7521 – Heavy equipment operators (except crane)

Heavy equipment operators operate heavy equipment used in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, airports, gas and oil pipelines, tunnels, buildings and other structures; in surface mining and quarrying activities; and in material handling work. They are employed by construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments and pipeline, logging, cargo-handling and other companies.

Profile

Index of titles

Example titles

Aerial tram operator

Apprentice heavy equipment operator

Asphalt batch plant operator

Asphalt plant operator

Asphalt roller operator

Asphalt spreader operator

Asphalt street paver operator

Asphalt-grooving machine operator

Asphalt-paving machine operator

Asphalt-paving screed operator

Backhoe operator

Bituminous paver operator – heavy equipment

Bobcat operator

Boom-conveyor operator

Bucketwheel operator

Bucketwheel-excavator operator

Buggy-operator skinner

Buggy-scraper operator

Bulldozer driver

Bulldozer operator

Cat operator

Cat skinner

Caterpillar car operator

Caterpillar operator

Concrete spreader operator – heavy equipment

Concrete-grooving machine operator

Concrete-paving machine operator

Construction equipment operator

Continuous bucket excavator operator

Crawler tractor operator

Ditcher operator – construction

Ditching machine operator

Dozer operator

Dredge operator

Dredge runner

Earth-moving equipment operator

Electrical equipment operator – shovel

Elevating grader operator

Elevating scraper operator

Excavating machine operator

Excavator operator

Forest road machine operator

Front end loader operator

Gradall operator

Grader operator

Groove-cutting machine operator

Grooving machine operator – heavy equipment

Heater-planer operator

Heavy construction-equipment operator

Heavy equipment operating engineer

Heavy equipment operator

Heavy equipment operator apprentice

Heavy-duty equipment operator

Heavy-duty equipment operator apprentice

Ho-ram operator

Horizontal earth-boring machine operator

Hydraulic excavator operator

Industrial backhoe operator

Loader operator – construction

Marine railway operator

Mining shovel operator (except underground)

Mole operator

Mucker operator – construction

Mucking machine operator – construction

Paver operator

Payloader operator

Peat-moss-cutting machine operator

Peat-moss-gathering machine operator

Pile driver winch operator

Pile-driving hammer operator

Pipelayer operator

Power grader operator

Power shovel operator

Pulvimixer operator

Ripper operator – heavy equipment

Road grader operator

Road mixer operator

Road planer operator

Road roller operator

Roller operator

Rotary trencher operator

Scarifier operator

Scraper operator

Shield operator

Shovel operator – heavy equipment

Side boom operator – pipeline construction

Side boom tractor operator

Snow removal equipment operator – private home

Snow-grooming machine operator

Spreader operator – heavy equipment

Stacker operator – heavy equipment

Street paver operator

Stripping shovel operator

Structural hydraulic jack erector

Surface mining equipment operator

Track-loader operator

Tractor operator – construction

Tractor-excavator operator

Trench-digging machine operator

Trenching machine operator

Tunnelling machine operator

Vibratory road roller operator

Vibratory roller operator

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Operate heavy equipment such as backhoes, bulldozers, loaders and graders to excavate, move, load and grade earth, rock, gravel or other materials during construction and related activities

Operate bulldozers or other heavy equipment to clear brush and stumps prior to logging activities and to build roads at logging and surface mining sites

Operate heavy equipment with pile driver head to drive piling into earth to provide support for buildings, bridges or other structures

Operate heavy dredging equipment to deepen waterways or reclaim earth fill

Operate heavy paving and surfacing equipment to lay, spread or compact concrete, asphalt and other surface materials during highway and road construction

Operate power shovels to excavate rock, ore or other materials from open-pit mines, strip mines, quarries or construction pits

Operate heavy equipment to move, load and unload cargo

Conduct pre-operational checks on equipment and clean, lubricate and refill equipment.

Employment requirements

Some secondary school education is required.

Completion of a one- to two-year apprenticeship program or some high school, college or industry courses in heavy equipment operating combined with on-the-job training are required.

Trade certification for heavy equipment operator (dozer, excavator, tractor-loader-backhoe) is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario.

Internal company certification may be required by some employers.

Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified heavy equipment operators upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Additional information

Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.

Exclusions

Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (7302)

Crane operators (7371)

Forklift and industrial truck operators (in 7452 Material handlers)

Logging machinery operators (8241)

Underground production and development miners (8231)