Category Archives: heavy equipment

How to Get a Job in the Construction Industry

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The construction industry is expanding all over the world. Therefore, it is quite natural that the demand for skilled professional is very high in this industry. However, it would be wrong to assume that any layman could land a job in the construction industry. It is important that you through a considerable amount of training and education so that you are eligible and skilled enough to handle the heavy equipment. Academic as well as practical expertise is required tyo get a good job in this industry. Therefore, you must acquire your certification from a proper school of some repute.

 

It is very important that you have your basic education competed if you want a job in this industry. Therefore, one of the first things that you would need is diploma certification from your high school. A course in math, English and shop could be quite useful in this regards. If you do your course on the subject of auto mechanics you may enjoy special preferences because most construction workers have the job of maintaining the equipment. You can also go for a vocation course in the private schools. Getting a job can be a lot easier with a degree from one of these schools. However, it is very important to do a background check on the reputation of the school. It is also very important to know if the school can give you training with real machines.

 

You can also learn the job with operating equipment training with the guidance of an operator. With the graduation in training, these learners may start handling heavier machines like bulldozers. It is important that you have excellent operational skills if you want to handle equipment with improved hydraulics and computerized controls. It is important that you get specialized training in order to be able to handle such equipment. Workers may have a clear understanding of the job with an apprenticeship of about four years. For every year, the apprentices would have to follow instructions of 144 hours. They would also have to go through paid training for 2000 hours. At the job, these apprentices would learn about operating machinery, procedures of operating, safe practices, first aid, using special technology and many more. With an apprenticeship, you would be able to work with a wide range of industry equipment. Therefore, the choices of jobs in this industry would also increase for you.

 

Training

Many workers learn their jobs by operating light equipment under the guidance of an experienced operator. Later, they may operate heavier equipment, such as bulldozers. Technologically advanced construction equipment with computerized controls and improved hydraulics and electronics requires greater skill to operate. Operators of such equipment may need more training and some understanding of electronics.

There are a few requirements that are to be considered after the competition of the apprenticeship:

  • A minimum age of eighteen years
  • An education of high school
  • Physical ability of working
  • A driver’s license that is valid

These are the requirements that you would need for making applications.

 

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Follow Top Rated Heavy Equipment Websites and Magazines to Start Your Own Business

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Do you want to start your own heavy construction equipment repo business? Are you confused from where to start? Then, you have selected the apt article because here in the following discussion, you will get information about the best heavy equipment websites and publications that assist you and successful traders to enhance their business in the heavy construction equipment industry.

World Wide Web opens the door of knowledge widely as the scholars can share their innovative views and important information liberally and the learners can attain the knowledge free of cost. There are scores of researchers who put their views on the heavy equipment e-journals and websites. Many equipment trade magazines started publishing the articles in periodicals but later expanded their reach by sharing the pieces on websites and e-journals. After the advent of internet, most of the would-be heavy equipment repo traders are opting for online resources because they can acquire the useful information at no cost. Presently, the hefty apparatus e-journals provide data on new technology mechanisms, best business strategies, review of the reputed heavy construction equipment concerns, and business tactics for the beginners.

About Equipmentworld.com

Equipmentworld.com is a news portal and electronic commerce website that is created mainly for the heavy construction equipment manufacturers, dealers, service providers and suppliers. On this website, the owners of the construction companies can see the product catalogues of vast range of heavy construction equipment industrialized organizations. The articles published on this site mainly deals with the legislative and financial related construction equipment business issues like mining and construction mechanisms, apparatus used for road and bridge construction, equipment employed for earthmoving and commercial edifices etc. This site provides cost-effective worthwhile information to the construction contractors and the traders.

 

Overview of Constructionequipment.com

Constructionequipment.com is the resource website of construction machinery purchasers. It helps the construction equipment fleet managers and the heavy equipment suppliers and dealers to get latest information about the bulky construction mechanisms. On this site, the viewers can see the comprehensive index of heavy equipment rental firms, distributors and producers. Furthermore, it proffers a separate database that only contains the specifications of the heavy construction apparatuses. The Big Iron and Site Technology blog of this US website facilitates the visitors to access the industry connoisseurs on daily basis. This one-to-one conversation helps the novice businessmen to enhance their repo heavy equipment trade rapidly.

 

Outline of Construction Equipment Distribution Magazine

Construction Equipment Distribution (CED) is a journal that is published by Associate Equipment Distributors (AED). AED is a non-profit trade company that started publishing CED magazine in the year 1920.  Most of the readers of this magazine are the executives and managers of heavy equipment manufacturing companies, rental firms and repossession concerns. It helps the hefty apparatus distributors to take correct decision on procuring various mechanisms. The articles published on this periodical help the rental organizations to get the updated news of their rival companies.

Heavy Construction equipment publications assist the prospective traders to get acquainted with the procedures of starting a heavy equipment repossession business. These informative online journals suggest the businessmen to create their budgets in the initial stage. In the reclamation of heavy equipment, the entrepreneurs should verify the driving licence of their machineries from the higher authority.

Use of joining heavy equipment forums

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We all have at some point of our lives dreamt of starting a business of our own and reaching to new heights with sheer hard work and sincerity. As a matter of fact, no one likes to take orders of others and especially if you work under someone you are bound to take orders. You may not like the way your bosses pass on their messages to you which may lead to mental dissatisfaction. This may also result in poor performance and that will ultimately hit your promotions. If you see this closely, you will find the circle is quite vicious and not many can cope up with such pressures. Now, if we flip on to the other side where we see people running their own businesses, you may also find them tensed at moments but they are also rewarded many times more than a person who works under someone.

Starting a new business may sound really simple but please note that it is indeed a difficult task and it is more difficult to continue the business during turbulent situations. We have competitions all around us and there are always bigger fishes ready to swallow the businesses of smaller fishes. In this kind of a situation, it would be rather difficult for a startup business to survive and then flourish. There are few important pointers that one needs to consider before they finally decide to take on all the competitions and challenges and establish a business of their own. The most important of all is to join a forum.

Heavy equipment businesses are crowded with big and small players with no one ready to give a share of their businesses to a newbie. So a person with no experience may not have much scope to learn the tricks of the trade from the veterans. Though there are always someone ready to help you but the number of such people are too less to find. One can definitely find experienced people on heavy equipment forums who can guide them to grow in this industry. So who can avail the benefits of heavy equipment forum?

People with absolutely no knowledge of heavy equipment:-

Forums can be very useful to people who have absolutely no knowledge of heavy equipment. Though they can explore the internet to learn on the topics of their interest but at times they need someone who can answer their questions directly. They may not find the direct answers on any blog or any articles pertaining to heavy equipment. Forums become handy in such situations. Here you get to connect to people belonging to different spheres of the same industry and can expect to get many opinions and information about a given subject.

People who are precisely looking for answers to a particular subject:-

There are folks who have been working in the heavy equipment zone for many years and all of a sudden they face a strange situation for which they need some direct answers. Forum is the best place to get those answers. They can put in their questions there in the forum and people may give their views on it. These forums come as a boon to many professionals who seek for direct answers rather than have to study the entire literature.

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Construction Industry Can Fetch High Returns with Minimum Risk

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There are hardly any industries that can fetch people real good returns with minimum risk. If we give it a thought, we will find film industry as a lucrative career for actors where all they have to do is sell their talent without putting any money into it. Though they have to spend a fortune taking good care of their skin and health but they can expect huge returns if they got the knack to act and also the knack to select good projects. Keeping aside the actors and few other technicians, rest everyone has to invest a lot in this industry as well. Similarly, we have construction sector where one can give a kick start to his business with minimum investment and can still expect huge returns from it. This means you do not have much at stake monetarily. In other words, you take minimum risk to earn more.

Well, if this is how it goes, then why not everyone leave their work and become a part of the construction business. That is a trick one. It is true that one does not have to invest a lot during his initial days to start his business, but he has to keep a lot in stake in order to grow his business. First and foremost, he has to devote his 100% to his work and may find himself to be living somewhere outside this planet. You communicate less with your family, you meet less with your friends and partying becomes a distant dream. Well, that is the harsh truth which this industry carries on its back. Many people who give it a shot could not manage to carry it for long and have to wind up things in the mid; which is undoubtedly a sorry part in their career.

There are certain pre-requisites that one needs to have before stepping in this industry. The person needs to understand them well and then take a calculative decision, a decision not driven by emotions but should be very practical.  The person should be determined to take it all the way and not leave it in the mid. He may start up with a small business and if needed keep it small for few years but should not just stop everything because he can’t take it anymore. Here the strong determination thing comes into play.

Being focused is another attribute one must possess. A lot many times, we may tend to get out of focus which can be dangerous for our business. Your business demands you to be in focus throughout and also commands highest priority in your life. Well, here things get tough for lot of people. They should learn to balance their work and their family. Ability to establish good public relationships is another important characteristic one must have. This one helps you to get more projects. You be good to people and deliver work in time. This will only help you to get more work.

These are simple traits one must possess to make their business a success and a successful business can fetch good dividends.

Top 10 hauling questions for heavy equipment

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Transporting heavy equipment from one to another is a big headache for the construction company. At the same time, they also can’t keep the machine idle in one place when they already need the machine in some other site. The reason why many find hauling heavy equipment as a difficult job is because that kind of work requires 100% accuracy. You just can’t afford to do a single error and if there is an error, the consequence of that could be immense. There have been numerous instances of accidents that have taken place due to improper loading of machines and while it is hauled, either the chain breaks loose or it tilts to the front of the trailer leading to some or the other complications.

Loading of heavy equipment should always be done under the supervision of an expert. You being a layman may not know the correct way to load the machine and haul to the new destination. An expert on the other hand will provide his expertise on this issue and will ensure that the loading is done properly and it can be hauled without endangering anyone’s lives. Alternatively, the expert also understands the capacity that can be hauled and will never advise you to tow anything that exceeds the designated limit. Alternatively, please ensure that you have the right guy to drive the vehicle for you. If you hand over the work of hauling heavy equipment to a driver who has been driving only SUVs then he may not be the right choice for you.

We would be jotting down few important questions that often arise in the mind of a newbie.

The most generic question that people have is to know the towing capacity of the vehicle and where can they know about the limit.

The best way to know about this is to check the user manual. You’ll get the information there.

People want to know about the functions of trailer signal wiring?

It is nothing but a device which will work exactly the way as it works when you stop your car. It just emits light signaling the car behind you that the trailer is to stop now.

What do we exactly mean when we say payload rating and what is vehicle weight rating?

It is simply the weight of the trailer without any substance or thing on it.

Trailer has anti-sway control, what is that?

It is an electronic sensor system that signals the driver if the trailer is moving exactly behind the driver. If not, brake pressure can be applied to bring it in line.

How can an oil cooler system assist in towing heavier weight?

It becomes cumbersome for the engine of the trailer to pull extra weight and it tends to become hot in short span. Therefore, the automakers provide a package of oil cooler system that enables to cool the heat in the engine and allows the trailer to pull more weight.

Where can a person weigh his trailer?

You can weight it in any repair shop or go to a truck dealer/truck stop to do so.

Integrated Trailer Brake Control, what is it?

It is an advanced system that not only put brakes on the vehicle that you’re driving but also brake the trailer.

Switching the transmission to “tow” or “haul” mode. How does it help?

This quality of the vehicle will pay off for road steepness and eventually lets the vehicle consume less fuel.

Heavy duty rear differential helps us a long way while towing, How is that possible?

The larger or heavier rear differential helps the truck to tow heavy loads. The heavier rear differential can take the pressure coming from the axle and from the load thus helps the truck to pull more loads.

Why vehicles with diesel engines are used to tow heavy vehicles?

Diesel engines don’t have high hp but have torque figures that tell the weight a vehicle can tow.

How expensive will be the maintenance of vehicle that indulges in hauling heavy things?

Ideally, it should not be expensive if the vehicle is maintained at regular intervals. However, if it’s not done then the costs could be higher.

 

Advice for young people starting their career in selling heavy equipment

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Selling an item is considered to be the most difficult profession in the world. Selling requires huge skill and it cannot be a profession that anybody can do. People who lack the skill to persuade others can find it extremely difficult to sell things. It would be prudent for them to look for something else as their profession as they may not be able to make it big in the selling world. People who are good salesman are often smart with their talks, appearance may not matter much but what matters a lot if the way they communicate. Therefore, communication is a must have feature in them. If you are a guy who feels timid to approach new people and put your thoughts to them, then again this is not the industry for you. Looking for some other work will make more sense.

Selling heavy equipment may be all the more difficult because you would be dealing with expensive items then. Selling an item worth thousands of dollars is quite difficult and is impossible if you are unable to show the need of the item to the person you are trying to sell. We all know that the best salesman is the one who can sell a comb to a bald man. But as a matter of fact, such kinds of salesman are really few and they will charge a fortune to give few of their selling tips. You may not even afford those tips.

Few advices that can be given to young guns who want to make a career in selling heavy equipment are as follows.

Don’t be a shy guy when it comes to introduce your product to people:-

If you are a guy who can talk smartly but is reticent then you only have to give upon shyness and talk with your client without disclosing your nervousness to them. It is not bad to be timid but not when it appears on your face, you simply lose the sale and losing the sale is definitely bad. So when you approach someone and speak on the equipment you want to sell, be confident on what you are saying. People will go on your confidence and will feel that your product is worth buying.

Be highly informed about the equipment:-

If you happen to sell equipment to a guy who is an expert himself, he may turn out to be a spoiler. He may ask you different questions pertaining to the machine that you may have not even heard of and you may just want to meeting to end. You may even have to face embarrassment as the person will make out that you do not know much about the thing you are trying to sell. Therefore, it is important that you study everything about the product before you land up to a person who knows more than you. He will at least appreciate your knowledge and that may trigger the sale.

 

Make a practice to wash your earth moving machinery

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A construction site is a place that is filled with dust, mud and dirt all over it. You probably may not find a single place that is not covered with dirt and people who are there to clean the place finds it extremely difficult to keep the place clean and free of dust. They always have to be on their toes and clean the place after every few hours. One can imagine how important a site office is for visitors and they would not expect that place to be dusty. Therefore, someone will always have to clean it up time and again to keep it look clean. That was about the site office. Now if we talk about how regularly we wash our earth moving machines, we will not find many doing it on regular basis. It is due to the fact that we all believe that earth moving machines are tough metals and they do not need the care that we take for our cars.

Undoubtedly, heavy equipment are tough piece of metal but that does not mean that they be left dirty without being washed frequently. Washing the machine regularly will only increase its longevity and one may also see acceleration in its performance level. If one believes that washing earth moving equipment can be done by an inexperienced person, he may be partly incorrect. An inexperienced person can wash the machine from outside but may not be able to wash the interiors of the machine. He probably may not know if it requires a wash in that area of the machine. So it may not be wise to give the machine to be washed by any person who does it to earn quick buck. On the contrary, it will be prudent to take the machine to an expert mechanic and ask him to get it washed. If possible you can stay there and see how he does the work. It may be a time consuming process but will be worth your effort. Just stay there for the entire time till he gets it washed and see how he washes it so that the next time if you feel confident that you can do it yourself, you do not have to bring the equipment to him. However, if you are not so confident then it is better that you bring it to him for getting it cleansed.

If you are a person who has lot of work to complete in a day and do not have the time to see if the machine is well maintained, then you should give that responsibility to someone who can get the work done. Remember, maintaining the machine is of utter importance as it only enhances the life of the machine. You may find the operator the best person to take up this responsibility as he would be the one who will be dealing with the machine on a regular basis. So you can rely on him if you find yourself with short of time to do the cleaning stuff.

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Second hand use of heavy equipment

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Heavy equipment come with a high price tag and not everybody can afford to buy brand new equipment for their business requirement. Some have to rely on taking it on lease and others have to do with buying used equipment. It is not always possible to find leasers who can lease the equipment at a price that you are willing to take. Most of the time, you find the equipment at a price you can’t afford to pay every month. On the contrary, it is better to buy used equipment that is perhaps not very old and is also in good working condition. In this way, you have a healthy asset with you that you can use for your projects.

Big construction companies may not have a problem buying brand new machines. They may not feel the need to keep on using the same old machine for every project and may have the capacity to buy latest technology machines when they arrive in the market. As a matter of fact, they give huge importance to state of the art equipment that can lessen their work without compromising the quality. This does not mean that the old machines that they were using is obsolete or has stopped giving quality output. It may be possible that the old machines may take more time in getting the work done.

When it comes to small construction companies or companies who are newbie in the industry, they experience a very common problem that is financial crunches. If they have a project in hand, they may have to ponder whether they should take the project or leave it as they may not have the heavy equipment required to complete it. And in order to buy the equipment, they have to spend a good deal of money which may leave them in a big financial mess. If they compromise on the machine, then they also compromise on the quality of work which will not help them in getting any further businesses.

This is one of the many reasons why many small construction companies could never make it big in the industry. They have to limit themselves with smaller projects which do not fetch good returns to them. The only solution that can help them is purchasing used heavy equipment. They have to first identify the requirements of the project and also need to check who can offer them good used machines at an affordable price. Once they jot down the seller/sellers they can contact them and try to strike a deal with them. It is imperative to first inspect the machine before signing on the dotted line.

For people who may not have the money to buy used equipment, they can opt to take a loan to buy the equipment. There are many financial institutions that are ready to help people who want to make their dreams come true. It’s just that you need to be doubly sure that what you’re buying is worth the price you’d be paying.

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Volvo is likely to stick to its old plan for the year 2015

It seems the construction and the mining industry is the worst hit industries in 2014, which is why they are finding it tougher to recuperate in the forthcoming year. It has been seen that many companies saw a huge decline in their sales due to which they are forced to take some real tough decisions. Undoubtedly, these decisions also had an impact on the industry as a whole. Not only the sales figure dipped but also there were jobs cut throughout the industry which became a matter of concern for many. Hiring were the lowest across sectors and many people who completed their studies in civil engineering or learnt about machines were finding hard to get to a job.

Many heavy equipment manufacturing companies were of the view that they should be calling off their overseas markets, shrink their business to a certain extent and focus more on home turf. Others were of the view to pay more attention in countries that was giving them profits. It means that they were ready to take risks to produce more equipment for countries that showed them opportunities and by doing that, they were able to keep afloat in turbulent tides.

Volvo also gained success internationally but in some countries, it did not do well and that resulted in forcing them to cut jobs of its employees. Volvo is world’s 2nd biggest truck manufacturer and has a reputation of producing world-class trucks and delivering them all over the world. Many countries in Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe and in the America uses their products to cater the needs of the customer. However, the year 2014 was not at all good for them. They experienced a severe fall of demand for trucks and were finding it difficult to sustain. It became important for them to take some stringent decisions and they decided to lay off few people from the company. They are of the view to eliminate around 2000 jobs by 2015 which will happen in a phased manner. By that time, if the business picks up, they might reconsider their decision. Or else, they might have to stick to the old plan. It is assumed that the reorganization costs will be around $766 million and the annual savings is estimated to be lower than that.

Company biggies are worried about the reaction that their decision will have on the stock exchange. They were optimistic and feel that the market will react positively to their decisions as they understand the need of the situation. Volvo’s mission is to attain highest operating margins in the entire industry. They have planned to liquidate a North American unit. It is estimated to be over by the end of January. Volvo is also focusing on paying the same amount of dividends that will help a little to keep the prices of their shares intact.

Volvo feels that the year 2015 will be the year of efficient machines and cost reduction. If the company is able to attain these things, they will be able to sustain for now.

Top 4 Advantages of Heavy Equipment Auction Online

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Like all other internet auctions, online heavy equipment auctions can keep away the excess spending and inconvenience related with the selling and buying of the equipment. These kinds of auctions basically have two different choices of the seller and the buyer: either be at a sale at an online site which may take some time or take part actively in an online equipment sale. As the former one is time consuming not even giving any guarantee of a successful financial transaction, most of the business owners opt for the online auction of the equipment. Absolute benefit to all Many websites have now been developed to sell heavy equipment through either direct sell or online instructions. One can use this medium and post the photo and the details are posted on the website so that the prospective buyers all over the world can know everything they want to know about the equipment. The buyer can see the ad until the sale is complete. It also means that the equipment doesn’t have to be transported from one location to the other. The buyers can also look in other websites for getting their desired equipment without going from one store to the other. Most of the heavy equipment auctions dealing companies take in the potential risks associated with this type of selling assuring the vehicles given is representative of any kind of starting proffer and description. Benefit of the seller While doing online auctioning, sellers will definitely make some arrangements regarding inspection of the equipment by an affiliated appraiser. This minimises the risk of equipment being sold with wrong info so as to avoid any further risk of the site. After the post becomes visible to the viewers, action of bidding can make it in the website. The sellers sometimes list their ad under the section “buy now”. Both the types of ads bypass the process of bidding and give permission to the seller to provide vehicles through direct sale. Benefit of the buyers Online heavy equipment auctions are a perfect streamline through which the buyer can find out essential heavy constructional equipment which will allow access to the listed vehicle from any part of the world. The sale is designed to be done by proxy with the automatic increase of counter bid to an already decided amount. A buyer is not compelled to sit in front of his computer during the whole process of bidding but still will have the chance to get the maximum bid. Many buyers want to enjoy the live auction online. For them the owners of the equipment sites sometimes arrange live simulcasts of their products. Completion of the transaction After the successful completion of the sale, the owner of the online equipment company looks after the transfer of the funds and the titles. There are some companies which offer guarantee by providing financial assistance as well. The payment involved in these kinds of sales are generally cost effective compared to conventional approach of the sale through a third –party.

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