We often talk about heavy equipment and heavy equipment careers, but what machinery is actually included in that title? My first reaction is to ask ‘how long is a piece of string’ since it can be difficult to quantify what is or isn’t ‘heavy equipment’.

Generally speaking, most wheeled, or tracked, equipment that is involved with the movement of dirt could be classified as heavy equipment. This includes:

• Backhoes
• Wheel loaders
• Front end loaders
• Scrapers
• Excavators
• Bulldozers
• Road graders
• Rock trucks
• Skid Steers
• All-Terrain Forklifts

These are your standard line up of machinery in that category. There are also specialized machines that are used in some industries that are advanced forms of those listed. Mining and forestry are big users of specialized equipment – a good example would be one of the giant long line excavators – when I say giant, I really do mean giant.

When we talk about a career as a heavy equipment operator, it generally refers to a career operating one or more machines on that list. In fact, heavy equipment training gives you a feel for almost every one of those machines giving you the flexibility to choose your equipment after training.

Many operators remain proficient on a range of machinery thus providing flexibility for their employer. Good examples are the excavator, wheel loader and backhoe. The skills required for both the excavator and wheel loader are also related to the backhoe – three machines, three times as many employment opportunities – hence a heavy equipment career. Do you have a choice, or would you like the option of learning to operate a range of heavy equipment?

One of the biggest problems in the construction industry at present is getting our youth interested. This lack of interest is flowing through to heavy equipment careers with the numbers of young people who are undertaking training dropping each year.

The future of any industry is in our youth. As they gain knowledge and experience, they transfer that knowledge onto future generations. There are a lot of programs around, such as the Block Kids Program, a program that tries to get our youth interested in construction. When it comes to heavy equipment, we tend to rely on the fascination that children develop when playing in their sand pits at an early age.

Whilst many complain about the lack of youth coming through, heavy equipment is perhaps one industry where we can be more relaxed. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you are reasonably fit, reasonably intelligent and willing to look, listen and learn then you can be trained to operate heavy equipment.

There is a lot of emphasis placed on youth. However, many employers shy away from taking on the very young. Not only do they lack experience on the equipment, they lack experience in driving in general and they lack experience in life. This is where the not-so-young have a distinct advantage.

Where a lack of youth will hurt the industry is in isolated areas. In the past, this was seen as an attractive way to work and save money to help fund specific life goals. Mining, forestry, and isolated projects like pipeline construction could start to feel the pinch.

What is important for everyone to realize is that heavy equipment careers are for everyone. You don’t have to be fresh out of school to undertake training. In fact, a little maturity could be a real plus when seeking employment. Heavy equipment training is designed to encompass all ages and genders so whether you’re fresh out of school or nudging 40 (or older), if you’re interested in a heavy equipment career don’t let your age get in the way – no one else will.

There is a misconception surrounding heavy equipment that focuses employment wholly and solely in the construction or mining sectors of business. This is so very far from the truth. I mean, even farmers use a range of heavy equipment each day on their farms.

It is true that construction and mining probably do require more heavy equipment operators than most other sectors, however, areas such as forestry also have a strong demand for qualified operators. They are not the only areas. You can add landscaping, shipping and even warehousing to that list.

Warehousing and heavy equipment? I see your raised eyebrows. It does of course come down to the size and type of warehouse. Most warehouses use cranes of some description to help move products. I have seen some warehouses that use bulldozers or loaders to push certain products around.

It is a similar story in the shipping industry with crane operators being in high demand along with experienced bulldozer operators.

It is the forestry industry that is perhaps the most surprising. They don’t require heavy equipment operators in a normal sense. This industry uses equipment that has been created for a specific task. A good example is the stump cutter – designed to totally remove old tree stumps. There are special machines used to prune back trees so they grow tall and straight with no side growth.

What forestry does have in common with other sectors of business is the need for suitably trained heavy equipment operators. If you have experience and knowledge on a range of heavy equipment then those skills can be sold to a forestry company. The skills are very easily transferred to new specialist machines.

Heavy equipment training takes you through the basic skills required to be successful in a wide range of career opportunities. Don’t just narrow your focus on the obvious. If you want to be a stump cutter then start by undertaking some basic heavy equipment training – it may just open some doors for you.