It sounds like plenty of margin. But on an ambulance, the front axle may carry only 3,000 or 4,000 pounds. The other 10,000 sits in the back, on two swing arms. Do that math, and Steve Perlstein says you'd better have a 20,000-pound lift. 

In this Fleet Maintenance QuickChat, the president of Mohawk Lifts explains why work trucks, with steel bodies and tools in the back, are always heavy on the rear. He also explains why the Automotive Lift Institute's warning against overloading the swing arms is one to take seriously. 

From there, he makes his case for what separates a premium lift: wear items designed out from the start. That means a forklift mast with sealed roller bearings instead of plastic slide blocks, and leaf chains instead of steel cables. He also explains why Mohawk's safety locks start engaging at the bottom of the lift, not around 19 inches. 

Watch the full QuickChat to see how a weight gauge can double as a diagnostic tool.