Montana Crane Training

I closed out 2025 with great results. All of my 29 students passed the written and practical testing. I am thankful for such good results. My newest class of 4 students in Libby passed all their test as well. I am available for more teaching opportunities in May.

I have been in GF the last three weeks doing crane training. Thought I would send a quick note to everyone. All the classes have been very good with excellent results from the students testing on both the practical and written. Looking forward to teaching two tower crane classes in Helena the next two weeks. Anyone wanting some training please notify me.

Right Regular Lay 6x19 is the most common cable used in the crane industry. The 6 means the cable has 6 strands and the 19 signifies 19 wires to a strand. With this cable being flexible it is an excellent hoist line rope. Your crane could have have a left or a right regular lay rope. Each crane is crane specific as to what wire it uses. Refer to the crane’s owners manual as to the type of cable the crane takes.

Spring is approaching us fast. If any companies are needing crane training for the up coming season please send me an email or phone call. I will be happy to answer questions about setting up a class as well. I will be available for training starting the middle of May and through out most the summer.

Wire rope is made of steel wires laid together to form a strand. A wire rope with smaller wires and strands is more flexible than a rope with more strands and is used on sheaves and drums. Wire rope with larger wires is not very flexible, but has good abrasion resistance.
The term lay refers to the direction of windings of both wires in the strands and actual rope strand.In my next post I will touch on the different lay of wire strands within a given cable.

I am gearing up for another year of crane training. Arizona will be my home for two months, with a scheduled return date of April 20th.Anyone wanting to schedule training for tower or mobile cranes please call or email me. Once all forms and physicals are completed and reviewed by the state a training date can be set. With the classroom and practical training completed in 3-31/2 days, the testing normally takes place the Friday of the same week.

The radius has to be known for a safe pick.The radius will determine whether a load can be safely picked and landed. Always know the weight of the load being lifted.Keeping the load line directly over the center of the load is a must also. There is boom deflection when a load is lifted, which broadens the radius, pushing the load away from you. Thinking ahead is a good attribute of an operator. Abraham Lincoln said a quote over 150 years ago which reads:
Give me 6 hours to cut down a tree and I will spend the first 4 hours sharpening my ax. Give plenty of good thought into every pick.

Happy New Year! With a new year beginning, it is time to think about getting your employees licensed for crane operation. If you are interested in having a crane training class, here are some steps you need to take. Go to craneoperator.mt.gov for application forms and physical forms. Upon completion, send the two forms into the state for approval. Contact me to set up a date once the State approves your employees. After my training, the state will administer the written and practical testing. Please contact me with any questions.

The outrigger pads will need to be on firm footing. Virgin ground is always the best, but that is not always the option. Always know what lies beneath when set up time is near. Crane tires need to be off the ground after the crane is all level. The operator wants the lifted load on the outriggers, not on the tires. The last step covered in this session will be leveling the crane before a pick. The crane should be level with in 1 percent. That does not allow much room for error. A crane 3 percent out of level with a long boom and max radius will have a 15 percent capacity loss. AGAIN, no room for error.

When teaching a class I always start out on safety. I end each section on 10 basic steps to safe crane operation. The first step is always check for overhead wires when setting a crane up. If you need to work around electrical lines always have a spotter with a radio or using hand signals to stay the safe working distance from the lines.
The second is have a spotter check for tail swing of the crane. After you have a verified safe tail swing, caution tape is to be set up around the perimeter of the swing.
The outriggers are to be fully extended and on a firm footing. I will cover more of these steps in the next session.

Come see me at Safety Fest in Missoula MT @ Missoula College’s River Campus May 14th - May 16th.
Stop in and say hi at my booth and sign up for a chance to win a hoodie or cap with my Company Logo.
This is a good time to talk one on one about questions you may have regarding crane training.

Send a message to learn more

The crane operator wants a component person who is able to rig the load safely. Both the operator and rigger should know the weight of the object being lifted.
There are three basic hitches used when lifting objects. The vertical hitch is attached to a lifting eye with lifting hardware. The lifting hardware normally used is wire rope,chains or nylon straps. A basket hitch is wrapped around the load, leaving two loose ends, which are attached to the crane hook. Any object over 12 feet long requires two slings to prevent load slippage.
Running one sling eye through the other eye is the choker hitch. To help secure the load the basket or choker hitch can be double wrapped.
The safest lifting angle when using two straps is 60 degrees. Having a smaller angle puts more pressure on the lifting hardware.