How to Use Equipment on a Muddy Jobsite
When you're running your construction equipment off road on the jobsite, there's a possibility that you may become stuck in muddy conditions. Just a little bit of rain or snow will turn a dusty work area into a wet, soggy mess. Both your tracked and wheeled machines can handle difficult terrain, but any piece of equipment is susceptible to being trapped in mud, including skid steers, CTLs, wheel loaders, and excavators.
To help prevent this time consuming, costly situation from happening on your job, follow our tips and best practices below.
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Avoid becoming stuck in the first place
We’re going to cover how to unstuck your heavy equipment, but the best strategy is to not get stuck at all. Follow these strategies for dealing with muddy working conditions:
- Before you begin each shift, closely assess the work area to get an idea of the ground you will be operating on. Clearly mark off muddy or soft soil spots, so that your operators can avoid bringing equipment in that direction.
- When working in muddy conditions, we recommend always using wide tracked compact track loaders, excavators, and other equipment, because they improve flotation and traction, which is ideal for wet, sticky terrain.
- Always clean mud or debris off of your machine’s tracks, tires, and undercarriages between jobs and at the end of each workday. Doing so will help enhance traction on wet worksites.
Tips for removing stuck equipment from mud
Despite your best efforts, if you end up becoming stuck in the mud, follow our best practices below for getting out:
- Always ensure you have robust straps, ropes, chains, or cables on hand in your toolkit in case you have to pull your equipment out of the mud.
- To make it easier to get a stuck machine out of mud, try to lighten it by removing anything that can be removed. This way, you should be able to drag it out more easily.
- Increase the traction of the machine itself by placing planks behind its wheels or tracks when you are getting ready to pull it out.
- To prevent damage to your equipment, only attach your straps to a tow hook or the frame itself. This method will give you the best chance of extracting your equipment without breaking anything.
- Chains may snap during towing, and the tow hooks will transform into deadly projectiles that fly through the air. To ensure they fall towards the ground instead of flying up, insert them with their tips up.
- Similarly, it's important that everyone on the jobsite keeps a safe distance from all towing chains or straps in case one breaks. Chains and hooks can launch through the air at high speeds and cause serious injuries.
Removing equipment that is stuck in wet, muddy conditions is a tough, dangerous, and time consuming job. When a rainy day comes, review our best practices to avoid getting stuck in the first place. If you do get stuck, though, use our tips for effectively pulling out your machine.
If you have any questions about dealing with equipment in muddy conditions, contact our team today!