Heavy Equipment Operator - Class A CDL

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

Operates motor graders, dozers, and related heavy equipment on road reconstruction, bridge approach, site development, and general heavy civil projects. Hauls company equipment between yard and project sites under a Class A CDL, including lowboy and RGN loads requiring oversize/overweight permitting. This position is expected to produce finish grade to plan tolerance without constant staking, and to be self-sufficient on equipment transport, inspection, and daily maintenance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Motor Grader Operation

▪    Cut and shape subgrade, aggregate base course, and shoulders to line, grade, and cross slope shown on plans.

▪    Finish grade to specified tolerance, including blue-topping, crown, superelevation transitions, and daylighting.

▪    Cut and clean V-ditches, roadside ditches, and drainage flow lines.

▪    Perform blade maintenance work on gravel and unpaved roads: reshaping, crown restoration, washboard removal, and material recovery from shoulders.

▪    Operate 3D/GPS machine control systems and verify machine calibration against control points; revert to conventional grade stakes and cut sheets when GPS is unavailable.

Dozer Operation

▪    Clearing, grubbing, and topsoil stripping and stockpiling.

▪    Mass excavation, cut-to-fill, and embankment construction in controlled lifts to specified thickness for compaction.

▪    Slope construction, benching, and finish slope work.

▪    Push loading, stockpile management, and haul road construction and maintenance.

Equipment Hauling — Class A CDL

▪    Load, secure, transport, and unload company equipment on lowboy, RGN, tilt-deck, and tag trailers between yard, projects, and vendors.

▪    Apply cargo securement in compliance with 49 CFR 393.100–393.136, including proper working load limit calculation, chain and binder selection, and securement point inspection.

▪    Coordinate oversize/overweight permits, approved routing, escort/pilot car requirements, and restricted travel windows with the office prior to movement.

▪    Complete pre-trip and post-trip inspections and Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports per 49 CFR 396.11; maintain hours of service and ELD records per 49 CFR Part 395.

▪    Maintain a current DOT medical examiner’s certificate and remain in compliant status in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Equipment Care and Field Maintenance

▪    Daily walk-around inspection, greasing, fluid and filter checks, and undercarriage and cutting edge/GET wear monitoring.

▪    Perform minor field repairs; report defects, damage, and impending failures to the superintendent and shop immediately.

▪    Keep assigned equipment clean, fueled, and staged for the next shift.

Plan Reading and Layout Support

▪    Work from construction plans, typical sections, cross sections, profile sheets, grade stakes, and cut sheets.

▪    Verify grade against hubs, blue tops, and survey control; identify and report discrepancies between field conditions and plans rather than building over them.

Crew Support and Safety

▪    Operate secondary equipment as assigned — excavator, wheel loader, backhoe, skid steer, roller/compactor, water truck.

▪    Participate in daily toolbox talks and job hazard analyses; comply with all Lenea, OSHA, and owner safety requirements; wear required PPE at all times.

▪    Maintain awareness of work zone traffic control per MUTCD Part 6 and protect flaggers, spotters, and ground personnel.

▪    Submit accurate daily production notes and timecards.

▪    Comply with all site-specific cultural resource protection requirements, including stop-work and notification protocol if a potential archaeological or cultural resource is encountered. Never resume work in the affected area without authorization.

Required Qualifications

▪    Minimum 5 years of heavy civil construction experience.

▪    Minimum 3 years of demonstrated production and finish work on motor graders and dozers. Both are required; this is not an either/or position.

▪    Valid Class A Commercial Driver’s License with air brake endorsement and no automatic-transmission restriction.

▪    Acceptable motor vehicle record satisfying Lenea’s insurance carrier requirements.

▪    Current DOT medical examiner’s certificate.

▪    Must pass pre-employment DOT drug and alcohol testing and participate in the random testing pool per 49 CFR Part 382; must clear an FMCSA Clearinghouse query.

▪    Demonstrated ability to hold finish grade within project tolerance [±0.10 ft typical for aggregate base — confirm against standard spec] with minimal rework.

▪    Ability to read and interpret construction plans, cross sections, and cut sheets.

▪    OSHA 10-Hour Construction card, or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.

▪    Willingness and ability to travel to and stay at remote project sites for extended periods, including work weeks of 50–60 hours and occasional six-day schedules during the construction season.

Preferred Qualifications

▪    GPS/3D machine control experience — Trimble Earthworks, Topcon 3D-MC, or equivalent.

▪    Experience on BIA, TTP/TTIP, FLAP, or other federal-aid road projects, and familiarity with Davis-Bacon certified payroll requirements.

▪    OSHA 30-Hour Construction, MSHA Part 46, First Aid/CPR, competent person training.

▪    Experience working on tribal lands and with tribal governments, TERO offices, and cultural monitors.

▪    Tanker and/or doubles-triples endorsements.

▪    Welding, cutting, or field mechanic ability.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Work is performed outdoors year-round in heat, cold, wind, dust, and at elevation. The operator must be able to climb on and off equipment repeatedly, sit and operate controls for extended periods, lift and carry up to 50 pounds (chains, binders, tools), tolerate whole-body vibration, and work near live traffic and moving equipment. Sites are frequently remote with limited services, limited cell coverage, and unpaved access.