What does a special equipment operator do?
Special equipment operator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real special equipment operator resumes:
- Obtain CDL to drive large trucks.
- Use a RF computer attach on fork truck.
- Return any leftover material to previous location and relocate in system with RF scanner.
- Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.
- Analyze past occurrences to apply preventative maintenance.
Special equipment operator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 51% of Special Equipment Operators are proficient in Loaders, CDL, and Production Lines. They’re also known for soft skills such as Physical strength, Unafraid of heights, and Mechanical skills.
We break down the percentage of Special Equipment Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Loaders, 51%
Operated multiple types of soil stabilization front loaders maintaining excellent safety and operational results.
- CDL, 25%
Have CDL would drive swab unit to job and rig up and swab well in then turn it over to production
- Production Lines, 9%
Use receiving computer program to locate material in warehouse and RF scanner to relocate material to production lines.
- RF, 8%
Assigned/relocated pallets to designated bin location according to RF system.
- DOT, 4%
Maintained operator logs, forms and records in accordance with companypolicies and DOT regulations.
- Clamp Truck, 2%
Operated a box clamp truck moving material on and off of trailers.
Common skills that a special equipment operator uses to do their job include "loaders," "cdl," and "production lines." You can find details on the most important special equipment operator responsibilities below.
Physical strength. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a special equipment operator to have is physical strength. Their role and responsibilities require that "construction equipment operators may be required to lift more than 50 pounds as part of their duties." Special equipment operators often use physical strength in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "preformed physical and computer quality checks to maintain a bottle that were within the specs provided by the customer. "
Mechanical skills. This is an important skill for special equipment operators to perform their duties. For an example of how special equipment operator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "construction equipment operators often perform basic maintenance on the equipment they operate." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a special equipment operator: "fit bearings to adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical equipment. ".
The three companies that hire the most special equipment operators are:
- DICK'S Sporting Goods2 special equipment operators jobs
- Graphic Packaging International2 special equipment operators jobs
- Arkansas Electric Cooperative2 special equipment operators jobs
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Compare different special equipment operators
Special equipment operator vs. Trackman
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, special equipment operator responsibilities require skills like "loaders," "production lines," "rf," and "dot." Meanwhile a typical trackman has skills in areas such as "hand tools," "safety program," "fra," and "bars." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, trackmen reach similar levels of education than special equipment operators. Trackmen are 1.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Special equipment operator vs. Track mechanic
Each career also uses different skills, according to real special equipment operator resumes. While special equipment operator responsibilities can utilize skills like "loaders," "cdl," "production lines," and "rf," track mechanics use skills like "track vehicles," "diesel engines," "electrical systems," and "field maintenance."
In general, track mechanics achieve similar levels of education than special equipment operators. They're 0.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Special equipment operator vs. Track service person
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a special equipment operator is likely to be skilled in "loaders," "cdl," "production lines," and "rf," while a typical track service person is skilled in "customer service," "asc," "service tracks," and "court appearances."
Track service people typically earn higher educational levels compared to special equipment operators. Specifically, they're 11.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Special equipment operator vs. Track repairer
Types of special equipment operator
Updated January 8, 2025
