I finally switched from tag lines to a remote control system last month

After 12 years of fighting with tag lines on windy days at the Port of Seattle, I gave in and bought a used Skytronix remote for my crawler crane. The first lift with it felt weird, like I was cheating (you know, no one yelling directions up to me). Has anyone else made the switch and found it harder to trust the remote over a good ground guy?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_wilson9d ago

Man that feeling of "cheating" is real and it takes a while to shake. Had a 50 ton Link-Belt with a remote for the first time back in 2016 and spent the whole first week looking over my shoulder for a spotter. The trust part is tough because you get used to someone else having eyes on the load from the ground. Give it two weeks and you'll wonder how you ever worked without it, especially when it's blowing 20 knots and you can just stand in the cab.

casey_torres609d ago

That line about "looking over my shoulder for a spotter" really hits home for me... I think there's a weird safety angle nobody talks about though. You're so used to having that second set of human eyes that when they're gone, you actually become more careful about your blind spots and boom angle checks. It forces you to be your own ground guy inside your head, which honestly makes you a safer operator in the long run.