The Backhoe

Many mistake it for a bulldozer or a steam shovel, but the backhoe is one of the most important pieces of heavy equipment on any work site. It is highly versatile and needed on nearly every construction site. Due to its versatility, some intense backhoe training is required to ensure safe and proper operation at all times.

A backhoe can be recognized by its unique design. In laymen’s terms, it looks a lot like a trailer with a small shovel (the actual backhoe) on the back end and a front end loader, a wider shovel, on the front of the machine. The backhoe itself is basically a backward shovel on the end of two arms; the shovel is pulled toward the driver when digging. The arm closest to the shovel is called the “dipper” and the arm closest to the body of the machine is known as the “boom.” The backhoe is mainly used for excavating or digging; this can include landscaping, digging foundations, excavating trenches for pipes and cable and more. The loader end of the backhoe can then be used to load this material into a dump or rock truck, and then, it also can be used to smooth out these areas.

As with all heavy equipment, the backhoe is a massive and dangerous piece of equipment on any work site. As a result, an operator must show extreme caution and be aware of everything in his surroundings. The backhoe needs a wide path to operate and moves much faster than one might anticipate. It is the operator’s responsibility to ensure the safety of himself and all of his coworkers. To make certain of this, it is mandated that the operator must be given thorough backhoe training .