Tag Archives: Construction Equipment

Heavy Equipment Recruiters

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Construction companies are always on the look of operators who are good in working with different kinds of heavy equipment. They do not experience finding fresh guys from institutions that teaches students to become competent operators However, they lack experience and this is why they also need people who are experienced in this profession. Someone who has worked for more than 5 years is good enough for the companies to hire them at a level above the juniors. The only problem they encounter is that they have no idea from where and how to get these experienced operators working for their company. This is where the concept of heavy equipment recruiters becomes instrumental. They are the ones who can act as a bridge and can get the operators looking for a job and the construction companies looking to hire operators at a same place so that both can meet each other’s needs.

 

Things that are required to become a heavy equipment recruiter may not be as simple as it appears to be. A person who wants to act as a bridge between the construction companies and heavy equipment operators should have ready information about who needs whom. If it is difficult for the construction company to find operators, it is also hard for the heavy equipment recruiters to do so. They follow few very basic rules that get them the lead and thus they can make the resource available to their clients.

 

Letting others know what they are into:-

Heavy equipment recruiters have to start with letting others know the type of business they are into. This will only help them to get clients who understand their business and will contact them to hire operators for them. This is perhaps the first most crucial step that they need to be taking and must ensure that they pervade the word about their work to every big and small construction company. Once the companies know them, they will place their requirement with them and they in turn will circulate an advertisement mentioning the requirement of the client. As per the requirement, eligible operators will either call them up will send them Resume to the recruiters. They can then call them up for an interview on a date when the representative of the construction company is also available so that he can take the interview of the candidate and if things go well, the company will get an operator.

Recruiting may not be a day’s affair:-

The role of the heavy equipment recruiters becomes essential when the recruitment process is not just a day’s affair. At times, it takes the entire week as the date of the construction company interviewing the candidate may not match as per the convenience of the candidate. It becomes the responsibility of the recruiters to call up the candidate and settle things well in advance. It should not happen that the construction company comes up to the venue for the interview and they end up with no candidates. That may not go well with the company and they may think of ending their relationship with the heavy equipment recruiters.

 

Top 5 favorite pieces of heavy equipment

When it comes to the construction industry, every machine has its value and people prefer to make the maximum use of the machine they get to use. For instance, if they are given the work to bulldoze an existing structure so that they can build something else in its place. They can get this part of the work done using a bulldozer manufactured by an ace company. In this situation, they will not be making use of any other heavy equipment as it will simply not be the relevant instrument to get the work done. You have to make use of a bulldozer for that work and can’t use an excavator or a truck for that matter. Similarly, you have to use a truck to haul materials from one place to the other. Here you can’t use a dozer. The construction companies are very specific with their wants and they do not ever compromise when it comes to the need of heavy equipment.

We will be speaking on the top 5 favorite heavy equipment that are liked and are equally in high demand by the owners of different construction companies.

Excavator:-

An excavator is one such machine that has no alternative. You can’t make use of any other heavy equipment for the work that is done with the help of an excavator. It will help you to dig deep in the ground and make a big hole so that you can lay a strong foundation. Today most of the major construction companies are making use of excavators to dig deep in a given plot of land and take all the mud out of it. Once the ground is dug deep, then start laying the foundation for the building. So the much needed heavy equipment is the excavator as without it, you can’t have rock solid foundations.

Bulldozers:-

The need of a bulldozer can’t be ignored. They are used to bulldoze any permanent existing structure into debris so that something new can be built in its place. They are probably the one which are used much before an excavator is brought on the site. However, it is used only in places where you already have a structure which needs to be demolished.

Graders:-

We all love to travel on flat roads. Bouncy roads can have a direct impact on our minds. We definitely do not like to have bumpy rides and in order to have a smooth road, we need graders in place. It has a single large blade that is attached to the front of the machine and using that it flattens the ground or the road making travelling far comfortable for us.

Dump trucks:-

There is a very important reason why dump trucks are considered as the most favorite heavy equipment. Well, once you demolish a structure or excavate a land or simply clean up the forest, we got to do something with the leftover material. This is why you need the dump truck which will facilitate in taking the debris and dumping them in the dump-yard.

Forklifts:-

Forklifts are much needed equipment in any worksite. You will always have the need to lift several pounds of materials at a go and this is where you will find the forklifts to be instrumental.

 

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Heavy Equipment Broker/Trader

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For construction companies, it has never been easy to buy good heavy equipment at a lesser price without the involvement of a broker. When they are looking for heavy equipment, the first choice of theirs is to catch hold of a broker who can understand their requirement and accordingly can fetch a machine at an economical price. Simultaneously, when someone wants to sell their used heavy equipment, they find the most convenient and simple way to sell it is through a broker. The broker is the person who is aware of who needs what and he accordingly sets things and can clear the deal. Locating a broker will not be a difficult task you can find them on their websites. If you do not have their websites, you can simply google and search for them there.

We will be discussing why one should approach a broker when they can directly buy heavy equipment from the company.

They can simplify the process:-

Buying heavy equipment which is undoubtedly a very expensive piece of metal may not be a simple process as what many may perceive it to be. Different kinds of customers may have different issues and it may not be possible for the heavy equipment manufacturing companies to go through the issues of the customers in detail. If they find anything fishy, without further investigation they may reject the sale. Thus the buyer as well as the seller both are at equal loss. In such a situation, a broker can step in and look into the matter. There are area specific brokers who can sit down with the potential buyer and explain the formalities and eligibilities of buying a construction equipment. He will also check in advance if there are any possibilities of the sale getting rejected. He will go through the documents and then approach the company. Since he has studied the case, he will be in a better position to take things from there and process the sale.

Can clear the legalities involved:-

While processing the sale of heavy equipment, they come in several legal stuffs which a normal construction business owner fails to understand. At times, he may not even be bothered to read the terms and conditions of the heavy equipment company and may just go through the verbal communication. Later he may find himself in a tight spot leading to more complications. In such a situation, a broker comes handy. Since he understand what legal problems may arrive in future, he informs the buyer about it well in advance and ensures that he does not do anything that can lead to unwanted problems.

Understanding the need of the buyer:-

This is perhaps the most important aspect why a buyer needs a broker. Many of the time, the buyer may not know which heavy equipment he should be buying. He may not completely understand the requirement of his project and may end up in a haphazard purchase. A broker on the other hand can spend some time with him going through the project he has and understanding the kind of heavy equipment he should be buying. He can then advise him the machines he should buy and simplify things for him.

 

 

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Heavy equipment listed on Craigslist

With the introduction of internet, businesses have taken a new shape and most of the things are now happening on the net. You need to contact somebody or write a letter that needs to reach him immediately internet is the answer for that. Whatever information you are seeking, you can get it all on the net. It provides you with a wonderful virtual world that helps you to get anything under the sun. This has also helped the heavy equipment industry big time. People who are in the business of buying and selling heavy equipment can all come under one roof and accomplish their wants. It has given a wonderful platform to both the buyer and the seller.

There are number of websites that deal with buying and selling of heavy equipment but the one the ace the list is Craigslist. This website particularly deals with heavy equipment and if you are unable to find a machine is any website, you can expect to find it here. They are in this business for the last many years and are only getting stronger with every passing day. Many people have made millions with the help of this site. Though there are also some instances of fraud that took place under the name of Craigslist but it seems that the concerned authorities have taken this seriously and have streamlined the process of buying and selling.

Become a member of Craigslist:-

In order to list item on Craigslist, you got to become a member of this website. The registration is for free. However, if you list machines on the website, you got to pay an amount to the website and for every sale you got to pay some extra fees to them. Apart from that, it offers you the service of highlighting your listing so that it catches the attention of the viewers. You got to pay a very nominal price to avail this service. It seems that people who have availed this feature are more successful in selling their heavy equipment as compared to the ones who have not taken this up.

Protects the interest of both buyer and seller:-

Craigslist believes in protecting the interest of both the buyer as well as the seller. Sellers can’t get away easily by selling a faulty machine on this website. One complaint can ruin the prospect of the seller to list any more items on the website. This is the reason why sellers ideally stick to what they have described on the listing. They do not dare to sell faulty machines on this website or else they will not only lose the money but will also lose their reputation. On the other hand, buyers also can’t get away without paying for the machine. They have to pay the money first and then the seller ships the machine. The shipping cost and other miscellaneous expenses are worked out amicably between the buyer and the seller.

Overall, Craigslist has made a good reputation in the online business platform.

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Diminishing the ground pressure to increase efficiency

Heavy equipment is unable to perform to its maximum ability when its wheels have to move on wet lands. Wet land makes things very difficult for heavy equipment and it has to exert additional strength to move on it. Especially equipment with wheels are vulnerable to wet lands. Exerting extra strength directly puts more pressure on the engine of the machine which in turn has to work more to just move in that space.  This means that the engine also becomes vulnerable and it may be possible that it may soon need a replacement or a checkup by a mechanic. People dealing with heavy equipment believed that regular crawler tracks will suffice the soft lands but when it was put into practice, it was found that crawler tracks are not sufficient to move on such lands. It was therefore necessary to build something that can diminish the ground pressure and can thus increase the efficiency of the machines.

Machines without low ground pressure also causes lot of problems to the terrain. For instance, machines that are used in forest areas uproot the weeds that are not meant to be uprooted and also cause damage to the land and trees. Understanding the need of the user, Caterpillar along with John Mackay Ltd. Has manufactured the world’s first low ground pressure excavator. They named the excavator as CAT 312 hydraulic excavator. The engineers while building this new machine have customized it with reconditioned undercarriage that involves old track motors that were initially reconditioned by Finning. They also customized the 1.4 meter non-offset track pads. These pads originally belonged to a 312C model. Extra care was taken to ensure that the machine fits the needs of the customers and also offers higher efficiency.

The problem was not only limited to small contractors but was more attuned with big construction companies who take big projects and eventually end up with unlimited hurdles. Same was the case with one Scottish contractor named Malcolm Construction. This company also had to work on swampy grounds and experienced the same problem that many did in the past. Malcolm Construction used a JCB JS145 excavator to excavate the land. This machine had longer track frame and the track pads were 1500mm wide. JCB ideally do not have this wide track pads and it was modified on request of the company to meet its requirements.

There was another crane named Manitowoc 21000 that was known for exerting low ground pressure but it was last seen at Las Vegas Conexpo in the year 1999.  Manitowoc not only reduced the ground pressure but it also eliminated the requirement for huge tracks. This made it simpler for the cranes to move things from one place to the other. It has been a great success for the heavy equipment manufacturing companies to have solved the problem of high ground pressure by introducing mechanisms that are easy to use and also solves the problem.

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Have the other two talk about renting different pieces of equipment

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Giving heavy equipment on rent is a very lucrative option when you are out of business or do not have many projects in hand. You will keep getting some money at the end of every month. Simultaneously, it is very important for the two parties to talk in clear terms about the terms of agreement. The owner of the equipment should make all his terms clear to the taker like how frequently he should be servicing the machine, how many hours he can make the machine work in a day and if by chance any accident happens then the cost of repairing the machine has to be billed to the taker. He cannot give the machine back to the owner in a damaged condition. It is advisable that they should make an agreement once they have finalized their talks so that their communication does not remain verbal and have some evidence to back.

At times, there are people who are particularly looking for a piece of equipment and not the entire machine. They may have the entire machine with them but just want to put an add-on which is perhaps missing in their machine. They just want to rent that piece of equipment to complete his work and then return it after using it for a couple of months. He may not have the need to use that piece for a year or so but the need may be very temporary in nature. Their needs may be unique and he may not always get what he wants. It is ideally that the guy who rents his machine would like to rent the entire equipment and not just the part. However, things are changing now and more and more heavy equipment owners are ready to rent pieces of their equipment to others.

The best way to know who is renting what is to search for it on the net. There the seeker may get plenty of options and can come down to the best suitable option. The online sites also offer the option to make the payment online and then the giver can ship the item to your doorstep. Nevertheless, before you make the payment it is important that you get in touch with the party and if possible inspect the item you’re willing to take on rent. It is only when you find the item good enough to take it on rent that you should go ahead with it.

It won’t be wise enough to make the payment before you even inspect the item or have a talk with the owner. Remember, having a clear communication is far more important or else it may lead you to bigger problems. Once you have talked about all the important aspects and are willing to make a written agreement on it, you can then go ahead and pay him/her online. Always make the payment of the item through the website as that will leave nothing at risk for you.

Buy medium range heavy equipment than spending a fortune on larger ones

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In a construction business, one need to be very particular with his finances and just can’t afford to spend money lavishly in buying heavy equipment. This does not mean that one should simply refrain from buying heavy machineries but should take ample care before deciding the kind of equipment he would like to go for. The only reason why he should be cautious is heavy equipments are highly expensive piece of metal and if you go for machines that is installed with latest technological devices then the price of the machine rises even further. So you must have kept a budget for your machine and when you go to shop you are astonished to find that it is more expensive than what you have estimated.

In case if there is a dire need for you to procure heavy equipments, you can go for medium range machines that work pretty much at the same level as the bigger ones can do (perhaps with few basic differences pertaining to the make and technology of the machine) and that will also cost you much lower, thereby will not make a big hole in your pocket.

Few facts one should consider before they go for medium range heavy equipment.

It should meet your business requirement:-

Meeting your business requirement is the first priority that you should be looking for when you decide to buy medium range heavy equipment. Though medium range heavy equipment is capable of performing every task as perfectly as its larger version could have done, but it has its own limitations. So while you are picking up medium range machine, you should check if it is viable for your project or you have to stick to its larger version. It makes absolutely no point later to remorse over having picked the wrong one.

It should be economically convenient:-

The reason you are picking medium range machine is that it is economically convenient to you. However, it is advisable that you do a bit of market research before you take the final plunge. It is very crucial to study the price of different machines with different features. A medium range heavy equipment with latest technological devices can be more expensive than the bigger one. Now the question is do you really need those many features in your machine and if no, then it does not make much sense to go for that model.

Should be low on maintenance cost:-

Heavy equipments are undoubtedly highly expensive but there is something more worrisome than just its cost and it is the maintenance of the machine. People have to spend good chunk of money in repairing their equipments which proves to be a much costlier affair. Not all heavy equipments will cost you high on maintenance but some definitely does and you got to pick the one that sounds good as far as the maintenance part is concerned.

Medium range machines are always a better option. However, at times the project you are working on may demand the use of the bigger ones. But if you can work it out using a smaller version, you should be going for it.

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Middle East can give good sales figure for heavy equipment companies

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The year 2015 has been an overwhelming one for the heavy equipment producing companies. There will be hardly any company that has not registered profits in the last year and the kind of expectation they are having in the year 2016 is just magnanimous. They have given the credit of good sales to the sales team and also to the engineers who have worked endlessly to give the consumers the stuff they want. It was not a simple task but it seems the work was completed with a lot of vigor and heartiness by all those who were associated with the heavy equipment producing companies. They have achieved the sales figure with the help of the engineers who played an instrumental role in bringing innovative products and the marketing team who have done incredibly well to market them to the end user.

Now if we check which region has been more successful, we get few names and out of them, it was the Middle East region that outshone others. Sale of heavy equipment was not restricted to few companies but it seems that almost all the heavy equipment companies that have their existence in the region has made considerable amount of profit. It was basically a good year of business for almost all the companies and they have pretty high hopes with this year. It becomes quite instrumental for the heavy equipment companies to carry on with the same good work that they have been doing all the way and ensure that they outperform the sales figure of the previous year.

Keeping Middle East as their focal point has been a good strategy and they are already on the way to deploy more of their units in other Gulf nations. They see these places to be the most crucial zones as far as the construction and oil industry is concerned. Though Europe and North America too have been good business for them but the Middle East countries have been just superb.

The heavy equipment companies have to focus on few things. Do what they have been doing. That is give them the same quality machines and if possible customize machines to their needs. This can be done primarily by understanding their business requirement. This is probably how a construction equipment manufacturing company can get partnered with them and will customize every machine for them. In this way, they will make sure of few things. First, the construction equipment manufacturing company will be selling their brand to the construction company and will thus bar other heavy equipment companies to sell their products. And second is they will find ease to manufacture machines for them as they now understand what the company is looking for. The construction company no longer has to buy models that are used by everybody.

By applying this tactic, they can certainly acquire a major share of the market in that region which will only boost their sales figure.

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Heavy equipment predicted to make good sale in 2016

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It is expected to be a great year for the construction, mining and heavy equipment industry as it is assumed that the sales figure of heavy equipment for the year 2016 will be simply splendid and the total credit goes to the way the construction and the mining industry has performed in the last year and the way it will perform in this year. Market pundits have come down with various revelations but it ultimately boils down to the fact that the construction and mining companies are all set to make solid purchase of earth moving machines. There is a huge requirement of these machines as regions like the Middle East have made heavy investments in construction and oil business. It is because of these investments that the heavy equipment manufacturing companies will have a big time opportunity to sell their machines in this market.

Barring the Middle East and other Gulf nations, if we divert our attention to the European markets, we see great prospect there. It had been a great year for the construction industry in Europe and they are only expecting it to grow from here. There seem to be absolutely no sign of any trouble in these segments and therefore it makes more sense for the heavy equipment companies to strengthen their operation there. Many companies are opening up new sites in various European countries and they all are very hopeful about their future prospects. They want to make the most out of this and they do not see a better timing than this.

A good year for the heavy equipment company also means a great year for the buyers of the machine. They buyers can expect a lot of goodies from the company or from its dealer. The most important part of a transaction for a buyer is the quality of the machine and if he gets good quality stuff at a reasonable price, he will be automatically drawn towards the product. Other than that, some buyers are choosier about their brands and they will not easily go for a brand that they have not bought something before. They prefer to be loyal to their brand and this gives an opportunity to that particular brand to sell more of its products in the market. A survey can be done by the brand to check if the consumers who have purchased its machine in the last 5 years prefer to stick to them or go to some other brand. This will give them a clear picture of the mood of the buyers.

In order to increase the sale, they can offer discounts to the buyer or can collaborate with some lending institution which will offer loans to consumers at a very lower interest rate. Consumers are always on the look of such offers and if they get one, they are for sure going to grab it. This will only help to increase the sales figure. They can bring in such innovative offers to up their sales and make this year a great one too.

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Buying excavators that save on fuel can be a good investment

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While setting up a construction company, the owner has to go through a lot of financial hurdles and often finds it difficult to sustain with the given resources. On top of that, when he sees that the heavy equipment he is using are consuming more fuel than he has anticipated that becomes more of a financial burden on him and he then seeks for ways and means to combat the issue. Well, once you already have equipment that consumes more fuel, there is hardly anything you can do to set that off. You either have to continue with the same equipment till it completely wears off or you can sell that machine and buy a new one that is reasonable and economical as far as fuel consumption is concerned. There are many branded companies who are producing equipment that match the overall needs of the client but they may be quite expensive. The next available option would be to go for brands who are not that expensive and yet reliable. If you have this specific requirement, then the best brand would be Komatsu. Komatsu is known for producing reliable machines that are not expensive and ideally fits the budget of every person in the construction arena.

Excavator is one such machine that is required for whatever big or small project you have on hand. Other than this, it is known for consuming more fuel as it has to exert more pressure on the engine to get the work done. However, Komatsu has recently launched PC290LC-11 long arm hydraulic excavator which is designed in such a way that it consumes less fuel at work. The cabin of the operator has also been modified to make things comfortable inside. This new model is a substitute of the older version which is PC290LC-10. The operating weight of the machine is anywhere between 66,359 to 68,122 pounds and in order to provide greater stability and power it is built on a large PC360 undercarriage. Something that is quite imperative in the machine is its long arm and the boom which is powered by Komatsu SAA6D107E-3 engine. The horsepower the engine can give is 196hp which suffice the power it needs to complete the task.

The engine is specially built to reduce emissions by integrating “Selective Catalyst Reduction” and by using “Diesel Exhaust Fluid”. An electronic control system has been included in the engine that has the potential to deal with the airflow rate, supervise the fuel injection, combustion parameters and after treatment functions. Komatsu has also installed a Variable Geometry Turbocharger and an Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve that checks and administers the temperature and air control.

Thick isolation dampers are installed under the excavator’s cabin to control vibration inside the cabin. The engineers have also redesigned the seat with high back and completely adaptable armrests. They have also installed a 7 inch monitor inside the cabin that will permit the operator to change the 6 working modes available in the machine.

Overall, this excavator has been produced keeping in mind many factors benefitting the customers.

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