One of the most common questions we get from new customers is: How difficult is it to use hydraulic skidding?
The short answer is: Not very.
Hydraulic skidding systems are simple to operate, and crews with previous rigging experience usually become comfortable with the system within a few hours.
In this article, we’ll explain:
- How your team can learn to operate a hydraulic skidding system in under a day
- Why the learning curve is short compared to other options
- The training resources and options available for Hydra-Slide customers
Navigation: Skidding Applications and Use Cases
- Why Hydraulic Skidding Exists
- The Three Principles Behind Safe Heavy Load Movement
- What Is Hydraulic Skidding?
- How the Load Is Carried
- Managing Force, Speed, and Balance
- Lifting Vertical
- Distributing Weight Evenly Across Points
- Keeping Multiple Points Moving Together
- Safety
- Choosing the Right Approach for Your Move
- Learning the Language of Skidding
Hydraulic Skidding Can Be Learned in Less Than a Day
Consider the training and experience needed to operate a crane vs. a hydraulic skidding system to move a very heavy item.
Operating a crane requires years of training and certification. Rigging suspended loads demands constant operator attention, and the consequences of a mistake can be severe for both operators and your equipment.
Hydraulic skidding works differently. Skidding systems are simple to operate and designed for safety. The components can be hand-carried to the site of your move, and all components are mechanical.
Once the move begins, the load always stays grounded. Movement happens in short, controlled strokes. Friction is controlled, not eliminated, so when pressure is released, the load stops immediately.
Operators control movement from a distance through hydraulic lines. There is no swing, no stored momentum, no reliance on split-second decisions, which greatly reduces the chances of a catastrophic failure or a runaway load.
The simplicity of the system means that most crews can learn to operate a hydraulic skidding system in less than a day.
Hydra-Slide Systems Can Be Learned Simply by Reading Our Operating Manuals
Every Hydra-Slide hydraulic skidding system comes with a detailed operating manual that covers setup, operations, and troubleshooting. For many of our customers, the manual is all they need. Their crews simply read through the manual, follow the instructions, and get to work.
Our lighter systems (such as the XLP30 & XLP150) can be assembled by hand with no tools. Both assembly and operation can be understood in minutes. For our heavier systems, there is more to learn, but crews with pre-existing rigging knowledge can often use even our heavier systems without specialized training.
Hydra-Slide’s Training Options
Hydra-Slide offers hands-on training support for customers who request it. This can be as simple as a virtual walkthrough via video call. Or, we can send one of our hydraulic skidding specialists to spend a day on-site with your crew.
We’ve worked with teams on six continents, delivering training in tunnels, on mountains, and at power stations, just to name a few.
What Training Covers for Hydraulic Skidding
If you request training, we’ll send a specialist to spend time with your team on-site. During the training, we’ll teach the same procedures we outline in our training materials. That way, your team can refer back to them for later projects.
Most on-site training sessions take half of the day, to a full day. In some cases, training happens during the crew’s first real project with the system. In other cases, we’ll help your team set up a dry run as a test of the system. This helps ensure the crew is comfortable with the process before the real move begins.
During a training session, our specialist will focus on three areas:
- Setup
- Operation
- Troubleshooting
Setup covers:
- How the tracks, shoes, and cylinders are assembled
- How to prepare the load path
- How to connect and configure the power unit
Operation teaches:
- How to apply force
- How to monitor the system during a move
- How to read pressure gauges to understand what the load is doing
Troubleshooting provides instructions for what happens when things don’t go perfectly. If a hydraulic hose gets connected backward, if tracks are not set up perfectly parallel, or if another problem happens during operation, we want operators to feel prepared to handle the situation safely and confidently.
Most Customers Don’t Require On-Site Training
The truth is, most of our customers do not request formal training, and that says more about the equipment than it does about the customers.
Customers who request training often fall into two categories:
- Project managers who want to ensure their crews have every advantage prior to a high-stakes job where they want everything to go right the first time.
- Team leads who are far from the work and want to ensure their crew is fully prepared.
In both cases, we ensure training is about confidence, not complexity.
Getting Started With Hydraulic Skidding
Every Hydra-Slide system comes with all the documentation and support you need to get your crew up and running. If you are interested in a hands-on training session, we are happy to arrange either a virtual session or an in-person visit.
Whatever your situation or project, if you need a system for safely moving heavy loads, the Hydra-Slide team is here to ensure you feel confident with our equipment from day one.
