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Heavy Equipment Operator Work Is Highly Skilled And
Rewarding
Almost every facet
of construction industry has a need for people able to operate different types of heavy equipment. This can in the
form of forklifts, cranes, bulldozers, earth movers, loaders, backhoes/track hoes, and more. Each different piece
of heavy equipment has its own set of skills that must be mastered and the financial rewards are commensurate with
the piece of equipment being operated.
One of the most common types of construction to have a large
number of different types of heavy equipment is the road construction industry. Here, the ability to operate
machines such as dozers, earth movers, graders, front end loaders, and such is used daily. It is important to note
that different skills are needed with each type.
Many pieces of heavy equipment operate similar to driving a car, with a steering
wheel, clutch, brake, and gas pedals. In addition, there are usually several levers that control different
movements of certain parts, such as loader buckets, blades, etc. However, there are some items, such as bulldozers,
track hoes, backhoes, etc, That require one to operate completely using levers to control movement direction and
speed as well as the primary utility parts such as blades or digging bucket.
Cranes are in a class by themselves because they may be driven to a site or erected
on site, depending on the size of crane needed, and because when lifting and moving loads, they are stationary.
However, there are different types of cranes that lift and handle loads differently, with each requiring its
operator to learn specific signals and controls that can differ from one type to another.
When a person seeks a job performing heavy equipment operator work, he must normally
specify the types of equipment he/she is experienced on. Many people may think that the ability to operate one
piece of equipment is automatically accepted as the ability to operate all, but this is not the case.
Because this type of work is so highly specialized and skilled, it is normally very
rewarding in the form of financial recompense. For many operators, it is also rewarding in the form of job
satisfaction, as they are aware that they are using skills that the average person may lack.
Heavy equipment operator work is not for the faint of heart. Even though every safety
precaution one can imagine is built into equipment and drilled into operators during training, there are times when
performance of the job can place an operator in an uncomfortable position.
One example would be operating a loader that builds piles of aggregate at a stone
quarry. It is often necessary to push the pile up in such a way that the loader is almost standing on its rear end.
Other times, the operator may have to drive up onto the top of piles to level them off and create a road for
himself and dump truck operators to reach the top. When this happens, he/she must also create berms beside the path
to the top as well as along the top edges of the pile to prevent a rollover/roll off accident.
Another example would be the construction of dikes and levees. It is very likely that
there will be times when a piece of equipment will be needed to perform a function that places it in nearly a
vertical position of moving along a slope that is very steep, with the potential of rolling over. An experienced
operator can perform these functions safely almost all the time, but there is a chance of accidents in these
situations.
For these reasons, most people require several hours of extensive training under
supervised conditions before being declared fully adept at operation of any specific piece of equipment. Changing
from one to another, even of the same type, can involve a slight learning curve for the most experienced of
operators.
For this and other reasons, heavy equipment operator work is difficult to find in
many areas. Qualified operators are not likely to leave a job unless someone makes a much better offer financially
or they decide it is time to retire. For those who do find this type of work, the rewards are there, both
financially and in job satisfaction.
Due to the specialized training and the type of coordination of movements that is
demanded of operators, the competition for these jobs is not as high as for other types of work. While it does not
take a college degree to qualify for these jobs, they are often as well paid as many professional positions.
Retention of good employees and attracting those who will become valuable for these skills is important to all
corporations that have use for equipment operators.
In the end, one of the most satisfying aspects of heavy
equipment operator work lays in knowing that the unique and specialized skills one has acquired contributed to the
creation of something that will last for many years. Whether it is building construction with placement of trusses,
girders, air conditioning units, etc. Using a crane or road construction that includes building up a road bed by
moving dirt and rock to the site, packing, grading, paving, and more, the finished project is something that will
probably outlast the people involved in the construction.
Heavy equipment operator work is far rarer than other types, such as
factory/manufacturing or professional, but it is a highly skilled and rewarding career option for anyone who thinks
that working outdoors is for them.
Heavy Machine
Operators
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