Explore the Skilled Trades

A Heavy Equipment Operator — Tractor Loader Backhoe operates a tractor loader backhoe, its attachments and ground engaging equipment in various types of projects across multiple industries, such as road construction and maintenance, mining, quarrying, land clearing, forestry, logging, as well as gas and oil. Specifically, a Heavy Equipment Operator — Tractor Loader Backhoe:

• inspects, maintains, transports and operates this equipment and attachments

• performs pre-operational inspections, safety and operational checks and preventative maintenance

• monitors equipment performance, loads and unloads, transports and cleans, oils and refills equipment

• reads and interprets government legislation, site plans and manufacturers’ manuals (i.e. survey indicators)

• installs, operates and removes attachments (i.e. quick attach, buckets, bucket thumbs, quick couplers, splitters, grapples, teeth and adapters)

• performs operations such as excavating, grading, ramp building, stockpiling, backfilling and towing ensuring maximum productivity

• clears ice and snow, checks grades, performs cut and fil operations, backfills trenches and excavations, stockpiles and places materials, excavates trenches and ditches, loads trucks, lifts materials, performs clean-up operations, performs logging and surface mining operations, and perform demolitions.

• communicates through various techniques including hand signals