Pro tip: The difference a proper crane mat system made on a muddy site in Tacoma

Last month I was on a job in Tacoma setting trusses, and the ground was pure soup after a week of rain. The first day we tried the old way, just using some 4x6 timbers we had on the truck. By noon, the outrigger on my 80-tonner had sunk a good 8 inches, and I spent half an hour just getting level again. The next morning, the GC brought in a full set of those composite crane mats, the ones that lock together. We laid them out under all four points. For the rest of the three-day job, my rig was solid as a rock, no settling at all. It cut my setup time in half and I didn't have to worry about a sudden shift while I had a pick in the air. Has anyone else made the switch from old timber to a proper mat system, and what kind of difference did you see in your setup speed?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosejackson3d ago

Sounds like you finally joined the 21st century.

martin.jessica2d ago

Yeah, but the 21st century tech feels like it's already from a museum. We're just catching up to old news.