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.