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47-2073.00 · Task explorer

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.

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Read the task inventory

This source lists 26 tasks, including 18 marked Core and 8 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2020.

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26 tasks shown

Core · Task 9849 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Learn and follow safety regulations.

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Core · Task 9850 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Take actions to avoid potential hazards or obstructions, such as utility lines, other equipment, other workers, or falling objects.

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Core · Task 9852 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Start engines, move throttles, switches, or levers, or depress pedals to operate machines, such as bulldozers, trench excavators, road graders, or backhoes.

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Core · Task 9858 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Coordinate machine actions with other activities, positioning or moving loads in response to hand or audio signals from crew members.

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Core · Task 9855 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Align machines, cutterheads, or depth gauge makers with reference stakes and guidelines or ground or position equipment, following hand signals of other workers.

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Core · Task 9853 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.

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Core · Task 9868 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Signal operators to guide movement of tractor-drawn machines.

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Core · Task 9860 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Repair and maintain equipment, making emergency adjustments or assisting with major repairs as necessary.

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Core · Task 9856 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Load and move dirt, rocks, equipment, or other materials, using trucks, crawler tractors, power cranes, shovels, graders, or related equipment.

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Core · Task 9857 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Drive and maneuver equipment equipped with blades in successive passes over working areas to remove topsoil, vegetation, or rocks or to distribute and level earth or terrain.

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Core · Task 9859 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Operate tractors or bulldozers to perform such tasks as clearing land, mixing sludge, trimming backfills, or building roadways or parking lots.

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Core · Task 9854 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.

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Core · Task 9862 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Connect hydraulic hoses, belts, mechanical linkages, or power takeoff shafts to tractors.

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Core · Task 9864 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Select and fasten bulldozer blades or other attachments to tractors, using hitches.

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Core · Task 9863 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Operate loaders to pull out stumps, rip asphalt or concrete, rough-grade properties, bury refuse, or perform general cleanup.

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Core · Task 9875 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Operate equipment to demolish or remove debris or to remove snow from streets, roads, or parking lots.

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Core · Task 9872 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.

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Core · Task 9851 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Adjust handwheels and depress pedals to control attachments, such as blades, buckets, scrapers, or swing booms.

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Supplemental · Task 9861 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Check fuel supplies at sites to ensure adequate availability.

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Supplemental · Task 9867 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Talk to clients and study instructions, plans, or diagrams to establish work requirements.

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Supplemental · Task 9873 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Drive tractor-trailer trucks to move equipment from site to site.

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Supplemental · Task 9871 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Push other equipment when extra traction or assistance is required.

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Supplemental · Task 9869 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Operate road watering, oiling, or rolling equipment, or street sealing equipment, such as chip spreaders.

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Supplemental · Task 9866 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Operate compactors, scrapers, or rollers to level, compact, or cover refuse at disposal grounds.

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Supplemental · Task 9865 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Test atmosphere for adequate oxygen or explosive conditions when working in confined spaces.

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Supplemental · Task 9874 · 08/2020 · Incumbent

Turn valves to control air or water output of compressors or pumps.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

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Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.