GOG47:
As above,the sap coming out of logs just now means its like trying to pick up fish,don’t open the grab up fully when you go to pick logs up, about 3quarters open is perfect,that way when you close the grab the jaws will touch and nowt will fall out and smash something,oh aye,you will smash something,probably a wing or 2,odd tail light on unit,everybody does,pipes will burst,tyre fitters will become your best mates,tempers will fray,knuckles will get skinned changing burst pipes etc and it will be 6months minimum before you start feeling confident.Don’t worry about how quickly you load or how tidy it looks,that all improves through time.Keep plugging away and eventually you’ll be doing one of the best jobs out there,a real drivers job
One of the best posts I’ve read on here. And it’s the mans first post. Hats off to you sir!
Cheers guys , all usefull advice , only 2 more days in my present job , then I go to see the new boss on Saturday . Get to check out my unit and trailer then
Really lookin forward to get getting to grips with it all .
Well I went in today , got the keys to a 2 month old Scania R480
I certainly can’t complain about that
4am start on Monday , I could complain about that
It may seem strange but our paths have never crossed even though he’s only up the road.
We used to lug hardwood most of the time or if we did softwood it was tree length big stuff so it would have been to a different mill than pulp etc.
Not heard nowt good or bad so your own mind is best on this one sorry.
Mikey D:
Well I went in today , got the keys to a 2 month old Scania R480
I certainly can’t complain about that
4am start on Monday , I could complain about that
Cheers MIke.
Best o luck matey,take your time and try not to get too stressed,things WILL go wrong.Your brain will be frazzled for the next few months but remember,everybody had to learn the same way as you,nobody was born a crane operator so don’t worry about holding other people up
Good luck, it will take a while to get into the swing of it, I am at it a couple of years and took a month or two to get the loading sorted! Start with small grab fulls as its easier to straighten, try and keep slippy logs pointed away from the cab because they will slide out of the grab. if you have sliding bolsters leave enough room for each tear. I like to keep the load well forward on the trailer to keep weight on the drive axle for traction and with a tag it will push the front of the lorry into corners loaded when the tag is up! Was always told when in the forest, be ready for things to go wrong, watch corners, soft lanes and don’t give the lorry a chance to get stuck, be ready with the tag lifted, traction control off, and diff were needed! Hope this helps and enjoy!
Not too sure i like the idea that my diaries sent you on the road to timber haulage .
A lot of good advice been given , but you will only start learning when you go off the tarmac.
The 2 things I always say to any new starts are , You will at some time slip off the forest road , just depends how badly
And always use as much headroom as you can get on the forest road corners ( if the unit slips off the road its not too bad
but if the trailer goes off it will pull you upside down !).
I run with a flat so get some other poor sod to load me lol.
Never fancied a crane motor ( didn’t like the way they shook about ).
Just take your time and try and keep it tidy , the speed at loading will just happen.
Its a good job to be in if you’re not afraid to get a wee bit mucky and most of the time you are left to your own devices.
If your on soft wood shouldn’t be too tricky…
It’s the twisty hardwood that can be more tesing…
There’s few good vids on you tube which should Give you tips on loading etc…
Best advice is don’t try and put too much in grab to start with. Little and often…
I’m an owner driver and just buy and sell timber mainly for firewood guys and lot loads for myself.
Miserable in winter… You can be assured that the time your travelling to forest will be dry… Soon as you put legs down on crane it’ll start raining…
You may have a posh trailer with a cab though.
But when weathers nice nothing better than sitting on crane loading timber…
Well that’s my first week done
My first and only week I might add
The guy I was running with had said previously ,that it was old Skool haulage . I wasn’t too sure what he meant by that at the time … I did by the end of the week tho !
Well we departed the yard at 4 am on Monday , shortly after
get to the job site on the snake pass between glossop and Sheffield .
Ok so now to load up the two trucks ,ah but first the tachos need to go on break
Anyway I’m obviously not cut out for old Skool haulage if it means running bent , it’s just not my thing I’m afraid .
Anyway that day I drove nearly 10 hours , 15 hours duty time and about 20 mins actuall break .
Anyway I was totally shattered by the end of the day , thought about quitting several times but on the up side I slept really well
Anyway I somehow managed to last until Friday and the drive home ,With out crashing / killing anyone thru fatigue
I did actually enjoy learning to use the timber crane and having a decent motor to drive
62 plate scania R480. With tag axle . , I didn’t enjoy having to drive on the limiter everywhere to keep up and will never run bent like that again .
All in all a nightmare week really .
Still not to worry , got to see a man about a job tomorrow morning
Fair play I say. I’ve been there, “stick it on break while you unload to save yourself a bit of time”. It saves only one person any time and it ainy you. Like you I did enjoy the job and the kit but I was silly to put up with it for a lot longer than a week!
, only 2 more days in my present job , then I go to see the new boss on Saturday . Get to check out my unit and trailer then 
