I've lurked on the forums for about 6 years now, from the end of high school, through college, through dropping out of college, and into my career as a lowboy driver.
There have been many threads that have spawned long reading sessions, and from Georgia Iron's 953 saga, Junkyards work thread, the endless photos on the Old Iron forum. All of these catch my eye and interest.
How did you folks develop all of these different skills over the years? What would you recommend to a 24 year old who is new to the industry?
I got into heavy construction not long after I got my CDL, working for a small utilities contractor in Raleigh, NC as a lowboy and dump truck driver. I ended up enjoying the work there greatly, I went in having never run anything more than a forklift, and left feeling ok on an excavator, loader and skidsteer. I helped out in the shop there, servicing the trucks I drove, I worked with the pipe crews when I wasn't driving. I sometimes got sent on oddball jobs on my own, cleaning up jobsites, loading out precast, disassembling shoring and hauling it, etc.
I left that company about 4 months ago, and went to a much larger site development contractor as a lowboy driver. I made the switch because I felt as if I wasn't getting enough practice moving oversized equipment. I was moving a 240 sized excavator maybe once every two months at the first company, but now I'm moving several 350 sized machines a week.
But now I am wondering what my next moves should be career wise. I'm interested in working on equipment, welding, and becoming a better operator. Is there a way to make this happen? What would y'all recommend?
There have been many threads that have spawned long reading sessions, and from Georgia Iron's 953 saga, Junkyards work thread, the endless photos on the Old Iron forum. All of these catch my eye and interest.
How did you folks develop all of these different skills over the years? What would you recommend to a 24 year old who is new to the industry?
I got into heavy construction not long after I got my CDL, working for a small utilities contractor in Raleigh, NC as a lowboy and dump truck driver. I ended up enjoying the work there greatly, I went in having never run anything more than a forklift, and left feeling ok on an excavator, loader and skidsteer. I helped out in the shop there, servicing the trucks I drove, I worked with the pipe crews when I wasn't driving. I sometimes got sent on oddball jobs on my own, cleaning up jobsites, loading out precast, disassembling shoring and hauling it, etc.
I left that company about 4 months ago, and went to a much larger site development contractor as a lowboy driver. I made the switch because I felt as if I wasn't getting enough practice moving oversized equipment. I was moving a 240 sized excavator maybe once every two months at the first company, but now I'm moving several 350 sized machines a week.
But now I am wondering what my next moves should be career wise. I'm interested in working on equipment, welding, and becoming a better operator. Is there a way to make this happen? What would y'all recommend?