Trimble Earthworks Operator Checklist (GNSS Machine Control) — Daily Routine

By justblack | November 28, 2025 |

This is the blue-collar, real-world checklist to keep Trimble Earthworks honest and keep you productive. The goal is simple: start the day knowing the machine is telling the truth—then run.

1) Pre-Start (2 minutes before you even move dirt)

  • Walkaround: teeth/edge, pins, hoses, obvious slop/leaks. (A loose bucket equals “bad grade” all day.)
  • Clean the important stuff: wipe the bucket teeth/edge, clean GNSS/RPS mounts if buried in mud.
  • Power-on sequence: let Earthworks fully boot. Don’t rush it and start clicking like a madman.

2) Confirm You’re on the Right Job + Right Design (Most common screw-up)

Inside Trimble Earthworks:

  • Job name: confirm you’re in today’s job (not yesterday’s).
  • Design file selection: verify you’re using the correct surface/design:
    • Strip vs Subgrade vs Base vs Finish (these get mixed up constantly)
  • Design version/date: if your foreman/model guy uses version naming (v3 / Addendum 2 / 11-28), make sure it matches.
  • Units check: feet vs meters (sounds dumb—still happens).

Rule: If anything looks off, stop and call it out early. Don’t “make it work” for two hours and then find out you were on the wrong surface.

3) GNSS Health Check (Before you trust the screen)

On the GNSS/position screen (or GNSS status widget):

  • Corrections: confirm you have corrections coming in (RTK/VRS/Trimble RTX—whatever you’re using).
  • Fix status: you want a stable fixed solution (not floating/jumping).
  • Satellites: if you’re low or bouncing, expect junk guidance near trees/buildings.
  • Signal warnings: don’t ignore them—Earthworks is literally telling you “this is getting sketchy.”

Rule of thumb: If the grade numbers are “hunting” while you’re sitting still, you’re not ready to cut.

4) Site Calibration / Coordinate Sanity (Fast reality check)

Do at least one of these at the start of the day (and again after moving long distances, swapping attachments, or getting hammered in rock):

Quick checks you can do:

  • Check a known hub/point (if available) with your bucket edge:
    • Compare what Earthworks says vs what the point should be.
  • Check inside a finished area you trust:
    • If you’re sitting on a known good grade, Earthworks shouldn’t show you 0.3’ off.

Rule: If you can’t pass a quick sanity check, you don’t have machine control—you have a video game.

5) IMU/Sensors + “Is the Machine Lying?” Test (Especially excavators)

Earthworks depends on sensors (IMU + angle sensors). If something’s out, you’ll chase grade forever.

Do this simple test:

  • Set the bucket edge on a firm surface.
  • Raise/lower and curl a bit.
  • Watch if the cut/fill behaves smoothly and logically.

Red flags:

  • Numbers jump around for no reason
  • “On grade” changes when you haven’t moved
  • Guidance looks fine until you curl, then goes goofy

If you see that: stop and get calibration checked.

6) Blade/Bucket Reference (You MUST be using the right cutting edge)

This is a big one.

  • Make sure Earthworks is set to the correct bucket edge / teeth / blade point.
  • If you swapped buckets, teeth, or cutting edge setup, Earthworks needs to match reality.

Rule: Changing a bucket/edge and not updating/checking is how you end up “mysteriously low” everywhere.

7) Design Display Settings (Set it up so it’s usable, not clutter)

Before production:

  • Turn on the key linework you actually need:
    • edges, centerlines, toe/top as applicable
  • Don’t overload the screen with every layer known to man.
  • Make sure your guidance view shows:
    • Cut/Fill
    • Slope (when doing slopes/ditches)
    • Station/offset if you’re following roadway alignments (when relevant)

Rule: If the display is confusing, you’ll ignore it. If you ignore it, you lose the advantage.

8) Start-of-Shift “Golden Patch” Test (5–10 minutes that saves days)

Pick a small area and do a controlled test cut/trim:

  • Cut to the design number
  • Have grade check shoot it (or check it yourself vs a known reference)

If it matches, you’re green-lit to run hard.
If it doesn’t, fix it now—don’t “run anyway.”

Rule: Prove it early or pay later.

9) Working Rules During Production (Keep it accurate all day)

  • Avoid GNSS garbage zones: trees, buildings, tall rock faces, steel piles.
    • In those areas, slow down and check more often.
  • Watch for drift after breaks: if the machine sat powered down or moved far, re-check.
  • After a hard hit: if you slammed the bucket/blade, check again. Sensors and mounts don’t like violence.
  • Don’t chase a bad number: if your instincts and the ground say it’s wrong, verify—don’t keep cutting.

10) End-of-Shift Quick Notes (Makes tomorrow smoother)

  • Write down:
    • What design surface you ran (Subgrade/Base/Finish)
    • Any areas where GNSS sucked
    • Any odd behavior (jumping cut/fill, calibration concerns)
    • Any plan changes you heard about

This helps the foreman/model support update files and keeps everyone aligned.

Fast “Red Flag” List — Stop and Verify If:

  • Cut/fill jumps while sitting still
  • You’re consistently off everywhere by the same amount
  • You swapped buckets/teeth and didn’t confirm the cutting edge reference
  • You lost corrections or went from fixed to float
  • The model looks “wavy” where it should be clean (could be a surface/breakline issue)
  • The job/design name doesn’t match what the foreman says is current
Posted in Machine Control, Trimble

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