Heavy Equipment Industry News Updates

More Women Needed for Heavy Equipment Jobs

Due to a shortage of skilled laborers, women are being hired and trained to operate monster toys. Many women are showing positive feedback upon entering the field. Times are changing and men can now share their passion for monster toys with women.

Need a heavy equipment driver? Hire a woman, company says


Santa Cruz Residents Taking Charge Using Heavy Equipment

Neighbors already have used heavy equipment three times to move two 8,000-pound concrete barricades the county installed to block both ends of a quarter-mile closure on Highland Way.

Neighbors armed with heavy equipment, county battle over closed road


Oh dear! I keep forgetting I'm not in Kansas!

Heavy Equipment enthusiasts will be pleased to know that right by their airport, an agreement for the creation of ITEC Expo is being finalized, a multipurpose mixed-use project designed for manufacturers of heavy equipment and machinery for industries including transportation, farming, construction, material handling, seaport equipment, rail transportation, mining and exploration.

ITEC Expo will provide heavy equipment manufacturers with an international destination where they can exhibit and demonstrate, market and sell their products, as well as provide support for dealers, distributors and wholesalers and conduct market, consumer and competitive research. Additionally, the facility will offer educational opportunities to ensure that end-users have capable, trained and experienced operators for their type of heavy equipment.

ITEC Expo will also be open to the public, offering an opportunity for visitors to learn about all types of heavy machinery and see the equipment in action.

Kansas City International Airport to be Home to Heavy Equipment Demo Facility

This is what you call heavy equipment operator precision!

Here's a great interview with a Heavy Equipment Operator:

Any advice for those seeking a career as a Heavy Equipment Operator?

Start out at the bottom, learn to check grade for operators and laboring. Watch closely what the veteran operators do, I learned most of what I know just from watching. Be prepared for long hours, long periods of isolation from others, extreme heat and dust in the summers and the joy of zero degree temperatures in the winter; it is definitely not for everyone.

Career as a Heavy Equipment Operator

Heavy equipment operator training is an essential educational prerequisite for any potential candidate looking to enter a stable and rewarding career in operating heavy equipment. With a rise in construction projects around the world, heavy equipment operators are in demand. The Department of Labor states that the career outlook for heavy equipment operating is on the rise and very good. Heavy equipment operators require specialized training in order to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to obtain and keep a job utilizing heavy equipment. Although experience will be accumulated with on-the-job hours, it is absolutely necessary that a potential operator receive proper training prior to entering the field.

Heavy equipment is the tool vital to nearly every business or individual in the construction industry. Heavy equipment operator training is essential for the proper and effective use of equipment such as backhoes, scrapers, excavators, motor graters, loaders, dump trucks, bulldozers, and other heavy vehicles.

Heavy equipment operator training programs usually range in duration from a little over a month to as long as 6 months. Most programs offer a good balance between in-classroom studies and out-of-classroom field training. Classroom courses cover important safety procedures, engineering, math, setup, maintenance and other fundamental topics. Field training consists of hands-on equipment training with emphasis on operations in a variety of situations and environments such as varying types of soil, slope, terrain, and climate conditions.

Upon graduation, a well-trained heavy equipment operator will be qualified to operate most common heavy equipment including backhoes, bulldozers, grader, loaders, excavators, and more. The heavy equipment operator trainee now enters the work force armed with the proper techniques and knowledge. The pay range of new candidates is around $13.00 to over $20.00/an hour dependent on the location, company, and scope of project. Many companies will not hire a candidate unless properly trained through accredited programs. Many heavy equipment operator training programs offer job-placement assistance upon graduation.

If you are already in the construction industry, or are looking to start a career in the industry, heavy equipment operating may be a great decision for you. To begin your career in heavy equipment operating, training is essential. The potential candidate should plan accordingly. Many government grants and scholarships are available to assist in obtaining proper certification and training.

Additional Heavy Equipment Training Resources:

Compact Excavator Training by Bobcat
Bobcat Training Resources

Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Giants Komatsu and Deere both report increases in sales.

Sales of Komatsu heavy equipment surged 54 per cent in the first ten months of this year form the same period, its agent PT United Tractors said.

SALES OF KOMATSU HEAVY EQUIPMENT SURGING IN INDONESIA

Deere & Co.'s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 52% as strong demand for farm equipment amid robust commodity markets more than offset continued weakness in the U.S. housing sector.

Farm Demand Powers Deere Profit

Excavator Training is essential to the construction industry as excavators are one of the most widely used heavy equipment on job sites. Excavator training is also a core concentration of training among most heavy equipment training certification programs. Proper training will help to insure safe and efficient operations of the vehicle in the field. Proper training will benefit both new and experienced operators of excavators by showing safe, efficient and productive applications along with various techniques to enhance or improve the safe operation of excavators.

An excavator is an extremely versatile engineering vehicle consisting of an articulated arm, bucket and cab. Ranging from the mini to a full blown near 200,000 pounder, excavators are used in many roles such as material handling, digging (trenches, holes, foundations, etc...), demolition, general grading/landscaping, heavy lifting (for example: lifting and placing of pipes), river dredging, mining, and more.

Excavator training begins by identifying the various parts and components of the machine. Maintenance concerns are covered in detail as well as pre-op inspection. Safety standards are also stressed during this phase of training. Safety is key and most fundamental to operating and training of any heavy equipment. Many training programs will cover both OSHA and industry safety standards.

Excavator training includes trench digging, trench servicing and backfilling, loading haul units, and benching and sloping. Training will also cover respective safety concerns during these processes.

Digging trenches is the most common work task expected of excavators. Proper training will cover common trenching procedures. Preparing the trenching job, operating techniques, trench sloping, grade checking, various digging techniques, and productive cycle times are covered when examining trench digging with excavators. Proper trench digging will insure successful utility installation.

Various bedding procedures that are common to utility installation are addressed during this phase of excavator training. Servicing trenches, bedding procedures, backfilling, compaction procedures, and changing/carrying buckets are covered. In addition safety concerns will be addressed.

Loading trucks is also a very common task that an excavator operator will face. Excavator training will properly cover techniques such as preparation of the loading area, positioning the machine, positioning the truck, positioning the material in the truck, excavator setup, efficient tactics, dealing with steep slopes, and damage prevention. Of course, safety concerns will also be addressed.

Benching is a cut and fill process that is fundamental for performing many basic excavator operations. It is used in attaining a proper excavator setup as well as pioneering roads. Topics covered include cut and fill operations, road building, maneuvering the machine, benching Techniques, sloping Techniques, grade checking, and finish grading.
Understanding the fundamental procedures for proper setup, maintenance, use, and safety of the excavator and its operators will ensure successful candidates to enter sites well prepared. The demand for heavy equipment operators, including excavator operators, is on the rise. Operators can make a great living after proper training and certification.

The Caterpillar Foundation and four dealerships recently delivered another $148,000 in instructional funding to Pennsylvania College of Technology and its students, bringing to nearly $1.5 million the total contribution since the Fall 1994 semester.Financial Support From

Caterpillar, Area Dealers Nears $1.5 Million

Las Vegas has been on the rise for quite some time. I used to go there at least 3 times a year. Traffic on Fridays and traffic on Sundays, coming to/from Los Angeles. But what I noticed was that the city was expanding exponentially, as the lights would spread out further and further away from the famous strip. The housing industry in Vegas has been booming like no other area in the United States. Viva Las Vegas!

I came across this article that exemplifies their robust expansion. The NAHETS blog examined this expansion and what it means to the construction industry, more specifically, the need for heavy equipment operators.

"The Vegas Strip is leading the charge with $35.46 billion worth of projects planned through 2010, reports the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. Construction plans will add 42,092 more hotel rooms, 2,562 timeshare units and 3.49 million square feet of convention space. Another $13 billion in tentative projects could also build 36,703 hotel rooms and 7,088 timeshare units."

Las Vegas Hot Spot for Construction & Heavy Equipment Industries

JCB Excavators on Friday said growing opportunities in India's infrastructure sector would make the country its largest market by next year.

"The potential would result in India becoming our single largest market, overtaking our home territory United Kingdom," said Patterson, whose company is the third-largest construction equipment maker in the world.

He said there is a huge opportunity in the construction equipment manufacturing sector in India as it was way behind the world average production figures, including that of China.

India to become JCB's largest market by next year

A little old news, but came across it today. Check out this cool simulator. The company received recognition for some of their former crane and excavator personal simulators. Operators can enhance their skills on one of these.

Simulators In Use at National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools

If you have a knack for using machinery and enjoy the operations, pursuing a career as 'heavy equipment operator' is worth considering. It would offer a rugged outdoor lifestyle with reasonably good payment and a chance to really enjoy what you do to earn your living.

A heavy equipment operator handles big heavy machines used in the construction, mining and agriculture industry. These machines are mostly hydro-mechanical equipment and require special knowledge and skills to operate and maintain and repair. Most machines are put to use for grading and landscaping, excavating earth and transporting men and material. The list of machines that fall within the definition of heavy equipment is quite big. However, the more common ones that can be seen functioning and operating on construction sites and mines etc are shovels, bulldozers, excavators, loaders, heavy-duty tipping trucks, graders, forklift trucks, cranes, drilling machines, motor graders, asphalt pavers, skid steer loaders, roadrollers, compactors, pile drivers, pipe layers etc.

Similar to any other career that needs possessing specialized skills, a career as a heavy equipment operator also needs specific technical education of a certain level to include modules covering preventive maintenance of equipment, basic safety, including specific modules on backhoes, loaders, graders, dump trucks and tractors etc. A heavy equipment operator not only operates equipment, but is also required to adjust, maintain and ensure timely small repairs to these huge machines that despite their size are delicate in many respects. They are extremely expensive and incorporate many sensitive and sophisticated high tech components that can easily get damaged if not handled with care. A bulldozer along with attachments can easily cost up to half a million dollars or even more. In such conditions, employers are becoming increasingly hesitant to employ unqualified operators to handle such machines.

Therefore, a qualified and skilled heavy equipment operator is more and more in demand. This demand is going to keep increasing over the years as billions of dollars are being spent on new projects by the government and private industries as well. You can see new dams, flood control projects, hydroelectric plants, and transmission facilities being built to cater to growing requirements. All this will involve huge numbers of heavy machines and qualified operators.

Sensing the growing need for qualified operators for heavy equipment, top equipment training schools came together to form NAHETS (The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools) in order to promote higher technical standards and training required for operators of today's high-tech machines. NAHET schools have an advanced training curriculum that includes theoretical and hands-on operating and maintenance training on latest equipment.

Apart from NAHETS, The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) also offers certification leading to heavy equipment operator credentials. It is a not-for profit education foundation established by manufacturers, big contractors and national trade associations. NCCER certifications are highly valued by employers.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics data of 2005 indicates that heavy equipment operators were paid $17 an hour. However, qualified operators equipped with training and certification got $30 an hour. With numerous openings for employment, pursuing a career as an educated and certified heavy equipment operator can be a rewarding experience for anyone who prefers an outdoor work environment and physical work that includes working on machines.

Heavy Equipment Careers are well paying and in demand. Did you know you can finance your education? We are fully accredited by the DETC. Visit our website http://www.earthmoverschool.com/index.htm.

Former Miss New Zealand Rachel Huljich parked her Maserati in a construction zone after 7am so a bold forklift operator decided to attempt move the car himself.


Forklift Flips Maserati - Watch more free videos

The heavy-equipment industry is looking for some young blood.

Being outside in the elements keeps a lot of workers away, said Doug Tait, president of W.C. Spratt Inc. He'd like young people to realize they can make good money--and offer useful skills--after learning a trade.


Scholarships geared toward construction

Heavy equipment simulator gives trainees a taste of on-the-job excitement. Driving a heavy equipment simulator is a bit like being a lead player in a video game located in a mine.

It's like playing video games in a mine

The macho world of gold, silver and copper mines is under invasion by women...

Read this:

Newer Caterpillar vehicles are controlled by joysticks that respond best to a woman's ``sensitive'' touch, said Daniel Sanchez, a sales manager...

Gentle Touch to Conquer Monster Mining Trucks

The video speaks for itself.

China's biggest oil and gas company, PetroChina, surged past Exxon Mobil on Monday to become the world's first company worth more than US$1 trillion, though most of the company remains in government hands.

PetroChina becomes first company worth US$1 trillion after Shanghai debut

More than a $1 million worth of heavy equipment is stolen from farms and oonstruction sites around Arkansas each month. Almost none of it is recovered.

Arkansas THV Report and Video News Broadcast

The Giant Bucket Wheel Excavator

Built in 1978, Krupp of Germany manufactured the biggest tracked machine on Earth. Check out the pictures and links below:

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2006/11/biggest-and-hungriest-machines.html

http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=3665

Case Construction Equipment Inc. today announced the formation of a strategic alliance with the Construction Equipment Division of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. Executives from both companies were on hand for the signing ceremony at Case headquarters in Racine, which officially initiated a relationship that will result in the extension of the Case lineup of wheel loaders.

Plans Include Product-Line Expansion to Debut in 2008