OK so I know we all have them.Whether it is before you leave the yard or something you do before you prime out.What ever it may be i say POST IT UP!! I will start

My odd lil habbit.I have discovered that while I am pumping I tend to humm to myself.Nothing in particular just some random tune I just realized that I do this a couple of days ago.Looking back,I have done this from day one but never payed much attention to it. 

That is all i was just curious what other "ODD LIL HABBIT'S" operators have

I always light a cigarette before I prime, and I also always have to check 3-5 times that the boom is completely cradled before I drive off the job or leave the yard..

I used to get everything button up and get into my truck then get back out again and do another warlk around. I always felt like i forgot something so i would just check one more time.

im w/ todd on this one , i walk my truck and line pump several times before i leave a job,however i must admit i once left and outrigger pad ,got my rear handed to me, then i made two new ones, one to replace and one for a reminder never to make that mistake again after all were only human.

I change the battery in the remote EVEN when I know it would last the whole job. Its like a ritual to "start fresh every job" If I dont in a rush I cant stop thinking about it and do so in between the first empty mud truck.....I know, stupid. But that was the topic!!

  On the job I will not walk in front of the truck,if I am at the passenger door and need to go to the drivers door I will always go around the back of the truck,unless it is physically impossible,which is less than 1% of the time.If I pick up some dunnage by the passenger door,I will always go behind the truck even if it means trudging through the mud.....put remote box on passenger seat,behind the truck,I think the heat got me years ago...........

Well, here it is. When I first started I had pretty much no training. I rode with an operator from Heck Concrete Pumping in Seattle for 1 week before my folks bought the pump from them. We brought the pump down to Salinas,CA and went to work. I can't even describe the the feelings that I first had as I tried to run this piece of equipment with no help from even one person with some experience. So every time I primed out it felt like sky diving, not knowing if the shoot would open. I got into the habit of rubbing on the control box for luck while priming. When the guys would give me a hard time, I would tell them that my lady ( my pump ) needed some foreplay before we could get started. Now 14 years later I can't help but giving her a little rub to get things going.lol

I'm with bisley -

Put remote box on passenger seat

One last walk around

Just before prime I say a quick word

Done that for last 20,works for me.

after i have done my walk around and have left the job I look to the passenger floorboard to make sure that my remote is safe and in its place. Even after checking I continue to glance over to make sure its still there. I probably checked to make sure it was there 5 times on my 2 hr. drive back to the yard today.

i would do the three Rs radio, reducer, primeR. ya i would hit the road and pull over to do the walk around. i have forgotten two inch clamps. had my reducing EL, clamp and rubber sitting on the rack and lost the rubber but i had another rat holed on the pump, i thought if i dropped it on the job and it went into a catch basin i would not have time to retreave it. OH ya drove home looking for that 5 inch rubber and found it at the end of the driveway where it bounced out.

bisley57

When ever you see an operator walking in front of his truck; you know he just passed up a good opportunity.

I am solid with you and Many on this one.

;~)

Mmmmm well I count the strokes when I am primming and if the mud does not come out on #12 I get worried and after it is folded up and in the cradle and everything is where it is suppose to be I walk around the pump a few times just looking to make sure.... to someone watching me they must think I look like a dog trying to find a place to....lol

years back when I was running a whiteman I got to where I would let out a yee ha! when I heard my deck pipe ting knowing the pig was back, now 18 years later I find myself doing the same thing just not quite as loud,just kind of to myself now.

every day when I strap myself into this 105,000lb vehicle.I ask the pump gods for a good day,and and that I can get everyone home safely.and then I chain smoke all day.heheheh

I talk to my pump.  If something goes wrong I'll say something like, "come on lil Reedster, whats the matter?", I talk to the sponge balls while tapping, "come on babies, I know your coming, come to daddy"....or while I am putting the balls into the end pipe, "okay, bad bobby first, a bit a water, good bob last"....(using the two sponge ball technique, older ball goes in first, the newer ball last).  I call my sponges Bob and Bobby (from sponge bob squarepants).  If I catch a mixer driver washing out in my hopper, I'll talk to the pump, while petting the hopper, and say things like, "goofy mixer driver just doesn't get it does he?".

I name every single truck ive ran in the last 13 years, every  morning we have a little talk, "Come on Gus lets have a good day, no problems and i'll give you a good washin when you get me home." Seems odd but all these years and I'll never stop. I MISS GUS! 

Always leave the yard with a coffee in one hand, usually drunk it by the time i get to the main road, kind of starts the day in a chilled out mood.

I always drive to starbucks for a venti latte on the rocks while i sing the song I got that BOOM BOOM that I heard Tod play a while back with his video, I Love Concrete Pumping !!!! I also talk to my pump

For me its counting the strokes thru the whole load....l turn the pump of and turn around to see the last fin of mud come'n out....then of course tell myself i'm cool.....well as cool as a old has-been can be anyway. lol C&M

 I got a BAD habit of resting my right hand on the shifter and it's cost me some syncros! (Heavy handed?)

 And counting seconds between strokes! One Onethousand, Two onethousand Three/BANG!... One Onethousand Two... Must've picked it up doing placing boom trying to estimate yds. per hour vs.strokes per min.

I hate to be the one to say this sure alot of guys with bad Habits

My is,The first truck always starts on the passenger side.Always.I have no idea why,But for 20 years it been on that side.

Ruck

i talk to the truck to, but always just before i suck the sponge, my boom is red now so its " lets give the big red elephant a drink" and then  dunk the hose in a 5 gallon bucket of water and watch it suck it up, then i count strokes til i hear that sweet ting ting

Throw up every morning before a job!! Pumping for a year and a half now. My own truck check every thing and i mean everything before and after a job. check pipes once a week for build up and wear. Lots of habits. Lmao!!!!!

 Ed as long as the good habits out weigh the bad ones it's OK!

 What's the BEST habit that an operator can develop???

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 A consistant "Routine" that is done day in & day out and religiously, every single solitary day, no matter what pump you happen to be in!!!

I say The Pilots Prayer"...

Dear God, please don't let me screw up... Amen"

Big T

I need to have all the clamps the same way, a smoke before I prime, rotate the pads front -> rear -> front, old ball first - then new... and probably alot more that I just don't realise I'm doing.

 For me I double check everything before I leave the yard. And I always leave 15 minutes earlier that I need to, I dont like having to rush at jobsites. At the sites if I know I have to be flat out, I always reach the boom out and double chaeck the outriggers on the non working side. It was something I was taught when I was being trained and, I always do it. I also have a habit of walking off the pour two or three times before setting up to be sure where, Im setting up is the best place.

I hate to say it LOL. Everytime i use the drivers water to fill the hopper for my prime! I have to take a piss :)))  Even if i just went LOL.

my habit isn't before the prime, but when i'm waiting for that last few yards to get finished to make sure the crew has enough i find my self whistling the opening of patience by guns n' roses. must be a subconscious behavior telling myself to relax.

I gotta have a smoke while opening and closing .

I was at the sugar refinary once opening up with a smoke and a guy came running over screaming u cant smoke put it out .. I said to him if i put it out something very bad will happen, he said to me or the pump . i said to him U choose! He walked away without a word ..... At the air port terminal you cant smoke at all , every time i go there it goes to shyt! Probably a mental thing!

in the summer try to spray the closest mexican with water while im fillin up hopper funny as shit sometimes they beat me to it gotta have fun at work

oh where to start...  A smoke is a must for my prime.  the one thing ive always done is have a beer stashed on the pump.  got a beer from a wall guy when i was VERY green but didn't drink it.  still have the rubber duck from st paul that i tap each moring.  tire side down

after setting up and priming up, i always go sit in cab and chill out  before concrete arrives, i pour myself a cup of tea and dig into my lunch box, cos u never know when your nxt tea  break will be!!