How does one become an operator???

Just as the title says, how do you advance to becoming an operator??? I know it's extremely basic, but I'm curious. I've been around machines (mostly skid steers and backhoes) off and on most of my life, and, and have been operating on my own since I was 14. Would that be something that would aid me???

Thanks for any assistance!

See this post, hope this helps. https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=9703

Heres where you want to be (operator). to get here you need to take this road that starts down here.
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The Bottom aka the ditch.

just like any other job you start in the trenches, see how other people do the job...watch learn and take notes

you stick around long enough and your boss will give you one shot...digging a ditch, grading, whatever...you screw up you might as well find another company if you want to be an "operator"....you do good then you will start to see more seat time

i got lucky...my one shot came when i was 17....i knew as soon as my boss got in his truck to leave and i was still in the seat i would go nowhere but up...now have my CDL and running small jobs

Seem to remember that scene along time ago .

I started out as a laborer with Kiewit when I was 17 years old. After a few months of proving to them that I was actually there to work, my foreman put me in the skid steer doing some digging, light grading and jobsite clean up. From there, I would get thrown into the backhoe to do some trenches and other small jobs.

My big break came the following season when the excavator operator that was digging a trench for us, walked off the job. The foreman told me to get in and finish the job. I did the best job that I could and made sure everything was safe for the guys in the trench.

I secured myself a job as a full time operator because I didnt mind getting out of the seat to help the guys on the ground. My foreman really liked that.

Now, 8 years later, I only dabble in the excavating business. I have found other areas of work, but still miss that yellow iron.

or you could send me $100 and i'll vouch for you

qball said:

or you could send me $100 and i'll vouch for you

Click to expand...

by the way, that is a joke. i vouch for nobody.

I'll have to agree with whats posted already. One of the things thats extremely important is to learn the value of how to communicate on jobs with operators/laborers. If you are a laborer in the trench, try to communicate effectively with your operator, get a system down, so you do not have to be shouted at. The yelling to communicate gets old and sometimes can be taken the wrong way. If your an operator try to convey what you need or get down yourself and do it without blowing a cap on the ones who didn't know what you wanted/needed done. That saves alot of aggravation and makes you out as a team player...