Bulldozer Operator

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Unless, of course, “the going” is littered with rocks, dirt, and debris. In that case, the tough don’t get going. They get a bulldozer — and a Bulldozer Operator to drive it.

As a Bulldozer Operator, you drive bulldozers, which are special tractors outfitted in front with a broad upright blade that’s used for clearing and grading ground prior to construction. Capable of pushing boulders, soil, clay, sand, and vegetation, and of demolishing walls, sheds, and even small houses, they’re ideal for use at construction sites, battlefields, mines, quarries, farms, and disaster zones.

Whatever the job — tearing down an old garage or clearing a construction site — your Bulldozer Operator routine involves showing up at the job site early, inspecting and cleaning the equipment, then driving, digging, and demolishing under the direction of your Supervisor, who is usually a Construction Foreman.

Like other Heavy Equipment Operators, such as Excavator Operators and Scraper Operators, your job is more than “operating” equipment. It’s also regulating it, as your number one priority is always safety. That requires enforcing safety standards, mitigating risks, providing safety gear, and monitoring the job site for potential hazards. It also means maintaining the equipment: It’s your job to fix the bulldozer when it breaks, or send it to a Bulldozer Mechanic, and to secure and store it at the end of every day.

It’s not called a “bulldozer” for nothing: The tractor is a bull and you’re a Bull Rider, paid to mount and tame it as part of a construction rodeo!