Posted by Billy NY on August 04, 2015 at 07:34:11 from (104.228.35.235):
In Reply to: Got A REAL Job Guys!!!! posted by Bryce Frazier on August 04, 2015 at 06:19:57:
It can be decent work, you'll learn quite a bit in different areas. An experienced operator can get top wages, something to look forward to if its a decent company, or elsewhere if and once you have established yourself.
You have a year or so to do some preparation and if you are interested in pursuing this line of work, there are some things you can do to excel at it. Great thing is, this owner knows the value of good workers, if he's dealt with what you describe.
Learn blueprint reading and be aware of 02300 specifications for earthwork, (construction specifications institute) it may come up in contract documents in work your boss or future boss does at a larger company. Just having a good aptitude and ability to read and accurately interpret this kind of information is very helpful, more so if you ever want to be a superintendent or foreman one day. More responsibility, but that can also mean higher pay or advancement.
Safety Learn all you can, get an OSHA 10hr or better, focus on site safety, excavation/trench safety, equipment operation/safety, underground utilities, gas/electric, confined spaces, etc. etc. etc. It can be dangerous work, take this seriously, its important and the more credentials you have here, the better you will be in many ways.
Layout, elevations, grades, and all of what goes with it, including pipe lasers, GPS what have you, this will help you advance. You may not need it all at once, but if he's a busy contractor in this field, you need to be able to take a blueprint, layout a job once known reference points are established by the surveyor.
Materials, know the technical details of materials used, gravel, crushed stone, crusher run, concrete, pipe, mortar, block, brick, asphalt, anything you install, use or even haul.
Estimating - know how to read blue prints and do a quanity take off, or just know how to quantify materials like the above. You will benefit from learning how to estimate cuts and fills from a topography map of existing site conditions, to what a site plan calls for. Sure the company may typically do all that prior to bid and your just a worker bee in the seat of a machine or laboring with a pipe crew, but if you learn estimating for this work, that is another asset to any company in this business.
CDL A or B, having one of these licenses goes hand in hand with site work, excavation/foundation, every company in this business will ask if you have that, because they all have trucks and trailers. I assume you'll have to wait til your 21, so thats a ways off, but a clean CDL is going to win you points with any company in this business.
Never balk at hand labor,(probably unlikely for you anyways but goof to know) you'll shine if you can jump off a machine to help with a pipe crew if needed or similar, there's always hand labor in this business, more so with a sloppy operator, but you'll shine with the attitude it all pays the same.
Equipment, be glad to run the oldest they have, again, it all pays the same, also use your knowledge to check fluids, grease, look for problems and be known for taking care of everything you use down to the shovel needed to clean the tracks at the end of the day or labor on a crew. Any business owner in this kind of work will welcome that and then some.
Well that's enough for you to consider for now LOL ! its a good field to work in. I did it for 5 years full time. I have seen plenty of what your boss describes as lousy employees, its relatively easy to stand out if you apply yourself. One of my first jobs in this field was for someone I knew, a friend, and one of the first things that stood out, was that I could do everything he could, drive his tandem dump with a trailer and a dozer or backhoe on, run equipment etc. That freed him up to go after other work and further the business, he did not have to worry about me at all, was pleasantly surprised as all he dealt with was low life's that were like your future boss described. I could work on my own and did for quite some time there and the next outfit I went to, the owner used to send me on one man jobs all the time, truck loaded with material, dozer on the trailer, go put in this driveway, finish back filling a leach field or finish installing a new leach field though it was easier with 2 people, I did it when needed.
Working in the weather can be tough, so prepare, but there's a blessing there too, we could get laid off in the winter. However, many outfits will keep their best people working somewhere, in the shop, snow removal, and often times prefer to avoid those who look forward to the layoff if they can work during winter. So, it can be a nice break, just don't advertise your desire of it, always be interested in working, that will stand out.
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