Debate: Should you always listen to the foreman's load chart advice or trust your gut?

I had a foreman tell me last month to reduce my pick by 2 tons on a Liebherr because he thought the ground was too soft after rain. I pushed back because I've run that same load on similar ground a dozen times before. Do you guys stick with the pro's call or go with what you've seen work in practice?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera295d ago

Listen to the foreman every time. A dead man's load isn't worth proving a point.

david_walker975d ago

Used to be the type to push back and trust my own gut over the boss every single time. Then I watched a guy almost get crushed because he figured he knew better than the foreman about a slope that "looked solid." Changed my whole way of thinking right then and there. A foreman might not always walk every inch of ground, but he's got way more info and a bigger picture than I do standing in one spot. Better to swallow my pride and go home safe than be right about something stupid.

white.keith5d ago

Did that foreman actually walk the ground himself before making the call? I had a similar thing happen a few years back where the lead hand swore the gravel pad was cooked after a week of sun, but I watched a 70-ton crane sink right through it the next day. Turns out he just glanced at the top layer and didn't check the soft clay underneath. Gut feeling can save your ass but only if you've got the same experience to back it up.