What Do Pile-Driver Operators Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Pile-Driver Operators operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads, or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads, and foundations of structures, such as buildings, bridges, and piers. They also move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.

Other tasks include:

• Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.
• Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.
• Conduct pre-operational checks on equipment to ensure proper functioning.
• Clean, lubricate, and refill equipment.

We asked Pile-Driver Operators how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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63% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 56% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Pile-Driver Operators conduct pre-operational checks on equipment to ensure proper functioning. They clean, lubricate, and refill equipment.

A typical day for a Pile-Driver Operator will also include:

• Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings.
• Move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.
• Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.

We asked some Pile-Driver Operators a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	36% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	49% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	83% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	9% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	19% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	64% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Pile-Driver Operators also move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings. They may also move levers and turn valves to activate power hammers, or to raise and lower drophammers that drive piles to required depths.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Pile-Driver Operators Clean, lubricate, and refill equipment. They might also Drive pilings to provide support for buildings or other structures, using heavy equipment with a pile driver head.

In addition, they Conduct pre-operational checks on equipment to ensure proper functioning.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as a Pile-Driver Operator, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/construction-and-extraction/construction-equipment-operators.htm

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http://www.iuoe.org/

http://www.nccer.org/