To crane or not to crane

It just doesn't interest me, it's a lot of responsibility and headaches. I've been around cranes from 8 to 1000 ton they are all interesting and good work but I'm not an operator. All things being equal I would love to go back and drive for a crane company but I've got it pretty good where I'm at.

 

You don't have it good you've made it good for yourself.

 

Oiler is a old term that is still sometimes used but really doesn't describe the job. It comes from back when the old friction rigs required constant maintenance, the oiler would make sure all the gears and bearings were well lubed. These days a oiler can be better described as a operator's helper.

Operating a crane can be very boring, depending on the job. I do it from time to time (not my primary job) and I've went a 10 hr shift before and made one lift. The rest of the time you're just sitting there holding something while they bolt it up or unbolt it.

Excavation contractors are the worlds worst at doing lifting operations. They will try to pick things up with bailing wire and not think anything of it. I saw a outfit just the other day unloading some crushing equipment with a excavator. They were using a synthetic round sling and about a 4' section of it was completely missing the protective cover. OSHA regs say you can't even have a small noticeable tear it the outer cover, they thought it was ok to have a 4' section missing.

 

I know 2 guys that's couldn't handle the boredom of running a crane so they went back to truck driving. They said they enjoyed the smaller ones but once they worked there way up they just lost interest since it was so much planning for one lift and that would be all they'd do for a 10 hour shift. And then I know others who love it and have some huge data plans on there phones and iPads lol

 

This is another reason, I work for an excavating company, a good one but they are not a crane company. They lift with excavators and loaders, if you can't get it just drag it or whatever it takes. We have a 27 ton boomtruck and a try to tell them its not an excavator. The owner and my boss understand that pretty well they don't ask me to do thing I shouldn't it the guys in the field. The can't figure out why a 27 ton boomtruck won't lift 25 tons at a 50 foot radius. I try to explain load charts but they think you're making excuses. They don't understand that you have to have a level firm pad to set up on and time to work. Like I said I do it because it helps them out but I don't care for it.

 

Thinking about this some more, I would have stuck with the local hh company for your years experience. The extra $150 a week you make pulling a van will be spent at the overpriced truck stops anyways.

After a year of hauling equipment, another company would see that (A) you know what your doing wrt moving and securing equipment and (B) your dedicated, reliable and a hard worker that deserves a chance at a better company.

Have fun chasing those miles.

 

I once did a crane job, 12'hr shift, graveyard. Most nights just made one lift. I read, played on the phone, anything to pass the time. They even told me to take a nap, they would wake me when they needed me but the cab of the crane isn't that comfortable and it was a very noisy jobsite. Luckily, it paid really well and only lasted 2 weeks.

 

Wow, I never realized almost 30 years ago that I could go from a year of OTR in a van to Heavy Haul. I wasted 18 years of my life getting enough experience that all the heavy/specialized carriers told me I would need when I could have been making $100k + only a year into my driving career. Thank goodness for the internet otherwise I might make that same mistake in my next career. I have 5 months under my belt as an operations manager so I guess in a couple more weeks I can be the CEO.

 

And after 2 years you can own the company.