Bigger Isn’t Always Better In Heavy Equipment

There is a definite appeal to big machinery, and every heavy equipment operator knows the thrill of controlling a massive, powerful unit that makes a bigger impact on the job being done. But there also is an appeal to the smaller equipment that can be manipulated skillfully to do exactly what is needed without disturbing the rest of the area.

Backhoes, for instance, are one of the most versatile pieces of heavy equipment around. A smaller backhoe is often required to do delicate maneuvering on job sites that need to have minimal impact on the environment. In this case, bigger is definitely not better.

Green Construction Jobs

There is a growing need for operators who can provide the skill to utilize a smaller version of the traditional heavy equipment and do the job without messing up too much of the surrounding area. Many high-end homebuilders carefully buy wooded lots, for instance, and want those trees to stay where they are so the home being built has the advantages of the landscape. Big equipment can’t be used in this case.

Green jobs and training are a constantly growing part of the heavy equipment industry. Some of those green jobs will need really bigger machines and the operators who know how to handle them, it’s true. But a lot of those green jobs will need an operator who can get a big job done with a compact piece of machinery.

One of the reasons students at ATS get experience on many types and sizes of heavy equipment is because there’s such a wide variety of type and size being used in the industry today.