Tractor Driver

Job description

Agricultural Equipment Operators (Tractors):

Drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops. Work on grape crop, including heavy equipment operations, frost protection, and general viticulture work. Requires the ability to communicate effectively. Under limited supervision performs various assigned task to include irrigation, frost protection, and bud grafting. Employer will provide training to perform all duties. Will drive tractor and/or trucks to accomplish various vineyard cultural practices, such as disking, weeding, and weed spraying. Vehicles have a gross weight capacity under 26,000 lbs and a commercial driver’s license is not required to operate them. Demonstrating and achieve highest skill level in completing tedious, advanced and complicated tasks requiring considerable judgment, independent analysis and detailed knowledge of the position and procedures. Responsible for cleaning equipment, adjusting, repairing, and servicing equipment as needed. Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions. Duties will include irrigation installation and operation. Moving equipment and supplies such as bathrooms from worksite to worksite. Fruit delivery to the winery. Work on vineyard development and landscape maintenance. Perform other vineyard worker responsibilities as assigned. Workers will need to obtain a CA Class C license and will be paid $21.47 per hour for this work. The employer will cover the costs of obtaining the driver license, as needed.

May occasionally work on grape crop, including vine suckering, vine planting, grafting, leaf removal, early season crop removal, move wires, canopy work, trellis system installation & repairs, maintenance of fencing surrounding fields, vine staking, drip system installation & repair, picking, weed removal, with long handled hoe, pruning, vineyard layout, root picking and harvest.

Quality Control workers are responsible for counting tubs, reviewing the quality of the grapes in the tub and removing grapes from the tubs that are not up to the quality standards.

Employer may train workers on tractor driving and all workers will have an equal opportunity in this training.

Works as a member of a crew, or individually performing moderately complex tasks that require limited judgment. Use standard tools such as pruning shears, rakes, long handled hoes and shovels. Workers may occasionally and/or sporadically perform duties associated with and directly related to wine grape field and harvest work including but not limited to packing, closing/stacking boxes in and around the vineyard, and clean-up functions in and around the vineyard. Such work will be temporary and insubstantial agricultural labor.

Special Requirements

Specific Job Requirements: Must have 1-month work experience working with wine grapes in vineyards, including pre-harvest wine-grape work and 3 months tractor driving experience. Workers will need to obtain a CA Class C license. Workers must be able to lift 45 lbs. frequently. No smoking, drinking, or illegal weapons or controlled substances in the fields or in housing. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops. Able to stoop, bend, and work in cold and wet conditions. Able to use tools such as pruning shears, grape knives, hand saws, weed eaters, hedgers, shovels. Workers may use chains saws. Safety use and training provided by employer.

Work is performed outdoors in open fields and can involve exposure to sun, wind, mud, dust, heat, cold and other elements of the normal field environment. Temperatures can range from 20 degrees F to over 100 degrees F during the period of employment.