Aerial Work Platforms: All Types, Applications and Selection Criteria
What Is an Aerial Work Platform?
Which aerial work platform for which task? The answer depends on working height, ground conditions, access situation and the space available — and it is not always obvious. This guide explains all the common platform types with their strengths and limits, provides a decision matrix for typical scenarios, and shows when each drive type is the right choice.
An aerial work platform is a powered item of work equipment with a basket or platform that raises people and material to working height and holds them there. Unlike ladders or scaffolding, aerial work platforms are mobile machines that can be controlled by the operator from the basket.
The term covers all self-propelled and towed equipment for temporary work at height — scissor lifts, articulating boom lifts, telescopic boom lifts, truck-mounted platforms, tracked (crawler) lifts and trailer-mounted platforms.
Platform Types at a Glance
Scissor lift
The scissor lift raises its rectangular platform vertically — with no lateral outreach. The scissor mechanism makes it particularly stable at high load capacities.
Typical working heights: 6–18 m (electric scissor lifts), up to 30 m (diesel high-lift scissor)
Strengths: high load capacity (350–900 kg), wide platform, space-saving while travelling (compact width), suitable indoors (electric models)
Limits: vertical lift only, no lateral outreach; outdoors only on level, load-bearing ground
Main applications: hall and warehouse work, trade show construction, ceiling work in buildings, facade installation with direct access
Articulating boom lift
A combination of articulating arm and telescopic boom — the most flexible platform class for jobs with obstacles or restricted access.
Typical working heights: 12–43 m
Lateral outreach: up to 21 m (depending on model)
Strengths: reaching over obstacles, working alongside the set-up point, enormous flexibility; the Genie Z series and Magni T series as a reference
Limits: lower load capacity than a scissor lift; the set-up area must be load-bearing
Main applications: facade work over canopies, tree work, bridge maintenance, outdoor work over stairs or walls
Rent articulating boom lifts →
Telescopic boom lift (straight boom)
A straight boom giving height and outreach — for great working and overhead heights without reaching over obstacles.
Typical working heights: 15–56 m
Strengths: large lateral outreach; quick deployment in open surroundings; the Manitou 280 TJ+ as a reference up to 28 m
Limits: no articulating function; ground and standing area are decisive
Trailer-mounted platform
A small, road-registrable unit on a transport trailer — it can be towed by an ordinary car or van.
Typical working heights: 8–22 m
Strengths: no category C driving licence required, transportable independently, lowest operating costs
Limits: the smallest load capacities (usually 200–230 kg), limited field of use, no all-wheel-drive option
Rent trailer-mounted platforms →
Truck-mounted platform
An elevating work platform mounted on a truck chassis — combining transportability with working reach for road-based use.
Typical working heights: 17–72 m
Strengths: quickly on site, no separate transport logistics, ideal for road and utility work
Limits: a category C driving licence is required, access restrictions on tight sites
Rent truck-mounted platforms →
Spider lift (crawler lift)
A hydraulic elevating work platform on a tracked undercarriage — for difficult terrain and low ground load-bearing capacity.
Typical working heights: 12–56 m
Strengths: low ground pressure, off-road capability (including embankments, soft ground, woodland), electric drive means emission-free
Limits: slow self-propulsion; transport on a low-loader required
Mast lift
A vertical lifting mast — the most economical unit for purely vertical work in confined interiors.
Typical working heights: 5–12 m
Strengths: the smallest footprint and width of all platform types; ideal for narrow aisles and confined interiors
Limits: no lateral outreach; low load capacity; indoor use only
Which Aerial Work Platform for Which Job?
Choosing the right platform type depends on several factors:
| Criterion | Scissor | Articulated telescopic | Telescopic | Truck-mounted | Tracked | Trailer-mounted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working height up to 15 m | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ |
| Working height 15–30 m | ✓ (diesel) | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✗ |
| Working height >30 m | ✗ | ✓ (43 m+) | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lateral outreach required | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Indoor / hall use | ✓✓ (E) | ✓ (E) | ✓ (E) | ✗ | ✓✓ (E) | ✓✗ |
| Difficult terrain | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓✓ | ✗ |
| High load capacity (>400 kg) | ✓✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
E = electric version available
Drive Types: Diesel, Electric, Hybrid/Bi-Energy
Electric: emission-free, quiet, suitable for halls, dependent on load-bearing hard floors; typical for scissor lifts, mast lifts and compact articulated models
Diesel: for outdoor and off-road use; Stage V compliant — all new Luibl machines meet the Stage V emissions standard. On sites with heightened requirements under the Federal Office for the Environment's Air Quality Guideline for Construction Sites (Baurichtlinie Luft), this is the record that matters in practice.
Hybrid / bi-energy: combines diesel mobility with electric operation indoors; a growing segment, particularly among articulating boom lifts
Law & Safety in Brief
Anyone operating an aerial work platform must be instructed by the employer under Art. 6 VUV and designated for the activity. Unlike for cranes — for which the Crane Ordinance requires a crane operator's licence — there is no statutory licence for mobile elevating work platforms; what is required is documented training and equipment-specific instruction. Details: Operator authorisation: what operators and companies need to know →
For the periodic inspection, VUV Art. 32b and EKAS Guideline 6512 apply in conjunction with SN EN 280 — carried out by a specialist, in practice at least annually. With rental platforms from Luibl Rental the inspection is always current. Details: Inspection of work platforms →
Where work is carried out in the platform using fall-arrest PPE, anchor points must be present and certified to SN EN 795.
What Does an Aerial Work Platform Cost?
Rental costs depend on the platform type, the working height, the rental period and the place of use. Detailed price ranges per day, week and month: Renting an aerial work platform: costs at a glance →
Rent or Buy an Aerial Work Platform?
For short and medium-length jobs, renting is economically superior: no capital tied up, no inspection and maintenance organisation, no storage or transport effort. Depending on machine class and utilisation, the break-even for buying outright is around 150–250 rental days per year — often more than most construction businesses need for a single platform type.
Luibl Rental delivers all platform types throughout Switzerland and across Europe with its own low-loader fleet. Rent an aerial work platform now → | Send an enquiry →
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of aerial work platform are there?
The main types are: scissor lifts (vertical lift, high load capacity), articulating boom lifts (maximum flexibility, reaching over obstacles), telescopic boom lifts (large outreach), truck-mounted platforms (road operation), tracked/crawler lifts (off-road use) and trailer-mounted platforms (car towing). Each type is optimised for particular scenarios.
Which platform do I need for which height?
Up to 15 m: a scissor lift or trailer-mounted platform is enough for most tasks. 15–30 m: an articulated telescopic or telescopic boom lift. Above 30 m: a large telescopic boom lift or truck-mounted platform. For off-road use at any height: a spider lift. The decision matrix above gives a quick overview.
What is the difference between a scissor lift and an articulating boom lift?
The scissor lift raises vertically with no lateral outreach — but with a high load capacity and a stable, wide platform. The articulating boom lift combines an articulating arm with a telescopic boom and can reach sideways over obstacles — but with a lower load capacity and a smaller platform.
Who may operate an aerial work platform?
Every operator needs documented training and instruction under Art. 6 VUV. Equipment-specific instruction at handover of the rental machine is additionally required. Details: Operator authorisation →
What does it cost to rent an aerial work platform?
Rental prices vary by platform type, working height and rental period. You will find complete price ranges per day, week and month in our cost guide: Renting an aerial work platform: costs →