My wife thinks I play with too many cranes on the weekend, what do you guys think? I am doing my 339a demonstration of skilld test on friday, do you guys have any good advice?
Don't forget to put some pop on ice for after, and maybe the wife would like to play with the cranes to? Good luck with both!!
I did mine back in Morrisberg .. Im trying to remember ..the Pre-op inspection was a big deal they wouldnt let you at the crane if you couldnt do a proper pre-operation inspection ..which makes sense really pass the pre-op I had tires and cages and concrete blocks ..a small block on the hook .. determine weight of object..mine wasnt stamped ..it was 1500lbs ..but the trick was i had to ask the examiner the weight before continuing ..he didnt have the answer LOL .. portland concrete is about 150lb's/cuft.. tape measure ..and a quick calculation inspect area determine max radius,and net capacity select proper boom lenght to preform hoisting, set up the crane as per OSHA reg then run a concrete block through the gaunlet in under 5 minutes care and control of the load ..dont rub the object on anything..its points thats all Last set was right next to the outrigger beam and pad on the rear.. boom way up swing it around and set it next to your pad ..touch the crane with the load ..a guy fail's.. thats the jest... Pick my brain man ..its been a while ..
well I'm testing in my own yard, with one other guy on the 22B in the picture, the concrete block I'm using weighs about 2200 lbs. I know basically what I have to do because it wasn't very long ago that I did the 339c, but I was looking for advice like its faster to move slow between the tires rather than trying to recover from swinging fast, don't hit the guy, etc.
Care and control of the load.. don't get the load moving faster than your able to bring it to a complete and controlled stop.. If your like me you'll cast the ball a little ahead of the boom and sink the boom over it catching the ball stopping it dead..you know as well as i do its a knack ..based on experience,fimilarity to the machine,the weight of the load ,boom lenght config,weather,etc.. However ..by doing this the ball and load is not underneath the head of the boom..hence an argument can arise that your side loading or increasing the radius of the load needlessly with may cause an unsafe situation.. keep the load still and under the head of the boom ..smooth controlled motion ..you wont go wrong..the time wont be an issue through the course if a guy maintains complete command of the crane and load..not having to recover... side note .. when i was oil'n I asked my operator how he was able to always keep his load in shape. his response was "dont let it get out of shape to start with" I carry that to this day .. If you nailed the 339c I really think you'll do OK with the 339A..it's the writen exam's that you'll need to get a leg up .. You should be looking for Grove TMS300 series charts,Manitowoc charts, Lima charts,American Charts,link belt charts.All of those with the applicable notes..The notes is where alot of guys fail the written ..
Well I aready wrote the 339a loadchart test, 100% first try. I know the next one won't be so easy though.
Your laugh'n then ..its just a mental thing ..you'll be fine ..
Well I passed, onto the next step, the 200 question multiple choice test. I guess I'll have my nose buried in IPT's manual until I write it.
:drinkup congratulations!
Hi classictruckman I'm returning to Canada from the UK after driving mobiles since 2005 and more recently crawlers, and am looking to sit the DOST after I pass the load chart test. Would you be able to tell me if they give you any advance notice on the make and model of crane that they test you on and is it 1 crane or 2 they test you on for the 339a? If anyone else knows and could give me a heads up that'd be great. Cheers
I did the test on our own machines, took alot of teeth pulling but it can be done. for the demonstration of skills test they will likely put you on an old grove piece of junk, as far as the conventional I don't know. Where are you located? isn't Bristol in Quebec?, I have no idea what to expect there. Good Luck.
Look at this post for info on the load chart questions.
No that's Bristol on the UK! I'm going through the department in Toronto at the moment. Due to fly back out to Toronto early September. I've also found out I need to do the AZ licence to be able to drive (Taxi) the cranes on the road. In the UK you need the equivalent DZ licence. It's all costing a fortune!
Why do you need an A/Z? Are you driving a counter weight trailer? Without a trailer you only need a D/Z, the A refers to a trailer, the Z is for air brakes.
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/classes.shtml
In the UK, the max gross vehicle weight for a rigid truck is 32t, like a dumper or concrete mixer truck. When I rang the OETICO, a heavy equipment union just outside Toronto who offer crane apprenticeships, he told me I had to have an AZ licence as a prerequisite. I know that they run heavy cranes round with dolly's so I assumed it was to do with that. You look like your running out of Ottawa, so I assume that you're talking about Ontario?
Oh, and you only need the rigid licence (class c in the UK, equivalent to DZ Canada) to drive cranes on the road regardless of gross road weight. Like you say you would need the AZ equivalent here (C+E) to pull the ballast and jib section round.
Are you a member of the union, if not you may want to look at Durham College. http://www.durhamcollege.ca/programs/mobile-crane-operator-branch-i-339a
This is who I used: http://www.ldlcranetraining.ca/ Much better for me, a week long course compared to a few months.
Hi It's been a while. I'm over in Toronto at the moment. Passed my Load Chart Test and am in the middle of the AZ and have the DoST next week. Someone above was saying about the pre-op checks, don't suppose you know where I could find out what they are looking for/to check for? Cheers Mark
I'm not exactly sure where to get a good pre-op checklist quickly, it's a lot like your pre-trip before you drive a truck, check boom pins, winch lines, sheaves, welds, etc. http://www.iptbooks.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=42&Itemid=71 This is a really really good manual, but I'm not sure how fast they ship.
I got the Mobile Crane Manual, does that come anywhere close?
Yeah it's pretty much the same idea, but the conventional crane will be more extensive, it will include things like the clutches, brakes, dawgs and pawls, all of the linkages.
OK, do they expect the crane operators to be able to actually put the lattice boom together over here? In the UK, it's done by the fitters who work for the company that own the crane. They may well use the crane operator to help, but he would not be leading the exercise. The fitters are then responsible for signing the crane off as "ready to work". Does any of that sound familiar?! Thats my worst fear- I turn up and they say I have to build the crawler boom up!
well they won't make you put it togther, but you should know how.
Alright, thats good to know. I'll report back either way next Tuesday. Cheers
Good luck
Cheers!
Hey- Passed! Sorry, been miles away. Trying to get AZ done in the mean time. Do you have any advice for the Red Seal, I'm looking to sit that next week. I got Mobile Craning Today, it's got a fair but in it about double crane lifts, is there quite a few questions on that? Also, calculating the weight of loads, ie steel lengths etc? I know theres a fair bit on load charts- again Do they give you the shape equations or are you expected to now your math!?
I don't remember much about tandem lifts, maybe simple questions like which crane lifts first?, simple load calculations for each crane, etc. You are expected to know your math(it's relatively simple stuff), if your like me you'll get a question on calculating the weight of Portland concrete, so it would be a good idea to study up a bit on cu. weights. One thing to remember going into the test: each question is only worth 1point so don't spend a long time on the longer questions, leave them to the end and do all the short easy ones first. My dad made the mistake of going after the hard ones first. And make sure to read the whole question before you answer it, I remember one question where it gives you all the dimensions and cu. weight for a steel tank and then asks for the weight of the water inside it.
Do they expect you to know the weight per cubic foot of each material, or do they give you a list? I've readinf Mobile Craning Today and they've got a fair bit in there on how to work out where the lifting points for a tandem lift need to be based around net capacity of each crane, the weight of the load, the length of the load etc. Do they give you the list of weights for wire rope diameter per foot of line? When I did the load chart test this time round, none of the questions required you to calculate taking the rope into account as load. I had memorized from 1/2 inch to 1 1/4 just in case!
I would try to remember the weight of steel, Portland concrete, water, and spruce lumber. They do give you the weight of wire rope when it's necessary, I think. If you know your stuff the test isn't difficult. Like I said do the easy ones first and read the whole question before answering.
And good luck
Many thanks Sir
Another delayed reply- sorry! But the good news was that I passed the Red Seal and AZ! Back in the UK at the moment and returning to Toronto mid November.
good for you, like i said if you know what you're doing its easy.
what type of mobile crane they test for 339a DOST when you get tested on the 793local what type of mobile crane they test you on for 339a DOST
You have run a lattice boom crane and a hydraulic over 15 ton
Yes over 5 years
lattice boom crane and a hydraulic lattice boom crane and a hydraulic they will test you on both or only on hydraulic boom?
For your 339 a you will have to show compentcy on both. And there will be a number of questions on the test for both
Thanks really appreciate
I'm getting ready to apply to challenge my 339a I realize I will have to state experience on a conventional crane as well as a hydraulic crane and demonstrate compency on both. My question is, is there a minimum no. of hours experiance required to enter the trade equivalency program, I have well in excess of the required 6000 hours on a hydraulic crane over 15 tons but I have 0 on a conventional. The crane shop I deal with offered to let me test in thier yard with their cranes and i have neighbour with an old drag line i cane run for an afternoon. Do I inflate my hours or will any amount of time do. i can only imagine most apprentices never see the inside of a conventional. Thank you in advance for any help
I think I wrote down 100 hours under conventional, but I think any amount will do. Most apprentices only run a conventional at school, in Ontario anyway.
Good I think I'll do the same and put some time in on my neighbors drag line