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heavy equipment operators

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Rich Iowa

01-16-2006 18:04:38

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Figured this board would be the best place for this post. I"ve allways been interested in heavy equipment, graders, dozers, backhoes, and the like. How many of you do this for a living? How did you all get your start? I haven"t been able to talk anyone around here into letting me try running the equipment, to see if I enjoy it, yet. What do you like most about you job, the least? I"ve ran a few differant tractors, couple small skid loaders, and a back hoe once, but didn"t get to dig any holes. I have a class B CDL and feel I"m a mature and responsible person when it comes to running machinery. I do like being home every night, that might be a problem. How well would it work with running a farm? Any other thoughts would be appreciated.

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dan67

01-23-2006 18:40:24

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

I got my start buy going to work for an excavating company right after High school, Been farming up to that point, lot of hours of equipment use, started with a hand shovel working in the ditches, I was operating and driving dump trucks with in the year. You need to work hard lots of people out there. Good Luck at your endevor.

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RodInNS

01-18-2006 12:05:41

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

I don't do it for a living, but do run a dozer, skid steer, wheel loader, and knuckle boom, along with a truck, in the course of my activites. I would think that if you demonstrated some interest in running equipment, follow directions well, and an employer trusted you, you'd get on the gear a bit. Show some aptitude at it, and you'll go a long way. Whether it's farming or construction or logging or whatever these days, it's awful hard to get good operators. Take an interest in what you're doing, and always try to do it better, be more productive, realise a machines limits, and learn to get the most use from it without abuse. That counts for a lot. There's a lot of cowboys around that can run a piece of gear hard, and do nothing, while some never push it at all, and get a fair bit done, and those who can push just the right amount, and get a lot done. FWIW,

Rod

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Allan/NorCal

01-17-2006 20:12:45

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

I grew up driving tractors and after the company I worked closed and I went back to it at a gov agency. I'm getting close to retirement and the hardest thing is trying to fill spots of those who have left. I've have had some who have showed interest and ability but never show up for work or have drug problems. Our schools here are trying to send every body to college but no training in the trades and jobs go begging. The govner is talking about spending huge amounts on road rebuilding but not enough contractors or operators to do the work now. Everybody wants to sit at a key board and not get dirty. Find a contractor or a gov job that lets you get a foot in the door and advance into an field you want to go into. Don't be afraid to get dirty and show up for work get the basics down and you will advance. Allan

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thejdman01

01-17-2006 11:09:52

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

where i worked for many years first youd have to have a class a cdl. You take the semi and your machine in the morning and run it all day and either bring the semi back that night (or semi and cralwer loader etc) Usually quite a bit of take a crawler loader clean up excess back fill (they send dump trucks behind you) and you move onto the next job when you are done. at least that is what we have a few guysdoing. I dont know nhow but you need to find somone to let you run one for awhile, some poeple have a natural knack for it a talent. IF you are one of those peopel you are invaluable. Local 150 (union) has a school in Illinois but those (alot not all) candidates are worthless). I agree everyone has to start somewhere, but the can only teach you what stuff means how to physically run the machine, some popele have the natural gift for it others dont. I knew alot of operators over the years could make a road grade it perfect smooth as a table top w/o any lazers or anything. But alot of guys without there lazer are worthless today. Ive known quite afew operators and for whatevcer reason (didnt get it set up right whatever) they would get done with a job and it was TERRIBLE, because there lazer wasnt set up right wasnt workign right wahtever but they had no talent and kept on going. Didnt know it didnt see it and probably didnt care all they do is go forward and back and let the lazer do the up and down. Old operators or ones htat have the natural talent to run the machine , quick , safe, and have an eye for it are invaluable but until you get one the machien and run it you wont know if you are one of those guys or not. You have to be self motivated and get the job done not somone to hold your hand all the time. Times have changed sooooo ooooo ooooo greatly for equipment operators. Open rops (if it had any were the norm. YOu listen to a 8v71 detroit scream all day long 12 hours a day 6 days a week (2 on the pan scrapers). Praying the wind was int he right direction (most of the time lucky to have any wind at all). Levers were big and stiff, 5 gallon buckets and milk crates were seats. Now a days you ahve Air conditioning heat, radios and controls at your fingertips. Many of the real old machines (where i started) if they ahd doors on them got very very hot int he summer becasue your vavle bodies and hydraulic hoses were in the cab so all that heat was in the cab with you too. Its a very good very well paying gig if you can get in it and like it. Around here Noveember and December Jan Feb are usually very slow or nothing at all. Used to supplement my income by snow plowing in the winter for the township (lately not enough snow to do that) but if you have wife and kids if you live where it freezes be prepared to save a lot or find winter work. I was never too bad off cause i was a jack of all trades master of a very few(mechanic truck driver and operator) whoever called in sick or whatever they needed (didnt care variety was nice paid the same) so i kept busy usually during winter months fixing things. However towards january they were out of money couldnt buy parts or afford the labor so usaully got laid off for awhile/

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Mike in MI

01-17-2006 10:06:03

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

Here"s one with me back in 1980 cleaning fence rows for a farmer. This farm had a fence row every 10 acre partual. One guy stopped one day an ask me if I sell it, I thought it over told him he had to haul it.
Can"t tell ya the year of the dozer didn"t really know. Its a IH TD-18 with the hand clutch and had to start it on gas and switch over to diesel side. Spent a lot of hrs setting in that seat. Been days I wished I had it back. Mike

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old

01-17-2006 08:24:27

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

The way I got in to it was by driveing a dump truck and of course that leads in to the heavy equipment. Sooner or later it ends up you have to learn to load the truck your self and then it just snow balls from there or it did with me. A lot of excavewtion companys will hire on a laborer and that job slowly end up with the person haveing to learn how to operate the heavy stuff.

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Mark in Virginia

01-17-2006 04:53:04

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

Rich: Over 30 years ago, I was in your shoes. I got a job with the local State Hiway Dept, shoveling asphalt off the back of a truck. I worked hard, asked questions, and made friends with the operators and foremen. After 18 months, an opening for a sheepfoot operator became available. One thing led to another and over the course of about 15 years I was able to become profficient in just about all the equipment. I found out that I had to change employers about every 5 years or so in order to keep advancing. For the last 15 years, I moved into supervision, then management, and am now an estimator. I still like nothing better than to operate a machine all day, but the body just doesn't take it as well as it used to. The industry will always be in need of good operators. If you are willing to be a little flexible as to where you work, you will most likley never be without employment. Keep an open mind, ask lots of questions, work and study hard. Best of luck. Mark

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seann

01-16-2006 20:33:03

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

I'm no professional but have a few hundred hours on an old track loader that I have only for my personal use. I really enjoy running the track loader and would feel comfortable at this point doing a little side work clearing land, building a driveway, digging a basement or loading a few trucks for someone else if asked (and the price was right). I guess my point is, is that if you have enough money for a modest machine, then you might be able to start out getting some experience working on your own for a awhile. But first you'd have to practice on your own land and get the basics down before venturing out on someone else's project.

Other than that I knew an excavator who would hire people to run a vibratory roller (and pay them minimal wages), which was a pretty easy and mind numbing job. But if you took the initiative, once in a while he would let you run other machines too. If it became clear you had some sense, were ambitious and reliable, he'd move you up to pretty much whatever position you wanted eventually...except his job of course!

Good luck

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bgoathill

01-16-2006 20:08:14

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

I started working road construction right out of high school 18 years ago and have worked for the same excavating company for 12 years now. The boss says I am the foreman of the dirt crew but most of the time work alone. I do most of our finish work and fine grade. I run all of the equipment we have, scrapers, excavators, loader cats, dozers, and also drive truck. I don't really care for demolition, and I guess my favorite is road building. I have to be able to read plans and prints and figure grade. I also have to be able to check and shoot my own grade because I don't trust anyone else to do it for me. If it is wrong I get the butt chewing. I can't believe some of the guys that have been hired saying that they are finish operators. Most of them can't read plans or hub shots. There is a lot more to it than just pushing a pile of dirt around. I also farm some and raise goats and am home every night.

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NC Wayne

01-16-2006 19:15:20

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

I work on them for a living, instead of running them. This, to me, is really enjoyable because I get to run all different types of machines instead of getting stuck on just one all the time. Based on what I've seen and heard finding really good operators is getting harder and hardwer with every passing day. Sure you can find "lever pullers". Things that used to get guys fired like spinning the tires on a scraper, wearing out the tires as well as the drivetrain while being push loaded, are commonplace to see nowdays. I watched a guy the other day spinning the tires like he was going 40MPH while a D-8 push loaded him at a crawl. It wasn't my machine but I still wanted to go slap him up side the head and tell him how much he was costing his employeer and that that repairing that machine was where the money for his next raise was destined to go....Therein lies the big problem, actually finding a somebody with the "want to" to learn to be a real operator is a rarity instead of just pulling leves and drawing a check. We do alot of crane work, and again based on what I see and hear through the grapevine there is a real shortage of true "crane operators". Most of them are older guys and as they retire there are more and more jobs that are being left open because nobody is qualified to fill them. If you really want to make good money get out and beat the bushes and find a job working with a crane company. Stay with them awhile and learn the basics and then go to school and get certified. If you really want your pick of jobs find an outfit with some of the older friction cranes and learn to operate them first before moving onto the high tech hydraulic machines. Learn how to do dragline work, clamshell work, etc. Basically learn how to use the crane for everything it's designed to do, not just lifting. If you can do this then you'll never go hungry looking for work. Once you get the experience under your belt go ahead and take the courses and get certified. The certification isn't needed yet in all states, but it's coming soon so it's better to be prepared before hand than to be left behind. Whatever you wind up doing take your time, learn to be an operator instead of a lever puller and you'll go far. Good luck.

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Logan in SE Tex.

01-16-2006 19:11:54

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

Hey Rich, I too was always interested in the big machines, I eventually was able to work my way into a job running some of the smaller cranes, called cherry pickers. 15-25 ton was the sizes I worked on. Never did get a chance to do much dirt work, have ran a small dozer, scraper and backhoe some, but not enough to get real good at them. As far as getting started, it is hard to break in, everybody will tell you that unless you have experience....and you can't get experience unless... I had a good boss once that let me get started on the cranes during lunch breaks, I would set up crane and work it like I was making lifts without anything on the hook, he finally let me start doing it for real after about 3 months of this. It is a big responsibility when you are lifting stuff over or around people. Dirt work is a whole different world than hook work.
Here where I live there are craft labor unions and there are 2 locals for hvy equipment, you can join and enter their apprentice program (4yrs) or join the military and try to get an MOS, I think that is what it is called?, that will put you around their hvy stuff, you get a wide variety of machines in the service. After I got my start on cranes, and I hate to admit this, I basically had to lie to get a job, saying I had more experience than I did, but I got to work and got the experience finally. Working in and around the local refineries here as a pipefitter and equipment op. I ALWAYS had no doubt that the Equip. Op. jobs were far and away the better jobs, their were always OLD guys doing the big machines and their were very few OLD guys that could still work as a pipefitter....just so much easier on the body.....HTH, Logan

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Andrew Scribner

01-16-2006 18:54:56

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Rich Iowa, 01-16-2006 18:04:38

I have trained to be an equipment operator and did so with a semi- local school find one nearest to you and you should find job openings in your area. Any questions feel free to contact me...

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chvet73

01-17-2006 07:25:19

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Re: heavy equipment operators in reply to Andrew Scribner, 01-16-2006 18:54:56

You can also look into your local Operating Engineers Union. They will have an excellent apprentice program.

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