Industry Profile -- by Jolene Cheslock

Whenever I see highway transport vehicles or construction sites I always ogle and get excited. This reaction is probably a result of when I was young and I spent every possible moment in my dad's tandem truck. My dad hauled gravel and asphalt, so I usually tagged along for the trips between the gravel pit and construction site. If I close my eyes I can still smell the tar and feel the heat from the fresh asphalt being poured. And while we were on the construction site I got to be up close and personal with some pretty big equipment. Even looking out of the tandem's cab the machinery looked really big. I thought maybe the equipment looked so big because I was small, but as an adult, nothing has changed.

I will never forget how powerful I felt sitting in the cab of the tandem, towering over almost anything else on the road. When my dad wanted to change lanes, cars moved - I loved it. I still look at highway transport trucks and drool in envy. Often I will look at a semi truck that is detailed, decked out with lights, has a beautiful paint job, and say "nice rig."

Regardless of my childhood experience, I think most people look at heavy equipment with awe and fascination. Its size, power, and ability to move and transport is amazing. This month we are featuring heavy equipment operators and what it takes to operate, manoeuvre, and work with heavy machinery. This equipment is used in many industries, but mainly in construction, road building and oil and gas. That said, operators are sometimes at the whim of the weather, the economy or the price of oil and gas. If the ground is frozen, the economy slow and oil and gas prices low, work opportunities will be few. On the other hand, when things are going well, there is a huge opportunity to work many hours and earn many dollars.

Although the occupations vary with in this industry, there are a few essential skills required. You should be able to sit for long periods of time and you should like travelling, as jobs may not be local. Some heavy equipment operators travel to work at gas plants or manufacturing plants. You also should like being outdoors. Depending on the type of heavy equipment you operate, you may be outside in all types of weather, from -30 C to +30 C. Having physical strength and stamina is also an asset as they help with the long hours of continuous work.

Manual dexterity, good vision, and co-ordination is fundamental for any occupation operating heavy equipment. You should also have some mechanical ability for this industry. Heavy equipment operators perform basic maintenance and make emergency on-site repairs. Quick decision making skills are also needed. A spilt second decision could make the difference between loosing or damaging a piece of equipment or putting someone else in danger.

The ability to work as part of a team and to communicate with ground crew is also important. Communication with ground crews is normally not done through voice, as the heavy equipment is too loud, but via hand signals. There are no specific numbers as to how many people are in this industry, however, Canada Job Futures shows that in 1998 approximately 46,000 Canadians were employed as heavy equipment mechanics; 80,000 as heavy equipment operators; 206,000 as truck drivers; 13,000 as logging machine operators; and 21,000 as oil and gas drillers and related workers. Here's a closer look at some heavy equipment operators and related careers:

Crane and hoisting equipment operators is a general term for people who operate equipment with power driven drums and loadlines, and can move loads vertically and horizontally. There are three basic types of crane and hoisting equipment: boom trucks, tower cranes, and mobile cranes. The operators move machinery, materials, and other large objects at construction sites or industrial sites with the crane and hoisting equipment. To be a crane and hoisting equipment operator in Alberta, you must be a certified journeyman or registered apprentice. To enter the crane and hoisting equipment apprenticeship program you must have a minimum of Grade 10 and find an employer willing to hire and train an apprentice.

• Pay will range from $29,100 to $83,700 per year.
• Above average growth is expected to the year 2005.

Heavy equipment operators manoeuvre large machines to excavate, grade, and landscape earth or move workers, materials and equipment. Some machines include: bulldozers, backhoes, loaders, graders, sidebooms, heavy paving equipment, power shovels, pile drivers, etc. Training for heavy equipment operators is usually done on the job and/or related training programs. Heavy equipment operators need to know how to: perform preventative maintenance tasks; diagnose mechanical problems; read grade plans; use grade stakes; and follow directions (either spoken or hand signals).

• Pay will range from $21,000 to $76,700 per year.
• Below average growth is expected to the year 2005.

Logging/forestry equipment operators use a wide range of machinery and perform a broad range of operations to mechanically harvest timber. This includes: cutting the trees at different heights, removing limbs/rot/tree tops, cutting trees in to logs, transporting cut wood to be picked up for transport, loading the logs on to transportation, and reducing full trees in to chips. There are no formal requirements to be a logging/forestry operator. However, employers like applicants with a high school diploma, first-aid certification, and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training.

• Pay will range from $28,700 to $74,600 per year.
• Average growth is expected to the year 2005.

Heavy equipment technicians maintain, repair and overhaul towed or self propelled heavy equipment such as highway transport trailers/vehicles, construction, and earth moving equipment. They interpret work orders, manuals, diagnose malfunctions, adjust equipment, repair defective parts, test repaired equipment, and clean, lubricate and maintain equipment. In order to become a heavy equipment technician you must have at least a Grade 11 education and be certified as a journeymen or an apprentice. Alberta has four certifications for heavy equipment technicians.

• Pay will range from $23,100 to $69,800 per year.
• Average growth is expected till the year 2005.

Riggers safely and efficiently utilize lifting machinery and rigging gear to secure anything being lifted. In the oil industry riggers need extensive industry experience, standard first aid, H2S Alive, and Waste Hazard and Materials Information System (WHMIS) training.

• Pay will range from $25,000 to $80,900 per year (oil and gas industry).
• Below average growth expected to 2005.

Truck drivers operate diesel or gas-powered vehicles, tractor trailers and transport goods and materials either on local routes or long distances. Truck drivers load their cargo to ensure effective use of space and to secure articles either with tie downs or padding for safe travelling. Truck drivers are also expected to keep records of loads delivered and picked up, arrival and departure times, maintain vehicle log books (fuel consumption, mileage), and collect payment for upon delivery of goods and materials. There are no formal education requirements for truck drivers, however, a minimum of Grade 9-level English reading and writing skills and first aid training are generally preferred. Some employers may require drivers to have Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), TDG (Transportation of Dangerous Goods) training and/or H2S Alive training.

• Pay will range from $17,900 to $45,000 per year.
• Average occupational growth is expected to 2005.

Each industry profiled in nextSteps includes several jobs found in other industries. Some of the other jobs associated with this industry include: train drivers, bus drivers, automotive service technician, motorcycle mechanic, seismic crew, drilling and service rig workers, and well and logger testers.

Previous issues with more on some of these occupations include:

• People Movers, November 2001 (Train drivers, bus drivers)
• Automotive, November 1999 (automotive service technician, motorcycle technician)
• Oil & Gas (exploration), February 1999 (seismic crew, drilling and service rig workers, well and logger testers)