8wheels:
I used to write a plant moving blog a few years ago to use as an online CV of sorts in case I ever needed it. If you have the inclination you could have a look at this to give an insight about this type of work.
Whilst some of my methods might not gain approval from everyone, I’m still doing the same job and have always got to my destination with the same amount of plant that I left with.
Hope it helps.
Just had a read through they’re great blogs we have a 14t rubber duck with grab/buckets and a few 360’s going upto 3.5t which we hire obv the rubber duck stays in the yard but if I had never sat on a machine before after reading that I’d have a fair idea off what’s what. Ill stick to ratchets though thoose chains up against the paint work make me cringe they look safer but unless they come accompanied by some off cut off carpet there not touching my body work . Good job though enjoyed looking through that.
I’ve always chained if I thought it needed, used to deliver a fair few new un’s for the JCB dealer too. I know that they come strapped from the factory but they are working machines and soon have a few scratches with even the best operators. With some lesser operators they are soon in pieces.
The body does have d rings in the floor to lash to so you can wrap the chain around those but with the sides made out of 10mm steel it’s quicker and easier to hang the chains off the side rail.
Stand by tool locker, remove dog tensioner and place in box, give chain a flick across body to dislodge chain and pull it back towards you before stowing in the locker. I can unchain a 360 in about a minute, often we load and unload blocking access or the road so being quick is key.
Never really thought about the timings until recently but had Constantine with me a couple of times loading and unloading and I’d point out how quickly we had just done the job to point out that he far more adept than he realised. I can load / unload an 8t 360 and get paperwork signed in about 5 minutes or a 14t or 5t digger / 3t dumper combo in about 9 minutes. That’s from pulling up to pulling away.
It’s all about doing things by routine, never really rush but by working out the most effiecient way of doing things. It’s amazing how much time you can waste by walking backwards and forwards around the lorry.
This is true I’m not to bad with a machine we used to have rollers dumpers and about 8 360’s they weren’t our main work but something my boss always done we always had a mornings work for the beaver tail i remember my boss telling me to go pick 2 1.5t up I’d never even sat on a machine let alone track one up a ramp. I know what you mean about routine though it never took me long not as quick as that but when your blocking a main road at 7am you learn to get a shift on. I hate coming down though I slid side ways down the ramps once on a 2.5 I’d only delivered/collected a handle full of times and by ■■■■ still clenches now coming off a heap or whatnot we had some lovely traveller friends steal our bevertail and 4 machines a few years back and in the end my boss sold the lot off except a 1.5 and a 3.5 for the regular pavers and builders that always had them it wasn’t worth the hassle off keep being broken in for for the ammount we had. It was a shame though because over the years him and his brother have taught me well and I used to enjoy doing jobs for builders and that and in the quite months there’s was always a days hire for someone to give me a days work.
. Good job though enjoyed looking through that.