plio7
GBCA Member
havent done it for about 8-9 years now but i was ran the clamps and was spacer for the welder, or i was running the boom truck
Heavy Equiptment Operator- How too?
- Thread starter EMANAARON
- Start date
havent done it for about 8-9 years now but i was ran the clamps and was spacer for the welder, or i was running the boom truck
woody_tobius_jr
Active VIP Member
Because that is hard? Anyone who calls themselves a hoe operator and couldn't do that isn't a operator. Not special at all. I would say loading in the back of a truck is more technical then that. That was completely staged and made specifically to do that.
Plus on older equipment it's a lot more technical, the newer stuff is practically put anyone in and the machine runs itself.
To the OP, have you ran equipment at all to know what it is like? I think a lot of people cannot do it, sitting down all day.
Good to learn if it's a good operator, but even 25 years of experience doesn't mean they are a good operator. I know a few who run it because they are to lazy to do the physical work, not because they can operate.
A lot of times courses like that are useless and getting field experience is much better. Yea it will take a bit a lot of times before your allowed to operate equipment, but the course doesn't mean you'll get to operate from day 1 or anything.
Know one thing, I can do it for a few days but a full-time operator heck no. Can't sit for that long all the time. Might as well get a desk job.
Up north pay is ok if you get setup well with flights etc, but if you live up north your no better off. Even driving a lot of times, your still almost better off working local.
Good to learn if it's a good operator, but even 25 years of experience doesn't mean they are a good operator. I know a few who run it because they are to lazy to do the physical work, not because they can operate.
A lot of times courses like that are useless and getting field experience is much better. Yea it will take a bit a lot of times before your allowed to operate equipment, but the course doesn't mean you'll get to operate from day 1 or anything.
Know one thing, I can do it for a few days but a full-time operator heck no. Can't sit for that long all the time. Might as well get a desk job.
Up north pay is ok if you get setup well with flights etc, but if you live up north your no better off. Even driving a lot of times, your still almost better off working local.
Last edited:
X2 on taking the Ft MAC operator courses I know a few guys that have taken them. They spend 10G to scratch around in a sand box and familiarize themselves on heavy equipment then a couple people come in from site give you a voluntary interview through the school and you will never hear anything ever again. 1 guy that worked for me was actually suing 1 of them that claimed a 90% success rate to get hired on site. Not 1 person in his class of 20 never got called for a job month later new class again no jobs another month goes by again no jobs so he was suing for tuition back. He did end up finding a job with clean harbours hanging on to the end of a vac hose on site
The problem is, a training school doesn't mean they know how to run it. Equipment is expensive, unless your really experienced companies aren't going to want someone running it from day 1. Part of it is, any company would rather hire someone with experience and let them go, then have to train someone.
I would say take that money and save it, go get a labourer job and work your way into operating if you want. A smaller company would probably be better as they are more likely to let you try a bit on equipment, less red-tape that way.
If you want to get something, IMO go get a class 3 or 1, class 3 is only $1,000. I think it would help quite a bit. I don't get why but a lot of operator positions want it, even if you aren't driving truck and never will be.
- Thread starter
- #27
EMANAARON
Active VIP Member
What can Class 3 and Class 1 drivers make?
In all reality my plan is to get into Realestate i just need to come up with some good money before i start, but cant seem to with the Job i have.
maxwell
Active VIP Member
obviously its staged. but still cool. have you done it or been offered to do it? shut up
maxwell
Active VIP Member
do you really want to go up north cant heavy equipment operators do ok around town?
when i was stil driving i was making 38phr ot after 10. but that was a pretty good gig. did 65g in 6months from jan to june, included 3weeks off for break up.
decided i liked wrenching better. waay less money though.
like its said starting out probably around 22-25 phr. and it will be a while before your doing the big stuff as they arent going to trust a greenie driver with the 1/2 million plus equipment.
good luck driving is awesome new office view every day. that was my favorite part.
snopro
Active VIP Member
Work2Ride
Active VIP Member
Too big for your britches.
In Grande Prairie..
I know Halliburton provides all the training in they just keep your last check. Trican services provides the training as well but you have to stay with them for 1 year or you have to pay $4,000.00 if you quit.
My buddy that works at BJ services driving truck makes a base salary of $2500. $6,000-$10,000 during the busy months from job bonuses, he could be full of chit.
woody_tobius_jr
Active VIP Member
I don't know about the class 3 end of things but if you are class 1 and you end up either in the oilfield or heavy hauling you could see 100+ a year easily. BUT that is for an experienced driver. Oilfield, you'll probably be a swamper for a while till you get a handle on things then work your way up from there ( I don't know what the wages are for swampers) Heavy hauling is a blast, it's always something different, whether its equipment that you're loading ( we load/unload about 98% of the stuff that we haul) or the weather conditions, keeps it challenging/interesting/sometimes downright scary
. But like everything else, you have to put your time in with somebody that will take on a person with no experience, and those guys usually don't have the greatest iron on the road. Get 2-3 years under your belt and then you can start looking at the bigger/better companies. I will stress though, you won't have much of a home life if you get on with somebody thats busy. Like was mentioned above, your office has a different view every day.Hauling logs is great as well, I used to get 25% of what the truck made (that was a lot of years ago, I don't know what it would be now though).
Highway hauling was..meh, at best. Pay sucked, pressure to doctor your logs so that you could put in ridiculous hours...I didn't do that for very long( I just did this to start to get some experience when I first got into trucking). Get home late Friday or early Saturday, and on the road again Sunday night.
Hope that sheds some light on a few aspects.
Last edited:
FTBeaver
Active VIP Member
A few years back when it was really busy we had a new operator show up on site in his chevy cavalier. He told the spread that his truck was in for repairs so he gave him the benefit of the doubt. So he goes and gets into the hoe and messes around for a while. The spread was just about to go over and see what the hell he was doing when he got out of the hoe and went over to him. Now get this he asks " how do you get dirt in the bucket? ". Apparently he had run feller buncher for years and figured that running hoe would be easy. He was sent packing, we've had alot of winners like that over the years. The good ones are hard to come by especially when its busy.
I would say like stated earlier if you want to make good money start with a smaller oilfield company as a laborer and prove your self. You will move up fast if you aren't a dog hummper. Try to be the first guy there and the last one to leave, work through coffee and lunch, help anybody that is struggling, ask what you can do next and most of all don't stand around. This all worked for me I went from laborer to spread boss in about 6 years. Now I'm fat and lazy rarely get out of my truck and make great money. Just to warn you, once you do start making good money it is hard to get out of the patch. I have thought about quitting but can't afford to and I know lots of guys that had plans like yours and are lifers now.
I would say like stated earlier if you want to make good money start with a smaller oilfield company as a laborer and prove your self. You will move up fast if you aren't a dog hummper. Try to be the first guy there and the last one to leave, work through coffee and lunch, help anybody that is struggling, ask what you can do next and most of all don't stand around. This all worked for me I went from laborer to spread boss in about 6 years. Now I'm fat and lazy rarely get out of my truck and make great money. Just to warn you, once you do start making good money it is hard to get out of the patch. I have thought about quitting but can't afford to and I know lots of guys that had plans like yours and are lifers now.
gibsons
Active VIP Member
operator tickets only show that you know how to operate and maintain that particular piece of equipment in a safe and productive manner. guys who apply to me with tickets and act like their the next best thing don't usually last long, as apposed to someone who has taken the coarse but admits to how little experience they actually have in the field. It takes an awful long time, and a keen eye in a grader or skidsteer for example before you will be a good operator let along a great one when doing finish grade work.
as far as automatics in equipment, i tell my guys first you get good, then you get automatics.
as far as automatics in equipment, i tell my guys first you get good, then you get automatics.
Similar threads
