Heavy Equipment Careers – Experience And Size Does Matter

Almost anyone can undertake training to become a heavy equipment operator. It takes a little determination to make a lifelong career of it. However, that doesn’t mean it’s hard, you just need to look for opportunities wherever they present themselves and to then make valuable use of them. The most successful operators are those that have a lot of experience, and those that can operate heavy equipment in a variety of sizes and configurations.

A good example is the backhoe and excavator. They are traditionally used to dig trenches, however, there are a wide variety of attachments that can be added. Having experience in changing and using these attachments will be important if you want a broader range of employment options. The same is true when it comes to size. Heavy equipment ranges in size from the small backyard skid steer loaders to the giant equipment used in mining – and when I say giant, I do mean giant. Heavy equipment operators don’t quite need that breadth of experience, however, having experience on a range of different-sized equipment does increase your employment options and it will make you more attractive to employers.

Gaining this experience is not necessarily that difficult. There are many construction companies in business that use equipment of different sizes – let’s face it, why send a full size loader if a skid steer can do a better job? Your role then is to make it known that you’re interested in gaining experience across that range of equipment – and most employers are willing to oblige since it suits their interests as well.

It all starts with effective training and gaining those base skills. Look for training that includes both in-the-seat experience along with safety and basic maintenance training. Better yet, look for an industry leader in heavy equipment training. They will have a reputation that goes along with the certificate thus making you even more employable.