Used to eyeball my load charts, now I break out the calculator every single pick

Uma Ellis · 2026-10-26T09:05:04.977213+00:00

I used to just glance at the load chart, do a quick mental math thing, and go. That was me for about 6 years running a 50 ton Grove out of the yard in Bakersfield. Then about a year ago I had a pick where I was maybe 2 feet off on my radius guess and the chart said I was fine but the Math didn't sit right with me. I stopped the swing, walked back to the truck, pulled out my phone calculator and the actual chart, and found I was 800 lbs over for that radius and boom angle. Nothing tipped, nothing dropped, but my hands were shaking after. Now I measure the radius with a tape every time, write the numbers down, and check the chart twice before the hook even goes up. Takes me 4 extra minutes and the crew gives me grief about it, but I'd rather be slow than explain to a safety guy why I dumped a load. Does anyone else have a close call that made them change how they do it, or am I just the guy holding up the pour every morning?

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Used to eyeball my load charts, now I break out the calculator every single pick | Crane Operators - Babble Community