Side loading an excavator video. Would you do this?

Cat skinner?
I'm assuming it's a Cat earth mover? Like the ones in the vid with a blade in front to level out ground?

 

Yes. Typically synonymous with dozer operator.

 

one of our drivers and I were heading out early one summer morning, went to the yard and fired up the trucks. we were doing our paperwork and buddy calls me on the two way radio from his truck...he says "hey, there's a guy climbing out of 105!"

I look over, and sure enough, this guy gets out of one of our parked trucks with a duffle bag. I get out, walk over, and ask him "WTF are you doing?"

he says he was hitch hiking the night before and it was pouring rain, as he walked on the highway by our yard he saw the trucks and decided to jump in one to get out of the rain. it kept raining, so he climbed into the sleeper and went to sleep! I told him what I thought of him doing that, and he best get gone before my pops comes out and sees him. he apologizes, and exits stage right.

buddy and I couldn't believe someone would think that was ok, and laughed about what might have happened if we jumped in to start the truck and some dude comes crawling out of the sleeper. I got home later and told my dad (boss) what happened thinking he would be angry, but he just said "well, it was raining and he needed somewhere to go."

I thought it was poor form, but my pops didn't think it was a big deal that some dude just spent the night in one of his trucks. ponderous.

 

I'm not surprised.

My grandparents were homesteaders and lived on the farm after they retired. Nothing was ever locked up... what if a neighbour needed something when they weren't around? Other family friends were long term ranchers and it was the same with them. Now, I understand the difference between a neighbour and a stranger, but if no damage was done and it was for a situation like you describe, then I know lots of people that would have been of the same mind. Almost like a different world.

 

I almost felt bad for chewing the guy out. kind of changed me a bit. my pop was a little more trusting than I am I guess. but like you say, he grew up in a different time.

 

That poor trailer.

 

The truck wasn't threated any better.

 

I haven't read all the posts but at my job we side load & haul sideways alot. Side loaded a D-10 with blade & rippers then hauled it a few miles on hwy 13 CO. Tippy!