Three Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Operating a Bobcat

I look forward with joy to workdays on the farm when I’m able to borrow a skid steer, crushing a (sometimes quite literal) mountain of work. I’m not ashamed to admit that on more than one occasion I’ve sat sideways in the seat pretending I was Stephen Hawking, if he were a diabolical comic book villain — probably the most possible real life depiction of Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I’m far from a professional operator, but last night while tackling some much-needed rearranging in a small window of time, things clicked as I worked more efficiently and comfortably than ever before. It became clear that some principles behind the loader are applicable in life.

Know Your Stuff Forward and Backward

A zero turn radius makes turning around a breeze, and a blast. But being proficient in reverse can save a ton of time on a repetitive task over the course of a day. It is also an essential skill for working in tight places, or if you need the weight of your engine in front of you when going up a step hill without a heavy load to balance things out.

If Things Get Unsteady, Set it Down for a Second

When running a fork, it can seem too easy to have your pallet slide around, and if you turn too fast you can lose it. When things get wobbly, instead of trying to maneuver back and forth to get things back on track, just lower it, get steady hold, and start again.

Cover Your Tracks

We could also say, “make the most of every move.”
One side effect of running heavy equipment, especially on softer ground, is tearing things up. This is more dramatic with tires than tracks, but either way you’re going to leave a mark. I now take advantage of this impact. We use wood chips for paths, so I make sure to purposely drive over the chips in such a way that at the end of the job, everything is neatly compacted (with some grading here and there when needed).