDT: Economic Impact on the Rental Industry from the Coronavirus - Scott Hazelton
Registration link: https://bit.ly/2WJRPNx
The American Rental Association (ARA) is taking steps to seek federal support and funding to aid businesses in the equipment rental industry. In a letter that was submitted to Capitol Hill on March 20, ARA asked for $20 billion in financial aid provisions for the industry to be added to the financial relief bill currently being negotiated in the United States Senate.
“ARA has been in communication with Capitol Hill as well as the Administration regarding relief efforts for our industry. This letter is one example of how ARA reaches out to policy makers in support of our members. Right now, there is an overwhelming need for the federal government to aid all businesses — but, especially small businesses — in the equipment and event rental industry,” says John McClelland, ARA vice president of government affairs and chief economist.
For more information, visit ARArental.org.
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