Could you operate large machinery, working as part of a team on a jobsite where lots of activities are going on at once? Do you have good communication skills, the ability to listen and follow instructions, and make sound judgements? Then, Heavy Equipment Operator may be the job for you!
What do I do?
Heavy Equipment Operators run machines like excavators, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks and loaders, graders, compactors, scrapers, crawler tractors, shovels, backhoes, and pavers. You are part of a team that builds and maintains roads, works on commercial and residential site preparation, bridge building, and sewer and water projects. You may also lubricate, fuel, adjust, and assist in repairs to equipment.
A junior Heavy Equipment Operator will start out on simpler to operate machinery such as a compactor or a small rubber tire loader. As you gain experience and show ambition, the company will train you on more complex equipment.
Some of the jobs performed by Heavy Equipment Operators are:
Grader Operator
- Gravel road maintenance
- Snow removal
- Move gravel
- Commercial and residential site preparation
- Highway construction grading
- Mine road maintenance
- Forest and oil industry resource road maintenance
- General leveling of soil, snow, gravel and other materials
Crawler Tractor Operator
- Rough grade preparation
- Ripping rock or hard materials
- Pushing scrapers to prepare the road construction
- Telephone and telecommunications cable installation
- Pipeline construction
- Snow removal and stockpiling
- Mine site overburden removal
- Remote location resource road construction for forest or oil and gas industries
- Landfill leveling and compaction
- Brush clearing for road construction
Loader Ð Backhoe Operator
- Excavation for building foundation construction
- Excavate and backfill utility trenches
- Highway ditch cleaning and maintenance
- Highway construction
- Culvert and bridge installation
- Pipeline construction
Motor Scraper Operator
- Road and highway construction
- Earth moving
- Materials handling on the construction site
- Mine site overburden removal
How do I advance?
Experience and hours on the job, ambition, willingness to learn and some natural talent for the work will see an increase in your pay scale and responsibilities. Experienced Heavy Equipment Operators may advance to supervisory positions including safety officer or trainer, job foreman, superintendent, or other supervisory positions. Many operators go on to start and successfully run their own business.
How much do I make?
Heavy Equipment Operators currently earn on average between $14 and $25 per hour in road building and heavy construction in Alberta, depending on experience and the level of skill required to operate a particular machine (figures from the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, 2000). Keep in mind this is a basic wage, and operators can often earn quite a bit more for overtime and weekend work. In addition to the basic hourly rate employers provide holiday and vacation pay. Employers may also provide other benefits such as group insurance for health, dental and vision care, retirement packages, and training benefits. In total, the value of the benefits can range from 20% to 30% over and above the basic hourly pay rate.
Where do I go from here?
Having become a skilled Heavy Equipment Operator, youÕll be able to get good paying, interesting work and you can always upgrade your skills into higher level positions.
Many experienced Heavy Equipment Operators say that they have a tremendous amount of pride that comes from helping to build a roadway or a bridge they can feel proud of, being part of the team that completed a huge project. ItÕs very satisfying to really see what you are accomplishing each day on-the-job site.
As with most careers in the construction industry, your skills in this occupation are portable so if you are interested in relocating you can take your skills with you!
How do I learn?
Most individuals learn on the job. Heavy construction companies prefer to train their own people. It's one of the few industries where you can start at the bottom with basically no experience and work your way up as high as your ambitions will take you.
Keyano College offers a certificate program in Heavy Equipment training, which requires that applicants are 18 years of age, have at least Grade 9 education, a valid Alberta Class 5 driverÕs license and are in good physical condition.
Check out more info:
For further information on career planning, occupations and educational programs, contact the nearest Career Development Centre or Canada-Alberta Service Centre (see the "Government of Alberta" listings in the telephone directory).
Or, Alberta residents can contact the Career Information Hotline by telephone at
1-800-661-3753 (in Edmonton call 422-4266). Hearing impaired individuals can reach the Hotline by calling 1-800-232-7215 for message relay (in Edmonton call 422-5283).
