Trees, Trees, and More Trees

[skyking1]

Thanks for the weights. Who knows I may have to take some trees down some day.

 

[John Griffin]

Thanks for the weights. Who knows I may have to take some trees down some day.

Welcome. If you ever do, there's wet wood weight calculators. They'll actually get you pretty close. You put in the average diameter, species, and length. If you measure with a tape they'll normally get you within 300 or 400 lbs. Your calculated pick weigh is not supposed to be beyond 60 percent of the net capacity of the losd chart to allow for the overages. Crotch wood weighs more than straight wood as its grain is more dense.

 

[boaterri]

That's good to read. I really dislike it when beautiful, straight, clear logs get cut up into firewood. So many beautiful pieces of furniture can come from one log.

 

[John Griffin]

That's good to read. I really dislike it when beautiful, straight, clear logs get cut up into firewood. So many beautiful pieces of furniture can come from one log.

We try not to cut up good logs but sometimes you have to or it's not worth the effort to deal with it. On jobs without the cranes it can be very hard to deal with loading and moving them depending on size and access.

 

[John Griffin]

That's good to read. I really dislike it when beautiful, straight, clear logs get cut up into firewood. So many beautiful pieces of furniture can come from one log.

On a side note, I have a 4 ft tall stacked and stickered pile of cherry board 15 inches with with no knots.

 

[John Griffin]

Well we got stopped with the tms300 at a Dot weigh checkpoint today. Had lots of trouble with them not knowing anything about our states crane rules.

Our state has a gvwr limit of 80k. Our tms300 scaled at 74k but they gave us an overweight ticket. I've previously asked our permit office if we need a permit for this crane. Their answer was no as it's not over 80k and not wider than 8.5 ft. Now we have a weight ticket for a crane they wouldn't issue a permit for. The claim was the max our crane could weigh was 57k. They at one point told me I would have to have it hauled on a lowboy.

In our state, cranes are considered off highway equipment. We are allowed to run red fuel, we have mobile equipment coverage (no commercial auto), and there's no license plates for cranes. They decided detain my crane while they had someone to come take a fuel sample. They also wanted to ticket us for no tag or commercial auto. We requested a supervisor. They declined to provide one or let us talk to one. They dropped everything but the overweight after doing some research.

The state views moving cranes like roading a backhoe. There was a bunch of discussions on that we could cross the road but not drive down it. Backhoes and tractors drive all over the place here. They ended up letting us drive away. Now we have to either pay or fight the overweight charges.

 

[Welder Dave]

It really sucks when the people who are supposed to know the laws don't, especially at a weigh station. Sometimes it's a case of a cop or someone having a power trip. There's some video's out there of cops being schooled on the laws they're supposed to know. I think you should fight it and have a copy of the weight and other laws regarding cranes in hand. Otherwise the DOT/cops might have a target on your back and be watching for you all the time. It's not like a crane is a daily driver. It's even worse when they won't let you talk to a supervisor. Could it be because they don't want to be humiliated by the supervisor telling them they don't know the laws?? That would be my guess. Idiots with power trips thinking they're hero's instead of knowing their job.

 

[Welder Dave]

I just thought of something else. They may have known they were wrong but had to give you some kind of citation just to save face. That's why they let you drive off. Let him fight it if he doesn't agree with it. Your situation is the kind that makes a good story on the 6 O'clock news to highlight the incompetence of people who think they don't have to answer to anyone. It can cause a public outcry and enrages some. It can also lead to changes where better training is implemented. Did they really think you'd be driving a company crane around without knowing the DOT regulations??

 

[RocketScott]

So put it on a lowboy and make the whole package heavier? That makes no sense

I keep all the pertinent laws printed out and in the truck. More than once I've have to walk a cop through it. It helps when they throw out a specific code they're trying to cite me for. "I've got that printed out right here, lets read through it together". Highlight why it does or doesn't apply

 

[Nige]

The clue is in the name. They’re called mobile cranes for a reason……

 

[Welder Dave]

You can be sure if there was a big tree that fell on the highway they wouldn't have bothered you. It's also possible they thought a "tree service" couldn't possibly know the rules for cranes and that's why they tried to cite for you for numerous violations.

 

[John Griffin]

One of our storm jobs recently. We have done nothing but storm work in the past two weeks. Been to busy to take many pictures as we have been working 12 plus hour days. Our whole week this week will be pulling trees off houses.

The whole hackberry was partly uprooted and hung in three little elm trees. We picked it whole to minimize the damage to them. It weighed 4900 lbs.

 

[Tones]

You certainly know your craft.

 

[John Griffin]

It's very wet here right now from multiple storms. We had a large pecan tree land on this house and had to get setup in the front yard.

 

[CM1995]

No doubt it has been wet up there. We can’t catch a break on the daily downpours and have other projects lining up.

Bid a Starbucks on Memorial that has 3 small trees on it. If we get it I’ll be in touch.

 

[skyking1]

Yikes! They don make driveways or sidewalks like the used to! ( just kidding, that crane would kill any flatwork )

 

[crane operator]

It's very wet here right now from multiple storms. We had a large pecan tree land on this house and had to get setup in the front yard.

I've got a set of 12 of the 4'x8' plastic mats, and I'm pretty impressed with what they will carry. They are night and day difference from plywood.

Sorry about the state boys, I find it helps if I walk them through the key phrases "Special Mobile Equipment" and the special subsections. But a lot of them have the attitude "I know and you don't "- which I don't care if the guy actually does know his stuff, but a lot of them don't know what they are talking about.

 

[Welder Dave]

And have a big power trip especially if you try to educate them on the actual rules.

 

[John Griffin]

What kinda do you have? We have been using the regular alturna mats and they will not hold the crane up in ground conditions like this was. They just turn into a taco.

 

[John Griffin]

I've got a set of 12 of the 4'x8' plastic mats, and I'm pretty impressed with what they will carry. They are night and day difference from plywood.

Sorry about the state boys, I find it helps if I walk them through the key phrases "Special Mobile Equipment" and the special subsections. But a lot of them have the attitude "I know and you don't "- which I don't care if the guy actually does know his stuff, but a lot of them don't know what they are talking about.

Yeah they have definitely made it a hassle. I've found the state code for exempt from bridge law. I'm going to print out copies and put them with the insurance paperwork in each crane.