A retired rigger in Baltimore told me I was booming down wrong, and I keep thinking about it

James Fox · 2026-09-16T01:25:03.715982+00:00

I ran into a retired rigger named Walt at a diner near the port in Baltimore last month, and he watched a video of me booming down on a 60 ton job. He said I was riding the swing brake too hard and letting the boom drop in little jerks instead of one smooth move. I tried it his way on a pick last Tuesday, three smooth moves on the lever, and the load barely swayed. Now I'm wondering how many of my bad habits came from my first trainer. What small thing did an old timer correct for you that stuck?

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A retired rigger in Baltimore told me I was booming down wrong, and I keep thinking about it | Crane Operators - SMM Buzz