how to get under the digger properly

It feels like you are getting knocked around a lot because he is laying the product down then smoothing it out with the bucket. It manipulates the truck and shifts you around, but it’s necessary to keep the load underneath the boards at the top so product doesn’t fly out going down the road. If you ever haul rip rap, make sure you get out of the truck when its loaded, or else instant headache.

 

When ever we had on site trucks,.. I would let each driver know during the safety meeting what I expected and how I wanted things done and if there was anything they preferred that I would do for them.

Communication goes a long way sometimes.

Hurst

 

It’s something you just learn. Find out where the loader wants you and try to hit that spot every time. Also watch what other drivers are doing.

Any loose material loading operations I’ve been around, the loader operator will blow his horn when you get to the right spot, and blow again when he’s ready for you to pull off.

If the loader is waiting on you, he will usually raise a full bucket right over where he wants you to be. You will need to figure out how to back directly under the bucket. Might be a good idea to have a talk with the loader operator and see how he wants you to back in.

 

The haul truck wants to be in one spot. You will be honked at until you are it.> REMEMBER that spot for the day.

Don't worry about that dozer. That man is working WITH the dragline loading you.

If you happen to be with other empty hauls trucks waiting in line in front of you, put yours right where they put theirs.

I can tell you there is a whole LOT going on inside that dragline operator's world and being in or on the spot is the very best you can do for him any time. (I know at least that much lol)

Even the little wheeled dozer loading rock into my dump at a plant somewhere, something small or a rail yard loading stone onto my 1955 dodge flatbed. There is a spot they would like you to be at. You show attention and put it there and all is well.

Always a spot.

Much better than dealing some of the older grocery docking he he.

 

Something I always hated when I drove tri-axle dumps was an operator that would have you pull up and move over 1 foot or else he wouldn't load you. When I was operating the excavator if I could reach you I'd load you no matter how crooked you backed in.

 

Some of those guys seem to have OCD about where you park others could care less. Just look for where the other guys are backing into.

 

When I ran a CAT 936 front end 4 wheeled loader in my time for work, someone showed up with a pickup truck. Due to the plant geometry with stonepile etc he was parked where he was parked.

Picking up a corner of something like a 7 yard bucket to daintily scoop 200 pounds of stone with a really light touch and then pour it into that bed was nerve racking to me. That's like the closest I can thin of it trying to use a senior citizen 10 foot reach claw pole to fill a shot glass with whiskey over a 6 foot wall without splash.

I called out 4 people to help me with that spotting. I had no shame in asking for help.

What would have been better is to get out, grab a shovel, get 4 more and hand em each one and get to filling that bed. Some things are just too.. delicate to be loaded.

 

I know the feeling. When I worked at a fertilizer dealer we had a few people come in and want bulk lime loaded in the bed of a pickup. We had a large open cab Trojan loader with brakes on one wheel because the fertilizer had eaten the brake lines off the other 3. Few sprinkles from the corner of the bucket would have the springs sitting on the bump stops. For those who don't know, powdered lime is heavy. The 50lb sacks of triple 13 fertilizer would come 1 ton to a pallet bags stacked 8 high. The lime would come 5 layers high but a total weight of a ton and a half.