Crane Hot Line June 2025 | Article Title

From The Field

Scott is a fast learner. After working in the oil and gas industry for 13 years, he realized a career change was in order. That decision, and his keen interest in cranes, led him to his current role as a crane operator and rigger at Duffy Crane & Hauling.

“The Link-Belt is very versatile ,” he said. “It can handle boom truck style jobs and bigger picks like setting tower crane parts or large vaults. The Demag is a bigger crane that has about four trailers of counterweight and I’ve been able to make picks over 100,000 pounds with it.”

In his current role, Scott operates 40- and 55-ton Manitex boom trucks, in many cases on roofing projects that typically require 50 or more picks. “On those types of jobs, efficiency is everything,” he said. “For that reason, out of all the equipment I’ve worked on, I’ve really come to enjoy boom trucks. They’re easy to get in and out of locations and to set up easily, which is a big plus when a lot of picks are involved and when you’re moving from job to job.”

“I currently operate a 40-ton boom truck, my first assigned crane,” Scott said. “One of the great things about this work is that every job is different. You need make sure that the job plans are accurate and current, and you need to interact with other crew members on a jobsite to coordinate everyone’s role so each pick can be made safely.”

Trained and certified at the Colorado Crane Operator School, and a full-time operator engineer through the International Union of Operating Engineers, Scott is now focused on gaining more experience at Duffy Crane & Hauling, a provider of operated and bare rental crane solutions for residential, commercial and industrial projects of all sizes.

Marcquis Scott, crane operator, Duffy Crane & Hauling

One example that Scott related was a job involving several lifts at the Denver International Airport. “We had to crane in escalators through a window,” he explained. “I was the crane operator and there were two signalpersons, one on the ground and another inside the building. The only way to correctly and safely place units weighing 40,000 pounds at a radius of 60 feet was if everyone was on the same page to start and was communicating the entire time.”

Scott is also keenly interested in giving back to the industry that has become central to his career. As a member of Catalyst Communications Network’s advisory council, for example, he now brings his real-world experience to discussions about industry trends and the challenges and opportunities within the field.

For the Denver airport job, Scott put his skills to work operating a 110-ton Link-Belt telescopic truck crane. On other jobs, he’s also operated a Tadano Demag 245-ton all-terrain crane as well as 400-ton capacity machines.

“I’m excited to engage in conversations and contribute to the continued success of the industry,” Scott said. “Through collaboration and shared insights, I look forward to contributing to the industry’s growth and success.”

In his current role, Marcquis Scott operates 40- and 55-ton Manitex boom trucks, in many cases on projects that require 50 or more picks.

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