How do you set a 108,000 lb flood door beneath the FDR Drive when only 17 ft of space sits overhead? A union boom truck crew can do it with the right equipment and lift plan. New York Boom Trucks Inc., based in Lawrence on Long Island, brings its knuckle boom fleet to city jobs. Teamsters Local 282 members and Operating Engineers bring the skills that help build New York's infrastructure.
Those lifts depend on skilled people, and union labor gives many of them access to training and negotiated job terms. National U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that union members earned a median of $1,404 a week in 2025, compared with $1,174 for nonunion workers. For families considering the trades, pay is one reason to look at a union career.
A boom truck carries a crane on a truck chassis, so crews can deliver and lift a load at the jobsite. A hydraulic knuckle boom folds at its joints to reach around obstacles. That helps when a bridge or rail line limits access.
New York Boom Trucks provides hoisting, rigging, and transport for New York City construction projects. Before lifting, its team reviews the load's weight, site access, and setup space to prepare a safe lift plan:
Choosing between a knuckle boom truck and a mobile crane requires matching the equipment to the load and the jobsite. Load weight, reach, ground conditions, and setup space shape the choice.
|
Factor |
Knuckle boom truck |
Mobile crane |
|
Setup space |
Can suit a tight city jobsite |
May need a larger setup area |
|
Reach |
Articulating boom can work around some obstacles |
Configuration depends on crane type and lift plan |
|
Typical fit |
Precast, steel, and restricted access |
Loads or reach that call for a larger crane |
Teamsters Local 282 received its charter in 1915 to represent building materials drivers across greater New York. Its members still support heavy construction.
New York Boom Trucks is a signatory contractor with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Union of Operating Engineers. Its 5-ton and 15-ton boom trucks use Teamster operators, while larger MegaBoom lifts may also involve an Operating Engineer.
When comparing union vs. non-union boom truck work, consider the operator's training, wages, benefits, and working conditions. Union representation gives union workers a voice, while collective bargaining sets terms for covered jobs. Training helps each boom truck operator prepare for complex lifts.
In interviews with the ULA Network, Local 282 members share their pride in the trade and their families' union careers. Their experiences help younger people understand how a career in construction can support their own families.
New York crews often lift loads beneath roads and rail lines, where limited overhead clearance can restrict movement. Lift planning must account for those limits, the truck's position, and the load's path into place.
Projects in these environments can require specialized equipment and careful coordination to move oversized loads through unusually tight spaces. Two examples show how those challenges come together in the field.
The East Side Coastal Resiliency project aims to reduce flood risk for 110,000 New Yorkers. Near East 23rd Street and the FDR Drive, crews had to place a steel flood door weighing 108,000 lb. It measured 75 ft long and 3 ft thick, yet the site offered only 17 ft of overhead clearance.
Owner David Hance said 2 MegaBoom trucks offloaded the door, turned it upright, and set it on pre-installed guide tracks. He credited Perfetto Contracting for planning and engineering the pick. The trucks supplied the lifting power, while the site team planned how to fit the door into place.
Hance also described how his crew placed 24 precast structures, weighing 30,000 to 52,000 lb each, into a deep excavation beneath a busy elevated rail line. Limited overhead clearance restricted the lifts, so the team planned each placement to meet engineering, safety, and MTA requirements.
In New York City, an articulating boom crane generally requires a licensed hoisting machine operator, even if the job needs no crane permit. A 2025 rule introduced new permitting requirements. Contractors must check both permit and license rules before work begins.
Local 282's Job Training Trust Fund supports eligible members with courses tied to that work:
A course alone does not grant a hoisting machine operator license. Operators must meet the city's other requirements too.
On September 12, 2026, Local 282 and its Job Training Trust Fund held a truck show at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Signatory contractors brought equipment so attendees could see the machinery used in heavy construction and meet the people who operate it.
At the event, Hance spoke with the ULA Network team about replacing retiring workers:
“As you know, a lot of guys retire. We have to bring in fresh men and women to fill those ranks, and everybody knows 282 is the place to be for heavy construction and trucking.”
The same BLS report puts the 2025 union membership rate for workers ages 16 to 24 at 4.7%, the lowest of any age group. Events like this let students see union trucking careers and other skilled trades up close:
A building trade apprenticeship can combine paid work with training, so new workers learn on the job.
A labor-management partnership connects a contractor's equipment with a union's skilled workforce. Covered work can support workforce development and pension and health benefits for members.
|
Partner |
What they bring |
What it can support |
|
Signatory contractor |
Equipment and lift planning |
Well-planned construction work |
|
Local union |
Trained members and benefit funds |
|
|
Both together |
Workforce development |
Flood protection, transit, and future jobs |
Teamsters Joint Council 16 says Local 282 members have helped build major New York buildings, bridges, highways, and tunnels. That record matters to owners weighing hiring union contractors.
The ULA Network shares these stories through digital storytelling. Our network reaches more than 300,000 union members, trustees, and labor leaders each month. If your organization has a story to share, contact our team.
The flood door and precast lifts needed more than powerful trucks. Trained people planned each move and guided each load. At the Coliseum, young visitors saw where those skills could take them.
The ULA Network is proud to Support, Educate and Promote Local 282, New York Boom Trucks, and signatory contractors investing in New York's workforce. Share your work through our partnership opportunities.
A boom truck operator drives the truck and uses its crane to place materials. A collective bargaining agreement sets wages and benefits for covered union work.
In most cases, yes. NYC requires an HMO license for an articulating boom crane. Exact requirements depend on the equipment and operator. Local 282 offers training for eligible members.
It is a company that has signed a collective bargaining agreement with a union. The contract sets terms for covered work, including wages and benefits.
The local represents workers who move building materials for New York construction. Its members work with trucks such as flatbeds, dump trucks, and boom trucks across the city and Long Island.
Call Local 282 at (516) 488-2822 to ask about current entry rules and training options. A commercial driver's license and OSHA 30 may help, depending on the role. You can also look for openings in the union jobs clearinghouse.