NTEA’s TSCMG focuses on consistent crane inspections and education


NTEA’s Telescopic Service Crane Manufacturers Group (TSCMG) was formed in 2014. It targets key issues related to service cranes and helps promote more efficient work truck builds.

Continuous development of programs to help enhance safe and efficient use of service cranes is a key priority for the group. A recently completed initiative involves a uniform inspection form upfitters can utilize to examine telescopic service cranes. This project involved incorporating elements of each participating company’s inspection form into a universal document for truck equipment upfitters to use for service cranes.

The group has developed recommended uniform parameters for load charts that can be voluntarily adopted, with the objective of offering service crane operators a better understanding of a uniform load chart across multiple manufacturers.

The group is currently reviewing the key elements of their service crane training documentation to help with uniform elements of training, with the objective of offering service crane operators a better understanding of a service crane operation across multiple manufacturers

TSCMG also developed a definition for its product. “A service truck crane is identified by its telescopic boom, where the base and mast structure is not integral to the stabilizer/outrigger system. Lifting is typically accomplished via a winch (electric or hydraulic), and its functions (rotation, elevation, telescoping) are either powered or manual. These machines tend to have relatively shorter boom lengths (10–35 feet) and lower capacities (1–7 tons) as compared to other telescopic boom-fixed cab machines (e.g., boom trucks, carry deck cranes). Additionally, operations are usually conducted by the use of radio remote or pendant control with the operator standing on the ground following the load.”

How to join
Membership is open to NTEA member companies in good standing engaged in the manufacture of telescopic services truck cranes and/or an authorized national importer of telescopic service truck cranes, as defined below.

  1. Telescopic service truck cranes have a telescopic boom, the base and mast structure of which is not integral to the stabilizer/outrigger system.
  2. Lifting is typically accomplished via a winch (electric or hydraulic) and its functions (rotation, elevation, telescoping) are either powered or manual.
  3. They typically have relatively shorter boom lengths (10–35 feet) and lower capacities (1–7 tons) as compared to other telescopic boom-fixed cab equipment (e.g., boom trucks cranes, carry deck cranes).
  4. Crane operations are usually conducted by use of radio remote or pendant control with the operator standing on the ground following the load.

2024–2025 TSCMG Steering Committee
Division Chair: Glen Nathan Schiermeyer
Maintainer Corp of Iowa Inc

Division Vice Chair: Jim Koch
Service Trucks International/Tiger Cranes

Division Treasurer: Ian Lahmer
Venco Venturo Industries LLC

TSCMG member companies

  • HYVA Corp (Wood Dale, Illinois)
  • Iowa Mold Tooling Co Inc (Garner, Iowa)
  • Liftmoore Inc (Houston, Texas)
  • Load King Manufacturing (Kansas City, Missouri)
  • Maintainer Corp of Iowa Inc (Sheldon, Iowa)
  • Maxilift Cranes USA By Next Hydraulics (Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania)
  • Omaha Standard PALFINGER, A Member of the PALFINGER North America Group (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
  • Ramsey Industries (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
  • Service Trucks International/Tiger Cranes (Sioux Center, Iowa)
  • Stellar Industries (Garner, Iowa)
  • Summit Truck Bodies LLC (Wathena, Kansas)
  • Venco Venturo Industries LLC (Cincinnati, Ohio)

For more information or to join, email Bob Raybuck (bob@ntea.com), NTEA director of technical services.