Guides
33 Unwritten Rules of Concrete Pumping (That Older Blokes Won't Tell You)
There's a manual for running a concrete pump. Then there's the real manual — the one nobody hands you on day one. Here are 33.
On the pump
- Walk the line before every pour. Every. Single. One.
- If you didn't prime it, don't pump it.
- The truck driver is your partner, not your problem.
- Never stand in line with a discharge end. Ever.
- Wash out before you finish. Always finish what you started clean.
- The sponge ball is not a suggestion.
- Hoses don't fail — connections fail. Check them.
- If you can hear the mix changing, you already missed it. Watch the slump.
- Boom positions are decided before the truck arrives. Not during.
- Don't pump with a hangover. The line will know.
On the crew
11. The first guy on site is the first guy respected.
12. Hand signals are universal — learn them, use them, don't yell.
13. The boomhand sees what you can't. Listen to them.
14. Carrying line is a workout. Help when you're not pumping.
15. Don't argue with the operator on the gun. Argue at smoko.
16. If you broke it, you say so. Before they ask.
17. The new guy gets the worst hose. That's how you find out who he is.
18. Smoko is sacred. Don't be the bloke who skips it.
19. Builders don't run pours. The pump does.
20. If you don't know, ask. If you do know, teach.
On the job
21. Show up early. Twice. Then start showing up earlier.
22. Diesel costs money. So does your time. Quote properly.
23. The cheap job today is the expensive lesson tomorrow.
24. Saturday work is real work. Don't half-arse it because it's overtime.
25. Photograph everything that goes wrong before you fix it.
26. Track every blow, every blockage, every burst. That's how you learn.
27. The owner-operator who looks after his gear retires. The one who doesn't, doesn't.
28. Insurance isn't optional. Neither is a spare gasket.
29. One bad pour follows you for years. Don't be that operator.
30. The respect you give the labourer is the respect you get from the boss.
On yourself
31. Wear the uniform. Wear the after-uniform with the same pride.
32. This industry will use you up if you let it. Set boundaries early.
33. The good operators die respected, not rich. Aim for both.
CTA: grab the full digital file in the shop for the deeper version with stories behind every rule.
