Had a close call with a dozer because of trust in old markings

I hear a lot of operators say you can rely on existing paint marks for grading, but I almost rolled a dozer last month by doing just that. The crew was rushing, and we figured the orange lines were fresh from the survey team (seemed safe enough). Turns out, they were leftover from a demo job years back, and I dug right into a water main. We had a flood and a full day delay while it got fixed. Now I make a point to stake my own lines, even if it adds an hour to the start. That old 'trust but verify' thing is no joke on site. How do you guys handle sketchy markings without losing time?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_patel2919h ago

Check the marks close up before you trust them. I look for faded paint or dirt built up on the line. Takes two minutes and saved my butt more than once.

emerymoore19h ago

Love how "takes two minutes" is somehow too long for some people. They'll stare right at a faded line and still get it wrong.