At the Proving Grounds…

Yesterday I did something so far out of the realm of geekdom that I almost don’t believe that it happened: I operated heavy machinery.

As part of my new employee orientation, we got to go out to the Proving Grounds and drive around some of Caterpillar’s most kick-ass equipment. I got to operate a wheel loader, backhoe, and D6N bulldozer.

The bulldozer was very intimidating. This thing could just fall into eight feet deep holes and climb its way right back out. It is very jerky and strong like a tank, but the controls were joysticks and very easy to use. This thing has treads like and tank and makes a very similar industrial clanking automaton sound when you move it around. There were a few times that I dropped off over the hill so significantly I had to back up and catch my breath. I filled in about half of a twelve foot hole before I was comfortable driving right up to the edge of it.

My favorite of the bunch was the backhoe because it did a little bit of the bulldozers work and a little bit of the big excavators work. The wheel loader and the backhoe handle essentially the same, the only difference being you can park the backhoe and dig a ditch or basement with it, and then turn your chair around and doze the pile of dirt you made out of the area. It’s also very mobile, I found it easier to park than my Saturn. Even the bulldozer was pretty easy to park!

I came out of the day with a newfound respect for the guys that run these things on a day to day basis. It’s harder than it looks to make it do what you want, but at the same time very simple to pilot. Definitely an interesting experience for a nerd like me, and I didn’t break anything! (For the record, I don’t think I could’ve broken anything. These machines are SOLID.)