TIL a 30 year operator told me he never booms up without checking the wind sock first

Matthew Hall · 2026-10-08T01:30:04.022603+00:00

I was rigging a 40 foot steel beam on a job site near Amarillo on Tuesday when an older operator named Dale walked over and asked if I had checked the sock. I said I looked at the flag on the crane and he just shook his head. He said the flag lies because it sits low and the wind at 80 feet is a different animal, and he has seen a load get away from a guy who trusted the flag. I climbed up and sure enough the sock was standing straight out while the flag barely moved. So my question for you all is do you check the sock or the flag before you boom up, and does it change your chart readings much?

SMM Buzz

Loading…

TIL a 30 year operator told me he never booms up without checking the wind sock first | Crane Operators - SMM Buzz