Twenty years have passed since Crown Equipment Corporation, one of the world’s largest material handling companies, launched its Wave Work Assist Vehicle, designed to bring safety and flexibility to applications where ladders, scaffolding and work platforms are typically used to access high places, such as those found in retail, manufacturing and small parts warehouse settings. 

Better known as the Wave, the Crown Work Assist Vehicle remains an ideal product for workers stocking small loads and products in busy, confined spaces, as well as picking and order fulfillment. The Wave can travel and lift simultaneously so operators can move efficiently around a facility while raising and lowering to the appropriate heights in one smooth, seamless operation. 

“I can’t imagine doing this job here without the Wave,” said Justin Scribner, owner of Flyte Camp, a vintage travel trailer restoration and manufacturing company. “We use it in so many different applications. It’s an incredible product to have. The only thing I would change here at the shop with the Wave is getting another one.” 

Since its arrival on the market, the design-award winning Wave has become a favored substitute for the traditional ladder, excelling it in both safety thanks to interlocking gates and efficiency by allowing operators and cargo to be elevated to reach working heights of up to 17 feet. With travel speeds of up to 5 miles an hour and maneuverability in tight spaces, the Wave helps reduce downtime and increase efficiency in the workplace. 

“The Wave is very easy to operate and helps anyone who has to work at height, move goods and materials around safely and efficiently. The result is fewer accidents, less product damage and greater productivity,” said Gary Thurner, product marketing manager for Crown Equipment and one of the individuals who helped developed the vehicle two decades ago. 

Besides the interlocking safety gates, the Wave was designed with work lights for increased visibility, strobe lights to allow for detection, platform safety sensors and dual foot pedals to provide for safe operation. The onboard charging unit facilitates recharging using a standard power outlet.