Hybrid Service Truck Joins PSNH Fleet

A new service truck with a hybrid-powered lift is now being used by PSNH for such tasks as residential service and streetlight maintenance.

The hybrid was recently unveiled after a team made up of PSNH and Northeast Utilities (NU) staff worked for more than a year to develop a design that would improve upon the smaller trucks in the fleet that are used for service tasks. Thanks to the new design and proper grounding, the new truck can also be used for higher voltage work.

The design process included input from those who drive and use the trucks. “By surveying all of the end users of this vehicle, the team was able to have a good understanding of what they were looking for,” says Bob LaChance, PSNH Safety and Methods Supervisor. “Safety and improved ergonomics were two areas we really focused on.”

While the design of this new vehicle originally started as a PSNH-specific initiative, it will also be used by other NU operating companies.