Old timer told me I was swinging too fast and it stuck with me

Back when I was about 2 years in, this guy named Jerry with 30 years experience watched me unload a flatbed in Houston. He just said 'slow down, you're making the load dance up there.' I thought I was being efficient but he showed me how a slower, steady swing actually saves time because you don't have to correct the sway. I cut my cycle time by about 5 minutes per truckload after that. Has anyone else had advice from an old hand that totally changed how you run your crane?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_taylor22d ago

I still catch myself racing like a bull in a china shop.

michaeladams22d ago

Yeah that Jerry guy sounds like he knew what he was talking about. I had a similar thing happen to me back when I was learning to run a yard crane at a lumber yard. Old timer named Bill watched me for about ten minutes and just said 'you're fighting the load all day, let the crane do the work.' He showed me how to feather the controls instead of jamming them and it cut down on the bouncing something fierce. I used to think slower meant less productive but he proved me wrong in about half an hour. Now I tell every new guy the same thing, it's not about how fast you move the levers, it's about how smooth you keep everything.

elizabeth_chen22d ago

See I gotta push back a little on that. Sure smooth is important but sometimes in a warehouse you don't have the luxury of feathering everything. When you got a truck waiting at the dock and the shift is about to end, slow and smooth can mean the whole line gets backed up. I've seen guys focus so much on being gentle that they forget the clock is ticking and the pallets start piling up. There's a middle ground where you gotta pick up the pace even if it means a little bouncing.