Heard a deckhand on the Columbia River call the dredge 'a big, dumb shovel' and it stuck with me.

We were on a break, watching the cutterhead chew through some tough clay, and this young guy just said it. He was new, maybe a month in. At first I thought it was a dumb thing to say, but the more I watched the machine, the more I got it. He meant you have to treat it like a simple tool, not some magic machine. You can't just set the swing speed and walk away. You have to feel the load, watch the spoil, listen to the pump. I've been running for 8 years and I think I got too fancy sometimes, overthinking the settings. That simple idea, just being a good operator with a big shovel, changed my whole shift. Made me focus on the basics again. Anyone else ever have a simple idea from a new guy totally change how you run your gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerw721mo ago

Man, it's just a shovel, not some deep life philosophy.

avery_walker301mo ago

Hey you're looking at it wrong. That shovel saved my grandpa's farm during the Dust Bowl and every time I pick it up I think about how much hard work can change your life. Tools like that are basically just reminders that most stuff worth doing takes real effort and patience.