There’s a reason that Tonka Trucks have been a number one selling toy: it’s because plenty of kids love imagining they are in control of dump trucks, cranes, and bulldozers. Naturally, when all those kids grow up they don’t become heavy equipment operators but for the few that do, they not only can make a decent living but they get to play in the dirt every day. And we all know how much fun that can be!

As the job title would imply, heavy equipment operators are those skilled labor workers who can handle the big machines. On a construction site, you first have to clear the ground which means operating a bulldozer, dump truck, backhoe and excavator. You’re essentially moving one pile of dirt and rumble into another pile that has to get hauled away. Ask any heavy equipment operator and they’ll tell you that as bulky as these machines are, it takes a level of finesse to operate them properly. That’s not to say a heavy equipment operator has to be “dainty” at the controls but you’ve certainly got to have solid hand eye coordination.

Once the ground is cleared and the building work begins there’s a whole new level of heavy equipment operators that come into play. Typically this will mean crane operators. You could be offloading equipment and supplies from the ground or from a crane built at the top of a skyscraper. Crane operators also come into play at the ports for unloading cargo. Think of that as a huge game of Tetris! The higher you go the more factors such as weather and weight distribution comes into play for crane operators. This means you can just hop into the cab of a crane and get cranking. You need to know the specifics of what you’ll be lifting. Ultimately, the “buck stops” with you as the operator with regard to safety. Read More...

Any construction job can’t be called “finished” until one final touch: a lasting coat (or two) of paint. Whether it’s a house, office or bridge everything needs to be painted. On a recent episode of Dirty Jobs, Mike just showed us what happens to unused painted. Although the paint bulking process he learned about is the epitome of a dirty job, it also serves a useful purpose in recycling the unused paint and providing it to charity for sprucing up of their facilities. Typically these recycled paints are what average folks have stored in their garages or basements. With professional painters, it’s an all together different story.

It would be hard to imagine escaping life without doing some painting for yourself. And for anyone who has taken on the job of painting a room or even a spice rack you know that to do the job right requires the proper preparation. The first phase of a professional painter’s job is to assess the amount of paint needed to accomplish the gig. This will require a knowledge of basic math and the ability to figure out square footage. Once the painter figures out the amount of paint needed, they need to determine the kind and color of paint. Usually this falls to the home or building owner to decide but a good painter will be know all the options and be able to present choices to their employer. This is where a bit of artistic ability can come into play. Matching colors of walls to trim to floors is key to making the owner happy. Read More...