Maxim Crane Works interviewed one of its crane operators, James Creek, to get insight into what a day in the life of a mobile or crawler crane operator is like. James started as a crane operator on a career path that ultimately took him to Vice President of the Power Division.
Maxim Crane Works is ranked #1 on American Cranes & Transportation magazine’s 2020 list of top crane owning companies. The company has 58 branches and nearly 4,000 employees. Its crane fleet includes more than 500 crawler cranes and 2,750 mobile cranes. The company’s biggest crane is the Manitowoc 31000, a 2,535-ton monster that was used on the Mercedes Benz Stadium Project. Meet Big Red.
According to James, the biggest challenges of crane operation relate to transportation and mobilization, safety and qualifications, keeping up with new technology, and dealing with the weather. He also says that good communication is key to success. “Tower/crawler and mobile crane operators are also often in communication with construction workers on the ground, they regularly use radios to precisely coordinate lifts when the crane operator’s view is blocked. It is very common to have a designated signal man that only signals the crane to insure safety and accuracy when placing the load,” he said.
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