Is it a stable job?
There was a post on this forum somewhere with link to crane forum…
Can anyone please point me towards online dump where all old grumpy mobile crane drivers go to moan about cranestobrats equivalent and how bad their life is?
I remember I’ve been there once but can’t remember - find the address anymore…
If by all accounts the quoted rates are true…I cannot belive I missed such an opportunity…however, I knew an ex driver who was company trained …and then operated the cranes that put in the sea wall defence around blackpool, he said what money he was on at the time but it was nothing near as spectacular as quoted and the work was sporadic aND not guaranteed …welcome to the world of a contractor. Trust me I’d have been all over it at the time, as it would have been a darn site easier and way less sacrificial than emergrating half way across the world what I then did.
That said it could have been due to the machine type he was trained on etc
My advice to anyone, is really look into this, phone up companies etc that money is amazing if accurate, even if you do the training and only work casual when you want to do and then drive trucks for an agency etc in between to get more home time, …such an opportunity would have enabled me to stay I rekon and have a decent quality of life in the uk.
In my view life’s about taking good opportunities and they are very few and far between,
JIMBO47:
After doing a couple o months working for the oil pipeline going through my area (rural Canada) driving a 6 wheeler tipper (non union contractor ,offered my teamster card a week before shutdown ■■■■).I can tell you that the driver/operators of the 8wheeler crane trucks that are fitted with 5th wheels and pull 40ft trailers are on $58 hr (or 34 gbp) for 40hr week 1.5 ot Saturday and sunday x2… some are teamsters and others are crane operator union. Also union 6 wheeler drivers(tipper,skip,generator,flat) are on $42 pull a trailer add $5 an hr …artic drivers are on $48 basic for normal,oversize add $5 and 360 and cat skinners $52hr basic…forgot to say the pipeliners job was usually 12hr days ,13 days on 1 off and $100 a day living allowance………transport supplied …and not to mention the bus drivers on $34 hr all they did was drive the bus ,make sure the bus had water /food on board,and was kept warm in the minus temps,they were not allowed to do any other work.
I worked in the oil patch admittedly only as a driver, and my wages got slashed 30 % and I was under pressure to really run bent…I choose to call it at that point…the other oil workers either lost their job or were treated similarly, if they are still on that money, then wow, but I do known most of the pipe lines I used to go to have pretty much shut down, you can evidently see this at the plains terminal across from the regina coop refinery, you’re lucky to see one truck there now , it used to be packed with queued trucks taking crude to the red jacket or midale oil pipelines. Unity has also pretty much closed too, I used to bring condensate from the states to mix with it so the oil could flow.
I would not trust taking an oil gig now, even in the unlikely chance there’s a bit of a bounce back.
I was in a subway in estevan just before I quit and could not but help overhearv an owner driver arranging a contract on the phone as I lined up, and what he said was true as I saw him leave and get in said vehicle, he had an old 8 wheeler c500 kw winch with 40 ft flat on the back, he explained the capcity of his rig and then negotiated a rate of $34 per hour to hire it…I would never have be beleved it of anyone but I heard this direct.
As a foot note, i bet the new Mercedes man would have been all over this too, he is a business man after all, and given he is working for bison now, I bet these days for all his sweat and tears he’s lucky to get a bag of rice and a handful of rupees … 
I cant say to much as I had to sign a no internet waver but my figures are correct, was back as a teamster driver until spring road layoff.my friend was on as a six wheeler with a “hiaB” , teamster driver and I saw with my own eyes he made close on $200k last year.(tax papework as I didn’t believe it when he first told me)
JIMBO47:
I cant say to much as I had to sign a no internet waver but my figures are correct, was back as a teamster driver until spring road layoff.my friend was on as a six wheeler with a “hiaB” , teamster driver and I saw with my own eyes he made close on $200k last year.(tax papework as I didn’t believe it when he first told me)
That is absolutely staggering amount of money, and i believe what your saying as I imagine there are niche jobs about - like every other industry- it’s all about finding them out and being incredibly fortunate for the cogs to aline to be given a chance…including its not what your know bUT who you know…sounds like you have that bit cracked…I sincerely hope it works out for you the next time around
I apologize for disrupting someones wet dreams but back to reality…
HIAB and Mobile Crane Operator certificates are two completely different things and approximately 2,5k apart in training costs…
In any country, continent they are completely separated things. No matter UK, NZ, North America, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia etc…
Back to my question - Where is that lifting - crane operator forum ?