When I was a kid in the back of my parents’ minivan, I spent a lot of time looking out the window. I didn’t know much about roofing or roofing safety, but one sight I saw from time to time were people with big tool belts stomping around across the roofs of suburbia.
I certainly knew it looked dangerous up there. Dropping shingles two stories into a dumpster? One false step, toss or motion away from causing serious injury? Yikes! Fast forward a couple of decades though, and roofing safety has come a long way. A big part of that can be chalked up to roofing safety equipment. And perhaps no piece of equipment tells that story better than the focus of today’s post.
The #1 Piece of Roofing Safety Equipment
This machine is called an Equipter RB4000. It’s a high-quality roofing trailer, and we use it at GPro Exteriors to make our job sites more efficient and (most importantly) safer for everyone. I say “everyone” because the impact of roofing safety extends beyond the roofers themselves. Roofing companies also need to ensure that job sites remain safe for the folks who live within and make use of the space.
While very few roofing companies in Columbus or Detroit (where we operate) have the Equipter RB4000, we’re hoping that changes. While it can be a pricey investment — even renting an Equipter RB4000 will run you $200-300 per day — the value is definitely there. And as contractors and company owners continue to recognize the value of this investment, you may start seeing more and more of these around your own neighborhoods.
Why We Love the Equipter RB4000
Towable
The ability to easily tow our Equipter from job to job is huge for us. It would be a pain to have to load it in a big trailer bed or pilot the machine to and from job sites. With the towing feature, we’re ready to go the moment our trucks hit the job site. No waiting around or slowing up.
Drivable
Although we love the ability to tow our roofing trailer around the midwest, we also wanted something that we could drive on its own. Something that we could maneuver around tight situations at a variety of different locations. With a 13-horsepower Honda engine powering this bad boy, that’s exactly what we got.
Roofing Safety
Not only is the RB4000 designed to help keep job sites clean from shingles and debris, but it won’t tear up the lawn either! Roofing safety is one of the highest priorities we have as a company. As any roofing company knows, the standard practice is to lay out a tarp and slide shingles all the way off the roof to the ground. This can get messy. And dangerous. With a 12-foot lift capability and a whopping 4,000 lb. capacity, the Equipter RB4000 makes the debris-clearing process simpler, safer, and speedier.
Time-Saver
Using high-tech roofing safety equipment definitely keeps our customers’ yards safe and pet-friendly, but it also saves us SO much time. Equipter claims that its roofing trailer can “cut clean-up time by up to 80%.” If you’re in the roofing game, you already know that’s a big deal. This leads me to my final point…
Money Maker
Ultimately, the time saved means money made. According to their site, over half of Equipter RB4000 owners report finishing 2-6 more jobs per month when using the roofing safety trailer. You can see how the purchase starts to pay for itself. It certainly has for us.
The Final Word on Roofing Safety
Maintaining roofing safety — for crews, customers, and any pets around the property — is extremely important. You already know this, but many are still unaware of the Equipter RB4000. The good news is, there are additional benefits to making this safe, smart purchasing decision, and those benefits translate to better business and greater returns.
If you have any questions about the purchase or rental of roofing safety equipment, please give us a ring. We don’t sell Equipter products or make any money from sales — we’re just passionate about raising industry standards. And this piece of equipment shows a lot of promise in that area. We’re always happy to lend a hand by talking folks through why we made the leap.
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