Watched a rig go down in soft ground at a job site in Bakersfield and it changed how I set up every pad

Eric Carr · 2026-10-07T09:30:03.449643+00:00

I was working a warehouse job off Rosedale Highway in Bakersfield about two years ago and we had a 60 ton rig start to lean on the outriggers because the ground had been soaked by rain the week before. The operator was good, real good, but the pad he built looked fine on top and was mush about a foot down. We spent four hours pulling him back level with a second crane and I'll never forget the site super yelling about the schedule while we were just trying to keep the thing upright. After that I started carrying a piece of rebar in the truck so I can poke the ground before I even think about setting up. Now I dig a test hole, check it after rain, and I don't care if it adds 20 minutes to the day. I also started asking the excavator guy to bring me some big mats if the dirt looks even a little soft. Cost me a good relationship with one foreman who thought I was being slow, but I'd rather be slow than on the news. Has anyone else had a close call that made you change your whole setup routine?

🐿️Pinecone Attack

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Watched a rig go down in soft ground at a job site in Bakersfield and it changed how I set up every pad | Crane Operators - Pinecone Attack