Bulldozer operators – where do they work? It would probably be easier to list where they don’t work. Typically they work on small housing projects, landscaping, new subdivisions, construction projects of all shapes and sizes, roadwork, and anywhere that requires land clearing, including farms. In winter, you may also see them working to move snow from land and roads.

The working day starts early for a bulldozer operator. They may start work at the site or in the yard before moving with their equipment to the work site. As with all heavy equipment, the job entails more than just operating their equipment. Safety is a big issue as is preventative maintenance so the first task of the day is a thorough walk around inspection of their machine. Bulldozers are generally fitted with caterpillar type tracks – these need to be inspected for damage and jammed debris. Fuel and fluid levels need to be checked along with hoses and hose fittings.

A normal work day often includes a get together with the rest of the construction crew where the day’s work is discussed and an order of work is laid out. The bulldozer is an integral part of the team on a lot of construction sites. Having said that, there are a lot of jobs, land clearing is one, where the bulldozer operator is out working by themselves. They need to walk around the area identifying hazards and mentally planning how they will attack the task.

Working a bulldozer can be hot and dusty work. Many bulldozers now come equipped with cabins that are sealed from the elements – dust, I am sorry to say, still has a way of finding its way in. The operator works to a plan; when clearing land, it’s a case of chewing away from the outside and working your way through to the other side of the job. The operator needs to be constantly alert for hidden tree stumps, large buried rocks and very soft mud.

At the end of the day, the bulldozer operator reverses their start up procedure. They may be required to report back to a supervisor on progress and will always need to do an end of day walk around to inspect for damage caused by the days work. Bulldozer operators, like all heavy equipment operators, build a relationship with their machine. A sixth sense often kicks in telling them when something is not quite right.

You can train to become a bulldozer operator in as little as three weeks. There are two things I do know about bulldozers and heavy equipment – you may receive training today – it is still going to be a lifetime of ongoing learning and discovery. The second thing – I have never seen an unhappy bulldozer operator!

How would you like to spend a day outdoors digging trenches? Sound like fun? Okay, here you go, here’s a shovel, let me know when your done!

What, you’re back already? Doesn’t sound like fun? – oh well, let’s get a bigger bucket then. How about a bucket that holds half a ton of dirt? Now we are talking business – and that’s a small bucket when it comes to excavators. Have you ever wondered what it is like to spend a day inside the cab with an excavator operator. It may sound boring, but in reality, it’s quite fun.

You need to be up early. Excavator operators can be at work at 6am – sometimes earlier. Some, by the way, are just finishing work for the night at 6am. Like all heavy equipment operators, excavator operators start by giving their equipment a walk around inspection. This includes fluid levels in hydraulics, brakes, oil and of course fuel.

Often, the excavator is already at the work site so it is a case of reviewing the current job to see where you need to be on the day. Once the excavator is positioned and the right attachment is secured, the excavator operator does another walk around, this time including safety aspects. If everything is as it should be, it’s time to start the job.

Excavator operators could be working on a different job each day, or on the one job for a whole year – or anything in between. They may work an 8 hour day, or they could be working 10-12 hour days. It all depends on their contract and how quickly the work needs to be completed in.

Digging a trench, is not a case of just digging. It is precision work – the trench is being dug for a reason and generally goes from A to B. The operator needs to ensure the trench is the right depth, the right width, and of course, does meet with the point marked as B.

Once the job has been completed for the day it’s time to pack away your equipment. This includes another walk around check for any damage. Another check of fluid levels and, if the equipment is being left on the job, securing the vehicle to prevent any accidents or theft.

A day in the life of an excavator operator is like most jobs. You start work, you have a general procedure to follow which includes doing the work required, then packing up and going home. Of course, most jobs don’t include wrestling with a 20+ ton piece of heavy equipment. If you would like to wrestle with an excavator then consider heavy equipment training as a new career move. You could be in the excavators hot seat sooner than you may think.

Motor grader operators normally work in areas such as new sub-divisions, parking lots, airport runways, highways, country roads, and the final stages of general road construction. Like all heavy equipment operators, they require specialist skills for their equipment. Like crane operators, motor grader operators work to fine measurements often using new technology such as GPS and lasers.

The day starts early for a motor grader operator and they are generally required to start at the site they are to work on. Like all heavy equipment operators there is a standard routine to the morning. A briefing with the site managers to discuss the current state of construction. An inspection of blue prints and the order of work for the day.

Once the operator knows what he/she is doing, it is time to inspect their equipment to ensure everything is ready to go. One of the problems with leaving equipment on a construction site is damage caused by third parties. This could include willful damage by vandals, or damage from animals. One area that motor grader operators need to examine closely are their tires. Other heavy equipment often use caterpillar treads, motor graders use large tires and these need to be checked for cuts, tears and for objects that may have lodged in the tires. If all is well – it is off to start the job.

It may look boring, just driving up and down a new stretch of highway. It’s not. Each pass is made to a specific degree of angle and depth. Even the speed of the vehicle can determine what sort of finish you get. There are times when the grader will work on stretch of new road, move to another stretch that afternoon and be back to the start the following morning after new material such as gravel or road base has been added. Whilst they are concentrating on the task at hand, they must also be vigilant of everything that is happening around them so they can avoid any accidents. Safety is primary in all heavy equipment jobs.

Motor grader operators often work long hours. Their day is not done until the pass they are working on has been completed. Even then, they need to secure their vehicle and perform an end of day inspection of the equipment.

Want to work as a motor grader operator? Training is done in as little as three weeks. Just be sure the motor grader training you receive is from an accredited training organization and that the training itself has been accredited.

Ever wondered what it was like to work as a mobile crane operator? Let’s spend a day with an operator and see what sort of day they have. Mobile crane operators are amongst the most skilled workers when it comes to heavy equipment and their services are in great demand. Being mobile, they often find themselves moving from job to job. There is no such thing as a standard working day – they finish work when the last job of the day has been completed.

Operators typically report for duty each day at the machinery yard. Before they leave for the first job, they need to do a walk around inspection to ensure everything is in good shape. This includes checking fluid levels and fuel levels – it would be quite embarrassing to need a tow-truck to take you back to the yard because you have run out of one of the fluids or fuel.

Then the day really starts with the mobile crane operator driving his vehicle to the first job. In many cases, the operator fills many shoes. They need to be a customer relations expert as they discuss with the client their needs; a planner as they plan how to perform the job; a safety officer as they check all safety aspect of the job; and of course an operator as they perform the job.

Performing the job doesn’t mean jumping into the cab and lifting the objects required. Before lifting can begin, the operator needs to assess the conditions; block the crane, perhaps lifting it on special hydraulic blocks; then doing the lift. At the end of the lift, he needs to work in reverse, lowering the crane from the hydraulic blocks and ensuring the crane’s components are all locked away securely ready for the road.

For large jobs requiring larger cranes, the operator may be required to assemble crane extensions with all the proper rigging and cabling. Of course, what you put together needs to come apart again at the end of a job. Once the job has been completed, there is the necessary paper work such as log books and perhaps billing paperwork for the office to process. Then it’s on to the next job.

Working as a mobile crane operator requires a lot of skills and I am not just talking about the operation of the crane. These skills can only be gained through accredited training programs that include certification upon completion of the training. Mobile crane operators are always in demand so if you have a hankering to work in this field, check out the mobile crane operator training at ATS Heavy Equipment Schools.

Summer is over and it may only be Fall, but that means winter is not far off and with winter comes snow. Heavy equipment operators should now be preparing their equipment for snow clearing and part of that preparation will include examining what heavy equipment technology is now available for their machinery.

There are now more than 50 snow removal attachments, with the list including snow blowers, blades, buckets and pushers. The equipment used in snow removal ranges from the small skid steer loaders upwards to include graders, bulldozers and even trucks fitted with snow clearing blades. Each does a job and each can be more effective than the others under different circumstances.

It’s not unusual to see two or three vehicles working together to clear snow covered highways or airport runways. When these vehicles work together, they clear a runway, for instance, extremehttp://www.heavyequipmentschool.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=1616ly quickly. It is generally the larger bulldozers using a range of heavy equipment technology that work as part of team to clear these large areas.

Snow clearing starts well before the snow falls, particularly in areas that require difficult access. These include mountain roads and trails. By working on these roads now the operators ensure easy access when snow clearing is required. Their work won’t end at the end of winter either. Once the snows melt the roads often need to be leveled again with pot holes filled. It’s a non stop year-round job.

Heavy equipment technology has been improving snow clearing attachments to make snow clearing quick and effective. This ensures that access is available along most roads and highways even through the toughest winters. If you want to be a part of this winter exercise then now is the time to get your heavy equipment training started. Winter is not that far off – get the skills now ready for the big chill.

There is one job that is a real challenge to bulldozer operators and that is the work involved with wildfires. The wildfire itself is a danger. With flying embers everywhere, bulldozer operators try to create firebreaks – wide areas cleared of any fuel – in the hope it will stop, or at least slow the wildfire.

Firefighters have to be amongst the toughest workers around and bulldozer operators are right up alongside them when it comes to fighting fires. The recent California wildfires saw heavy equipment operators alongside firefighters trying to save properties and trying to prevent loss of life. It’s not just during wildfires that bulldozers work to prevent property damage.

In the cooler months, it is the bulldozer operators that are at work constantly trying to keep fire breaks and fire trails open. If vegetation overgrows either of these two, there can be real problems. Fire trails allow access to firefighting vehicles in the event of an outbreak. If the fire trail is overgrown – there is no access, which means firefighters cannot fight the fires. Keeping them clear and open is essential.

Fire breaks work a little differently. They are often used to access deep into timbered areas, however, their main role is to put a wide break in the amount of fuel that is available on the ground. Fires can and do jump fire breaks, but generally speaking, fire breaks do slow down a wild fire giving firefighters a chance of gaining the upper hand.

Do you have what it takes to operate a bulldozer with wild fires burning all around you? If so, a career as a bulldozer operator may be for you. Heavy equipment training includes learning how to operate a bulldozer. If you’re ready for the challenge – train now and gain the skills before next year’s wildfires begin.

One of the biggest obstacles to taking up heavy equipment training is money – or the lack thereof. It doesn’t have to be a problem as there are a range of options available to help you fund your training. There are some individuals who may qualify for ‘free’ training – these are the ones that meet certain guidelines. If you’re out of work at present, it may pay to check on what criteria is required to have the government pay for some or all of your training. Some of these grants include:

• Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
• Department of Workforce Development
• Trade Adjustment Act (TAA)
• Displaced Workers
• Displaced Farmers
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Tribal Education (BIA)
• Veteran’s Benefits (VA)

If you are not covered by a government grant, there are other options. You can either seek out private finance through one of the many financial institutions that are around, or you can fill in one of our online application forms and we may be able to help you with finance.

Heavy equipment training does cost. Not a fortune, but it is not dirt cheap either. It is a significant investment on your part in both time and money. However, the rewards you gain on completion far outweigh any of the costs. In fact, you should be able to pay back any education loans fairly soon after starting work.

The cost of your training is an investment. However, fully trained heavy equipment operators are well paid – the investment soon pays off. If you are keen to get a start in the industry, but money has been holding you back, talk to us – if you don’t ask, you will never know what financial aid could be available.

Truck drivers have had a bad reputation over the years. I am not sure why when you consider the training, the skills and road knowledge that is required to obtain a commercial drivers license (CDL). The image hasn’t been good but it is built more on perception than fact.

I know what it’s like to be driving down a highway, late at night, only to have a big tractor trailer come bearing down on you from behind. It can be a scary feeling. If you ever get the opportunity, you should climb into the passenger’s seat of one of these big rigs and go for a drive. You will come to realize fairly quickly that every thing is different. The driver does have control and although they do come thundering up behind another car, the truck driver has a great view of the road ahead. He does know what he is doing.

In fact, if you are the truck driver, there is nothing like the view, the power of the engine under you, and the feel of the road in front of you. Even after 40 years, I know drivers who fret to get back out on the road after a long weekend away.

Truck driving can be an awesome job. The hours are long, but the pay is pretty good. When you climb into the cab, you are in charge – you’re the boss. Sure, you do have a supervisor somewhere who is watching to ensure you arrive and leave on time – but they are not in the cab with you, or leaning over your shoulder.

Obtaining a commercial driver license requires knowledge of road rules, the ability to drive a truck, and knowledge of safety procedures. Training for a commercial drivers license can be done in as little as three weeks. In fact, within a month of starting you training program, you could be on the road, driving for a living.

They used to say there were two certainties in life, death and taxes – they missed the third one, garbage. Every society produces it and every society has problems handling it. At the forefront of waste disposal and landfill are the bulldozers and bulldozer operators. We should be thankful they do such a good job too.

It has to be one of those things in life that we take too much for granted. It is so easy to sit in our homes, we cook, we eat, we accumulate garbage. What do we do, we take it out to the trash can each day and, on the right day, take the trash out ready to be emptied. From that point on, we don’t want to know.

I won’t go into all the processes. Suffice to say your rubbish ends up in a landfill site somewhere. Garbage trucks empty the often compacted waste on to the landfill pile. From there, bulldozers spend the day turning the garbage over, slowly mixing it, breaking it up, and then burying it all. The bulldozer itself acts a compactor, compacting the ground and previously garbage. And they do this all day, everyday.

Whilst it may sound like a mindless task, a bulldozer operator working on a landfill site cannot afford to be mindless. They must be alert, forever watching for dangerous objects, and objects that shouldn’t be there. At the same time they need to have a good knowledge of the process they are involved with. Landfill management is a very exacting science. Garbage can only be a certain thickness before requiring a coverage of soil. The area needs to rest for a while – this is why landfill sites are forever changing their dumping zones.

Training to be a bulldozer operator is not that difficult. Working as a bulldozer operator on a landfill site that involves domestic garbage is one that requires experience and patience – a well guarded nose also helps.

You may not be aware of it but if you have a local football stadium, hockey fields or even soccer grounds then you can be sure a motor grader has had an integral role in the creation of those playing areas. In fact, when you look around at most recreation centers, if they are flat, or built on a flat piece of ground, then a motor grader had a role.

These days, the motor grader can do almost all the work involved in creating sporting grounds. From carving out the top of native soil to smoothing and leveling the base materials used. Sports such as hockey use an artificial surface, a form of synthetic grass, to play on. These artificial surfaces require perfectly flat terrain before they can be laid. Motor graders, particularly those equipped with laser guidance and/or GPS systems are capable of preparing a flat and even surface of the size required.

Of course, as a grader operator you won’t be working on sports grounds too often unless you’re employed by a professional sports ground construction business. However, this is one example of the variety of work that grader operators do on a regular basis.

What professional grader operators do have in common is a background that includes a heavy equipment operator training through an accredited training organization. This ensures their training credentials are recognized throughout the nation and that the training has been designed to meet a minimum set of standards. Fancy working on the next major football stadium, perhaps an Olympic stadium? If so, start your training now – you won’t regret it.