your job

[CaT1029]

i am interested in what people on here do, what kind of job, whether you own the business or not, what equipment you use, how long you've been doing it, how you got there, etc. any input would be appreciated.

and of course pictures would be great too

 

[Jeff D.]

i am interested in what people on here do, what kind of job, whether you own the business or not, what equipment you use, how long you've been doing it, how you got there, etc. any input would be appreciated.

Hey, this is a good idea.:yup

I'm a O/O truck driver by trade, who does some limited side jobs with the older equipment I own (just so I can justify it to myself I should get too buy it )

It's actually more of a hobby, but I do enjoy spending my free time working and playing with equipment.

I've been a trucker since '91, but only self employeed since '97.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Just kidding :yup

I do a little bit of everything I drive truck,repair equipment,welder I don't have one job description.

 

[rino1494]

We build residential developments, sewer work, foundations, septic systems and land/lot clearing. It is my fathers business and he has been doing it for over 40 yrs. The business will prolly be mine in 5 yrs and I have been doing this for 11 years now. We own 11 pieces of equipment. We will be looking to purchase 1 or 2 more this upcoming year.

 

[Countryboy]

I work at a rock quarry. I've been there 5 years and enjoy every minute of it. I get to play with all different kinds of toys big and small. I operate locomotives, loaders, dozers, graders, hoes, TLBs, skidsteers and even the ol' manual shovel......sometimes :spaz .

 

[Canevari Timber]

I operate equipment for a bridge building company.I run any normal equipment dozer,excavator,loader etc. and also run concrete boom pumps.

 

[LowBoy]

Master of None.

I'm like Ford LT-9000; can't come up with a title yet.

Been self employed as a trucking service owner since 1988, dumptrailers and flats. Diversified into equipment hauling, then hazardous materials such as gasoline, fuel, anything that burns or blows up. Caustic chemicals were next.

I'd incorporated excavating into the trucking business as a supplemental revenue producer in 1991, and worked like a farm animal until November of 2006.The price of fuel, operating expenses and insurance forced me to make the decision to become gainfully employed for a while until I get the "urge" to do it again on my own. All the while I did all my own repairs, my wife did the paperwork, and we struggled as we raised our young family throughout the winter months.

Now I work for a Cat equipment rental company that rents all sizes of excavators, and dozers from D-3's to a D-5HXL. I move everything that needs moving from place to place, do a little service work when needed, and just take up valuable space. When you go from being the General to a corporal, it is a weird transition. But the stress is gone...for now.:thumbsup

 

[MetalDragon_boy]

I work at a rock quarry. I've been there 5 years and enjoy every minute of it. I get to play with all different kinds of toys big and small. I operate locomotives, loaders, dozers, graders, hoes, TLBs, skidsteers and even the ol' manual shovel......sometimes :spaz .

That sounds interesting! What kind of models are the equipment you use?

 

[DigDug]

I have a small excavtion co. with about six people. I buy land and build subdivisions . We do commercial snow plowing , demolition, septic tank pumping , rent portable toilets, lowbed trucking. But our main bread and butter is excavation work. Heres a toilet pic. doug

 

[digger242j]

I have a small excavtion co. with about six people. I buy land and build subdivisions . We do commercial snow plowing , demolition, septic tank pumping , rent portable toilets, lowbed trucking. But our main bread and butter is excavation work.....

Thank goodness your bread and butter isn't.... Nah, I can't say that...

:bouncegri

 

[treemuncher]

Great idea for the forum!

I am an owner/operator. I work alone. I do everything from pay the bills to major repairs. I have not had employees for over 10 years and life is much less stressful this way. My primary activity is land clearing although I still do some dirt work and demolition for certain customers. I work for everyone from the Feds to the private homeowners.

My main piece of equipment is my PC200 excavator followed by my Posi Track 4810. Each unit has brush cutters, buckets, grapples, tree shears and other attachments. I'm the guy that makes the trees scream! My life is eatin' trees & poopin' chips.


Heavy equipment is not just a passion, it is an addiction! :yup

 

[tylermckee]

Work for a small excavation company, running mainly excavators, backhoes, and dozers. We do everything from custom home sites, spec houses, residential development, road widening & improving, and a few commercial buildings.

 

[greywynd]

I'm a full time toolmaker by trade, and run my mini excavating business as a sideline (at least until the wife's finished her school in another year or two.)

I have two trucks (one ton dually that I'm just switching to a flat bed dump from factory box) and a 3/4 ton that is the 'family car' but can also double as a pull vehicle for the excavator trailer if/when needed. I have the mini excavator of course and a small tandem float for it. Hoping to buy a skid in the next year or so, currently I rent when I need one, and line up all the skid steer work to do at the same time. Most of my work is small prep work, either for building/landscaping contractors, or directly for homeowners.

Was thinking about trading the excavator for a newer one this year, but not really happy with the available options/sizes right now, will wait and see how this year goes I guess. I'm hoping to get a thumb built for mine this winter, and I have a 3point hitch post hole auger that I think I'll convert to hydraulic drive for the excavator to run/use as well.

As far as equipment goes, I've ran trucks (up to tandem size dumps), worked on/repaired everything from heavy equipment right down to lawnmowers (My father is a mechanic, taught me lots of stuff over the years.) I also weld, have my own arc and tig welders, and lots of other tools too. (Though my shop is small.....makes KoO's look big, LOL.)

Mark

 

[CascadeScaper]

I work(ed) for my dad when I'm not going to college. I currently live 160 miles away from "home". Dad specializes in landscaping, but this summer we bought a 312CL and got into the excavation business. Had my dad not realized that when I went back to college he'd be the guy running the 312 full time, we'd still be in business. I basically ran the division this summer, everything from the actual operation of equipment, to submitting bids and working with customers. We specialized in orchard removals, I did 130 acres of clearing this last spring/summer. We also did general excavation, utilities, complete homesite excavation, steep slope work, retaining walls whether it be rock or modular, just about anything you can do with a 12 ton excavator. I really miss it now, my whole plan was to nurse the business along and do as much as I could throughout the school year then buy the business once I was done with college. I actually was driving home every weekend for a couple months before summer break last year to run the equipment. Right now I work in a restaurant while going to college full time.

 

[mcc1075]

My job

I work for a demolition and construction company, and we also operate a transfer station. Our equiptment includes Cat 235, 322L, 320CL,950B, D5H Komatsu PC200, PC60, PC20, we are also demoing a Volvo EC340. We have 2 Kenworth tractors, a Pete tractor, Kenworth tri-axle dump, Kenworth roll-off, Mack roll-off. I realize now that we have alot off stuff.

 

[Nac]

Well I am the boss, the driver, the operator, the mechanic and etc...
I have 2 full time employes and 2 part time employes. Have been at it on my own for about 4 years now. I started as a union laborer and then a union carpentor running my own crew of up to 30 guys doing mostly concrete work then got into a fight with my unkle (boss at that time) and went on my own, Have a 160 and 45 excavtor have a 250 skid steer and 350 track loader. Also have hammers and rock drill. I do everything from demo to excvation to rock drilling and braking, also still do concrete and masonry work. Almost forgot I also have a single axle hooklift a triaxle rolloff and a service truck.

 

[murray83]

Where to begin?

Currently unemployeed but ran equipment for 2 larger construction companies in the area but had enough of working straight time 70+ hours a week and low pay and watching power trips with so called white hats.Looking at a chance to start with a demolition & salvage company out of FT McMurray possibly next winter nice money but he'll feed me and house me so thats all that matters.I'm a member of ILA local 273 with the port as a reserve member I'm also a ticketed low pressure pipe welder in the province of New Brunswick.

I'm waiting to write the septic installers exam to expand my abilty to serve my side business.I Mostly dig additions on homes,water/sewer line hook ups and repair,drain tile work basicaly anything a backhoe can do and someone is willing to pay me for.I use a friends JCB and pay him for hours on the meter as it works out for me but if work picks up I may purchase an older machine for the right price.

 

[Woodstock]

My grandpa was in the construction and farming businesses. When he died my dad took over the farming and my uncle took over the construction. Well when I was five I started playing with the hoe on my uncles backhoe. My dad would put me on a tractor and drive it down the road. I couldn't reach the pedels so he would have to jump on and stop it for me. I was in love with equipment. When I got older I would farm for my dad and when I didn't have any thing to do I would work for my uncle. My dad and I have six John Deere tractors, I have just recently in the last year and half bought an 03, D4G, and a 06, 328 John Deere skid steer. I mostly do clearing, build little stock tanks, and I an know building four building pads, two stock tanks, and digging a bunch of post holes with my skid steer. I work by my self know. I am hoping to get more work lined up and hire some one to help me. My next machine I think will be a Cat 939C track loader.Well thats enough lol.

 

[jmac]

I own my own Excavating Company started it about 5 years ago on a very small part time basis. At the time owned a specialty building material broker agency (manufacturer representatives). I started the broker agency when I was 25 and worked it for 15 years. The brokerage went very well until Home Depot got so big and put all of my customers out of business. I sold Home Depot product for a while and this made my company very strong until they decided that they wanted to cut out all the agencies like mine out. I saw this coming and bought a skid steer and pick up truck with a dump trailer. Started doing side jobs on the weekends for a couple of years and then as I grew I sold out my agency and went full time with excavating. I also own a retail pet supply store that I opened in 1990 and still own today. All three businesses that I have owned or own are very different to say the least and this keeps it very interesting. I was fortunate enough to get a couple of lucky breaks with a large General Contractor and make some very good friends in the excavating business and this has helped me a lot to grow my business. I have made a huge investment in this business, (at least huge to me anyways) in the last three years. To date I have 89' Mack 10 wheel dump, 95' Hitachi Ex60, 97' Komatsu PC150, 96' case 70" single drum roller, 05' New Holland LS160 skid, 01' Deere 450HLT dozer, auger, soil conditioner, trailer, and a lot other stuff like welders, pumps, saws, tampers etc. I am closing on a garage and 6 acre's of land this month so I will have a place to keep all this and not have to work out of my home. I love this business and wish I started it a long time ago, hope to keep growing but as Jeff D said in another post "it is a very fine line between success and failure" I agree with that. Once I own most of the equipment my over head will be a lot less and cash flow a lot more so looking forward to that. One last point, my wife has been very supportive, and as all of you married guys know with out that forget it.

 

[Mass-X]

When I was five years old, I told my mom that for my birthday I wanted her to take me to all the local construction sites, let me sit in the seat of the tractors and take my picture. I still have that photo album.

I guess my interest in heavy equipment got started young?

When I was in high school I got summer jobs working for a construction company doing industrial concrete, bridges and water tanks. I got a little seat time on backhoes and skidsteers and eventually got on the grading crew, where I learned a lot working on the ground and got a little more seat time in loaders, dozers, excavators, etc.

When I started college I got a job working the night shift in a gavel pit running dozer. Working night shift in pits is what put me through college.

During the summers I would work for excavation companies full time. I did a little pipe work, but didn't like it much and went back to excavation/grading.

I learned I like the bigger jobs, highways, reservoirs, mass excavation and mass grading.

When I finished college I was a pretty accomplished operator, with good excavation experience and a thorough understanding of the industry. I decided to let my stock portfolio be a part-time thing and spend my days playing with yellow iron.

I currently work for a large residential developer as a grading foreman and also do some finish grading work, mostly dozer.

The job I'm on had about 70 machines last summer, with close to 90 planned for this summer. Excavators from 320's up to 375's. Dozers from D6 to D10. Loaders from 938's to 980. CAT and Terex 40 ton ADT's. We've got a little of everything.

I'll post pictures in another thread as the project I'm working on consists of 7800 homes, 8 miles of highway, 4 reservoirs, etc. Over 17 million cubic yards of material to be moved on the currently planned phases.

Since I finished college I've wanted to have my own excavation company. I plan to get my own machine in the near future, work as an owner/operator, and from there build my own excavation company.