Dutcher-Phipps Crane & Rigging Co.

Dutcher-Phipps Crane & Rigging Co. is a crane rental and specialty rigging company based in Monahans, Texas, and has served the Permian Basin since 1973. The company describes itself as family-owned and operated with three generations in the equipment rental and crane services industry. It runs full-service crane rental, meaning the crane is supplied with a qualified operator rather than the customer sourcing one, and main lines are answered in both Monahans and Odessa.

Service area named on the company site covers Monahans, Midland, Odessa, Pecos and Orla in Texas, along with Hobbs and Carlsbad in New Mexico and the surrounding areas. Rentals are offered for short-term projects as well as larger, longer-running operations.

Work the cranes are used for

The company positions its crane services around construction companies and industrial businesses, with common applications listed as:

• Construction lifting of steel beams, concrete slabs and other heavy materials to elevation
• Industrial work moving machinery and parts during plant installation and maintenance
• Infrastructure projects including bridges and highways
• Oilfield operations, moving equipment on site
• Specialty rigging for delicate or unusual loads

Fleet

Since 2006, the company states that 80 percent of its fleet has been replaced with new equipment, including a Grove GMK7550 added in January 2016. Truck-mounted and all-terrain cranes are carried, ranging from 60 tons to 550 tons.

Boom lengths run from 32 feet to 262 feet depending on the machine, with bi-fold, telescoping and luffing jib configurations available across the fleet. The Terex-Demag AC350 is listed with a sideways super lift, and the GMK7550 with a mega wing lift.

Maintenance and operator training

A preventative maintenance program is run to manufacturer recommendations for upkeep of the equipment. The service manager has completed Manitowoc Crane Care training courses from basic through Level 4, which the company describes as the highest level available to anyone not authorized as a dealer or in rigging services.

Operators are brought in as riggers first and learn crane operation over a period of one to three years before being considered for an operator role, which the company says lets it assess work ethic, safety habits and dependability beforehand. All crane operators are stated to be NCCCO trained and certified.