What skill would be suitable for operating things like a dockside crane?

[The Colonel]

Just been through the skill list and didn't find any "mechanical operation" to go with "electronic operation, which seems a bit previous.
Presumably the relevant professions - longshoreman and possibly sailor - should cover it, but I was hoping there was something less general.

[Anders]

Isn't that Freight Handling?

[whswhs]

I agree with Anders; I'd call it Freight Handling.

Note, however, that a couple of GURPS books have the skill of Machine Operation, defined equivalently to Electronics Operation but matched up with some specialties of Mechanic; see for example Powers: The Weird and High-Tech: Electricity and Electronics. This doesn't apply to all machines—weapons and vehicles have skills already, and a lot of tools are covered by craft skills like Machinist or Masonry—but you could define a skill for, say, printing presses or complex pumping systems.

[Dr. Beckenstein]

I would go with driving - construction equipment.

Acc. to Gurps Basic Set (p. 188), this includes "any kind of bulldozer, crane, plow, etc."

Or, if it really just is about lifting things up and moving things around, a simple DX roll would be good enough. I have done this myself with bridge cranes, it is not difficult.

[The Colonel]

Thanks - I was looking to set up a roadblock in an adventure where the PCs need to get a cargo loaded quickly: there would, as always, be multiple solutions such as bribery, the right contacts and what have you, but always the possibility of a PC being able to operate the crane themselves. ~TL3 but that shouldn't make much odds.

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Thanks - I was looking to set up a roadblock in an adventure where the PCs need to get a cargo loaded quickly: there would, as always, be multiple solutions such as bribery, the right contacts and what have you, but always the possibility of a PC being able to operate the crane themselves. ~TL3 but that shouldn't make much odds.

If it's about loading and stacking cargo properly, Freight Handling is the most appropriate skill in Basic.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Thanks - I was looking to set up a roadblock in an adventure where the PCs need to get a cargo loaded quickly: there would, as always, be multiple solutions such as bribery, the right contacts and what have you, but always the possibility of a PC being able to operate the crane themselves. ~TL3 but that shouldn't make much odds.

Harbor cranes at TL3 are typically muscle powered (possibly by treadwheel) and needed a lot of people to operate. They were mostly just up, turn, down, repeat. I'd call it a straightforward use of Freight Handling/TL3.

A modern harbor crane is more flexible, but also more complex. I'd still use Freight Handling. I might call it a technique with a small penalty, if the operator doesn't also have Driving (Construction Equipment).

[Kromm]

GURPS Action 5: Dictionary of Danger to the rescue (or to your peril!).

For most cranes, Driving (Construction Equipment) or DX-based Freight Handling is the advice of pp. 17, 19. Marine winches are somewhat crane-like, and are covered by DX-based Freight Handling or Seamanship (p. 24). And firefighting aerials, ladders, and towers allow any of DX-based Professional Skill (Firefighter), or Driving (Construction Equipment or Heavy Wheeled) at -2 (p. 35).

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by RyanW

A modern harbor crane is more flexible, but also more complex. I'd still use Freight Handling. I might call it a technique with a small penalty, if the operator doesn't also have Driving (Construction Equipment).

I think familiarity penalties would cover that sort of thing sufficiently, and I'd allow several skills to be used - Freight Handling, Driving (Construction Equipment), and any relevant professional skills, plus any that the players sold me on.