A pole that is over how many years old should be supported with a line truck boom or other device in case it is unstable?

• A. 10 years
• B. 15 years
• C. 20 years
• D. 25 years

Answer: (C)

As wooden utility poles age, their strength declines due to decay, cracks, and weathering. When a pole reaches about twenty years in service, the risk that it could become unstable increases enough to warrant extra stabilization before work proceeds. Using a line truck boom or another stabilizing device provides a controlled anchor so the pole doesn’t move or tip while you climb or perform maintenance, reducing the chance of a fall or a line fault. This twenty-year threshold is a practical safety cutoff: it recognizes that, beyond this age, extra precautions are prudent even if the pole still looks okay, whereas younger poles are less likely to be unstable.