13t excavator job help please

[MadMitch]

How's it going guys. First and foremost, a bit of background on my machine operating skill: little but enough to safely operate and understand basic digging and movements etc. I worked for a company operating 1.5-8 t machines. Backfilling holes, loading small trucks (can see the load on back of truck) and digging graves at a local cemetery. (Great fine digging skills as the graves have to be spot on and graded properly)

I now work for a company that deal with diggers 8t + and other machinery on the railways in Australia. We specialise in hi rail equipment etc.

Next week I have been given the chance to operate a 13t komatsu galeo. My job will be loading trucks from a stockpile. I am unaware of the type of material I will be loading but at a guess it would be muddy spoil or rail ballast (large rocks)

Both of these materials are really unstable and because I have not loaded a truck that I can't see the load I am loading onto the bed, I am worried I will load the truck unevenly.

My first question is: what are the best techniques to load a truck evenly.

My next dellema is that because the material is so unstable, I am really nervous about tracking up ontop of the stockpile to load the truck to gain a better view and load procedure. I have never loaded a truck from a bench on a stockpile either.

My question is: if you were in my shoes, how would you use your experience to safely load a truck/hydrema dump truck safely and efficiently without putting yourself in danger.

As I have little skill and experience I do get nervous when tracking up slopes (even the ramps on the low bed trailer gets my heart rate up) as I fear of tipping. So if I can I will load from ground level next to the truck.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. You never know it might save my life.

 

[Randy88]

I have no idea how large of a truck your loading, how high or how long, but if it were me, take a deep breath, calm down and quit overthinking this so much, take your time and do it from ground level if that's the safest place to do it from, just do it slowly and progress from there, for me when I'm loading into anything I can't see for sure. I just take my time and keep track of where and how many dumps I'm putting the stuff and try to keep it even from the back to the front or vise versa. When in doubt, get out and look, climb up on the truck or where you get the best view from and after a few trips out to have a look see, you'll get the hang of it. If your trying to load it level, do just that, start dumping a bucket of whatever in the back, then slightly ahead of the last one, and so on till you get to the front, hop out, have a look and repeat till you have enough on the truck.

The hardest part of sitting on the ground is your going to pile the stuff in front of your excavator as you scoop it up, when the trucks gone or between loads, just move the excavator and try to repile the area so when the truck shows up again, your ready to start loading again. If you've ever played in a sand box as a kid or in the dirt with toys, its about the same thing, only using bigger toy's is all, just take your time and as you get better and feel more confortable with any machine, the speed thing will come later, focus on doing the task at hand and if the truck driver has a problem, just tell him to go get a shovel and load it himself, that usually ends the complaints with them pretty fast.

If you can play with the excavator ahead of time to get used to the controls and how it works before loading a truck, is usally a good idea, just dig some and scoop up some of whatever your going to load and then dump it and shift the pile around some, just to gain some prespective of the machine and how it handles, you'll do fine. If you not feeling confortable climbing onto the pile with the excavator, don't climb the pile, its that simple, do what you feel safe doing and only what you feel safe doing with the excavator. With expereince comes confindence and also knowing the abilities and limitations of any machine, just start with what you feel confortable doing and progress from there.

If your worried about overloading the truck, don't, they can be dumped back out if its too heavy, its not the end of the world, and the stuff will usually fall off the sides of the truck long before its overloaded anyhow, in a few months nobody will remember its your first time loading a truck either, for everyone, they all have a first time, no matter what anyone tells you, this is just yours is all. Oh yea, I almost forgot, welcome to the forum and have some fun running the excavator.

 

[CM1995]

Welcome to the Forums MadMitch!:drinkup

Randy summed it up well - take a deep breath, calm down and don't over think it. If you have been running the smaller ex's loading smaller trucks then this is just on a larger scale and after a few loads you'll get the hang of it.

It's not ideal to load trucks at ground level but it's not the end of the world either. When you are loading the truck take your bucket and place it flat in the truck to tell how much you have at a given point.

When I am given a task or project I haven't done before my motto is - It's just construction, moving dirt here or there or putting parts and pieces together. Take your time and pay attention to what you are doing and rack this up as experience, as we all had to start somewhere.

 

[joispoi]

Unless you're loading mud, you're going to have to load from the stock pile. I know it's not the answer you were looking for, but it's a LOT easier than loading from the ground and much more efficient. Cut a level bench about even with the bed of the trucks that you're loading. The excavator should be sitting level while loading. If you need to adjust the level, you can back up and pull some material onto any low spots where you want the tracks to sit. Or, you can lift slightly using the digging equipment and spin the track to move material out of the way. The machine should not rock back and forth at all. Make adjustments to your pad as needed so that you are sitting level with firm and stable support under the tracks.

As you're loading, the bucket should swing over the tailgate or over the sides of the bed, never over the cab. Grab material from behind your bench as you need to advance into the stock pile, but don't dig lower than your bench between the machine and the stock pile. You should be building a path that leads into the stockpile. As you advance into the stockpile, you'll be scooping up the pad that you were first sitting on and loading that into the trucks. Keep the ground clean for the trucks as you go. You'll be most efficient if you're loading material that is right next to the trucks.

Don't hit the trucks with the bucket and position the bucket where you want the trucks to park while you're loading.

Take your time building your ramp up to the bench you're going to cut into the stock pile. It's not as scary as it might seem. Be safe and don't be afraid to ask for advice from an experienced coworker.

 

[MadMitch]

Thanks for all the great replies guys.

I realise now that I am over thinking this a little too much. Being my first big responsibility at my new company, I would like to portray the best image of myself and how I carry out things on the job.

I would feel alot better loading the machines at ground level as I don't find myself confident enough to jump up ontop of a potentially unstable bench to load the truck.

In regards to my skill on the machine, I can load a truck all day long no problem at all. I guess I just put a bit too much pressure on myself and over thought things. (I am known to do this)

I also now realise that we all do have to start somewhere so seeming like the "noob" or that I "have no idea", doesn't really worry me as much as I first thought.

I will attempt to stay calm and focus on operating smoothly and without wasted movements. That's the best I can do at this stage in my experience.

Again thanks alot guys and if ya have any other "pro tips" in relation to anything excavators, please let me know.

 

[buckfever]

Is thier anyone there with a little more experiance that could help you along? Might want to load from the ground and once you get that down have someone set you up on the pile. You will be amazed at how much easier it is to load from ontop of the pile then sitting at ground level.

 

[MadMitch]

Unfortunately not. Because we work on the railways, we have limited time to start and finish a job so any work time that is wasted is highly frowned upon. This may be the main reason I am so nervous as I don't want to hold the process up.

At this stage I am planning to load from the ground. If I feel comftorbale with that stability with the material, I will construct a ramp and try loading from a higher point and just work my way up.

I presume the basics of benching a stockpile is to not undermine anywhere near your tracks and plan your way out as you dig ?

 

[Cajuncharger]

Only do what you are comfortable with - at first. Once you have a basic "feel" for your machine then you can progress both your speed and maneuvers; in small increments only. If you try to go too fast too soon you'll be sorry. Do NOT allow ANYONE to make you do something that you are uncomfortable with. A job is not worth your life or well-being or that of those around you. The hardest part of being a new operator is taking charge. You will be blamed if something goes wrong so make sure you are the one making the calls; no exceptions.

 

[buckfever]

Don't know how big of a pile you have to load out but once the pile gets to small to sit on your gonna have to load from ground level anyway.

Just take your time and like others have said, once you get experience you will get more confidence and be willing to try a little more.

 

[MadMitch]

Thanks Cajun. Really helpful info. After all I am in charge or the machine and every in the swing areas safety so I do make the desicions.

Thanks again guys for all the great info. I'm happy that some people in this trade are willing to help. I have noticed (not to myself) that some experienced operators tend to despise helping out or lending advice to the newer operators. It seems like if you don't know they don't want to help at all. Wether it's to keep their job safe or something I'm not sure. But it can be a real un-motivating experience.

If you guys read this. I would like to somewhat change the original thread and ask the question: for a newcomer to the plant world, what would be some handy or great tips to give to someone. From your experience, what have you learnt (especially things you learnt the hard way) that you would tell me so that I have a better chance at not making them.

Again, I would really appreciate any advice.

 

[plantman.uk]

Hi Mitch....First off welcome....Loading off the ground for you is the safest bet then do that...But if you can make a ramp into the stockpile and climb it that would be far easier for you to load from..Keep the stockpile wider than your machine and level, bring the trucks alonside and load over the tailgate, being above the truck will help with the loading as you can see inside the bed.Having a wide pile will feel the same as being on the ground.Above all be SAFE, with yourself and others.If the folks you are working for want you to doing something that you feel is not safe then DONT DO IT....They can always get a more experienced operator. It takes awhile to do what they are asking we all had to start somewhere..Dont be afraid to say no.Nothing is worth injury...Good luck i'm sure it will all work out.

 

[MadMitch]

Update time guys. I'm currently sitting ontop of a ballast pile in my excavator.

Yes I decided I was keen to give it a go. The ballast piles are quiet large so I spent a bit of time building a ramp up to the top where I have created a level platform. It is just wide enough to get the digger up top. The ramp is quiet shallow as I didn't like the feeling of climbing up Mount Everest lol. I have about 0.5 - 1 meter of material either sides of the tracks and seems to be holding me fine.

So far so good. Taking things slow

 

[joispoi]

:thumbsup