The etymology of many common pieces of heavy equipment is somewhat fascinating, as even the largest and most technical pieces of equipment will often receive somewhat unusual nicknames that reflect a particularly unique quality they have.
One of these is the wheeled excavator, often known as the rubber duck digger in the profession, which is notable not only for what it does but how it looks whilst it does it.
Because the name is so strange, being named after a popular bathroom toy, many people wonder where the name actually comes from, why it has stuck and what makes a wheeled excavator useful for certain specialist purposes.
Part of the reason for this is the colour; most excavators are yellow to make them as visible as possible and improve the safety of the site. With the lifting arm raised, it can resemble the characteristic silhouette of a rubber duck.
The bigger reason for the “rubber duck” name, however, is the way that it moves. Because it is on wheels rather than caterpillar tracks, the higher centre of gravity and relative lack of width of tyres cause them to bob up and down, much like how a rubber duck will be slightly top-heavy when floating on water.
This is something that can be fixed with telescopic stabilising arms whilst actually using the excavator to stop the top-heavy motion, and many operators quickly get used to the porpoising cabin whilst travelling from one position to another.
It has since become a somewhat distinguishing feature of the wheeled excavator, to the point that they are more commonly known as rubber duck excavators than their more formal title.
Because they can safely be used on the road, they have become a popular sight for many road surfacing and digging works, but can also be used on rough terrain due to their thick, heavy-duty tyres.
