Backing.....

Its a very large excavator... makes a Hitachi 850 look small. Blowing a hydraulic line would instanly lose 100 - 150 gals of oil before you could shut it off. Used straight 30 weight oil instead of hydraulic oil.

11 yrd bucket.. I could easily park my pickup in it. Too large to load dump trucks.

Took 3 trucks to transport it.

Hurst

 

I'm aware if the approximate size, I've hauled PC1000's and PC1250"s plenty of times even hauled a Bucyrus Erie 500 which is around the same size a 1000 and we did them in 5 loads. I've just never heard of a 1200.

 

Kearney construction (Formerly.. out of business now) had 3 PC1100 and 1 PC1200.

I used to have an old picture with me in one of the PC1100 with machine on one side and the boom and stick on the other side of a CAT 345B.

Hurst

 

I wasn't saying they don't exist I've just never seen one and couldn't find any reference to one online, plenty of 1250's. I like earning about equipment I haven't seen especially older stuff.

 

They were not new then.. and this was back around 1999 to about 2008. They were slow but strong as King Kong.

Used them for large excavations (Ponds/Lakes), setting large structures like lift stations for force main sewers etc.

I was one of 2 guys who had enough finesse with them that they trusted to use them in strictly a lifting/moving large objects capacity instead of renting a crane.

Hurst

 

I've done flatbed and reefer and I'd say flatbed has the more difficult of backs because at a job site they do the best the can making room. Also backing a spread loaded heavy is always fun

 

There are nuke plants where you will have to deliver everything from sea cans to crated machines. If they can unload you outside at a storage yard, that's easy. If you have to back into the power plant, it's almost always an obstacle course plus an extremely tight back around pipes and structures into a narrow door. Throw in all the pedestrians who walk like they drive, and the tight security, and you have the makings of a really stressful day.

 

At my school we spent a day backing up and a day doing the various backs, parallel, offset dock, etc.....we did them until we were bored doing them. Good school in Iowa.

Pulling a milk tanker, I backed into farm driveways to pick up milk at 6 stops. Backed into a waffle plant set up for straight trucks....had to back into a dark building at an angle. Usually had to back into a building to unload....one plant had a big wooden power pole on the blindside to back around....it had a flat spot where trucks had scraped it.....I didn't bring any wood chips home with me that day.

One plant I had a bad setup and had to pull up about 10 times....could not back up that day, over corrected every time I turned the wheel! Never had such a bad time backing before or after that day.

 

Back whenever possible....you need that experience! Turn the CB off, and/or ask someone to spot you - even with a spotter, if you're unsure, G.O.A.L! I was all right at backing up before I got into hauling fuel. Once I saw how ridiculous some of these spots are to get into, I didn't think I could do it. The guy who was training me told me to do it. Nailed all of them with minor problems. He gave me some tips and tricks on how to set up better for it (especially in the winter). I have now become a lot more confident and skilled in my backing abilities, but am far from that super-trucker status. Backing off streets and dealing with moronic people can be stressful - and is part of the job, but you just have to try and cancel all of that stuff out, and do it with common sense and a level-head. Don't second guess yourself because that's when problems start. One time I was backing off of a narrow street that was accompanied by a very busy intersection and the spot had a half-inch on each side to give, and I had to pop my brakes and G.O.A.L. I think twice, because I was not going to jeopardize my career or possible Hazmat spill, to save someone 5 seconds of their day.

Good luck to you, and always back...you're practice will come in handy. Oh....and, generally, your set up is the KEY to a successful back!

 

Some times you have to back a long ways.... Today we had to back a mile down a gravel road to deliver some bridge beams...