 The loader is about the hardest working piece of equipment we have in highway maintenance. And in many highway maintenance operations, it's the loader operator who keeps things going. Part one of this program on loader operation will cover pre-trip inspections, servicing the loader to get ready for a day's work, start-up procedures, some of the loader controls you'll use, and shutting down the loader at the end of the day. Part two will cover maneuvering the loader in basic operations. Before we get started, I should point out that we have a lot of loaders, big and small, different makes and models, and we can't go into all of the differences here. In this program, we'll use a John Deere loader. But it's always a good idea to read the operator's manual for the loader you'll be using. Study the maintenance requirements and learn the location and function of the various instruments and controls. Okay, let's get started with pre-trip inspections. Follow the inspections outlined in the daily checklist. Note any problems you find and tell your supervisor about anything you can't fix yourself. Start with a good overall look at the machine. Any signs of leaks or damage? Check it out. Check the tires every day. Look at the condition of the tread and sidewalls. Look for deep cuts or punctures. Check behind the tire to find leaks from defective wheel seals. Check for underinflated tires. Use a tire gauge if you're not sure. Underinflation wears out tires quickly and makes steering the loader that much harder. And check for loose or broken lug nuts while you're at it. Make sure everything is nice and tight. Some of our loaders have tires which contain liquid for ballast. Check the pressure on these tires with a special gauge and with a tire stem up. Or you may get a face full of calcium chloride. Look for leaks around the hydraulic hoses. Make sure the fittings are tight. If you see a puddle or any sign of a leak, get it fixed before you start the loader. Check your front tires again for proper inflation, uneven tread wear, and so on. Tire troubles about the last thing you need out on the job. Take a look at the bucket and blade. That's the business end. It takes a beating whenever you use the loader. Look for cracks or excessive wear. Replacing a worn blade is a lot cheaper than replacing the whole bucket. Then continue your inspections. Just walk around the loader and look for signs of obvious or potential trouble. If you find something wrong, take care of it yourself or report it to your supervisor. Check the hydraulic oil level through the sight glass on the tank. If the buck is resting on the ground and you haven't found any leaks, you should be able to see the level through the glass. Take a good look throughout the engine compartment. Look for loose hoses, broken parts, leaks, anything that could lead to a breakdown. Then check the grille. If it gets clogged up with trash or leaves, the engine may overheat. Keep it clear so air can flow through to the radiator. And check the coolant level. Keep it above the radiator core with fresh coolant. Bad fan belts and hoses can cause overheating too. Press on the belt. Check it for tightness. Look for cracks and signs of wear. And check the radiator hose. Make sure it's tight and in good shape. Pull on the fan. A loose fan could mean the water pump is going bad. Check the engine oil every day. Keep it between the ad and full marks on the dipstick. If the oil is foamy, gritty, or smells of fuel, don't start the engine until the problem has been diagnosed and corrected. Next, check the air filter restriction indicator. When it turns red, the filter should be cleaned or replaced. If your loader doesn't have the restriction indicator, you should remove the air filter and clean it out. Dirty air is one of the leading causes of diesel engine failure. Look for dents or holes in the filter. Tap it lightly on your hand to shake out dust. And if it's really clogged up, get a new filter. Check the pre-cleaner. That's where most of the dust gets trapped before it gets to the air filter. Dump out the dust and wipe out the bowl. The pre-cleaner should be cleaned out occasionally during the day, especially if you're working in dusty conditions. Diesel engines need a lot of air and it has to be clean. Many loaders are equipped with turbochargers which increase engine power. You should make sure the hoses leading to and from the turbocharger are in good shape. A worn hose like this could allow dirt to enter the engine and lead to a complete breakdown. That does it for engine checks. Now greasing. One thing you'll learn as a loader operator, there's a lot of greasing to do. There'll be a lubrication chart on the loader or in the operator's manual. Refer to it to find the location of the grease fittings and the recommended service intervals. Generally, you grease the parts to get the most wear every day. On loaders, that means the boom and bucket pivot points. Notice how he wipes the fitting clean before he adds grease. That prevents forcing dirty grease back into the fitting. And there are more fittings in the pivot area. Grease the bearings on the drive shaft and the frame steering points. But never get in the pivot area while the engine's running. You'll see why in a minute. Okay, you're almost ready to start the loader. Climb into the cab using the foot and hand holes. Don't grab the steering wheel. Now it's time for a little housekeeping. Clean the windshield and windows. You have to be able to see clearly on all sides. Keep the floorboard clean. You could easily slip on a greasy floorboard as you enter or leave the cab. If your loader has a cab with rollover protection, use your seat belt. But on loaders without rollover protection, don't use a seat belt. You want to be able to jump clear if you upset the machine. To start this loader, you have to be in neutral. Turn the key on and press the start button. Let the engine warm up for five minutes. In the meantime, complete your daily checks. As the loader warms up, make sure the gauges on the instrument panel are working. You should get an oil pressure reading right away. If the gauge reads zero or low oil pressure, that's a sign of a major problem. Shut off the engine and report it. Turn on the overhead beacon. Make sure it and all of your lights are working. And if you'll be taking the loader out of the yard, you'll need a slow-moving vehicle sign mounted on the radiator grille. Check the color of the exhaust smoke. Thick black or white smoke indicates engine trouble. Put the transmission in reverse and make sure your backup alarm is working. Then drive ahead slowly and test your brakes. I said slowly. Now a couple more points about starting. Don't crank the starter for more than 30 seconds at a time. That'll wear out the starter and the battery. So if the engine doesn't start right away, wait a couple of minutes and then try again. And make sure no one is near the loader when you start up. Here's why. Most loaders are articulated. When you turn the front wheels, the whole front end of the machine swings around. Watch what happens to this barrel. The thing to remember is that even with the engine turned off, there may still be enough pressure in the hydraulic lines to move the front end slightly if someone turns the steering wheel. So before servicing the pivot area, you should lock the safety bar in place to prevent any chance of injury. Alright, let's go over some of the loader controls. First, the boom and bucket controls. There are only four movements, so it's really pretty simple. You can raise the boom, roll the bucket back, roll the bucket forward, and lower the boom. In this loader, you control all of those movements with one lever. Pull it back to raise the boom and push it forward to lower it. That's a natural movement, back to raise, forward to lower. Now, when you pull the lever to the left, the bucket will roll back. That's how you load it. Push the lever to the right and the bucket will roll forward for dumping. Left for loading, right for dumping. There are two more bucket controls. First, the automatic leveler. Pull the lever all the way to the left and let it go. The bottom of the bucket will automatically return to a level position. That's a handy feature you'll learn more about in Part 2, and there's also the bucket float control. Push the lever all the way forward and the bucket will float along the surface you're working. Use this feature when you have to back drag or smooth an area. So that's how you move the boom and bucket. But what about moving the loader? Again, it's pretty simple. This loader has an automatic transmission with four positions. Low gear is for working. High gear is for traveling at higher speeds on a smooth surface. Don't use it for working. Reverse is for, you guessed it, reversing. And neutral is for parking and starting. You can lock it in neutral with a latch on the column. So shifting is no problem. There's no clutch pedal. Just remember to stop the loader before you shift from reverse to forward or from forward to reverse. Although there is no clutch pedal, there is a clutch control. It's for working on slopes. Whenever you hit the brakes in the loader, the transmission shifts into neutral. When you release the brakes, the loader will roll forward before the gear engages. Engaging the clutch control eliminates that delayed reaction. Now when you take your foot off the brakes, you won't roll forward. Okay, we've covered pre-trip inspections, start-up procedures, and the controls you'll use as a loader operator. Now let's cover shutting down. Park on level ground. Put the transmission in neutral, set the parking brake, and lower the bucket flat on the ground. Never shut down the loader immediately after it's been working under a full load. Let the engine idle for a few minutes to cool down gradually. Check the transmission fluid. The dipstick is behind the seat on this model. Checking the level when the engine's warm will give you a truer reading on the stick. After the cool down period, shut off the engine and remove the key. Cycle the steering wheel back and forth to relieve pressure in the hydraulic system. Only then is it safe to climb down into the pivot area. Do a quick walk-around inspection. Look for damage and report any operational problems to your supervisor. Make sure the rain cap on the exhaust is closed so water can't get into the engine. Try to keep the equipment clean. It'll last longer. Shut the bucket, too. The sooner you do it, the easier it'll be. Okay, that's it for Part 1 of loader operation. In Part 2, we'll cover maneuvering the loader and some basic operations you'll need to learn.