Heavy equipment operator employment opportunities are good. Employers need people who are trained either through an apprenticeship program, on the job, or through a heavy equipment operator school. A Class A CDL license may be required if the heavy equipment operator will have to haul equipment or drive on public roads. Jobs may be seasonal, and hours can depend on the weather. Employers on our Job Board right now are National Guard, Waste Management, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Aerotek Engineering & Environmental, City of Austin, Texas, Waste Connections, and the State of Florida.
Examples of heavy equipment are wheel loaders, backhoes, scrapers, bulldozers, excavators, road graders, rock trucks, pile drivers and skid steers. Heavy equipment operators use this equipment for jobs such as clearing land, digging ponds and ditches, grading land, and preparing surfaces to build roads. The work is often outside, potentially dangerous, and dirty but pays well.
Another type of heavy equipment operator employment is crane operator employment. A crane operator uses fixed and swing cab mobile hydraulic cranes, boom cranes, and knows how to be a rigger and signal person. Certification is available for people who want to pursue crane operator employment at accredited schools. In all heavy equipment operator employment positions, knowledge of safety and how to perform equipment inspections is essential.
