Author Archives: Kevin

Opportunities in the construction sector are endless in gulf countries

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Every industry has its own ups and downs. So when the time is good, the industry grows. However, when the industry as a whole is down, there is a state of panic in the minds of the people who are associated with that industry. Having said this, it is not necessary that the industry that is going down in your country will have the same trend in other countries as well. This means that in case you are seeing a downward trend in one particular sphere, the same industry in some other country is prospering. This gives a very good opportunity for people who do not mind moving to other countries and working there. Of course, a lot also depends upon the work visa rules of that country but if that is taken care of, then it should presumable a factor of moving from one place to other.

As far as the construction industry goes, it is moving at a steady pace in the United States. A lot needs to be done in the sphere of oil and gas sector which remains unexploited and companies are trying to check everything in their possibility to get the resources out from the earth’s crust and utilize them in the best possible manner. However, there are countries that are hugely dependent on the construction sector for the development of their country’s economy. Countries in the gulf are investing good deal of money in the construction business and are asking people from various countries to come and work there. They are also paying fat package to guys who are experienced in the construction sector and could be an asset to the company.

Skilled laborers in the United States can take advantage of this opportunity and move to such countries that are ready to pay them the money they demand. The only thing that they need in return is their experience, effort and hard work to make their dream come true. Americans are given high respect in many of the gulf nations and they can work safely sending back enough for their families to live a comfortable life.

In order to get hold of one such job, you can check newspapers that give advertisements of different construction companies all over the globe seeking for skilled and unskilled laborers. They also give their email address on the advertisement. You got to send your Resume to them and wait for their reply. They do not take long to reply and things will be clarified to you in that email. You may ask for a phone number in case you want to talk to them. An interview is anyways going to happen where you can understand what they are look for and if you are ready to sign up for that.

Another way to search for a job in the gulf countries is by checking the opportunities on Google. You hit the kind of job you are looking for it will throw everything it has. This will make your search easier and you will have more control over things. The construction sector in indeed booming in the Gulf nations and this is the time to earn good dime there.

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Small contractors should pay more attention to the quality of work than their profitability

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Profitability plays a very important role in the survival of any form of business. If there are no profits, people would not be into business. It is not just the sheer will that drives people to form a company or do any small or big time business but the main component or for that matter the primary reason behind forming a business is the capability to earn more money than what one can presumably make in a salaried job. Now, not everybody has the potential to start a business even they have the best of the minds to run one. They have to simply stick to a job. However, if somebody manages to start a business, for the initial few years, he has to work in a no profit no-loss environment. It is only after the break even period that he will be able to witness some profits from his business. However, till that time he got to manage to stick to his business and be determined that no matter what, he will not give it up.

It has primarily been seen with small contractors that during their initial phase they start looking for profits in their business and in this process they take up multiple work and are forced to compromise on the quality. They are able to make profits for the time being but the days are numbered. They belong to the lot of people who are not able to take their business for long. Earning profits should not mean that you have to compromise on the quality. Your client will never want you to do so. It is understood that as long you do not have a brand name, people will be reluctant to pay good sum of money but you create your brand with the good work that you do.

Quality is something that you just can’t afford to compromise upon. If you do so, then you are only creating trouble for yourself. No sooner than you realize that things are going out of your hand and eventually you get to know that you are finding hard to get clients as they are moving to guys who can give them quality work. So the thumb rule should be that while you have set up your construction business, try to get some client and generate trust in their minds by doing good work. It will take time and will not happen in a day. Reach out to as many people as you can.

Creating contacts is the most important thing while you are running a construction company. People do not know you. You don’t have a brand name that will help you to get work. You got to build that. So rather than looking to make profits you should be looking for excellence. Give some time to your company to grow. Don’t be in haste as you will get nothing if you hurry. Things take time to happen and it will happen if you have it enough time. So follow the rule of not running behind profits and paying more attention to give excellent work.

Know the Fundamentals while Operating a Motor Grader

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A motor grader is a construction vehicle which is used for creating a flat surface at the time of grading. It has a long blade and also comprises of axles with engine and cab on top of the rear axles. The motor grader finds application for various construction purposes such as maintaining roads, landscaping. It is very important and versatile earthmoving heavy equipment but operating it can be quite complex as compared to other heavy construction vehicles.

Factors to keep in mind before Operating a Motor Grader

It will be advisable to use small graders if you intend to use ait for maintaining roads and building landscapes.

Consider the ground conditions before operating it. Ground conditions should be the first criteria before selecting the type and size of the motor grader. This is an important factor to consider before operating it because some ground conditions tremendous pressure from the blades while some other motor graders take advantage from lower pressure borne by the ground.

Use a heavy motor grader in case if you are operating it in those sites which are full of rocks and gravels because such rocky conditions can take a great toll on the machine pins and basic structures.

Try to operate a motor grader that has wider and thicker edges because they are suitable for complex construction purposes such as road maintenance and pioneering. Generally graders with thicker edges have better features such superior abrasion and collision resistance ability. Curved edges are narrow and thin in size than wider and thicker wedges, and if you prefer using curved edges then it will give you better performance in terms of superior infiltration and rolling action beneficial for fine grading and finish work.

The width of the ditch slopes should differ depending on the kind of road being built and also make sure that the soil type, ditch depth you use should be rightly available.

 

A flat-bottom ditch can tackle large amounts of rain or snowfall and can provide extra material if it is needed to lift up the road. If the enough to prevent construction site is subjected to severe rainfall, then raising the surface high is the best option to prevent water from leaking under the road. If a surface is raised then it allows to get rid of the snow from the road, reducing drifting.

 

Tips to Grade a Construction Site with the help of Motor Grader

To grade a site an operator needs to have skills to run the equipment as well as comprehensive knowledge about using latest technologies such as GPS and laser control system.

Grade the sites with those motor graders which have hydraulic engines with cooling fans to improve the cooling performance of the motor grader while operating it in hot weather. The cooling fans are important to prevent machine from getting overheated. It will be beneficial to invest in EPA Tier 2 and 3 engines as they prevent machine damage due to overheating.

Consider using less rpm to grade the construction sites, as it will be fuel-efficient and also increase the productivity of the motor grader.

To sum up grading a construction site requires some tips and procedures for the operators to follow such as the type and size of the equipment and ground conditions to operate it smoothly efficiently and get the best out of the machine.

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Safety First In Construction Sites

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The construction business is not an easy one. There are a lot of aspects that are to be considered when it comes to successfully executing a project. Among several aspects, the most important thing to be concerned with is the safety. It is to be made sure that no harm is cased to the workers or the environment at the time of the construction. At the same time, it is also to be ensured that the people who are going stay inside the building are safe. Therefore, a construction must be done with adherence to the guidelines of the government. Otherwise, legal hassles can leave a construction company completely devastated.

There have been many instances where people in charge have been slapped with extreme cases by the government due to negligence in this regard. An American project manager was sued by the government with charges of manslaughter when. He had ignored order to stop working. As a result, the construction site saw the death of an employee in the trenches. Another company had received orders to make payments of about one million dollars for the charges of terminating a foreman wrongfully along with two drivers as they raised their concerns regarding the fatigue of the drivers.

These actions taken against the company representatives have been done justly. The worker who had been fired had been compensated. However, the family of the deceased will hardly be ever able to compensate for their loss. The injustice done is not only affecting the deceased but also the friends and the family of the sufferer. Therefore, such damages are compensated easily with monetary penalties. Therefore, it is only natural to penalize the people responsible with stringent punishments for their negligence and lack of responsibility. That is why all companies are expected and ordered to stick to the construction rules stipulated by the corporation.

The occupational safety and health administration has been vested with the responsibility of inspecting the job sites, the unsafe practices in the city. They also levy fines for such activities and can also shut down projects. Some may have complaints about the apparent oversight. However, the devastating incidents are far more significant and prominent than the trivial inconveniences. Supervisors and construction workers who do not pay heed to the unsafe conditions are forced to acknowledge the responsibility by the governing body for their as well as other’s safety.

The operators of tower crane have been given the authority to get a project shut down if they feel that the safe lifts are being jeopardized by the wind speeds. In this way many visible accidents can be prevented. There has been the creation of a new group known as the Construction Equipment Safety. This group has mainly three goals. The first goal is to get all accidents highlighted due to the construction equipment so that others can avoid such unfortunate incidents. The second goal is to encourage discussion regarding the improvement of the safety in the construction sites, the finally goal is to share experiences and strategies so that new ideas could be developed.

 

 

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Employ Heavy Equipment Marketing Plan to Grow your Business

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As Seth Godin says, “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers”, clears the idea that presently, marketing is the momentous factor of any sort of business. Earlier the businessmen were not required to give cold calls to their customers to enhance their products and services. Even they used to get calls from the potential shareholders for bidding or proposing their shares in high-priced. But nowadays, this scenario has been completely changed. The traders should acquire knowledge about marketing strategies in order to expand their business.

It is known to all of us that the heavy equipment are available in the souk in an expensive price. Hence the construction and mining companies always want to avail the heavy equipment in rental basis. Loads of heavy equipment rental organizations always try to provide best services in order to attract more and more construction traders towards them. The work environment of our modern society is undoubtedly tough and competitive. This competition is same for the heavy equipment renting concerns also. The owners of these firms should require making former trades calls and executing a marketing method to maintain their incoming channel full of prospective ventures to bid. Here in the following, the businessmen will come to know about the effective marketing strategies without utilizing the process of cold calling.

Build Cognizance of Your Organization

The heavy equipment rental firms must use the trustworthy postal services to create awareness of their companies. They should remember the detailed contact address of their potential buyers. Exclusive, innovative and instructive articles, mini-brochures, postcards, guides and the checklists of the companies should be mailed to the prospective purchasers so as to grab their attention towards the concern.

Pique Clients Attention

Heavy Equipment rental organization should mail some eye-catchy advertisements and discount schemes to their potential customers in order to keep itself in the priority list. The company can also send attractive gift items to the customers for instance coffee cups with hammer shaped handles, golf ball markers, cartoons, web notepads etc. It is very important to know that the heavy equipment companies should send only those materials that are read, demanded and preserved by the customers.

Match Your Service with Customer’s Thinking

Another vital step of the heavy equipment marketing plan is informing the customers about the activities performed by the rental companies. It will help in building confidence of the customers towards the organization. When the heavy equipment renting firms informed the prospectors about their goals, services and attractive packages, this will surely works out. The companies must show their concerns for their customers by sending articles related to various topics like announcements, customer, staff maintenance, administration etc.

Scores of heavy equipment rental organizations utilize database contact software program to maintain track of their targeted punters. This software is considered as the part of the marketing plan that assists the businessmen to promote their products and services in an enhanced way. Furthermore, it helps the heavy equipment companies to find out the contact details of their desired prospective clients. The companies can also mail personalised letters to the approaching customers about their latest schemes.

Caterpillar 745C Articulated Truck

The articulated truck plays an important role when it comes to moving huge pile of dirt from one place to another. A construction site can’t manage to keep all the mud at one place as it will cause inconvenience to the workers and they might find very difficult to maneuver within the site. It is also not possible for heavy equipment like excavators or loaders to carry the debris and move them in the dump yard. They often have their need in the site and can’t be used for transporting debris. It is therefore the need of articulated trucks comes into picture.

When we talk about articulated trucks, there is one name that we all can trust. They have proven their excellence in the heavy equipment and construction industry since the inception of the company. They take pride in saying that they are one of the best heavy equipment manufacturing companies in the world especially in the open market where there is enough competition from all corners. Caterpillar has proven its worth at all times and continues to produce machines that are more user-friendly and more reliable. Simultaneously, they are performing with the same vigor and determination when it comes to manufacturing articulated trucks. One of the models produced by them is 745C Articulated Trucks.

The gross power of the truck is 511 hp. and its net power is 504 hp., both better than trucks produced by other companies. The weight it can carry at a time is 45 tons. In order to enhance power, it has featured innovative air-management systems that have the capability to optimize the air flow and thereby increase the power. It has a displacement of 1106 in3. The gross peak engine torque is 1931 and the net peak engine torque is 1887. The total speed engine torque speed is 1200 rpm. The minimum forward transmission is 3.8 mph and the maximum is 34.0 mph. If we check the minimum and maximum reverse speed, then it is 4.00 mph as the minimum reverse transmission and 9.1 mph as its maximum.

Let us now shift the focus on the operating weight of the truck which is supposed to be the most crucial component as far as the performance of the truck is concerned. The operating weight while being empty is 43585 lb. for the front axle, 15300 lb. for the center axle and 14749 lb. for the rear axle and the total weight is 73634 lb. However, when the truck has load in it then the operating weight of the front axle is 13007 lb., the center and rear becomes heavier with 38691 lb. for the center and 38691 lb. for the rear axle. The total operating weight with rated load is 90389 lb.

The fuel tank has a capacity of 145.3 gallons. The cooling system can accommodate 23.7 gallon. Cat 745C trucks can be bought directly from the company or one can even contact a dealer to buy the item. You can go to the official website of Caterpillar and check for authorized dealers located nearby your place.

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Take loans to finance purchase of heavy equipment

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It was never easy to start a new business and in today’s time, it has become more difficult to give a head start to a business given the sort of competition one has to face on a daily basis. A person has to sacrifice a lot to keep his business floating. On top of it, he has to juggle well between his personal and professional life. Under all these circumstances, when one is struggling to keep his business moving, it becomes difficult to incorporate something expensive in the business. Well, business in a construction industry is all about that. You have to be ready to bring in new equipment if the business needs it. You can’t let the offer go just because you can’t afford to buy the machine. Most of the time, a person also gets business after being evaluated on the kind of machines he possesses. Therefore, he needs to have the machines that are a part of his business requirements.

For small construction companies, it may not be so simple to buy brand new equipment. They have experienced serious financial crunch during the beginning of their professional career. They may not want to invest all that they have in buying equipment and then struggle for finances to meet overhead expenses. These overhead expenses cost dearly too many companies who are not financially sound. This has also become the reason why many start-up companies are forced to shut their businesses and look for something else. Construction segment is undoubtedly the most rewarding sector; however it rewards people who have managed to stay in this sector for years and have stood firm during turbulent times.

Taking a loan to finance heavy equipment may sound like a good option but it also has its limitations. One needs to be very sure that he will be able to pay the loan in time. This will help him to keep his credit score in place and will also keep his business moving. There are many financial institutions that are ready to finance people looking for loans on heavy equipment. It would be prudent to first check the interest rates of the institution before you take the loan. Many financial institutions offer lower rate of interest but they have certain service charges that are very high. It may make no sense to you to pay that high service charge to the company just to buy low interest rate. If you look closely, you will definitely find someone who is charging the service charge defined by their governing body and the interest rates as stated in the norms. That sort of company should be the one you should be looking at. Simultaneously, also understand the terms and conditions well. For instance, the term of the loan is crucial to understand. Also, the plan should have a provision to make early or part payment whenever you have excess money without charging anything extra for that. Ideally, the heavy equipment manufacturing company will arrange financial institutions for you. But if you want to use the services of any other organization, you are free to do so.

Don’t need the equipment – sell it online

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With changing time we also need to update the heavy equipment with latest technologies that can make work simpler for the workers. The operators do not have a tough time operating the machine and can complete the work easily and safely. With the advent of new technologies and people willing to accept them with open arms, it leaves less hope for the old machines. They may no longer have any utility in big construction sites and will be replaced by state of the art technology machines but that does not mean that they do not have any utility whatsoever. It is just that they need to be placed to the right segment of buyers and they will be back to business. Firstly, it is important to identify the right set of buyers for your old machine and then you got to check if the machines are in order that makes it saleable.

The best way to sell old heavy equipment is selling it online. Internet gives you the capability to reach good number of prospects who are in search of old equipment. All you have to do is get yourself connected to the correct platform and start selling.

We would be discussing few points on what needs to be done when you have an old machine to sell.

 Get the machine repaired if it’s not in order:-

Getting the old machine repaired becomes your priority, because as long as the equipment is not in good order, there is no point in listing it online. People who would be interested to buy the item would like to take a trial first and if they find anything wrong with it, they may just turn off the deal. In this way, you lose a prospect. Therefore, it is prudent to seek the service of an expert mechanic and get the machine checked. If it is necessary to replace few defective parts, you should do it without a thought. List the item only when the expert tells you that the machine is in great shape and can be used in the site.

Get hold of a good site that deals with selling of old machines:-

It is important to know a site that deals with selling old heavy equipment. That will be the site where you can list your machine and expect people to come and see them. It is very crucial that you list the item after giving all the information that you can. Prospects will go through the details that you have listed and this is what will make them curious to pay a visit. If they do not see much on the listing, they may quickly move on to the next item posted by some other seller.

Put sufficient pictures of your machine:-

Sufficient pictures of your machine will always work positively in the minds of the prospect. It becomes very hard for someone to make a judgment just by going through the description. They would also want to see few pictures that will give them some idea about the machine. Please ensure that you paint the machine well before you take the picture.

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Caterpillar T-Shirts

T-shirts can be very trendy at times. Though it is not a formal wear but largely appreciated by people who wear them. There is a wider market of apparels and people are looking for more new things to come up in this segment. People always want some kind of change, something new in the market. Keeping this into view, Caterpillar has jumped in this section. Though they are primarily into manufacturing of heavy equipments but they felt that they are failing to capture this wider market. They do not want it to go out of their reach and hence felt the need to try their hands in this section.

Other than this, they are also into producing special clothing for construction workers. It has been seen that most of the major construction companies use CAT T-shirts for their workers. These T-shirts are not the same in terms of quality as the one you get in stores. They are manufactured on special orders and may be little expensive than the normal ones. The T-shirts used by the construction workers are soft and airy. This has been produced keeping in mind the special needs of the workers and the kind of environment they work in.

At times it becomes really suffocating for them to work in extreme heat and if they get a fluffy T-shirt, it will make them feel good. Other than this, the T-shirts manufactured by CAT are quite trendy and maintain the fashion rules. They always go by the latest designs that are making rounds in the fashion world. They want their customers to be satisfied by what they have worn and for that they take all the efforts that they can to ensure the end users are content with their product.

Giving more stress to the quality of the product:-

Caterpillar is known for producing quality heavy equipments. So when they steered and went into this new segment, they maintained one thing very stringently and that is the quality of the product. They did not only want to give their customers T-shirts with latest designs but they also want the stuffs to be strong and that it does not get worn out in few washes. They want to continue with the culture of providing excellent work to the ultimate user so that they can capitalize their market share and in this process make good money.

Buy CAT T-shirts from stores or buy it online:-

CAT T-shirts are available at all CAT dealerships or even major department stores. You just need to hop in at a nearby mall and select the kind of T-shirt you like to wear. The T-shirts being trendy are not at all over priced. CAT wants its products to reach to every individual and hence have tried to keep the price within the reach of people from all walks of life. If you are not the guy who likes to do window shopping, then you can register yourself in an online shopping portal and select CAT T-shirts from there. If you like any of the T-shirts, you got to pay for it online and the stuff will be delivered to you at your doorstep.

Training guide on heavy equipment

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For a beginner, learning a new subject which is complex in nature is very difficult. He/she needs a good teacher and an equally suitable learning guide to understand things correctly. Moreover, when he/she is learning about heavy equipment, it becomes all the more important to have a training guide which he/she can refer time and again. It is not that only while learning he/she may need the reference of the training guide but also when he/she is done with his academics in the field of heavy equipment and is working with some company that he/she may find its importance. Heavy equipment contains huge stream of knowledge in it and it is almost difficult for one to understand it entirely. Therefore, one has to decide what they would like to specialize in. Once they have decided the subject of their interest, they can lean on several literatures written on heavy equipment that they can find helpful. However, a training guide can still come handy for a person who has specialized knowledge about a particular subject.

Training guide may consist of many things. It can contain information on how to operate a machine or it can give information on how to fix something. Concurrently, it also has something for people who have just started using equipment.

Training manuals given by heavy equipment manufacturing companies:-

Heavy equipment are undoubtedly very expensive item and the heavy equipment manufacturing companies clearly understand that if they offer a training guide or a user manual, it will be a big help to users. Not everybody who purchases heavy equipment is qualified from a reputed institute to operate it. Many people believe in trial and error method. However, no one wants to break their machine in this process. Hence, the manufacturing companies offer training guides along with the item. The user can go through the manual before even starting the machine. The training guide teaches the user every minute thing that he is required to know. Alternatively, if he gets stuck somewhere while operating the machine, he can make use of the user manual, read what he is required to do to fix the problem and then carry on with his work.

Training guide provides safety tips:-

While operating heavy equipment, following the necessary safety requirements is very crucial. A first time user may not be aware of the safety requirements and there is a high chance that he may skip them. That can prove to be a fatal mistake as he may not only hurt himself or the people around him but also damage the machine or things that are around him. Tips like what he should be doing before he begins his shift, if he should be inspecting something and if yes what are they? The safety rules that he/she should follow while operating any type of equipment. These safety rules can be generic to all the machines and need not be specific to the one that he/she has bought.

The training guide also contains information on how to keep the machine after being used and for how long can one use the machine in a day. These tips should be stringently followed in order to increase the longevity of the equipment.

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