Nice work! These machines are amazing. Ours has never disappointed us in what it will do, but owning one of these trucks amplifies your need to use good safety practices and common sense.
I saw one thing in the military trailer loading picture that bothered me from a safety stand point. I could not see where there was any provision for preventing the lifting chain from moving through the hoist hook. If this is not done by means of a double wrap around the hook, or better yet in a large shackle on the hook, the load can get off balance, in this case, to the front or rear of the military trailer, especially during a swing maneuver, causing the chain to run through the hook, allowing the load to drop one end and possibly hurt it or worse yet someone.
We had one case where even a double wrap chain came out of the hook with an engine in a container on the hook, dropping it a foot or so to the ground. Amazing how fast gravity works! My son and I had our back turned to the load at the time, heard and felt the thump as it hit the ground, and together made the pact to never again lift heavy loads with only the chain in the hook. we use a large shackle in the hook and double wrap the chain in it. To this day we have no idea how it did this, but it could have proven fatal under the right circumstances.
Regards Marti
