Old foreman told me I was booming down too fast and it changed everything

I've been running a 90-ton Grove for about 3 years now, and I always thought I was pretty smooth. But last month, this old foreman named Gene who's been in the game since the 70s pulled me aside after a pick. He said I was booming down way too fast on the final approach, making the load swing every time. At first I got defensive, but then I watched him do it on the next lift. He took almost twice as long as me, but the load barely moved. Now I slow way down when I'm 10 feet from the landing zone, even if the ground guy is waving me in faster. It eats up maybe 2 minutes per lift, but the loads are way steadier. Has anyone else had an old timer call out something you thought you had down?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.joseph28d ago

Oh man @elliott37 those old timers always have one weird trick that blows your mind.

ellioth3728d ago

Man that speed trap Gene sounds like my old mentor Ed.

the_linda28d ago

That Gene sounds like the kind of guy who's forgotten more than most of us will ever know. Did he give you any other piece of advice that day, or was that the only thing he pointed out? Sometimes those old guys have a whole list of small adjustments that add up to a big difference, so I'm curious if he left you with anything else to chew on.