Cracked a client's driveway slab with my bucket truck this morning

I was working a job over in Maplewood today, trimming a big old silver maple that had some deadwood hanging right over a house. The driveway was this narrow concrete strip that looked solid enough, but I guess the ground underneath had washed out a bit from all the rain we got last month. I set the outriggers down like I always do, careful and slow, but as I started lifting the bucket, I heard this loud crack. The whole rear outrigger pad had punched through the concrete and sank about six inches into the dirt below. The homeowner came running out and started yelling about how I ruined their driveway. I had to stop everything, call my boss, and we ended up cutting the job short to deal with the damage. Now I'm looking at a $1200 repair bill and a pissed off client who probably won't call us again. Has anyone else had a setup go sideways like this with hidden ground issues?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles27724d agoMost Upvoted

Nah man, that's on you for not checking the ground first lol. A quick walkaround with a probe rod would have spotted that washout before you set the rig down. Client's probably justified being mad if you just assumed the concrete could hold that kind of weight.

richardknight24d ago

1200 bucks for a driveway slab that looked solid but was basically sitting on air. Sounds like you bought yourself a very expensive lesson in geology. Next time maybe bring one of those sidewalk pressure plates from Looney Tunes, at least youd get a laugh out of it before the bill arrives.