Showerthought: A 30 year operator in Baltimore called my hand signals lazy, and he was not wrong

Drew Wright · 2026-09-15T14:40:03.615169+00:00

Two winters back I was signaling a 90 ton lattice boom pour off Loch Raven Drive in Baltimore and a veteran operator pulled me aside after my shift. He said my signals were sloppy because I was only using my fingers instead of my whole arm, and that from 120 feet up in the cab he could not tell a slow raise from a hold. I swallowed my pride, went home, and practiced full arm signals in front of a mirror for two weeks until they felt natural. Now I always ask the operator before a lift if he wants hand signals or radio, because what looks clear on the ground at eye level can look like nothing at all from the seat. Any of you ever had a spotter whose signals you could not read no matter how hard you tried?

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Showerthought: A 30 year operator in Baltimore called my hand signals lazy, and he was not wrong | Crane Operators - nhfree.com