Agricultural Equipment Operator

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
watermelons.
This job requires a minimum of 12 months of verifiable prior experience performing duties associated with operating and performing routine maintenance on GPS equipped farming equipment and/or 12 months of verifiable experience repairing and maintaining electrical systems and hardware of pivots, and/or 12 months of verifiable prior welding and fabricating experience using welding equipment, including but not limited to MIG welders, stick welders, plasma cutters, oxygen/acetylene torches, angle grinders, drill press, & pneumatic air tools. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience.

Driving tractors and planters, will plant, cultivate, and harvest watermelons. Workers will drive and operate one or more GPS equipped farm machines, such as tractors, Bottom Switch plows, Grimme planters, Windrowers, line equipment with holding tanks, dry brushers, grading tables, harvesters, pumps, tilling equipment, trucks, holding tanks, case-loaders, pivots, pilers, windrowers, Dammer Dykes (cultivators) and other mechanized, electrically powered or motor-driven equipment, on farms or in farm equipment repair shops. Workers will operate the farm machinery, equipment and vehicles. Workers will be instructed in the safety and operation of the equipment before driving the equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate equipment, with or without direction, in a manner that protects the operator, visitors, other employees, crops, trees, facilities and equipment. Failure to comply with operating and safety standards may result in termination. This is a very demanding and competitive business in which quality specifications must be rigorously adhered to. The equipment workers will be operating and maintaining is expensive and dangerous. Workers are expected to follow the employer’s requests to not only prevent damage to the equipment, but to also prevent injuries to workers. Any equipment damaged by a worker’s failure to follow instructions or damaged due to malice will be charged to the worker.

Workers may hitch soil conditioning implements, such as plow or harrow to tractor, and operate tractor and towed implement to furrow and grade soil. Workers will drive tractors and operate designated towed machines, such as hole punching tool for digging holes for watermelon plants, and such as drill or manure spreader, to plant, fertilize, dust and spray crops. Prepares harvesting machine by adjusting speeds of cutters, blowers and conveyors and height of cutting head or depth of digging blades according to type, height, weight and condition of crop being harvested, and contour of terrain. Attaches towed or mounted-type harvesting machine to tractor using hand tools or drives self-propelled harvesting machine to cut, pull up, dig, thresh, clean, chop, bag or bundle crops.

Workers will perform irrigation activities, including setting up and moving irrigation pipes and equipment.

While the workers main duties are associated with operation of the growing equipment, workers will also be required to perform routine maintenance on the equipment, as well. Examines and listens to machines, motors, gasoline and diesel engines and equipment for operational defects and dismantles defective units, using hand-tools. Repairs or replaces defective parts, using hand tools and shop tools. Workers will replace components, such as carburetors, fuel pumps, generators, ignition points and spark plugs. Reassembles, adjusts and lubricates machines and equipment to ensure efficient operation. May install and repair wiring and motors to maintain farm electrical system. May assist other workers in more complex maintenance tasks, such as overhaul of machinery and equipment. May construct and repair buildings and other farm structures.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of 12 months of verifiable prior experience performing duties associated with operating and performing routine maintenance on GPS equipped farming equipment and/or 12 months of verifiable experience repairing and maintaining electrical systems and hardware of pivots, and/or 12 months of verifiable prior welding and fabricating experience using welding equipment, including but not limited to MIG welders, stick welders, plasma cutters, oxygen/acetylene torches, angle grinders, drill press, & pneumatic air tools. Applicants must be able to furnish verifiable job reference(s) or comparable third party documentation from recent employer(s) establishing acceptable prior experience. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs. Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use and after a worker has an accident at work. Must be willing to work 1st, 2nd or 3rd shift hours.