Agricultural Equipment Operator

This job was posted by : For moreinformation, please see: potatoes.Driving tractors and planters, will plant, cultivate, and harvestpotatoes. Workers will drive and operate one or more GPS equipped farmmachines, such as tractors, Bottom Switch plows, Grimme planters,Windrowers, line equipment with holding tanks, dry brushers, gradingtables, harvesters, pumps, tilling equipment, holding tanks,case-loaders, pivots, pilers, windrowers, Dammer Dykes (cultivators) andother mechanized, electrically powered or motor-driven equipment, onfarms or in farm equipment repair shops. Workers will operate the farmmachinery, equipment and vehicles. Workers will be instructed in thesafety and operation of the equipment before driving the equipment.Workers will be expected to be able to operate equipment, with orwithout direction, in a manner that protects the operator, visitors,other employees, crops, trees, facilities and equipment. Failure tocomply with operating and safety standards may result in termination.This is a very demanding and competitive business in which qualityspecifications must be rigorously adhered to. The equipment workers willbe operating and maintaining is expensive and dangerous. Workers areexpected to follow the employer\'s requests to not only prevent damageto the equipment, but to also prevent injuries to workers. Any equipmentdamaged by a worker\'s failure to follow instructions or damaged due tomalice will be charged to the worker.Workers may hitch soil conditioning implements, such as plow or harrowto tractor, and operate tractor and towed implement to furrow and gradesoil. Workers will drive tractors and operate designated towed machines,such as drill or manure spreader, to plant, fertilize and dust crops.Prepares harvesting machine by adjusting speeds of cutters, blowers andconveyors and height of cutting head or depth of digging bladesaccording to type, height, weight and condition of crop being harvested,and contour of terrain. Attaches towed or mounted-type harvestingmachine to tractor using hand tools or drives self-propelled harvestingmachine to cut, pull up, dig, thresh, clean, chop, bag or bundle crops.Workers will perform irrigation activities, including setting up, movingand maintaining irrigation pipes and equipment.Adjusts and lubricates machines and equipment to ensure efficientoperation.Workers will be required to prepare farm land for planting. Thisincludes removing trash, trees, stumps, rocks and any other debris ormaterial that will interfere with planting and harvesting crops. Workerswill be required to dig ditches for the installation of pipe and toprevent erosion. Workers may be required to pile the debris up forburning. Workers may be required to operate rakes for root and limbremoval. Workers may operate dozers, tractors, front end loaders,bobcats and various other pieces of land clearing equipment. Workers maybe required to level land by moving dirt from one location to anotherusing equipment.Workers with a clean driving record (no major moving violations such asbut not limited to Driving While Intoxicated or Reckless Driving) andpossessing or able to obtain an insurable driver\'s license may drivecompany vehicles. Workers with appropriate licenses may transport otherworkers to and from employer-provided housing directly to worksites eachday and may transport workers around farms during the workday, maytransport crops, supplies, tools and/or equipment/supplies betweenemployer\'s farm locations, on private or public roads. Workers do notdeliver to customers. Workers may drive multi-purpose vehicles that havea capacity of less than 13 tons, require a standard driver\'s license tooperate, and may be used on or off farm by the workers (e.g., drive tothe grocery store, bank etc. at their discretion).