Shuttle Drivers And Chauffeurs

Job description

Workers will perform assign duties as instructed by their supervisor. Workers will operate equipment used to watermelon crops. Must have the correct type of license required by State and Federals laws, and drivers responsible for transporting workers will be required to have a valid and unexpired Federal Farm Labor Contractor or Federal Farm Labor Contractor Employee Registration with driving authorization. Will be responsible for operating the vehicles used to move crops on the farm. Must be able to safely operate the buses that are used to transport workers to and from work sites. Operate forklifts and equipment used to move supplies and harvesting equipment in the field. Maintain harvest equipment. Must be able to reach, bend and lift items weighing 100 pounds. The alternative work if needed will be to assist with the manual harvesting of the watermelon crop.

Harvesting and Field Operations (Primary Duties)
Workers will perform assign duties as instructed by their supervisor, Workers will perform manual labor to harvest watermelons by walking through field rows, identifying ripe fruit, and using a small knife to hand-cut watermelons from the vine. After cutting, workers will turn the watermelons to prepare them for loading. Working in coordinated teams, workers will bend, lift, and handle watermelons weighing between 20 and 60 pounds. Workers will transfer harvested watermelons through a coordinated “pitching” or hand-to-hand tossing process until the fruit reaches a teammate positioned inside a transport vehicle (bus or trailer), where watermelons will be carefully stacked for transport.
On-Farm Packing House Operations (Primary Duties)
Once transport vehicles are full, they will be moved to the on-farm packing house, which is located on the employer’s property and processes more than 50 percent of the employer’s own crop. Workers will manually unload watermelons from transport vehicles and place them onto conveyor belts for movement into the facility. Inside the packing house, workers will sort watermelons by size, apply labels, and pack the fruit into bins or containers for final shipment.
Incidental Equipment Operation (Secondary)
As an incidental duty, workers may occasionally assist with the basic operation of agricultural equipment, such as forklifts or farm transport vehicles, solely within the boundaries of the farm property. This equipment operation will be infrequent, non-specialized, and performed only after employer-provided instruction. It is not a primary function of the job.
General Maintenance and Incidental Tasks
During periods of inclement weather, reduced harvest activity, or for workers on physical work restrictions, workers will perform general clean-up and incidental maintenance. Duties include clearing debris, weeds, and vines; removing plastic mulch or ground covers; pruning, painting, or sprouting trees; and performing general cleaning or minor, incidental repairs to farm structures, irrigation lines, and worker housing.

Special Requirements

This type of work, involves working conditions that require tremendous stamina, a high level of physical activity in cold or extremely hot conditions in direct sunlight and in adverse weather such as rain. The work requires a high level of physical conditioning. A drivers' licenses and Farm Labor Contractor Certificate with Driving authorizations as
required by local, state, and federal laws and regulations.