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What's it like being a Heavy Equipment Operator
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Vicki’s Answer
My brother is a heavy crane operator and has been for over 25 years. Just like with any career, you never know until you try and when you try it only then will you know if you have what it takes. I know that he has shared with me that with his type of work there are alot of safety standards to know and understand. Any type of construction you do has safety standard goals that they want to achieve because operating heavy equipment comes with lots of responsibility. Many construction companies have internships or hire at a young age. You may end up working as a helper to just get in the door but that is actually the time that you ask lots of questions and meet people around the company that you can learn different skills and trades from. Being a crane operator is alot of pressure on the operator as you have to have good vision to have a visual of everything all around you and to always have attention on what you are doing. Any type of heavy equipment that you control has to have the most attention to it and education of how to handle things incase something goes wrong. It can be a huge accomplishment feeling when things are done correctly and great experience you will get from it. You have to be a team player, as sometimes the jobs you do, have many roles that take part in it to make it successful.
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Melody’s Answer
One of the most relevant components of this career is the travel. Most operators spend just as much time on the road, as they do doing the work they've been hired to do. This isn't always the case but it is common.
Any new project starts from the ground up, and that means operators are first boots on the ground, and play an important role when it comes to feeding information back up the chain with regards to soil conditions. Multiple tests take place before we break ground, but it is not uncommon to break ground and find something we weren't expecting (soil conditions impact the design and construction of the structure's foundation). Eyes and ears always alert and looking for unexpected conditions - a water line, for example - that wasn't noted on any drawings but suddenly appears 16' down... you truly never know what you are going to run into.
There can be long days, where work never seems to stop, and there can be days where it seems like nothing is happening but you have to be there ready and prepared. Most operators have a down season, too, meaning lots of out of work over the coldest part of the year, as construction slows.
As far as operating equipment, most machines are designed very similarly, and once you figure out one, you can figure out most - machines have hand and/or foot controls, and everyone has a preference for how they like to operate. It is important to have a mechanical interest, as it would be your responsibility to take corrective action if the machine isn't working and notify those who need to be notified in order to get the right parts and people on site to get you back up and running.
Any new project starts from the ground up, and that means operators are first boots on the ground, and play an important role when it comes to feeding information back up the chain with regards to soil conditions. Multiple tests take place before we break ground, but it is not uncommon to break ground and find something we weren't expecting (soil conditions impact the design and construction of the structure's foundation). Eyes and ears always alert and looking for unexpected conditions - a water line, for example - that wasn't noted on any drawings but suddenly appears 16' down... you truly never know what you are going to run into.
There can be long days, where work never seems to stop, and there can be days where it seems like nothing is happening but you have to be there ready and prepared. Most operators have a down season, too, meaning lots of out of work over the coldest part of the year, as construction slows.
As far as operating equipment, most machines are designed very similarly, and once you figure out one, you can figure out most - machines have hand and/or foot controls, and everyone has a preference for how they like to operate. It is important to have a mechanical interest, as it would be your responsibility to take corrective action if the machine isn't working and notify those who need to be notified in order to get the right parts and people on site to get you back up and running.