Heavy equipment operators

Example job titles

• backhoe operator
• bulldozer operator
• excavator operator
• gradall operator
• grader operator
• heavy equipment operator
• heavy equipment operator apprentice
• loader operator - construction
• side boom tractor operator
• surface mining equipment 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.

Approved positions by year

All work permits by year

New permanent residents by year