Bulldozers And Scrapers Make A Great Team

Heavy equipment operators often lead dual lives. One day they are out on a block of land, all on their lonesome clearing the way for other activities. The next day, they are part of a team, working side by side with other machinery. This is the life of most heavy equipment operators. Excavators could be digging a trench for pipes one day then working loaders and bulldozers to demolish a building.

The following video demonstrates how a bulldozer and scraper work together. In the video, you’ll see the scrapers carving through dirt and taking it away. As soon as they pass, the bulldozer will move in to push down the sides of where the scraper has just been. The scraper will then collect that on its next pass. Often, you’ll have a team working together – this video also show this. Check out the double scrapers – this is effectively two scrapers joined nose to tail to act as one.

Being able to work both as part of a team and alone is an important part of the heavy equipment operator’s repertoire. When working in a team, an operator needs to know when it’s safe to move and do its job, and when it’s time to move out of the way to allow another piece of equipment to do its job.

Whilst we can train operators on how to use their heavy equipment, it takes experience to know exactly when to play your role as part of a team. Your initial heavy equipment training should include safety components that will prepare you for these roles. As an operator, working in a team is one of the most interesting parts of the job – it’s certainly never boring.