Monthly Archives: June 2016

How to level the land using a grader

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For a construction activity to begin on a site, it is very important that you have the site leveled so that when the heavy equipment moves on the roads, they do not feel the unwanted jerks and bumps. The work of a heavy equipment operator is never so easy and when you do not have the land leveled it causes all the more trouble to the person working inside the cabin of the machine. He is just not able to position himself properly and this might have some serious implication on his work. It is therefore very crucial to have the ground at a same level so that it makes working for every individual safe and hassle free. Now the machine that can do the work for the construction laborers as well as for the operators is nothing else but a grader.

Generally, a grader is made up of 3 axles. The first axle is located with the engine and on top of the cabin, the second axle is at the front end of the machine and the third one is located at the rear end. It also has a blade in between which does most of the cutting work. So the operator who will be working with the machine needs to check if the blade is sharp enough to do the job and once he is sure about its efficiency, he can begin with grading the land. When we talk about grading it means removing the unwanted substance which is the reason to bumpy roads. So the work of the grader is to cut lose those unwanted substance which can then be disposed in the dump yard truck. A grader is also used to set native soil foundation pads which helps to finish grading quickly before large buildings could be constructed.

Since not all lands are the same. In the same way we can’t use just one type of grader. Graders are of many types but with the basic function to weed out anything and everything that comes in its way. We will normally see a grader with a blade in between but now we can also find graders without blades. Instead of a blade, they have a fork front which becomes fruitful to knock down the hard substance that is quite solidly attached to the ground. The fork fronts of the grader are of different sizes and it also largely depends upon the kind of land it has to work on. If the land is rock solid and quite vast, then the bigger size will be brought to use but if it is for a small place with not much to cut then perhaps the smaller one can do the trick.

The blade of the grader is not only restricted to cutting process but is also used for spreading and leveling. You can flatten a surface if you do not spread soil over it and it sounds absolutely insane for someone to use another machine for spreading soil. Therefore we have the grader taking care of this part of the work.

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Selling heavy equipment – Must to have a mentor

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We all want to excel in our career and lead a prosperous life and for that we try and do everything under the sun to make that happen. One such profession where you need not be ultra-qualified is being a salesman. However, that does not imply that anybody can become a good salesman. It requires lot of hard work and determination without which it will be futile to dream of a prosperous life. Now when we are talking about sales, we are dealing with a difficult chapter. When you are into selling something, you are winning someone’s trust first and then selling him the product. This also means that if in any case the product goes faulty, the person will lose his trust from you for eternity.

Therefore it is important that you sell the right stuff to the right person. But when you are a beginner you do not know how to deal with situations and how to crack a deal. This is where the need of a mentor surfaces. Ideally, you be a part of any industry, the need of a mentor is always required there but it is probably more needed in the profession of sale because you are not only dealing with the reputation of the company but also with the trust of people and you just can’t allow that to go for a toss.

For people who are selling heavy equipment, the need of a mentor increases in their case. One can just imagine the situation of a newbie who after graduating gets into selling heavy equipment about which he knows nothing. He must be having nightmares to come to office every day and may even think of moving to some other job or some other industry. Well for people like these, there must a guy who will guide them with the things he is supposed to do and the things he should stay out of. Since he will be completely new to this environment, he should first meet his mentor before his starts working for the day. No wonder his mentor will fill him up with positivity and will try to clear any hurdles that he must have experienced during the sale.

Selling heavy equipment may not be as simple as selling some financial product but it is also not a very difficult job. It just depends on how well you take it and the kind of support you get from your mentor. You should be sharing possibly everything pertaining to the job with him. Right from meeting the client to the kind of questions that were asked to you by the client and also the answers you gave should be said to the mentor. By that he will judge the areas where you are lacking and will give necessary advices to work on. You should take them positively and hone your skills further. It takes time to become a good heavy equipment salesman but with the help of your mentor, you can do it without much effort.

How to tighten the tracks on heavy equipment

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Though been one of the most important components in the construction industry, heavy earth moving equipment is sadly the most ignored element of all. Construction companies are all running a race against time. All they know is to complete the assigned work in time or for that matter before time so that they can catch up with another piece of work and in this entire process they fail to remember that they need to give a bit of attention to an important segment which is the earth moving heavy machines. Construction companies are heavily dependent on mechanics whenever they see an issue with any of their equipment. This is not a bad thing to do but depending completely on something can also take a toll on your work when you do not find the team around to get your work done and you do not know how to get things moving in the absence of the team. This can certainly leave you in a high and dry situation and can also cost a fortune to the company.

So the ground rule is you got to take enough notice of your heavy equipment and learn a few things that you can do to fix things in the absence of a mechanic. One of the most common problems is with the track of the heavy equipment. They come out way too often and you are unable to figure out how to get rid of this issue. Well, you will not be able to get rid of it completely but maintaining the overall machine on a timely manner which also takes into account the track of the machine can certainly reduce the frequency of the problem. But when you have encountered a problem like this and have nobody around to help you out, here are few things that you can do yourself to get it track back.

Firstly, you have to ensure that you turn the upper part of the machine so that the boom is at a 90 degree angle to the travel direction. After that you got to check that the bucket floor level is to the ground by positioning the arm upright to the ground. You then need to press down the boom so that the track is elevated on one side and then gradually it is completely suspended above ground level. Once that done, you need to ensure that the track makes several revolutions so that the debris and other dirt can come out. Once that’s done, stop the track from moving and move in the cab. Ask your assistant to measure the bottom of the track frame to the track shoe and compare it with the measurements given in the user manual.

You may also have to inject grease in the small hole of the track frame and for this purpose use a grease injector. This will help to tighten the track. Once the tracks are tightened, make use of a wrench to loosen the fitting and get the track on the ground. Just in case you see any issues and can’t figure out to fix it, stop there and seek help of an expert.

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Have sound financial reserves to meet unforeseen challenges

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When you are rich, do not spend lavishly because you never know when you may need that money the most. Life is full of unforeseen happenings and this is why it is prudent to keep some control over your spending before things go completely out of hand and you remorse for things that you could have easily contained. People belonging from the construction industry have to be very careful with handling their finances. They can’t spend copiously in buying things for their business without even having the need for it. This may result to some serious problems in the future. Construction business is very dynamic in nature and things that are happening now may not happen in the very next moment. Which is why you should always maintain some amount as contingency fund as you do not know when you may require the money.

We will be discussing few important points that will highlight why having sound financial reserves is necessary to meet unforeseen challenges.

Getting new projects out of the blue:- 

At times, you may have experienced someone taking the reference of one of your clients and giving business to you. Well you must have never expected that business to come but it did arrive out of the blue. Now, if you say that you do not have enough resources to take up that job, you are simply not doing justice to your business. Getting new clients is always good for the business and especially when he comes to you as a reference of your existing client. Saying no to him will not only impact your business with a prospect but also will strain your relationship with your existing client. Henceforth, he may not give any business to you considering that you do not have the potential to take up new challenges.

Considering the same situation, if you keep yourself ready for such unforeseen opportunities, it will certainly help you nurture as a business owner and will also boost your business in a grand way. Therefore keep enough money to procure heavy equipments and employ new workers to work on the addition site.

Financial reserves can help you sustain during hard times:-

Construction business can show you both good as well as bad phases many times during your active career as a construction business owner. It has been widely observed that most of the companies go sick when the bad phase hits them. At times, it hits too hard for them to sustain further leading to unwanted closure of business. When you are down with projects and do not have much work in hand, you can cut down your costs. That will save a bit but you still have to carry on to survive and for that you require money. Having sound financial reserves helps you big time during such moment of crisis.

You can depend on your savings and can pull things on for few more months. Till then you may see the tide moving back and businesses pouring in. Your savings have thus saved your business.

 

Heavy Equipment Salvage

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Every living and non-living thing has an expiry date attached to it which means that it will most likely get redundant or become obsolete after a certain span of time. Heavy equipment also have an expiry date which is not known. It all depends upon how you use the machine and what care you take to ensure that the age of the machine is lengthened. Having said that, there will be a time when you have to finally do away with your most lovable heavy equipment and bid adieu to it. Does this mean that you get nothing for the machine for which you spent so much? Well, there is something that you can do to get some money by selling the equipment to a heavy equipment salvage company. These companies are ready to buy the entire equipment or just parts of the machine and will pay the correct price for it.

When would you know that it is time that you need to approach the salvage company? The moment you realize that your heavy equipment is costing you more on maintenance and is also causing issues while working. These are signs that it is time that you do away with the machine and replace it with a new one. Simultaneously, it is would be foolish to just give away the metal for nothing when you can make some money by selling it. This is perhaps the right moment when you should approach the heavy equipment salvage company and sell them the machine that does not function at all. If you feel that they will not buy the stuff, then you would be happy to know that they will be pleased to take it from you. What they do is they extract the good parts from the machine and sell it to users who are in need of that part. In case, if the part is not working fine then they will repair it and then sell it in the market.

The heavy equipment salvage company deals with all kinds of heavy equipment right from bulldozers, excavators, graders, forklifts, cranes and loaders. You give the machine in working or in non-working condition and they will take it from you. One thing that you must be aware before you sell the machine to them is the price they offer you. It is advisable that you approach more than 1 salvage company if you want to do away with your existing machine. Try to get the rates from them that they are ready to offer you and then take a calculative judgment. Your decision should be quite rational and you may also consider using the amount received from the salvage company towards paying the down payment for the new machine.

In this way you do not have to lose anything. It is kind of a win-win situation for you. In case if you want them to come to your place and take the machine as you do not wish to pay the shipping cost, they might even be ready to do so. However, it is better that you talk to them about it in advance

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Knowing the nitty gritty of construction business is super crucial

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Before you try putting your hands into any kind of business you need to first have at least some basic knowledge about the trade. Only if you learn the trade well that you will be able to do it well and also taste success or else it will be an utter debacle. You will only experience losing all that you have, right from money to people and eventually your business. So keep your facts straight and give stress to learn the business well before you really pump your energy time and money into it. The people who will be associated with your business will look how confident you are and your confidence will come up with the kind of knowledge you possess. If you do not know much about your business, it will certainly reflect on your persona and that is going to be really bad.

Speaking about the construction industry, it will just not let you run the business if you have very little or absolutely no knowledge on how to function. There is high level competition in this business and more people are getting in into the rat race. So in order to outsmart them, you got to be a bit smarter first. Therefore, it is recommended that you work with some construction company for the first few years so that you understand the nitty gritty of the business. It takes time to learn something new and therefore you got to stick with the company for few years and not months. Check how to behave with the laborers, what compensation you are supposed to pay them, how things are coordinated and how people are hired. You also need to understand a bit of managerial and admin part where you learn the work of managers and know what they do to manage things so that it all moves so smoothly.

Knowing the work of admin will help you understand how the payroll things work. You do not have to know everything in detail. Just the basic understanding will do. You learn these things and can incorporate it in your business. Ideally big construction companies have people who advices the owners on these things. You may also need advices when you reach to that position but in order to understand their suggestions, you need to know what they are talking about. So knowing these things becomes crucial. Another important area that you need to touch is the procurement of heavy equipment and other raw materials. Also knowing where to dump the debris is crucial.

If you know someone who owns a construction business, you can start working with him to learn things. So work with him for few years and gain as much knowledge as you can and once you feel that you are confident enough to start a business of your own, you should take the initiative and give it a shot. You will get to know more things once you head up for your own business and may find the journey interesting and joyful.

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Let safety of your employees come first

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A construction or a mining jobsite is often considered as a danger zone for people who are working in it and also for the ones who steps in for their individual reasons. Accidents are prone to happen in such kind of jobsite where the loss can be limited to just heavy equipment or can even injure the workers working on the site. If the loss is restricted to heavy equipment then that is manageable. You can fix a machine by repairing its dent or simply replacing the vital part and can get back the machine with the same vigor. But if an employee or a group of employees are injured in the accident then that can lead to a bigger problem. You can’t fix that because it if they get seriously injured in any accident that scar will remain for the rest of their lives. It is therefore very important to understand how crucial the safety of your employees is that you just can’t compromise at all on that front.

The steps that you can take to ensure that your employees are safe at the jobsite are as follows.

Train your employees on first aid:-

All the employees on the jobsite should be well trained with first aid procedures. The training should be conducted by experts in the field of paramedics. An employee can even injure himself without even contacting any external force. For instance, he has been given to pick a big sledgehammer and has been asked to disintegrate a strong structure using it and while doing so he sprains up his muscle and is now not able to move an inch. He is perhaps finding uncomfortable to even sit on the ground. The workers around him should know the first aid that they can give him to ease his situation and make him feel comfy till the paramedics show up at the jobsite.

Wearing accessories that keeps you safe is a must:-

Make it mandatory for everyone who is working on the jobsite to wear necessary accessories that will protect him from potential perils. A person who is monitoring the progress on the jobsite should at least wear a helmet so that while passing through a tall rise, if even a small stone falls on his head, he will not get hurt by that. Operators working on heavy equipment should buckle up and wear gloves so that they do not injure their hands by touching something that is hot. They should also be wearing boots all the time while they are inside the cabin and the quality of the boots should be such that it does not hurt their legs and also not make it sore when they remove it.

Water storage should be adequate:-

Employees working during summer get easily dehydrated. They need to drink sufficient water to keep their bodies hydrated and full of energy. Therefore there should be a water storage facility around the jobsite where all the employees can fill in water in their bottles and keep sipping it whenever they feel thirsty.

 

 

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Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs

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Jobs that demand excellence pays handsomely to whose who has the ability to do justice with it and the temperament to deliver it without any delay. There are many such jobs that are ready to pay good money. However, the only thing that they demand is quality work and highly skilled labor. It is not that the ones who are semi-skilled are not fit for the job. It is just that they are not yet ready to claim the high package which an expert in the same domain is. So the thumb rule is that in order to deserve a high package, it is very essential that you show some character in your work. You will be rewarded only when you fit in the category of people who deserve the reward for their hard work.

If you are looking for such a job that truly rewards people who their hard work and excellence, you should be aspiring to become a heavy equipment operator. When you are an operator, you get the opportunity to learn a lot of things about the machine. Many operators also know how to fix the machine they are working on in case there appears to be some sort of problem. They do not lay their hands in grave issues though but ideally knows how to solve a particular problem.

Heavy equipment operator jobs are in plenty across United States. Many construction and mining companies are looking for experienced and skilled operators who have been operating different kinds of machines for a long time. They are also ready to pay them handsomely but the only crisis is with getting competent operators. Construction companies are experiencing serious problems in recruiting skilled operators. For some projects they can’t take the service of semi-skilled operators and only want skilled men for the job. These projects are quite important for them and hiring a person who has limited knowledge or experience in operating heavy equipment can be a big danger for the project as well as the people involved with the project. It may also rupture the rapport with the client if the clients does not get to see quality work happening.

It is very crucial to join a renowned institute or a training center that deals with teaching people how to operate heavy equipment. They may have different courses. They may have something for the beginners, then for the ones who want to learn more and finally advanced courses. After which, they get the opportunity to work with expert operators during site visits. They get the chance to interact with them, shoot questions at them and get suitable answers. They can even try their hands on the machine under the guidance of the expert operator. Once they are through with the training program, they can apply as apprentice in a construction company from where they will start getting exposure into the practical aspect of being an operator.

It will be only through experience that they will garnish their skills and knowledge and their quality will be reflected in their work. Once they become competent, searching for a high paid job will not be difficult.

Be generous to pay operators with talent

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Companies normally pay more for talent. So a person who has acquired talent through years of experience and hard work should be definitely rewarded and he rightfully deserve every bit that he is paid. The construction industry is also known as a paymaster for people who knows the in and out of the industry and also termed as an asset to the company.

Through their experience they will be able to steer the future as well as the fortune of the company. They have seen different phases of the business and may know what to do under a given circumstances. When we look at the different levels in the construction industry we may find many people across genres who can be termed as efficient and people with immense talent. Right from a labor to an engineer every person has a role to pay and their talent is displayed by their work.

The talent and experience of an operator is nevertheless of immense significance to the construction company. The operator handles one of the most important parts of the business. He works on earth moving equipment and at the same time also takes care of it. He is the one who reports about any issues with the machine which is then rectified by a mechanic. He is also taken to task when a machine just stops working. His manager will want him to answer why he did not raise a flag when there was an issue with the machine. This means that he is suppose to take onus if anything goes wrong with it. So the operator who takes care of such vital things deserves to be paid more. The company should think about this seriously in case if they are of the opinion to save money on them.

Demand for talented operators does not perish:-

Since operators handle such an important department, the demand for their talent does not perish. Construction companies are always in the hunt talent with some years of experience in hand. They also check for candidates who have the will to learn more about his work. Someone who just does not want to stop learning is probably the man they want to have in their organization. Such men will always be in demand for what they owe and how they can shape up the future of the company.

There are few operators who take charge of the entire fleet of heavy equipment and ensure that nothing goes wrong on any given day. So if you ignore their hard work and pays them less than what they deserve, they may soon switch to a company that acknowledges them for their talent and hard work.

Companies who pay well have performed better:-

It has been noticed that companies who pay well to the deserving operators perform better than others. Their growth structure is on the upwards scale. If your operators are content with their salary, they may go out of their way and may give suggestions that will prove to be highly beneficial to the company.

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Patience is the key for any construction business

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The ground rule of any business being big or small is to be patient and hit hard when you get the opportunity. Business is all about different phases. You may be doing well in your business but soon you will discover that things are not going well for you and with each passing day you see things moving out of your hand. These are instances that test your nerves and check how calmly you can manage situations. You should not get paranoid and let the situation take you on a royal ride. On the other hand, take control of the situation and lead from the front. Ups and downs are parts and parcel of any business and one got to deal with it quite maturely. Throwing tantrums may not be the solution. Complaining about things may again not be the viable option but taking complete charge of the matter may take you out of troubled waters.

Patience is required the most when it comes to businesses that are volatile in nature and are mostly dependent on market forces. So if anything goes awry in the market it may have a lasting impact on the business as well. This means that you got to keep your nerves cool and face the situation as it comes. Construction industry a matter fact is one such industry that is known for its volatility and is easily affected by the market forces. Since you do not have any control on the market, you just have to move with the flow. The one thing that you need to take notice is of picking the right things while you move on. When things are tough, you better lie low. This is where patience comes into picture. You may be quite an aggressive person when it comes to business but at times you need to replace your aggression with calmness as it does not do well at all times.

Being aggressive in an industry like construction is often considered as a virtue and not many can maintain the same aggression throughout. They often tend to be aggressive in the beginning but in the mid they begin losing it. This is in no way a positive sign for a construction company. Similarly, when there is high unpredictability you got to give upon on your aggressiveness as well and try to remain patient till you see the right time to hit back.

There have been numerous instances of many huge construction companies going bankrupt as they maintained their aggressive policy when it was time to remain calm. They were of the opinion that they can’t shed away the natural instinct of the company which was indeed the primary reason of their debacle. They could have stayed down for a while and waited for the right moment. They severely lacked patience. It is somewhat difficult to stay afloat in turbulent waters but once you manage to take the right decision during wrong times, things becomes smooth once the phase gets over.