Tag Archives: Construction Industry

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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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.

The Giants of the Construction and Mining Industry

The heavy equipment which are ruling the construction and mining site serve multi-purpose functions as they are designed thus. The list of such giants is very big including ultra hauler, excavators, bulldozers, loaders and the like.

List of the Major Giants and Their Applications

  • Excavator: – The spinning platform of the excavator contains stick, cab, boom and bucket. It is used for a variety of purposes like digging holes, trenches, forestry work, demolition, mining, driving piles and many more. Its notable manufacturers are Hitachi Construction Machinery, Bobcat Company, Case CE and CNH Global.
  • Crawler: – This machine is used to transport heavy objects and also to dig. Its major components are rotor support, chassis, turntables, central swivel joints, air conditioners, cab and the panel. Huta Stalowa, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Liebherr Holding GmbH, Terex Schaeff GmbH, Zoom Lion and the like are famous for the manufacturing of superior quality crawler.
  • Dump Truck: – It is used in the construction site to carry light materials like gravel, sand or dirt. It has hydraulic pistons and open box bed. It was constructed in the late 19th century in the US. All of them make use of hydraulics and use wide range of configurations. Each of the truck is designed to carry out a particular job. The leading manufacturers of the equipment are Asia Motorworks, Komatsu, John Deere, Terex Corporation, Volvo Trucks and Euclid Trucks.
  • Skid Steer Loader: – The equipment is a four-wheeled vehicle which is a substitute of excavators. It at first, dig a ramp, and then uses the ramp to drag the material out of it. It is mainly used where large excavators cannot work. A few models of skid steer loader consist of an automatic mechanism of attachment changer. Bobcat   Company, Wuhan Chancay Machinery, Fuzhou Julitaihe International, Qingdao Hengda Tyres, Dongguan Shangjha Model Products Company Limited and many more.
  • Bulldozer: – It is fitted with large metal blades which are used to push aside sand, rubble and soil at the time of conversion task. The term ‘bulldozer’ itself indicates heavy equipment but practically the term stands for tracked tractor having a dozer blade. The machine is also used in mining, road constructing, land clearing, forestry and the development of infrastructure. The basic tools of bulldozer are ripper and blade. Wuhan Kudat Industry and Trade Co. Ltd, Zeb Power Solution Co. Ltd and Fuzhou Julitaihe International are some of the renowned companies of bulldozer manufacturing.
  • Crane: – Crane is used to lift the loads up and down and shift them in a horizontal direction. It utilises more than one simple device to perform its work smoothly. It exists in a variety of configurations; each is designed differently from the other to arry on with a specific job type. Eurocrane China Co. Ltd, Wuhan Kudat Industry And Company Ltd, Dongguan Taiguan Lifting Machinery Company Ltd, Shenzhen Welmetal Heavy Industry Company Ltd, are some of the companies which have gained their fame in manufacturing cranes.

 

Undoubtedly, after going through this article, you have gained an insight into the various giants that became the masters of the mining and construction industry. So, purchase them from a renowned company today.

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Best Options for Leasing Heavy Equipment for Construction Industry

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With the increase in construction projects the demand for leasing construction equipment has also increased tremendously. Construction industry is labour intensive as well as capital intensive. The contractors also need to use complex and diverse equipment such as Tractors, Excavators, and Loaders etc. Construction activities are numerous and diverse. Contractors have to manage and bring all the factors of production together such as land, labor, capital etc. Cost of all construction projects is an important factor .The contractors nave to control the budget and coordinate competent project supervision. Construction equipment are costly and the maintenance and repairing costs are also high. Specific heavy equipment requires qualified and skilled operators. Smaller contractors face financial constraints to buy heavy equipment since their budget is fixed. Bigger contractors lease or rent heavy equipments to be cost effective and also get the appropriate equipment for construction purposes.

Leasing is a lucrative option for both large and small contractors to cut down their expenses in construction projects. But there are several factors to consider before leasing heavy equipment.

 

Capital: When a contractor, project manager purchases new heavy equipment, they need to find out what are the best options available to them. The heavy equipment tend to decrease in value with daily wear and tear. So instead of making huge investments in buying them it is the best option to lease the heavy equipments to conserve money for unforeseen needs.

Equipment Supervision: Another factor to consider before leasing heavy equipment is equipment supervision. Heavy equipment such as scraper, cranes, excavators, loaders, rigging equipment are very costly. You need proper maintenance as well as dexterous operators to run them well. You may also require utilizing the professional operators to supervise the equipments and legalize their use.

Government Strategy: Government policies are important to consider before leasing heavy construction equipment. The government has laid down certain safety and security instructions regarding the superiority of the machines to be used in the construction site.

In the case of leasing, a contractor can ask for subtraction for the full price of the heavy equipment from the taxable earnings. Capital grants can be asked for the total price of the assets if you are leasing it for a time period of more than 5 years. In certain cases time period of 7 years is mandatory.

Wrap Lease: This leasing contract allows the contractors to merge some lease payments into a single, usual payment. This is an appropriate option for those building contractors who need to lease heavy equipment all of a sudden. Leasing combines their outstanding expenses and they can use it to invest in leasing new heavy equipment. This is extremely useful for those building contractors who are undertaking colossal and complex construction projects with volatile requirements and difficulties.

Fair Market Value Lease: Fair Market Value Lease is an extremely vital factor when you are considering leasing heavy building equipment. This option is beneficial in that case where there will be a fast decline in the value of the equipment due to usual wear and tear as a result of constant daily use. The repairing costs can be high too. These days a number of leasing companies are supplying services of expert workforce at no cost for performing maintenance and repairing work.

So leasing heavy equipment can be can be tricky task. Several factors have to be kept in mind before you make your decision to lease it. The article will give you all the information you need before leasing.

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Advice for young people starting their career in construction industry

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Construction industry is like any other industry where people do not want competition. It is only because if you have more people getting into this industry, the chances of the people getting projects becomes slimmer and therefore when you see a new guy making his way in, he will be welcomed with many obstacles. Creation of obstacles is obvious as others see him as another competitor and therefore tries to make things difficult for him. However, if he decides to keep his foot firm on the ground, then he may get someone who would be ready to help him with advices on how he can establish his business in the volatile market.

Few pointers one must keep in mind before he decides to set his foot in the construction domain.

Overall knowledge about the industry:-

It is absolutely not advisable to enter an industry without knowing anything about it. It is almost like entering inside a dark cave without a torch in your hand. You never know what will apprehend you next. Therefore, it will be prudent if a person works his way out and understand how the industry works and few tricks of the trade if not all. Other than this, it is very difficult to determine when you are ready for the job. You may have not know much about the domain but with the available knowledge you may feel that you have learned a lot and are now ready to take the plunge. But when you indeed take the plunge, you may find yourself in the middle of nowhere. Hence, it is very important to take time and learn things patiently. Get to know as many things as possible and ask people questions. Not everybody will be in a position to answer all your questions but you should not stop till you get your questions answered.

Try to gain some experience by working with a construction company:-

Sons and daughters of construction company owners who want to make a career in the same industry and like to carry on with the legacy that their father has left for them, they prefer working in their company and gain some experience out of it. But not everyone can be so fortunate to have born with a golden spoon in his/her mouth. Most of us have to make our own way in setting up our own business. For them, it is advisable to give few years of their life working in some construction company and learning the tricks of the trade. It takes time to learn things for which people have to patient enough. If you spend enough time and learn most of the things needed to open a company of your own, you have cleared the most difficult level.

Check your financial stability:-

While you are establishing your business in the construction industry, you just can’t ignore your financial stability. Setting up a new business requires lot of money to be invoked into it. Therefore, knowing your financial position is another important criteria that you can’t afford to miss.

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Steps To Be a Successful Heavy Equipment Controller

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The construction industry is at a very flourishing stage in almost all the leading countries of the world. With the expansion of the industry, the need for skilled professionals who can operate the heavy machinery is increasing day by day. However, it is not possible for anybody to handle such equipment. It requires a lot of training and practice o be able to do the job effectively as well as safely. Therefore, it is important that you get your training from a good school if you have any interest or inclination in this particular field. Therefore, enrolling with a reputed school could prove to be highly beneficial for you if you are looking for developing your skills in dealing with heavy equipment in the construction industry. With more skills, it is quite obvious that you will be able to work for bigger companies and enjoy better and bigger benefits in your favor.

There are a lot of companies of heavy equipment as well as construction that may provide you with an on job training. However, it is to be noted that you will be able to get such training only after you have managed to get a job with that company. You would not get any sort of training at the time of the process of recruitment. Therefore, if you want to be eligible to get such training and get paid for it as well you will have to get some skills that would be able to prove that you are eligible for the process. Certain companies may even ask you to go for a field test so that you can prove how skilled you exactly are. Therefore, you may have to handle an excavator, a bulldozer or any sort of heavy machine that is relevant in the construction industry. It is important that you understand that in this industry, paper documentation does not mean peanuts unless you are able to make them actually see your capabilities in the field.

As you can see, the importance of proper schooling cannot be denied when it comes to the preparation in this field. There are a number of schools that you would find with a little research but not all of them would prove to be worth your time, energy and money. If you are searching for a good school that is dependable, a very good option would be Heavy Construction Academy. You may be in a state of doubt regarding how important it actually is to get enrolled with a good school for training in this field. In that case, you can pay visit to the workshops organized by the school in discussion. With this visit you will be able to a complete idea regarding the training that is required and provided by the top notch schools in this field. The world of heavy equipment is changing from time to time. Since more and more new technical advancements are being implemented in the designs of the modern equipment, it is important that a solid foundation is instilled in the professionals so that they work with any equipment with ease.

 

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Learning The Tricks Of The Trade Will Help You To Make Money In The Construction Industry

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You are in whatever business or industry, the first thing that you need to do is learn the work well. You can’t expect yourself to perform or to outperform before having learned the tricks of the trade. For instance, we take up the profession of a doctor. A guy has to study for years in medicine and then invest another good number of years in practicing. Only after that, he can claim himself to be a good doctor. Or let’s put it in this way that after investing so much of time learning his profession, he can become good in his work and that good work of his will be seen by others which will then make him a good doctor. This was just an example of a noble profession, now if we consider a business; it is no different from the first example.

Construction business is a huge business and it may take one his entire lifetime to know about everything, however not completely. It is important to know how to work things out and also how things work in this industry. If you start from the basics of it and then develop your knowledge, you will not miss anything but if you skip the basics and feel that they are not important, you might not understand things as they are all so interconnected with the basics.

We would be discussing few things that are instrumental to grow as a person in this industry.

Develop the curiosity to learn:-  Let’s start this by saying “Keep your eyes and ears open all the time”. You get to learn a lot of things if you simply keep your basic senses to see and to hear wide open. You will come across people who talk about how to complete a particular project or what kind of heavy equipment is needed to get the work done. They may talk about ideas which you have never heard of or felt that can even work in such a situation. You may even want to discuss things with them and show that you are curious enough to know things which will allow them to let you accompany them in critical assignments. Once you become a part of any critical assignment, you will come across multiple chances of developing your knowledge and also learning to deal with different kind of situations.

Take initiatives at different levels:-  This is perhaps the most important characteristic one must possess. Many people simply do their work and leave. They are never in hunt of any opportunities which sort of rusts their capabilities. Therefore, it is important that you take up initiatives to do things which others may find to be difficult or time consuming. Taking initiatives not only prove that you are not afraid of taking additional responsibilities but also display your ability to learn new things pertaining to your domain.

Learning these little things with time will eventually help you to know much of the things which are absent in others and will make you a better employee or a businessman than the rest.

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Economic scenario affecting heavy equipment and construction industry

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Every big and small industry is co-related to the economic situation in a country. If the economic situation in a country is favorable for the businesses to flourish, it gives a good time for the people of that country to earn good money. However, if the economic condition is in turmoil then every industry takes a beating. Moreover, if it is the construction industry, it perhaps takes the maximum beating and also industries associated with it. The current scenario is such that market pundits see a modest growth rate in the construction segment. Nothing major can be predicted for the time being. It is better than being slow. However, few heavy equipment manufacturing companies have a different perspective about the current economic scenario. They do not see the market to be modest and feel that it will take more time for the market to improve in order to become modest. This means that the situation is far from being called modest. This shows that there are mixed signals coming from all areas of the heavy equipment manufacturing segment. They are also worried about the overall global situation if not much worried about what is happening inside the country. They ideally look to export their products outside the country and if the overall economy is at its worse, then it becomes very difficult for them to sell their machines worldwide.

Caterpillar being one of the strongest companies in the US has estimated that its total sale in 2014 will be around 55 billion dollars which is somewhat similar to the sales in the previous year. This shows that the heavy equipment market worldwide is indeed appalling and will take time to recover. Industry experts believe that the situation in the year 2015 will be somewhat better but will not show any dramatic upward trend. This means that the industry has to struggle hard for few more years after which it can expect to see a rosy outlook. They see immense opportunities for investment in infrastructure sector in countries like United States, Turkey and India. In addition to this, they also want the government to implement growth oriented policies that could be beneficial to all.

One of the major reasons of slow economic recovery in the global arena is the political conflict and instability. Due to this instability, no proper decisions are getting implemented and investors cannot set up the trust that it has to in order to invest their money. Countries in Africa and in the Middle East are the worst affected countries and they have to do a lot to improve things. Europe may have a different story to tell but it may not be far different. They do not see things to be so negative. However, they also do not see any signs of rapid industrial growth happening anytime soon. A report from CECE reveals that heavy machinery sales in the first half of 2014 increased by 10.24% compared to the first half of 2013. However, the second half was disappointing.

Keep an Open Mind to Be Ahead In the Race in the Construction Industry

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Change- that is the only thing that has, that is and that will always be permanent. Whether it is the healthcare industry, education industry, politics or construction, change can be said to be a common characteristic for all. And this change makes it important for people to be on the constant lookout for keeping them updated on the latest events of a particular industry. If you are a professional of the construction industry, keeping yourself updated on the various aspects of the industry is quite important for your business.

Continuing To Learn- The Benefits

Being constantly on the lookout for the latest happenings in the construction industry is beneficial. If you are involved in the construction industry, it is best if you keep a lookout for the latest trends and developments. Here is taking a look at the benefits that being updated has.

  • Constant studying the trends of the construction industry will give you an idea of the way your competitors approach the entire business. And this definitely contributes significantly to you becoming a successful construction big shot.
  • By keeping the window of knowledge of open in the construction arena, you will also be aware of the various rules, regulations and amendments to the rules of the arena. This means that you will always stay on the legal side of things.
  • Continuing the education whilst you are in the construction arena also lets you gain knowledge on the various technological developments on the block. An application of these technologies to your construction business can definitely prove to be fruitful.
  • Constantly remaining updated also enhances your decision making power. You will be able to take better decisions about your construction organisation if you keep your mind open and continue to build on the recent developments going on in the area.

It can, therefore be concluded that keeping an open mind in the construction area works wonders on your business. Not only will you be able to handle the construction projects more efficiently, you can also be sure of raise in the status quo of your company.

Gaining the Knowledge- The Possible Sources

All being said and done, people might wonder as to where will they get information of the changes taking place in the industry.

  • The World Wide Web can be said to be a virtual trove of information.  All the information that you seek can be availed from the various blogs, updates posted on the social networking sites, online construction journals, construction forums and the like.
  • You could also try gathering information from your mentor, the construction union, various seminars and conferences and the like.

Success in the construction industry is directly proportional to your knowledge of the area. It goes without saying that staying updated on this fore is quite crucial for your construction business. Keeping an open mind, therefore, can be said to be one of the mantras to succeed in the industry.

Never Give Up Your Hopes Even If You Suffer Loses In the First Few Years of Your Business in the Construction Domain

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A business is entitled to two very important aspects and they are profits and losses. Either you make money in your business or you lose out. These are the two significant factors that keep your business going. We see another trend in business. Guys who have newly set up their business tend to incur losses than making profits which is kind of demoralizing. This is perhaps the major reason why many of the folks who have started their business thinking of making it big end up completely giving it away. There is perhaps a wrong notion that runs in peoples’ mind that business is the only way to make them rich. Which is why without giving much thought to it, they start doing a business and then all of a sudden realize that this was not their cup of tea and eventually scrap it off.

This was one bunch of folks. There is another bunch of people who no matter what stick to their position even after having incurred huge losses in their business. They are the one who either make it big or get perished completely. They are probably the ones who do not like to give up their hopes and want to continue to see the end of their journey. Well, it is better that we all fall in the second list because you have to give time to your business to grow. If you not financially sound or don’t have much patience, business is not for you.

Incurring losses in the first few years of your business is inevitable:-  When you form a business, you do not have clients, you do not have proper infrastructure, you do not have all the necessary things that is needed to shape up your business. You gather them all in the phase of time and during this time you also do things which an experienced person will not dare to. It is only because you are learning things. You go wrong many times and also do not find anybody to correct you or to guide and show you the right way. In such scenarios, making losses is inevitable. You just can’t expect to get returns from your business because it lacks a lot of things that are important to gain profits in a business. During the troubled times, it is imperative to stick along and not take decisions like to wind it up.

Learn from your mistakes:-  The best way to set your foot in the construction business is to learn from your mistakes and not to repeat it ever. You rarely get people to guide you as folks don’t want competition in business. Many feel that by giving right advices they might give birth to a strong competitor which may pose as a challenge to them in the later years. Therefore, you are on your own and always keep your learning antenna on.

Listen to others but do that you feel is right:-  When you are new, you will come across people who care giving you advices on your business. They may not know much how to deal with situations but always have advices for others. It’s better to give them a hearing ear but use your brains to rationale their advices.