To operate the majority big construction machinery used today, operators complete some type of apprenticeship program although paid training programs and on-the-job training options are also available. As heavy construction machinery continues to evolve and become more high-tech and with this type of equipment used for so many different industries and jobs, demand for trained operators is high.

In addition, most people that complete the proper training to operate this equipment are paid well. The one thing to remember for jobs such as these is that while plenty of work is available, depending on the specific job and type of equipment trained for, the individual might be out of work several months a year due to bad weather. Therefore, when people look at different jobs for operators and identify the annual income, they need to consider that it might be slightly lower.

The type of work that operators of construction equipment do includes moving earth or heavy construction materials, digging holes, clearing and grading land, etc. All of these different functions plus more is associated with a wide array of jobs and industries. For instance, operators of big iron could work on airport runways, dams, bridges, mines, power generating plants, and more.

It is common for utility companies to hire contractors that provide services using heavy construction machinery for lifting heavy materials such as running new telephone lines or street lights, sewer companies needing to have trenches dug, and public transportation departments getting help with concrete and asphalt being spread when creating new roads and highways. Operators would know the appropriate way to handle the machinery but also a lot about each job at hand.

As mentioned, the type of construction equipment now being used is made with better materials and innovative technology. Many types of equipment now feature GPS technology, some use CNC (Computer Numbered Control), and so on. Because of this, operators are trained to set the equipment up, perform the job, make some repairs or make minor adjustments, and change out different tools, when applicable.

Therefore, someone interested in working machinery called the pile driver would be a pile driver operator, which involves creating holds that help support structures, someone trained to pave new streets would be a paving and surfacing equipment operator, etc. It is also important to know that sometimes when operators finish training, they can handle more than one type of equipment. In fact, for anyone considering education specific to heavy construction machinery, it makes sense to look at training that would provide more than one career opportunity.

The bottom line is that whether working on power equipment, shovels, buckets, trucks, bulldozers, trench excavators, control industrial trucks, boom trucks, and more, with the right training, jobs with good pay and security become a real possibility. Because working with heavy construction machinery does come with risk, anyone interested in this type of career needs to understand that each day requires a great deal of attention to detail, patience, and putting the education and skills to a test.

In addition to Caterpillar, there are other brands including Komatsu construction equipment, Kobel Company construction machinery, Ingersoll Rand construction equipment and Blaw Knox Construction equipment. Within each brand, there are different lines, different machines and different sizes, so make sure that you are buying the right one for your businesses needs. For most contractors, using the smallest size machine for the job is far more cost efficient than pulling out the biggest machine on the lot. However, for the bigger sized jobs, then the bigger machines have to be considered. The machine type should be matched to the job at hand.

Used construction equipment is typically a good choice because they last such a long time, but that does not mean that you should just randomly buy without thorough research and without cost comparison shopping. Any machine that you are about to purchase should be inspected for condition, and considered for use. Know which type of machine that you will be using most often and which ones that you can do without until you are better established.

If you can afford to buy new construction equipment, you have to ask if the additional cost is really worth it if a used piece will work just as hard, last just as long and will be more cost effective in the long run. While it is a personal choice, it should be thought out carefully from all angles before committing. In addition, there are some contractors that are hung up on a particular name brand of construction equipment while others may have a selection of different types that they are equally happy with. In the end, it is not the name brand that is important, but the work that can be accomplished with the heavy equipment that matters.

Another option when considering your used construction equipment needs is the machines that can be adapted by using attachments of different types. For instance, a skid steer can be used in a number of applications if you use the different attachments. The skid steer comes in a variety of sizes and styles and can use attachments that range from pallet forks to snow blades, stump grinders and others. Whatever you might need in the small to medium heavy equipment range can be fulfilled with the skid steer and the right attachment.

The construction work can be classified into 3 major groups:

• Earthworks
• Road Works and
• Lifting

Earthworks

Earthworks refer to the construction and engineering works which involve the moving or transfer of large quantities of soil or unformed rock. The two most popular type of construction machines used in earthworks are digging machines and surface digging machines.

Digging Machines: Excavators and Loaders

Excavators are the most popular and widely used types of heavy equipments, which are mainly used for digging holes and building pits. They are available in different construction variants. Loaders are another type of digging machines which are very fast compared to excavators. The main purpose of loader is to move loose soil.

Surface Digging Machines: Dozer, Grader, Scraper

The surface digging machines are used to prepare the construction surface by moving and changing the soil. A dozer is an important surface digging machine which pushes soil in and out to create a somewhat flat surface. This flat surface can further be flattened by using graders. The grader as a construction machine is popular as it can do leveling jobs very effectively, creating a smooth surface for construction. This becomes particularly helpful in projects of road construction. Scraper is another type of surface digging machine, used to scrap a thin slice of soil. The scraper further moves the scraped layer of soil material to an area few meters away. Scrapers are most widely used in big earthwork construction sites.

Road Works: Milling Machine, Paver, Compactor

One of common applications of construction machineries is in road works and road construction. The milling machine in road works is used to machine solid materials or remove a layer of unwanted material from roads. Widely used for repair jobs, so that a new layer can be created by milling off the destroyed layer. A paver is an important construction machine used to lay asphalt or concrete on roadways. Compactors are used for compacting concrete or asphalt. Compactors as earthwork or road construction machines are used to compress soil and hard materials in construction sites and roads. They press and stabilize the soil for further construction purpose or pave the asphalt or concrete roads to make them smooth and plain roads.

Lifting machinery: Tower Crane, Portal Crane, Cable Crane, Tractor Crane, Truck-Mounted Crane

Lifting machinery as the name suggests refers to the lifting machines used to lift objects in construction sites. There are different types of lifting machines. For example: Tower Cranes are used to lift concrete, steel, large tools and different building materials. They can rise to great heights and are a common machine at any major construction site. Portal cranes can lift heavy loads and seen mainly on storage sites and trans-shipment centers. There are cable-operated cranes that are seen at dam construction and other construction sites which have the appearance of a line layout. These cranes can move over huge distances and deep valleys. The tractor cranes can move freely around the construction site. The truck mounted cranes are used for lifting jobs of short duration. Their basic advantage is that these cranes can drive on roads.