What Do Paving Equipment Operators Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Paving Equipment Operators operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways, or equipment used for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. Includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators. They also operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.

Other tasks include:

• Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
• Control traffic.
• Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.
• Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics’ hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
• Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.
• Operate tamping machines or manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials, according to grade specifications.

We asked Paving Equipment 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, Paving Equipment Operators inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics’ hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors. They operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.

A typical day for a Paving, Surfacing and Tamping Equipment Operator will also include:

• Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites.
• Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
• Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
• Operate tamping machines or manually roll surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials, according to grade specifications.
• Set up and tear down equipment.

We asked some Paving Equipment 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?	35% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	57% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	64% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	16% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	12% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	59% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Paving Equipment Operators also operate machines that clean or cut expansion joints in concrete or asphalt and that rout out cracks in pavement. They may also control traffic.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Paving Equipment Operators Set up and tear down equipment. They might also Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites.

In addition, they Cut or break up pavement and drive guardrail posts, using machines equipped with interchangeable hammers.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Drive and operate curbing machines to extrude concrete or asphalt curbing.

To some Paving Equipment Operators, it is also their responsibility to Place strips of material, such as cork, asphalt, or steel into joints, or place rolls of expansion-joint material on machines that automatically insert material.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

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

In a typical work week as a Paving, Surfacing and Tamping Equipment Operator, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per 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

http://www.agc.org/

http://www.iuoe.org/

http://www.nccer.org/