Today, powered access - and particularly truck mounted powered access - is the preferred access solution for an ever-increasing number of pest control specialists. It is now widely recognised as the safest and most efficient option for clearing away the corrosive mess left by roosting and nesting birds on roofs, parapets, sills and ledges on a host of domestic, commercial and industrial buildings and monuments.

By far the largest rental company in the UK is Nationwide, and the company's Skylift fleet of truck-mounts range in reach from 14-metre working height units, all the way up to a colossal 72-metre machine. Indeed, Nationwide's Skylift fleet of truck mounts includes one of Europe's highest truck mounted rotational booms, the Skylift Bronto 72HLA that, in addition to its 72-metre working height, has and an outreach of more than 27.7 metres.

Among the latest pest control challenges that these machines have been used to overcome was the task of placing netting on the parapets of Bolton's historic town hall. Like so many of Britain's historic or ornate inner city buildings, the town hall is plagued by the ever-constant threat of roosting and nesting pigeons. Another application in the pest control sector included the cleaning of the four-storey Post Office building in Dundee city centre where, due to the top three floors being unused for several years, droppings were up to a metre deep in places.

But what exactly are truck-mounts, and why are they so popular for pest control work? Well, as the name implies, the access platforms are mounted on the back of trucks, of which a number in Nationwide's Skylift are all-terrain, four-wheel-drive vehicles. One of their main attractions is that they are able to move on and off site quickly and efficiently and be fully operational within minutes of arrival on site.

Most Skylift models are able to rotate a full 360 degrees and are manipulated via controls located on the work platform. The outreach capabilities also enable the work platform to reach over obstacles, gaining access to areas not easily achieved by equipment where movement is limited to vertical elevation, as is the case with scissor lifts.

Every Skylift machine is supplied with a fully qualified and experienced Nationwide operator. However, with many of the units of up to 22-metre working height, self-drive options are available in Nationwide's Skylift line-up. Self-drive Skylifts start with the 15-metre working height, seven-metre reach 159T, through to the 22-metre working height, 14-metre reach 22LDT, and can be operated by anyone with a standard driving licence. Nationwide goes to great lengths though to stress the advisability of always hiring a trained operator with a truck mount, or at the very least, ensure that the self-drive operator is properly trained.

But how do you choose the right machine for the job; the one that will get the job done quickly, cost effectively and safely? Well, Nationwide's website, which was recently judged to be the best of its kind in Europe, is a good starting point and can be found at www.nationwideaccess.com. In addition to detailing all of the machines available for hire, the site assists with the selection of the most appropriate piece of equipment.

However, for those without easy access to the Internet, Nationwide overcomes this by offering a quick-response free site survey service, where an expert from the nearest depot will visit and recommend the most suitable Skylift machine. While every one of the 50 Nationwide depots can arrange the hire of Skylift equipment and a driver/operator, specialist help is also readily available from the Master Skylift depots in Glasgow, Coventry, Manchester, London, Leeds and Cardiff.

For connection to the nearest Nationwide depot, telephone free on 0845 745 0000. There is also a special Lo-Call number that connects callers to the nearest Master Skylift depot - 0845 850 8888.

Nationwide is part of the publicly-quoted Lavendon Group Plc and is headquartered in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. The Group is European market leader in the powered access rental market, trading under the name Zooom in France, Germany, Spain and Austria. Full details on the Nationwide offering of booms, scissor lifts and truck mounted units are included in Nationwide's new Guide to Powered Access and can, of course, also be found at www.nationwideaccess.com