Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
Work Activities
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Learn and follow safety regulations.
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Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.
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Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability.
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Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.
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Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.
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Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.
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Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.
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Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines.
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Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.
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Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.
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Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain.
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Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.
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Perform specialized work, using equipment, such as pile drivers, dredging rigs, drillers, or concrete pumpers.
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Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.
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Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
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Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors.
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Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.
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Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.
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Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.
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Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.
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Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
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Drive tractor-trailer trucks to move equipment from site to site.
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Push other equipment when extra traction or assistance is required.
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Operate road watering, oiling, or rolling equipment, or street sealing equipment, such as chip spreaders.
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Operate compactors, scrapers, or rollers to level, compact, or cover refuse at disposal grounds.
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Test atmosphere for adequate oxygen or explosive conditions when working in confined spaces.
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Compile cost estimates for jobs.
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Turn valves to control air or water output of compressors or pumps.
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Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
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Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
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Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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Control Precision
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
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Depth Perception
The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
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Multilimb Coordination
The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
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Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
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English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
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Currently Employed
14,790
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Yearly Projected Openings
1,880
- Education High school diploma or equivalent
- Work Experience No work experience
- Training 1 to 12 months on-the-job training
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Looking for technical training programs?
Check out these programs:
Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
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Dependability
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Initiative
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Adaptability/Flexibility
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Attention to Detail
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Cooperation
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Independence
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Power saws
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Hoists
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Graders
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Front end loaders
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Dump trucks
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Spreadsheet software
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Operating system software
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Office suite software
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Facilities management software
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Electronic mail software
