Two Minute Tuesdays is our informative video series where a member of USA takes the time to teach about a problem, product, or general happening in the utilities industry. Each episode is approximately two minutes, comes out presumably every Tuesday, and serves as an opportunity to keep up-to-date.
When your Rescue Randy starts to go limbless and wear out, ToughBuck will still be in one piece for a long time to come. If you need a training dummy that can withstand the test of time and gravity, ToughBuck has got you covered.
In this video, Utility Service Agency highlights how Sisttemex engraves a unique piece mark into every lattice tower component before hot-dip galvanizing.
Utility Service Agency Territory Manager Jonathan Singleton walks through the Buckingham Manufacturing Non-Tethered Confined Space Rescue Kit (105Q2-30) and demonstrates how the system is used to retrieve a worker in distress from a confined space.
Territory manager Kat Hicks takes a break from the day's events at the FMEA Lineman's Rodeo to talk about the Last Check device from Hastings. This simple gadget with a magnetic backside will help make sure that you and your crew never have to worry about bringing a bad transformer or capacitor to an install.
This utility had inline disconnect switches located in an area with difficult terrain, making access with a bucket truck complicated. They decided to upgrade their infrastructure with Cleaveland/Price's Autoline, allow for remote operation and eliminating the need for a service vehicle. USA's President Jim Cooke explains the situation and gives details on the Autoline in this video.
How does Cleaveland/Price ensure that they have the easiest hookstick disconnect switches to operate in the world? What keeps these switches from breaking down or sticking over time? The answer is baked into their design: no cast parts, high strength and high conductivity live parts, and—most importantly—1/32" line edge, silver to silver, high pressure contacts.
We stopped by the FMEA Rodeo (aka Florida Lineman Competition) to watch the Hurtman Rescue event. In the process, we interviewed one of the judges—Alvin Moore, Training Coordinator with Gainesville Regional Utilities—of the Journeyman Hurtman Rescue to learn more about the competition itself, including rules, regulations, and how teams of linemen prepare for the challenge.
In early 2026, Utility Service Agency and Federal Pacific Switchgear joined forces for the first time. As part of the onboarding process, our team had the opportunity to tour their Bristol, Virginia based factory. This experience allowed us to learn much more about their switchgear products, their production capabilities, and much more; in fact, too much for one video! Instead, here's a small handful of interesting tidbits that we observed while touring their facility.