i work at a auto salvage yard running every piece of equipment they got ( wheel loader, excavator, and a mini loader ) i started out working on the ground and thought i wanted to be a mechanic. now i wanna get into the earth moving industry
I just found his channel and it's impressive, I don't understand why he doesn't have more views and subscribers. His way of doing things are as good/better than some other channels with similar content.
Thanks man! I think the biggest reason is I haven't been going long enough. I've been posting consistently since March. Before that it was a part time side gig that got 10% of my attention.
My route for getting into the seat was by hiring on with an excavating company as a truck driver. I asked to get in on the floating, at which point they had to teach me how to use the things. Now, as a driver, and occasional 'stick puller', I don't even have to apply for jobs. I have been offered work by competitors while fueling my truck!
It is crazy how much people are hurting for employees right now. When I was going out and filming on sites I would get regular job offers. Glad to have you in the trade brother!
Brother my first word was backhoe too!! Your a legend i love you videos too they give great realistic non sugar coated insight and it helps a lot keep it up
This is very encouraging. I'm not only new to the industry but I'm a mature woman. I just applied at a training opportunity for a haul truck on a mining site. Fingers crossed they look past the no experience.
it took me to watch one video to subscribe...bro is super fuc...real...amazing work bro..big up much love...i hope your channel will blow up...very helpful..nothing but mad respect...peace and love to you and your beloved family...keep it up...you helping alot of people...love from canada
I know the industry is hard work and can be back breaking, is there any advice on how to stay healthy as to not cripple yourself by the time you retire or minimize the effects of years of that type of work on the body?
I'm going to sound like an office safety video but it really is small things. Lift with your back, don't jump off of equipment (learned that one the hard way and tweaked my back like an old man). Just because your dozer/excavator/skid can go fast across windrows doesn't mean you should. As you crest over the tipping point with a tracked machine, turn slightly. This causes the weight shift to happen slowly so you are gentle on the machine and your body instead of slamming down. It's small things that are conscious efforts to go easy on yourself.
Stretch and flex! If your company doesn't do an official stretch and flex every morning, do it at home right after you wake up. You'd be surprised the difference it makes, and you'll feel it even more if you already have trouble with your neck or back. It helps a ton, even if it makes you look like a dork (which is why I do it at home)
Good vid! , im third generation operator, started in my teens as a laborer. jackhammering shoveling, picking, learned that trade and slowly transitioned into equipment working for non union companies. then eventually got into the local for my state NJ, been in some years now. yes its hard work and long hours pay is great and benefits as well. Down side is not seeing my kids as much as i would like but my pops was the same way never saw him growing up. God bless and stay at it!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment! That is one of the only true downsize to this industry is it doesn't leave much time for family life and raising kids. Stepping back from the industry was a really hard choice for me and I miss it every day. Keep up the hard work brother!
Been in real estate/sales for the past 20 years. I start trade school in August for HEO. Have no problem starting at the bottom, hopefully I'm able to make it. Wife's taking over the real estate business and Im going for something I've always wanted to do.
I'm excited for you. There's nothing like that first couple days on the job after crossing over from an entirely different industry. Soak it up brother,you got this. Shoot me a message if you have any questions.
Hey man, I'm in the same situation. Just wondering how it's going for you? I got my license not too long ago, but I already know that real estate is not something that I want to make a career out of and I've always been drawn to construction. Any advice?
Really nice to hear your story Brian. What you said is definitely true. Be a sponge. We both been at it a long time. I think you will agree, we never stop learning. Thanks Brian.
@@DieselandIron greetings from Ugandan Operators....we have a challenge most construction companies ask for 5years experience yet others don't have it since they are new in the system
I am still in grade school but I have been drawn to construction for all my life. I love anything to do with it, I plan on going into the industry I just don’t know which way I should go once I graduate. I live in Ohio so we have a union. But I also think becoming a laborer is a great choice. I still have a couple years left but I spend a lot of my time watching videos with equipment and how to become and operator and etc. I often think of what I want to do and how I want to do it. Just wanted to know if you had any suggestions. Also, I have one question, when you are in the apprenticeship program do you only work at training facilities or do you actually do job at job sites. I love your videos ,they are very detailed and entertaining. Continue the great work.
Hey Cameron! Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment! Going either the laborer or operator route will give you a great career. Obviously going the laborer route will be much more physical labor and you will rarely see the inside of a machine. That being said, you "workout" as a career and if you don't get caught up in eating junk food on the job you can get ripped pretty quick. Don't feel like you have to chose a path right this second or you'll be stuck there the rest of your life. I know plenty of laborers that went into the laborers union for 10+ years and then switched over to the operators union. It's definitely possible to crossover. If you're really unsure of which way to go, hire in at a small to midsized non-union company and give it a shot wearing both hats. When I started I was a combination operator/laborer for a small company. You'll be naturally drawn to one or the other and at that point you can commit to joining one of the unions and go from there. As for your question about the apprenticeship program, you are on the job all the time. You have a combination of training time at the training facility alongside working for a company doing on the job training. Union employers are familiar with the apprenticeship program and work with you to let you attend your union classes and training days. Thanks again for watching and let me know if you've got more questions!
Any advice for a 29 year old guy looking to get into crane operating? My dad was a local 139 crane operator in WI until he died. I have talked to the union and he told me I'm a shoo-in because of my dad. What should I expect with an apprenticeship with the union? What will I start out doing? Is this the best route? I have no experience and no CDL but get told me they will train me and get me my CDLs. Thank you, great channel brother 🤙
I appreciate the comments! Going the union route would work best for you as a crane operator. They will help you get your CDL and you can take your hoisting courses through the training center. As an apprentice you will have classroom time as well as on the job training. You will start as an oiler and your job is to take care of the crane. Greasing, cleaning, inspecting and most importantly, learning from the operator. You will start by driving one of the support rigs that carries out hoisting equipment and counterweights. Once onsite you will shadow your operator and start learning the trade.
I know I’m coming into this comment section late but wanted to say I’m currently a class A driver for an equipment rental company and spend ALOT of time in and out of job sites and I’ve known for a couple years now I wanted to eventually end up in the HEO industry, I’m currently looking at the Wisconsin local 139 apprenticeship program but my biggest fear is the pay cut, my wife does work but I make double her yearly pay where I currently am, but I’m confident I can make up for it in a decent time frame, all I know is I’m almost 35 and want to make a career change before I get much older, the trucking industry pays well but it’s not what makes me happy so fingers crossed 🤞
Damn man, didn't see that coming.... that you were in the banking world. Have you ever noticed that the machine operator's normally stick around, while the truck drivers come and go? I mean off road truck drivers btw? Have you worked much in the quarry/gravel pits side of this industry? What's your favourite pice of equipment to operate and least favourite? And you 100% made the right choice to be there for your kids, time flys by way to quick and you want to be there to see them grow up and for the good memories. Thanks for sharing your how you got started, maybe you could do some story time videos because I bet you have some funny and interesting stories to tell like this one. I apologize for the long comment ha. 😁👍
No need to apologize! I'm diggin' the comments! You can't see me working the customer service desk at a bank? Checking to see what pulled out of your account to cause an overdraft to see if I can reimburse the charges? Cashing that sweet payday check for you while wishing you a nice day? It sucked.... To your first observation, most people new to the industry will start in haul trucks. It's boring and repetitive and weeds a lot of people out early. There's a reason foreman start guys on haul trucks or rollers. It's a test to see if you can stick it out. I haven't spent anytime on the operating side of the gravel pits but I've been to them plenty of times in my tri-axle dump truck I use to drive for my old company. We did a lot of septic fields which required a lot of stone and sand so I was in and out of pits almost daily. Favorite piece is either a hoe or a loader. Least favorite is definitely the open cab broom tractor. You haven't seen black boogers until you've spent a day on that miserable piece of equipment.... Thanks for all the compliments! I'm very glad I made the moves I did, when I did. I think the timing was just about perfect. I'll have to spend some time thinking of some stories. I've got some funny ones, some sad and some just interesting. Sounds like a good winter project maybe? Thanks for watching man! I really appreciate the feedback!
Hell yeah you do landscaping. I do landscaping for my career as well. I'm working for a landscaping company called busy bee lawn service. What was your landscaping company centered around? Installs or maintenance? For me personally I really enjoy doing landscape maintenance.
I work for general contractor and have some equipment experience. I’m the sole bread winner with our first baby on the way. How did you weather the pay cut?
Sorry to hear that brother. I'm grateful to have the support I do. Nice thing about the trades is it truly is a brotherhood. If you don't have a great family, you can always find one with your brothers and sisters in the trades. 👊
Goodmorning, I've been thinking about getting into equipment operating, i'm 26, I don't really have much experience, i mean all the experience i have is : Ran a medium sized excavator trenching 4ft deep hole so my dad could run these long ass electrical lines, one time i excavated out the side of a mountain cliff area to run water pipes from a river to someones pump/filtration house up the hill a couple hundred yards away, and then i ran a skid steer for all of 10 minutes in a back yard once, and then i've done a shit to of ditch witching for underground electrical. I think I want to get into equipment operating, I make pretty good money now, i weld and supervise a maintenance crew at a plant, i make about $100k a year, but i'm under so much fucking stress, i've been working there 6 years, i'm to the point where if i'm going to be this stressed, it needs to be for myself. I don't really want to take a MASSIVE pay cut and go be a minimum wage operator somewhere that will take 5 years to train me to do anything, do you think it would be a bad idea for me to just save up about $35k over about 8 months and try buying a little track loader skid steer machine as my first piece of equipment and then kind of learn as i go, or see if i can find a mentor for it? I was thinking start off with the little skid steer because i could tackle a multitude of different jobs because with all the various attachments for them the possibilities are damn near endless, and then use that equipment to buy a little excavator after that? i'm trying to figure out how i can make this work, and what kind of jobs and things i could do with it as a beginner to gain some experience, like there is a ton of BLM land i can just go to and practice re-smoothing the roads and trails and shit and moving piles of dirt, that's not an issue, but like i know better than to try to take a job cutting a fucking grade when i have no idea what i'm doing. I already bought my house and stuff, so i'm at the point where i don't wanna just hit the complete reset button on my income and go live in my moms basement again but i want to find a way to get into the industry, main goal being to be my own boss.
I would honestly tell you not to try to get a machine and figure it out as you go. This industry has some pretty steep learning curves and even seasoned operators can put themselves out of business with one screw up. I would try to find a decent company to work for and take a 20-30% pay cut while you learn the trade. After that you can go it on your own once you have a foundation to work off of.
No, you're looking at a few years before you see the seat of any piece of equipment outside of a haul truck. If you're willing to put in the time, I'd go for it!
Apply to a local company and get to work! The industry is hurting for people and if you can show up and do a hard days work they will absolutely take you!
I got a late start. My dad is a banker so I didn't grow up with people in the field but I always loved it. Graduated college, got a white collar job, and hated it. Got a job running an off road haul truck in Texas for $12/hr, worked my way up, and never looked back!
Start applying to some companies. The industry is hurting for people and willing to train. Also, watch this video! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-maIDknW4DME.html
