Monthly Archives: September 2016

How to recruit competent operators

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Day in and day out we are witnessing a lot of changes in the way heavy equipment are being operated. It is primarily because of the ever increasing want of the consumer to make operating heavy equipment simpler and also because they want their work to be completed in comparatively lesser time so that they can concentrate on new projects. This has certainly given rise to the want of advanced heavy equipment and also simultaneously has given rise to the requirement of competent operators. Good operators have become a very rare commodity and are not easily found.

If you own a big construction house, you will not more than 6-7 operators who are highly experienced and know their job well. The other lot will always be a factor of worry for you. It has therefore become a skill to recruit competent operators for your company and we will discuss what exactly should be done to recognize their talent and make them a part of your organization.

Check how much they know about their work:-

It is important to check how knowledgeable the operator is as far as his work is concerned and how much he knows about heavy equipment. Check which all machines has he operated in the last 2 years and if there are any cases of accidents reported against him. Competencies do come with experience but that is certainly not the only criteria to become a competent operator. Therefore, you can also look for guys who do not have much experience but are still good with machines. You can ask them several questions pertaining to the equipment they have operated and check how correct they are while answering them. This will give you a hint on what kind of operator you are hiring.

Trial check is necessary to check their competency:-

In order to know how good they are in operating the heavy equipment, you can ask them to operate a machine and tell them what they need to do. Your instructions should be crystal clear so that they can perform the task without any confusion. Now if they complete the task without any error, you have the right guy for the job. This method of checking the competency of the operator is performed by many construction companies who are able to recruit ace operators.

 

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Make customized heavy equipment straight from the workshop

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We all have some specific requirements and in order to fulfill those requirements we need special tools. Similarly, when we talk about the construction segment we would like to have heavy equipment that suit our needs. Heavy equipment makers take lot of care to produce machines that matches our needs but that may sound pretty expensive and the heavy equipment produced by them are bought by big construction and mining companies. Small contractors and sub-contractors form a major part of the construction business and frankly they can’t afford to buy machines that are tailor made. They ideally made some amendments to the heavy equipment they are using like adding some attachments and try to do their job. However it is not an impossible task to use customized heavy equipment. All they have to do is give the existing equipment to the mechanic who has a workshop and who not only fixes construction machines but also modifies them. They only have to be a bit specific about their requirements and consider the job as done.

Not all mechanics modify heavy equipment:-

You got to do a fair deal of research before you land up to one such workshop and also remember that not all mechanics modify heavy equipment. They may have a workshop where they repair your machines but they do not participate in modification works. Either they do not have the expertise or they want to keep their business simple. Some mechanics know to modify machines but still stick to the repairing business. It is definitely not an easy job. When you modify a machine you got to take care of many other things that are connected with it. If you want something to be changed, you may have to forcibly change some other component as it may not be compatible with the changed item. This is why there are special workshops which have trained men/women for the job and you need to take the equipment to them for any kind of modification.

Can also buy customized heavy equipment:-

If you are looking to buy heavy equipment that will serve some special needs for your business you can again look up to mechanics that makes heavy equipment considering your needs. These heavy equipment will be way too inexpensive as compared to the one manufactured by heavy equipment companies. It will not hurt your budget and you have a machine that serves your purpose. However, it is important that you prepare the specifications of the heavy equipment along with the operator. He will be the guy who will eventually work on it and therefore he can mention well about what all he needs in it.

Compare the price before you give an order:-

Before you go with ordering customized heavy equipment, it is imperative that you check the quotation from different mechanics. You got to be wise enough to choose the best. Try to get reviews from people who have got similar work done from them. If at all you get recommendations from someone in your business circle, you can give that special consideration but try to analyze the situation well and then place yo

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Selling attachments to construction companies will give huge profits

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The construction and mining industry is perhaps one of the most booming industries till now. Though both the industries have seen few ups and downs and do take that as part and parcel of this game, they have still managed to be the most successful industries of all. Someone who is unable to make it big in the construction domain but still want to stick to the same domain can try their luck by selling heavy equipment or parts and attachments of heavy equipment to different construction companies. This is a highly profitable business and many who were not able to make it big in the construction domain were able to do well in the ancillary domain. Though it is connected to the same industry people who know nothing but heavy equipment can make a career out of it. It is just not a business but a big time career for many who like to remain associated with this domain.

Construction companies are quite reluctant to buy heavy equipment or their parts from a non-branded company which is why if you try to manufacture a machine in your workshop and try to market it, you will find it extremely difficult to sell it across to buyers. So the most viable solution for you is to sell branded stuffs to companies. The modus operandi would be to buy old machines, refurbish it and then sell it back to the construction companies. You should just not play around with the brand logo. Not all construction company will buy that from you but there are many small companies who can’t afford to buy branded ones will go for your product.

Same goes with attachments of heavy equipment. Attachments are equally expensive and any newbie will not want to spend his money into buying a brand new attachment when he has the option to buy it from a company that deals with seconds. This is a big business and is spread across many countries and not just in US alone. You got to deal with attachments of every branded company and need to have a thorough knowledge about which attachment is used for what purpose. This job is said to be more appropriate for operators who after retiring from their job opens up a business of their own. This business can’t be limited to guys who have worked on heavy equipment and can be taken up by anybody who has sound knowledge about machines.

Other than knowing about heavy equipment and their parts, you also should have a reasonable idea about their cost in the market. Just to earn profits you can’t quote an amount that sounds equal to a new attachment. You have to quote a price that is lower to the value of new items. Therefore a thorough study of the market is also important. A person who has lived all his life working on heavy equipment will rather find it simple to figure out which one costs what and thereby will do well in this form of a business.

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Loan to buy heavy equipment

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Loans have become a part of life for almost every citizen of this country. The day you begin to earn, you also apply for credit cards and start buying things on credit. This is also one form of loan where you intend to pay the creditor on or before the due date. Catering to our needs, there are different segments of loans that financial institutions have come up with. You can go for home loan, personal loan, auto loan etc. People who need money to start their business can also apply for business loan and they shall get it at affordable interest rates. Though not all banks offer loans at affordable interest rates, one needs to check which bank they should go with for easy payments of installments. So for people who have just stepped in the construction business and require loan to buy heavy equipment can shop for banks who can offer money at reasonable interest rates.

Before you start shopping for banks to apply for loans, it is imperative that you check the need to buy heavy equipment for your business. You can fulfill your requirement by taking it on rent where you do not own the equipment but can use it for a year or so and then give it back to the owner. You only have to pay an amount that has been agreed upon by both the parties at the beginning or at the end of every month.

However, if you feel that renting heavy equipment is not the solution to the problem and buying one is the need of the hour then you should begin to hunt for a bank. We all want to borrow money at affordable interest rates but an application has to go through a lot of screening in order to qualify for that. It has been seen that not many people qualify for loans at lower interest rates.

Pay a fee to get loans at lower interest rates:-

At times you may not qualify to get loan at a lower interest rate. Either you credit rating is not up to the mark or there may be some reason or the other that fails you to qualify for a lower interest rate. Some banks may still qualify you provided you have to pay them a fee to get that done. However, not all banks follow this as their guideline to bring down the interest rates and it completely depends upon what the banks need to lower your interest rate. To buy heavy equipment you need to have lot of money. The ideal situation would be to use an amount that is part of your savings and the balance should be taken as loan. In this way, even if the interest rate is high you would be able to manage it well.

Improve your credit rating:-

Your credit rating plays an important role in qualifying for the bank loan. So you should ensure that you keep it clean by paying your dues in time. Likewise once you buy the machine ensure that you pay the monthly installments on time without defaulting for even a month. This will keep help you to keep a healthy credit rating.

How to become a successful construction business owner

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Many people who own a construction business wonder how someone can establish such a huge construction empire in this lifetime. For them it took years to get stabilized and there are few men who simply got success in every decision they took, in every sphere they moved. It looked all so easy for them as if they did not have to go through any hardships, any trouble or any challenge in setting up their business empire.

From the outset, we may see that they have got everything so easily but if we look into the depth of the matter, we will find lot many sacrifices that were made to reach the place that they are in. Life is never a bed of roses for anybody and all have to go through some amount of hardships to gain a place in their life. It is just that how they take things. If they are positive in life things are bound to go well but if they are pessimist and crib on every little thing, they will have a hard time in dealing with realities.

There are few very basic yet important things that you need to follow to taste success in this form of business.

Believe in yourself:-

You will get a lot of people who may not find your decision making ability to be appropriate and may feel that this will not work under the current situation. But if you feel it is worth taking the risk, go ahead and take it. You know yourself better than anybody else does. However, before you take a decision, take your stakeholder into confidence. There will be always 2 outcome of your decision. Either you will hit the bull’s eye or it will backfire. You got to be ready for both accolades as well as criticism. The crux of the matter is that you have given it a shot and that is important.

Keep yourself open for suggestions:-

A construction business owner should keep his minds open for any suggestions that he receives from business experts. The business decisions should be on the basis of these suggestions. The business experts understand the market better than the one who operates the business. They do round the clock analysis and then come down to a conclusion. They may not be able to estimate the future quite precisely but may remain close to what we call precise.

Set up good rapport with your clients and stakeholders:-

Getting more business fairly depends on the kind of relationship you have with your clients and stakeholders. Setting up good rapport with them can go a long way in getting more businesses from them. Delivering work on time, being honest with them may sound very basic but it matters a lot in times where people take any mode to please others. Standing tall on your ethics does matter a lot in establishing confidence in the hearts of your clients. Giving quality work also plays a significant role in generating strong rapport with the clients.

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What happens to heavy equipment whose payments are defaulted

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Not every person who has borrowed money from a financial institution pays it off on time. There are few borrowers who for some reason or the other turn defaulters. It is not that they do not want to pay their debts off but the circumstances somehow do not allow them to pay the debts. Many people who take up their career in the construction industry take incorrect decisions that have a hard hitting impact on their finances and eventually it leads to non-payment of monthly dues. There are handful of borrowers who simply lack the intention to pay-off the debts but these kinds of people are quite rare as people are aware that any default in payment can have a strong impact on their credit rating which they do not want to see tainted. Now the heavy equipment whose payments are defaulted are usually repossessed by the banks.

Banks do not want to incur losses when they realize that the borrower is unable to make any further monthly payments and therefore they give the work to repossess the heavy equipment to a third party who specializes in towing the heavy equipment from the borrower’s place to the bank’s garage. Now the work of the repo guys is tougher as it is not easy to tow the machine without the approval of the borrower. It is quite likely that the borrower will not approve the repo guys to just take away the heavy equipment. They may cause problems for them and the job of the repo guys is to tow the machine without creating a furor on the spot.

The financial institution has to pay decent amount to these repo guys for their hard work. Other than that, every other repo agent has different charges based upon their experience and their ability to repossess heavy equipment. So once the machines are handed over to the bank, the bank has to arrange to auction the heavy equipment and sell it at a price so that it can cover up the principal amount. Now the question that comes up is does the bank get any buyers for these used heavy equipment. Well, as a matter of fact, the banks get lot of buyers because the deal they will get during the auction, they can’t expect it anywhere else. Such auctions are just the thing any buyer would want to have.

However, the irony is they have to take what they get in the auction. They may not find the equipment they wanted for their business. For instance, if the bank decides to auction few equipment which are basically dozers and graders and people who are in need of an excavator may find the auction worthless. So it does not serve the purpose of everybody who is present in the auction. But for people who want to buy heavy equipment at lower price so that they can then rent it out, for them it is a fair deal. They have to pay the amount in cash and take away the heavy equipment.

Road construction machines

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For the development of the economy of any country, good well maintained roads play quite a vital role. If you have good roads it becomes easy to transport goods from one place to another. Right from agricultural sector to manufacturing industry, all of them highly depend on good constructed roads. One can easily understand how important it is to ferry agricultural products to the main market from where it gets further distributed to the wholesaler and then finally to the retailer. Similarly, raw materials are transported day in and day out so that the manufacturing and other industries can function without any hindrance. It becomes very important to ensure that the roads are well maintained and whatever heavy equipment are required to keep the quality of the roads in place are done without any compromise. Unlike in a construction sector, only few sets of heavy equipment are needed to construct roads and also to maintain them.

As far as the road construction work goes, usage of heavy equipment depends on the kind of work that is needed to be done. It ideally varies from constructing a new road or just working on few repairs on the existing one.

Motor grader:-

Before placing asphalt on the road, it is important to flatten the surface. This can be done with the help of a motor grader. The ones that are used to flatten the surface have 3 axles with the cab on the top of the rear axle and the third axle is located at the very front of the machine. It also has a very long blade in the center of the axles.

Road roller machine:-

A road roller is a common type of heavy equipment that one will find in a road construction area. It is used to press the layer of asphalt that has been laid on the ground. Ideally, 2 to 3 layers of asphalt are laid and thereafter the roller machine is rolled on the road and presses the asphalt to make the road smooth. There are several types of rollers that one can find on road construction projects. The type of rollers is often selected keeping into consideration the kind of road being constructed. There are rubber tire rollers or double drum asphalt rollers or rollers that are combination of both of the rollers. As stated, the kind of construction of roads actually suggests the type of rollers to be used for the project.

Excavator:-

Excavators are machines that are used to dig earth and rocks. They are used in road construction projects where there is a need to excavate a portion of land that will help to bring the road to a level. They are also used to break an uneven structure with the help of the boom or the bucket and collect all the dirt and load it on the dump truck.

Wheel Loader:-

A wheel loader is considered to be vital heavy equipment when it comes to construction of roads. It is used to gather all the dirt from the earth and dump it on a dump truck. Due to the big size of the bucket, it can pile up loads of dirt and dump it at a given point of time.

Heavy equipment rollers

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A flat land surface is crucial for people to walk around. For instance, a construction site needs to have flat land as that will enable the workers to walk easily. At the same time it will also allow the heavy equipment to move without many hurdles. It has witnessed that an uneven land often cause enormous problems to people moving over it. It also becomes the reason of many accidents happening in that spot. The logic is pretty simple. If you are not able to move easily, you tend to fall down quite often and being in a construction site you can’t afford to fall every now and then due to uneven surface. That is just not acceptable and which is why the need of rollers to flatten the land is pretty much needed. A construction company can’t afford too many accidents or injuries happening on his site just for a lame reason like uneven roads/paths.

It is quite interesting to know that there are different types of heavy equipment used to roll the roads to make it smooth. At the same time such equipment are not as expensive as other construction machines are. However, if you consider equipment that are used for major road construction projects the requirement of such machines may differ and the need to execute more advanced ones may arise.

There are different types of rollers used to roll the land. Not the quality of every road is the same and therefore it needs different types of rollers on it. Equipment like Rammers are used where the compact on the soil is less and it can be operated by hand or by machine. Rammers are small equipment and therefore need not be fitted in machines. Many people do it using their hand and avoid fitting it in some machine. There are few Rammers which are large in size and may weigh in tons. It is basically those Rammers that are fitted in machines to operate.

Speaking about smooth wheeled rollers, they are ideally of 2 types. The first one is static and the second is vibrating smooth wheeled rollers. These rollers are used in soil which has high proportion of sand, asphalt, gravel or crushed rock. They are worked on soil that does not need more compaction and are used for giving a finishing layer to the upper surface of the land. Its performance is widely dependent on the kind of drum that is attached to it. Heavier the drum the more impact it has on the soil. This roller has one drum at the front and 2 tires at the rear. The weight of the drums can be increased or decreased as per the requirement.

These kinds of machines are also low on maintenance but may have high fuel consumption. It all depends upon the kind of activity it is conducting. The vibrating wheeled rollers have wheels that vibrate when it begins to roll. These rollers are used where the compaction required is more and can reach to greater depths. The performance of this roller is far more than that of the conventional ones.

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Do not change heavy equipment mechanics quite often

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It is often said that we should stick to one doctor for our medical needs and changing doctors often can lead to more complications. It is because the doctor we go to know our medical history and we won’t be wrong in saying that he has a fair amount of idea on how our body reacts to a particular medicine and on the basis of those facts, he prescribes medicines to us. Similarly, when it comes to heavy equipment it is advisable that you stick to one mechanic rather than switching to several mechanics. It will not be a healthy decision for your heavy equipment if you think you should service the machines from different mechanics after every month. What is rather more important in this case is you find out the guy who is an expert in your place and check his work. If only you do not find his work to be satisfactory that you should search for someone else.

Do not change if you find them to be expensive:-

Heavy equipment is in itself an expensive stuff and in order to augment its lifespan you need to hand it over to somebody who knows how to treat it well. Maintenance of the machine is the most important part to ensure that your machine works for many years and in order to see t working for many years you need to get it serviced from a mechanic who has fair amount of knowledge about what he is doing. The guy should have good years of experience fixing machines and for this if he bills you a bit extra than the other mechanics, you should pay him happily rather than thinking how expensive he is and then decide to move to someone else. As long as they are doing their job to your satisfaction, you should continue with them.

Check the quality of work of the new mechanic if you have to switch:-

Just in case you decide to switch to a new mechanic, you got to do a fair deal of research to know how good he is in his work. You just can’t give it to someone without knowing about his quality of work. It should not happen that after getting your machine serviced from the new guy you experience plenty of other issues in it. That will only make your life and business miserable. Therefore try to get some reviews from people you know who services their heavy equipment from the guy who want to switch to and only when you are content you should go ahead.

Finding a good mechanic is a big issue:-

It takes time to get hold of a competent mechanic. It is sort of trial and error method that you go through during the initial phase when you are in search of an able mechanic. The alternative for this would be to take advice from your peers who are associated with this industry for years. You can check with them the mechanic where they service their machines and try them out. But once you get hold of a good mechanic, it will not be wise enough to drop them for any small reason.

 

How to knock down a bridge with an excavator

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It is not necessary that we need a dozer to knock down a huge structure but can be done with the help of heavy equipment which is considered to be a multi-task machine. There is not much heavy equipment that can do multi-tasking. For instance, a grader can be used for only grading purpose and if you try to do something more from it, it may not give you the same performance that you can get from the heavy equipment which is meant to do that sort of work. Same goes with other heavy equipment as they are built to do a particular kind of work but there are few machines that can multi-task real well and an excavator certainly falls in that bucket. Today, an excavator is not only used for digging work but is also used for other wide range of activities and one of them is to knock down a heavy structure.

These days’ excavators are being used to knock down bridges. It may sound to be a strange idea but has been applied by many contractors who work only on excavators. Though the same kind of job can also be done by using a dozer, yet contractors who have been using excavators do not want to switch over to any other equipment. Since they know that their machine can be equipped with attachments that can get almost any work done, they prefer changing the attachments and not their heavy equipment. Excavators are good in digging work and in order to bring down a bridge, it is first important to weaken its foundation and then you can hit hard on the surface to break it down completely.

So the first thing that the operator does is it starts working on the foundation of the bridge. It erodes the ground making the foundation weaker and then once you can see the base of the foundation, all you have to do it hit the surface of the bridge with a wrecking ball/crusher/hammer and bring it down. After bringing down the surface of the bridge, the next important part will be the pillars of the bridge. Since the foundation of the pillars has already been weakened, it will not be a difficult task to bring that down. All you have to do is use the wrecking ball and hit the pillars hard and it will come down like a pack of cards. Knocking down a bridge may take some time to complete. Eroding the foundation is what takes most of the time or else simply knocking it down is not a difficult process.

While doing this part of the job, the people involved on the ground should be very careful because any wrong step can prove to be lethal. It is just the excavator and the operator controlling the machine should be allowed to be there near the site. Rest all should be away but having a close watch at the developments. In case of any accident they should be ready to jump in and help the operator get out of the mess.

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