Truck-mounted platform: use, driving licence and rental costs

A truck-mounted platform (also called a truck lift) is an aerial work platform permanently mounted on a truck chassis. At the place of use, the vehicle is set up on its outriggers, then the articulated or telescopic boom extends the basket. It brings working height by road on its own wheels to wherever it is needed - without a low-loader.

What makes the 3.5-tonne class special: an ordinary car licence is usually sufficient (check the required Belgian driving licence category in advance). In the Luibl rental fleet, this class reaches 16 to 22 metres working height with outreach of up to 11 metres. On heavier chassis, the range extends to 57 metres with outreach of up to 30 metres.

The decisive limit is the maximum authorised mass (MAM) of the vehicle:

• Up to 3.5 t MAM -> ordinary car licence. This is exactly what the 3.5 t platform class is built for: up to 22 metres working height, drivable with an ordinary car licence.
• Above 3.5 t -> the required Belgian driving licence category for heavier vehicles. The large units from around 30 metres sit on correspondingly heavy chassis.

To operate the platform, regardless of the driving licence, the operator needs the required operator qualification - more on this in the guide on operator authorisation for aerial work platforms.

Roof and facade work

Gutters, repairs, lightning protection, window cleaning - the large outreach spans front gardens, pavements and obstacles in front of the building.

Tree care along roads

Change location quickly, set up briefly, work, move on: with many position changes per day, no platform type is more efficient.

Signage and lighting

Installation of signs, banners, street lighting and traffic signals, often on public roads with tight time windows.

Building cleaning and maintenance

Regular jobs at changing properties, where the platform arrives in the morning and is back at the depot in the evening.

Guide ranges from Luibl's rental business, excluding VAT and excluding transport:

Class	Working height	per day	per week
3.5 t class (car licence)	16-22 m	450-700 €	1,800-2,800 €
Large units	30-40 m	700-1,100 €	2,800-4,400 €

Guide values, as of 08/2026. Prices excluding VAT. Transport, insurance and accessories extra.

Price drivers are working height, outreach, season and rental period; with weekly rental, the daily rate drops noticeably. All platform types in a price comparison: Aerial work platform rental: cost per day.

• Truck-mounted platform: many locations per day, jobs on public roads, no towing vehicle needed - but it requires firm ground.
• Trailer-mounted platform: the most economical solution for individual locations, if a suitable towing vehicle is available.
• Spider lift: narrow access, sensitive ground, courtyards - anywhere a truck cannot reach.

For an overview of all designs, see the guide Aerial work platforms: types and selection criteria.

Before every lift: check the load-bearing capacity of the set-up area, use outrigger pads, level the vehicle. Modern platforms monitor the outriggers with sensors and release different working envelopes depending on the outrigger width - this variable outrigger setting (narrow, one-sided, both sides) is what makes work on narrow pavements possible in the first place.

On the public road, signage and, where applicable, a permit from the competent authority for occupying the public road are added; both belong in the job planning, not on the day of delivery.

Luibl Rental rents truck-mounted platforms from 16 to 57 metres working height - from the 3.5-tonne class, driven with the required Belgian driving licence category, up to the large unit for industrial installation, periodically inspected and with variable outriggers.

Rent truck-mounted platforms -> | Cost guide -> | Send an enquiry ->

Truck-mounted platforms fall into two worlds that are very different in practice:

	3.5-tonne class	Large units
Working height	16-22 m	30-57 m
Outreach	up to 11 m	up to 30 m
Driving licence	lighter category under Belgian rules	heavier category under Belgian rules
Typical use	Buildings up to 6 storeys, tree care, sign installation	Industrial installation, high-rise facades, special structures
Space required	van-sized	considerably larger, closure often needed

The 3.5-tonne class is everyday work: it moves with normal traffic, parks in a car parking space and can be driven by any driver in the company. As soon as the working height rises above about 22 metres, you move into a different logistics class - with a qualified driver, more space required and often a permit to occupy the public road.

A large share of truck-mounted platform jobs takes place on streets, pavements and parking lanes. What this involves:

Permit to occupy the public road. Anyone occupying the public road generally needs a permit from the competent authority. It sets out signage, closures and, where applicable, parking bans, and must be applied for in good time.

Prepare the parking ban. Without a free space, the platform cannot stand in the right spot. No-parking zones must be set up and documented in good time, otherwise wrongly parked vehicles cannot be towed away.

Safeguarding and visibility. High-visibility clothing, closing off the danger zone under the basket, protection against falling objects. The area under the extended boom is not a walkway.

Pedestrian diversion. If a pavement is closed, a safe diversion must be provided - in pedestrian zones and on school routes this regularly becomes the main condition.

The variable outriggers help twice over here: they allow work on narrow strips and reduce the area that has to be closed off.

The platform is normally operated from the basket; a second control station on the vehicle is used for rescue and set-up.

Before the first lift: set the outriggers and wait for release, put on the safety harness in the basket, check the basket load, function test of emergency stop and emergency lowering.

During work: do not climb out of the basket unless the machine is expressly approved for this; do not lever loads over the basket rail; watch out for overhead lines and minimum distances.

Rescue plan: If the operator in the basket becomes incapacitated, a second instructed person must be able to lower the basket from the lower control station or via the emergency lowering. This scenario belongs in the risk analysis and should be discussed once before the job - not only in an emergency.

Details on the required qualification are in the guide Aerial work platform operator qualification.

These seven details reduce any enquiry to a short conversation:

1. Working height at the highest point - not the building height, but the reach position.
2. Distance between set-up area and work point - this determines the outreach.
3. Obstacles in between - canopy, balcony, trees, overhead line.
4. Set-up area - surface, slope, width, load-bearing capacity, access.
5. People and material in the basket - determines the required basket load.
6. Duration and time window - daily, weekly or monthly rental, closure times.
7. Public road yes/no - determines whether a permit and lead time are needed.

In our experience, a photo of the site showing the set-up area and target point replaces half an hour of description.

Which driving licence do you need for a truck-mounted platform?

For the 3.5-tonne class a lighter category is sufficient; heavier chassis require a heavier category - in each case the required Belgian driving licence category. Operating the platform also requires the operator qualification under applicable Belgian well-being at work rules.

How high does a truck-mounted platform reach?

In the 3.5-tonne class, 16 to 22 metres working height with outreach of up to 11 metres. On larger chassis, up to 57 metres is possible.

What does a truck-mounted platform cost per day?

In the 3.5-tonne class, as a guide, €450-700 excl. VAT per day, large units €700-1,100 (as of 08/2026), depending on height, model and rental period.

Do you need a qualification to operate one?

Yes - the operator must have the required qualification under applicable Belgian well-being at work rules; the employer ensures adequate training and appoints the operator.

Can a truck-mounted platform work on unpaved ground?

Only to a limited extent. It needs a load-bearing set-up area for the vehicle and outriggers. For soft ground and narrow access, the spider lift is the better choice.