Truck-Mounted Platform: use, driving licence and rental costs

A Truck-Mounted Platform (also called a truck-mounted lift or cherry picker) is a mobile elevating work platform that is permanently mounted on a truck chassis. At the site, the vehicle is set up on outriggers, then the articulating or telescopic boom extends the basket. It brings the working height on its own axles via the road to where it is needed — without a low-loader.

What makes the 3.5-tonne class special: it may be driven with a normal car driving licence. In the Luibl rental fleet, this class reaches 16 to 22 metres working height with lateral reaches of up to 11 metres. On heavier chassis, the range extends up to 57 metres with lateral reaches of up to 30 metres.

The decisive limit is the permissible gross vehicle weight of the vehicle:

• Up to 3.5 t GVW → class B. This is exactly what the 3.5 t platform class is built for: up to 22 metres working height, drivable with a normal car driving licence.
• Over 3.5 to 7.5 t → C1, above that C. The large units from around 30 metres are mounted on correspondingly heavy chassis.

Regardless of the driving licence, operating the platform requires the qualification in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-008 — more on this in the work platform licence guide.

Roof and facade work

Gutters, repairs, lightning protection, window cleaning — the large lateral reach bridges front gardens, pavements and obstacles in front of the building.

Tree care along roads

Change quickly between locations, set up briefly, work, drive on: with many changes of position per day, no platform type is more efficient.

Signage and lighting

Installation of signs, banners, street lighting and signal systems, often in public traffic areas with tight time windows.

Building cleaning and maintenance

Regular jobs at changing properties, where the platform arrives in the morning and is back in the depot in the evening.

Guide ranges from the Luibl rental business, net and plus transport:

Class	Working height	per day	per week
3.5 t class (class B)	16–22 m	€450–700	€1,800–2,800
Large units	30–40 m	€700–1,100	€2,800–4,400

Guide values, as of 08/2026. Prices net, plus VAT. Transport, insurance and accessories separate.

Price drivers are working height, lateral reach, season and rental period; with weekly rental, the daily rate drops noticeably. All platform types in a price comparison: Renting an aerial work platform: costs per day.

• Truck-Mounted Platform: many locations per day, jobs in the road space, no towing vehicle needed — but it requires paved ground.
• Trailer-Mounted Platform: the cheapest solution for individual locations if a suitable towing vehicle is available.
• Spider Lift: narrow access, sensitive ground, inner courtyards — wherever no truck can get to.

An overview of all types is provided by the guide Aerial work platforms: types and selection criteria.

Before every lift: check the standing area for load-bearing capacity, use outrigger pads, level the vehicle. Modern platforms monitor the outriggers with sensors and release different working ranges depending on the outrigger width — this variable outrigger setting (narrow, one-sided, both sides) is what makes jobs on narrow pavements possible in the first place.

In public traffic areas, traffic safety measures and, if necessary, a traffic regulation order are added; both belong in the job planning, not on the day of delivery.

Luibl Rental rents out Truck-Mounted Platforms from 16 to 57 metres working height — from the 3.5 t class with class B approval to large units for industrial installation, UVV-inspected and with variable outriggers.

Rent Truck-Mounted Platforms → · Cost guide → · Send an enquiry →

Truck-Mounted Platforms fall into two worlds that are very different in practice:

	3.5 t class	Large units
Working height	16–22 m	30–57 m
Lateral reach	up to 11 m	up to 30 m
Driving licence	B	C1 or C
Typical use	Buildings up to 6 storeys, tree care, signage	Industrial installation, high-rise facade, special structures
Space required	Van size	significantly larger, often closure required

The 3.5 t class is everyday work: it moves with normal traffic, parks in a car parking space and can be driven by any driver from the company. As soon as the working height rises above around 22 metres, you switch to a different logistics class — with driver qualification, greater space requirements and often a traffic regulation order.

A large proportion of Truck-Mounted Platform jobs take place on roads, pavements and parking lanes. What this involves:

Traffic regulation order. Anyone who uses traffic areas usually needs an order from the responsible road traffic authority. It specifies signage, barriers and, if necessary, no-parking zones and is applied for in advance.

Preparing a no-parking zone. Without a free parking space, the platform is not at the right point. No-parking zones must be set up and documented in good time, otherwise the right to have vehicles towed away does not apply.

Safety measures and visibility. High-visibility clothing, cordoning off the danger zone under the basket, protection against falling parts. The area under the extended boom is not a passageway.

Pedestrian routing. If a pavement is closed, a safe diversion must be provided — in pedestrian zones and on school routes, this regularly becomes the main requirement.

The variable outrigger setting helps twice over here: it allows jobs on narrow strips and reduces the area that has to be cordoned off.

Operation normally takes place from the basket; a second control station on the vehicle is used for rescue and set-up.

Before the first lift: set the outriggers and wait for release, put on the safety harness in the basket, check the basket load, function test of emergency stop and emergency lowering.

During operation: do not climb out of the basket unless the machine is expressly approved for this; do not lever loads over the basket railing; watch out for overhead lines and minimum distances.

Rescue concept: if the operator in the basket becomes incapacitated, a second briefed person must be able to lower the basket from the lower control station or via emergency lowering. This scenario belongs in the risk assessment and should be discussed once before the job — not only in an emergency.

Details on the required qualification can be found in the guide Work platform licence.

These seven details shorten any enquiry to a short conversation:

1. Working height at the highest point — not the building height, but the reach position.
2. Distance between standing area and work location — this determines the lateral reach.
3. Obstacles in between — canopy, balcony, trees, overhead line.
4. Standing area — surface, slope, width, load-bearing capacity, access.
5. People and material in the basket — determines the required basket load.
6. Duration of use and time window — daily, weekly or monthly rental, closure times.
7. Public traffic area yes/no — determines the order and lead time.

Experience shows that a photo of the site showing the standing area and target point replaces half an hour of description.

Which driving licence do you need for a Truck-Mounted Platform?

For the 3.5 t class, class B is sufficient. Heavier chassis require C1 or C. DGUV Principle 308-008 also applies to operating the platform.

How high does a Truck-Mounted Platform reach?

In the 3.5 t class, 16 to 22 metres working height with lateral reaches of up to 11 metres. On larger chassis, up to 57 metres is possible.

How much does a Truck-Mounted Platform cost per day?

In the 3.5 t class, as a guide €450–700 net per day, large units €700–1,100 (as of 08/2026), depending on height, model and rental period.

Do you need a qualification to operate one?

Yes — the qualification in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-008 from an external, recognised provider plus the written assignment by the employer.

Can a Truck-Mounted Platform work on unpaved ground?

Only to a limited extent. It needs a load-bearing standing area for the vehicle and outriggers. For soft ground and narrow access, the Spider Lift is the better choice.