Overheard a new guy at the site in Everett say 'the crane does the work'

I was grabbing my coffee this morning and heard a young apprentice telling his buddy that once you're up in the cab, the crane does all the heavy lifting for you. It stopped me cold. I remember thinking something similar when I first started, maybe twenty years back. The truth is, the crane is just a tool. The real work is in your head, the planning, the constant checks, the feel of the load through the controls. That kid will learn, hopefully before a close call teaches him. It got me thinking about how we pass on that mindset to new people coming into the trade. What's one thing you wish someone had told you about the mental side of the job when you were starting out?

3 comments

3 Comments

jones.anna2d ago

Teach them to listen to the steel.

simonp472d ago

Yeah, that's the real lesson right there.

ruby4502d ago

Anna's right about listening to the steel. I learned that lesson watching a seasoned operator place a beam, the groans and shifts telling him more than any level. You have to hear the whole site talking to you. It's not about moving weight, it's about feeling the balance.