Spent a morning at the Port of Savannah yard

Headed down to the Port of Savannah last Tuesday to drop off a rental and ended up hanging around the container yard for a couple hours. That Liebherr LHM 600 they got there moves a 40-foot container like it's a milk crate. Watching those guys stack boxes six high with less than 6 inches of clearance made me realize how sloppy my own picks have been lately. Any of you ever shadow an operator on a bigger rig and come away feeling like you need more practice?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyg6016d ago

Watching those guys stack boxes six high with less than 6 inches of clearance" - man, that part hit me. I had the same feeling last month visiting the Port of Tacoma. Saw a guy slip a 40-footer between two others with maybe four inches to spare. Made me realize I've been way too casual with my picks. Came back to my yard and spent a whole day just practicing tight drops. It's humbling but good for you in the long run.

keithbutler15d ago

Man, I know exactly what you mean @abbyg60. My buddy Mike works at a yard down in Seattle and he told me a story that's still stuck in my head. He was training a new guy and had him try a tight drop between two reefers with maybe 5 inches to spare. The new guy nailed it first try but then got cocky and tried to show off, ended up clipping the corner of the reefer on his second go. Bent a whole bracket and had to spend an hour fixing it with the supervisor watching. Mike said it taught him that being humble with your machine is way more important than being fast. He still talks about that day every time someone brags about their stacking skills. So yeah, practicing those tight drops is the real deal, keeps you honest lol.