I was helping on a site where the operator did everything from the cab using screens. He said it's faster and you don't need a guy on the ground. But my old boss always swore by having eyes on the load directly, saying screens can lie. Now I see points for both sides. How do you all handle your lifts, tech or a spotter?
I refused the lift, but it cost us the contract.
Back in my first years, job sites were chaotic and we mostly used hand signals. I remember once waving to my team to come over for lunch break. A rookie operator saw it from his cab and thought it meant to swing the boom. He started moving, and the load jolted a little. We all stopped and laughed once we figured out what happened. These days, with proper radios, mix-ups like that are few and far between. It sure brings back memories of how we learned on the fly back then.
We were setting steel beams on a windy site... my spotter's radio battery gave out, so he started using hand signals like back in the day. I followed along, and we got the beam placed perfect without a word. Some guys say radios are a must, but I feel knowing signals by heart is key. That day proved it, even if it was a bit silly scrambling without tech.