A Fort Worth machinery mover
The Better Business Bureau lists J Mor Machinery Movers, Inc. on Old Hemphill Road in Fort Worth, filed under machinery movers, heavy haul trucking and riggers. A third-party company profile adds rigging, millwright work, laser alignment and crating to that list. We could not find an official company website, so this page sticks to those listings and to the kind of work the trade involves.
Moving production machinery is a specialty of its own. A press, a CNC machine or a molding line is usually top-heavy, oddly shaped and expensive, and it often has to come out of a building through a tight door before it goes anywhere near a trailer. Much of the risk sits in the rigging, not in the lift itself.
Why rigging skill decides how a move goes
When a machine leaves the floor, everyone on the crew is betting on a handful of judgments made before the hook moved:
- Weight and center of gravity. Equipment nameplates and shipping papers do not always agree, and the center of gravity on a machine tool is rarely in the middle.
- Sling angle. A sling at 30 degrees from horizontal carries twice the tension of a vertical leg. Crews that skip that math overload good gear.
- Hitch and hardware choice. Choker, basket or vertical hitch, shackles, spreader bars and edge protection each change the capacity of the rig.
- Inspection. Synthetic slings, wire rope and chain each have their own removal criteria.
Once a mobile crane joins the job, for loading out or setting machines through a roof opening, federal crane rules add requirements. OSHA's Subpart CC calls for a qualified signal person whenever the operator cannot see the load or its path, and for qualified riggers during certain hooking and unhooking work.
Rigging gear also has to be matched to the pick points a manufacturer provides. Lifting eyes on a machine are often rated for a vertical pull only, and an angled sling can bend or tear them out.
Which course fits which person
New hands on the rigging crew
Our 4-hour Level I Rigger/Signal Person class is a short introduction to hitches, hardware, inspection and hand signals. It is a Miller Crane Works qualification, not an NCCCO certification, and it suits someone in their first months of moving equipment.
Lead riggers and the person who talks to the operator
The 28-hour Rigger/Signal Person Certification Level I course prepares people for the NCCCO Rigger Level I and Signalperson exams. Expect load weight estimates, sling tension, rigging plans and the full set of standard hand and voice signals.
Anyone running the crane
If the company keeps a telescopic crane for loadouts, the operator needs NCCCO certification for that crane type. Experienced operators usually come for the 40-hour fixed/swing cab course; people new to the seat take the 120-hour version.
Getting from Fort Worth to class
Our only training site is 304 Tunnell St in Seagoville, about 55 road miles east of Fort Worth on the southeast side of Dallas. Most Tarrant County students take I-20 east and commute each day, since the rigging courses are short. For the longer operator courses, some people prefer to stay closer; the premium courses offer optional room and board. The location page has directions.
Sending a group
Companies usually start on the company classes page or by calling (214) 763-0513. Tell us how many people you plan to send, what each one does on the job, which crane types they run, and the weeks that work around your move schedule. We will suggest courses and dates. Training cannot be delivered at your shop; every class and NCCCO practical exam happens in our Seagoville yard. Questions in writing can go through our contact form.