Pole Borer & Auger Truck Inspections
A pole borer — the auger truck that drills the hole, lifts the pole and sets it upright — is one of the busiest and most heavily loaded machines a power utility runs. In a single set-up it augers into the ground, then swings a full-length pole from horizontal to vertical and holds it while crews backfill, which puts the boom, winch, auger drive and pole-handling grabs through load cases that no ordinary EWP ever sees. This page is where you arrange independent inspection and certification for pole borer and auger trucks, carried out under AS 2550.10 for safe use with AS/NZS 1418.10 as the design framework for the elevating and lifting structure.
Because a pole borer combines a digger, a crane and a platform on one chassis, its inspection has to cover all three jobs honestly. We assess the auger drive, kelly bar and digger boom, the main boom and slew, the pole grabs and winch and their rigging, the stabilisers and outriggers that hold the truck down while it lifts a pole vertical, and the body's integration with the chassis. Where the machine also carries a work platform, that platform is inspected as an EWP in its own right. Findings are recorded and defects rated by severity, so the operator knows exactly what must be rectified before the next set-up and what can be planned in. We work independently of every manufacturer, Australia-wide, as a mobile field service.
Built For
- Electricity-distribution and network-construction fleets
- Powerline and pole-replacement contractors
- Utility and civil crews installing poles, stobie poles and light columns
- Fleet managers running combined auger, crane and platform trucks
- Owner-operators of a single pole borer or auger truck
Equipment & Coverage
- Truck-mounted pole borers and pole-erection units
- Auger drives, kelly bars and digger booms
- Pole grabs, jibs and winches used to lift and set poles
- Slew rings, stabilisers and outriggers on the carrying chassis
- Any work platform mounted on the same machine
The Process
Confirm the machine & its roles
We record the make, model, configuration and age and review the logbook, identifying every job the machine does — auger, pole lift, and platform if fitted — so each function is scoped honestly rather than treated as a single boom.
Inspect the digging system
The auger drive, kelly bar, digger boom, pivot pins and their hydraulics are examined for wear, distortion and fatigue, because drilling reacts high torque and shock back through the structure every time the auger bites or hits rock.
Inspect the lifting & pole-handling system
The main boom, slew ring, winch, pole grabs and rigging are assessed for the crane-type duty of swinging a full-length pole from horizontal to vertical, along with the stabilisers and outriggers that keep the truck stable through that swing — the load case most likely to overturn an under-maintained machine.
Test, certify & document
Function and, where warranted, load and stability testing verify performance across the machine's jobs, defects are rated by severity, and you receive the logbook entries and certification documentation needed to return it to service compliant.
Compliance & Standards
A pole borer's elevating and lifting structure is designed to AS/NZS 1418.10 and used, maintained and inspected under AS 2550.10, within the broader AS 2550 series, and where the machine also lifts poles as a crane those functions are assessed against the relevant crane provisions of the AS 1418 and AS 2550 families too. Routine and annual inspections keep the machine safe between deeper checks, and a major inspection falls due at the interval set by the relevant standard and equipment class — commonly 5-year or 10-year depending on equipment type and duty. The combined duty is exactly why this class needs a thorough regime: augering feeds torque and shock into the structure, lifting a pole vertical loads the boom, winch and stabilisers close to their limits, and the two together fatigue components faster than either alone. We reference the applicable standards generically, record only what has genuinely been inspected or tested, and work independently of any manufacturer so the assessment reflects the machine, not a sales agenda. A current record is also what keeps the machine insurable and the duty holder defensible if an incident is ever investigated.
Why EWP Australia
- Auger, crane and platform functions each inspected honestly, not as one boom
- Stabilisers and outriggers assessed for the pole-lift load case that overturns machines
- Winch, grabs and pole-handling rigging checked as lifting gear, not an afterthought
- Defects graded by severity so safety-critical faults stand apart from routine wear
- The same specialist handles the inspection, any repair that follows and the re-check
- Free of any manufacturer allegiance, working across Australia as a mobile field service
Common Questions
A pole borer digs, lifts and carries a platform — how do you inspect all of that?
By scoping each job on its own terms. The auger drive, kelly bar and digger boom are assessed for the torque and shock that drilling reacts back through the structure; the main boom, slew, winch and pole grabs are assessed for the crane-type duty of standing a full-length pole upright; and any work platform is inspected as an EWP in its own right. Treating the machine as a single boom would miss the load cases that actually matter, so we inspect it as the combination machine it is.
Why do the stabilisers and outriggers get so much attention on this class?
Because the moment a pole borer swings a pole from horizontal to vertical is when it is closest to overturning. All of that load transfers into the stabilisers, outriggers and the ground beneath them, and any wear, bending or hydraulic fault in that system directly reduces the machine's stability at the worst possible time. Assessing the stabilisers, their pads and their hydraulics is a core part of the inspection, not a formality.
How does drilling affect the machine's structural condition?
Augering is a high-torque, high-shock operation. Every time the auger bites, stalls or strikes rock, that reaction feeds back through the kelly bar, digger boom and pivot pins as torsional and impact loading. Over thousands of holes this fatigues pins, bushes and welds faster than smooth lifting duty would, which is why the digging system is examined specifically for wear, distortion and fatigue rather than assumed sound because the machine still runs.
How often does a pole borer or auger truck need a major inspection?
A major inspection falls due at the interval set by the relevant standard and equipment class — commonly 5-year or 10-year depending on the equipment type and how hard it is worked. Routine and annual inspections apply in between. Given the punishing combined duty, we confirm the correct interval for your specific machine rather than quoting one universal figure, and we can plan the major so it lands when it least disrupts your program.
Can you repair what the inspection finds?
Yes. Where the inspection finds worn auger or boom pins, winch or rigging wear, stabiliser faults, structural cracking, hydraulic leaks or control problems, we can arrange the repair and re-check the machine so it returns to service certified. Keeping the inspection and repair with one specialist keeps the record joined up — what was found, what was fixed, and that it was verified afterwards.
Can you inspect the machine on site?
Yes. EWP Australia operates Australia-wide as a mobile field service, so inspections are carried out at your depot or yard rather than requiring the truck off the road for transport. To arrange an inspection, call 0416 689 689, or email info@ewpaustralia.com.au.
You May Also Need
Use Our Free Calculators
Quick tools to help you plan, compare options, and assess compliance requirements.
National Infrastructure Support
Reliable fleet access and major inspection services for government, defence, and top-tier contractors.