One of the essential pieces of heavy equipment in most municipalities is a motor-grader. The grader operator operates a long blade that is dragged along the surface of a gravel road to keep it level. It also becomes a snow plow in the winter in some cases. This process is necessary for any area that has a need for roads to be smooth and clear.

Graders prepare the surface for asphalt, fine-tune the curves in the highways, level the ground for the pouring of concrete, and much more. They don’t do a lot of different things, like a backhoe, but they sure do what they are designed to do and they do it to perfection if the operator is skilled. Any time a smooth flat surface is needed, the blade of the grader can scrape that surface to a beautiful finish.

Many rural areas depend on the grader operator to keep the roads in shape. Construction companies, mining operations, and other industries rely on graders, too. Good grader operators are never without a possible job because so many places rely on this functional machine.

Need Skilled Grader Operator

The grader isn’t a machine that does the job alone. The way it is operated has a direct effect on the way the surface is scraped. It’s like the difference between an amateur trying to finish cement and the professional who gets that surface perfect — the same trowel might be used, but the difference is obvious.

The way to begin developing the skill a grader operator needs is by taking the time to be trained at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School. There isn’t a better way to get the fundamental skills and in-depth knowledge of heavy equipment operation that ATS offers in the heavy equipment operation programs.

If you think that heavy equipment careers are one dimensional, think again. Operators are not equal, and with some equipment, only the best operators need apply. A finishing standard grader operator is one example. These are operators who have developed the fine skills required to grade to very exacting measurements.

Airport runways are a good example (with roads a close second). When runways are being built, they are done to very precise measurements. They need to be when you consider their use. Large very heavy jets thundering in at high speeds, wheels thumping into the tarmac, then hard breaking towards the end of the runway. A runway that isn’t too smooth has the potential to kick a jet back into the air causing a very bumpy (and perhaps damaging) landing – one that pilots, passengers and airline companies don’t want to see.

A finishing grader operator does just that, they put the finishing touch on a surface prior to concreting or asphalting. Their work needs to be precise; after all, once the top layer goes on, there’s no going back to make any corrections. Finishing grader operators are those that have worked hard to develop their skills. In particular, how to set their blades and control their equipment. They also know how to accurately read site plans, and how to work closely with other people on a project.

To become a finishing grader operator, you need to start at the bottom. This means undertaking quality heavy equipment training, then gaining employment where you can develop your skills. When you first start, you won’t be in the same league as a finishing grader operator, however, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can develop those skills. A career as a heavy equipment operator is definitely not one dimensional, there are always new skill levels that an operator can aspire to reach.

If you have been considering a career in heavy equipment, particularly as a grader operator, then I suggest you do something about it now. I don’t mean to be pushy, but, spring is only a day away and spring heralds the start of the busy earth moving season. By the time summer starts, most heavy construction jobs will be in full swing; employers will have completed their hiring; and heavy equipment operators will be hard at work trying to complete contracts on time so they can sneak more in before winter returns.

Becoming a grader operator is not as difficult as it seems. Sure, they are complex beasts and the role they fill is one where precision is a necessity. However, with onboard computer technology, this is often fairly easy to achieve. Training in the field of heavy equipment can be completed in as little as three weeks and have you ready to enter the workplace.

Training programs such as those at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools include all the skills necessary to gain and keep well paid employment. Our heavy equipment training is accredited nationally, which means your skills will be recognized nationwide. It also means that employers know you have been trained to a certain level of skill. In fact, once they see the ATS logo on your documentation they know you have received quality training.

Now is the time to act – if you enroll now you should have your training completed and be ready for work by the end of March, just in time for the mid-spring heavy equipment operator recruitment drives.

You would be surprised at some wages being offered these days. Whilst there has been a period of doom and gloom coming through most media outlets, some employment sectors seem to have become deaf to it all. Construction is one industry that now fits that bill. Grader operators, particularly experienced operators with knowledge of GPS and other IT based grader enhancements, can command very high wages.

If you take a look at employment prospects in an area like New York, the outlook looks promising. They are predicting demand to increase by 150 new operators every year through to 2016. When it comes to wages, the mean is around $36,000, but get this: the top paid workers are commanding over $75,000 each year. (NYCareerZone.org)

It’s not just New York either! Illinois is another area where employment growth has been steady. Projections are for that to continue at around 7% per annum. If you don’t like percentages, that is around 300 new operators each year. How much do you get paid in Illinois? The median there is just over $38,000 with the best operators receiving around $73,000. That’s a bit lower than NY but I think you get the message. Skilled and experienced operators can command high wages. Starting wages are around double the minimum wage – not a bad place to start. (Illinois WorkNet.com)

Operating a grader is a little more difficult than operating a bulldozer or loader and it can take up to five years to achieve the level of skills required to command the highest wages. However, once you learn to operate a grader you will have the skills for a lifetime of employment.

Grader operators prepare the foundations for many of our major constructions, particularly roads and large buildings. Budding operators should have a passing knowledge of physics and be comfortable around large heavy equipment. The ability to work to plans and as part of a team are particularly important. As you can see, the outlook for grader operators is looking good and the wages – well they are certainly nothing to sneeze at!