Operational Fundamentals, Controls, and Hand Signals
Knowing the controls
Every operator must be able to explain what each control does before touching it: travel levers or pedals, steering (wheel, tiller, or skid-steer levers), throttle and decel pedal, boom/stick/bucket joysticks, blade or bucket controls, differential lock, float, and the parking brake.
Excavator-style machines commonly use one of two joystick patterns. In the SAE pattern, the left lever controls boom and swing and the right lever controls stick and bucket; the backhoe ("Deere") pattern swaps those functions. Know that a machine can be switched between patterns, and always confirm the pattern posted in the cab before operating an unfamiliar machine.
Hand signals
Standard signals let a ground worker direct an operator when voice or radio contact is impossible:
- Raise or lower the boom/load (forearm up or down)
- Stop (arm extended, palm forward) and emergency stop
- Come to me (beckoning) and move out/away
- Dog everything (hands clasped at waist) - stop and secure all motion
- Swing or travel left/right
Only a designated, qualified signal person should give direction signals, but anyone may give a stop signal.
Operating fundamentals
Keep loads low and travel slow; slow down before turns, not during them; match ground speed to conditions; use the correct gear range; and never coast downhill out of gear. Know the machine's stability limits and load charts.
Traps in questions
Questions often imply the operator can ignore an unclear signal and keep working, or that a stop signal only counts from the designated signaler. Both are false. Another trap is assuming control patterns are universal across brands.
Rule of thumb
If a signal is unclear or the operator cannot see the signaler, stop the machine and re-establish communication before moving.