Bob was just seeing if I could get you a liitle excited.I know you like to read what you write,but so do I.I Read most of your stuff on the message board and find it very informative.What you said is correct,but in louisiana labor is very hard to find,not to mention good help.We train operators,but are having difficulty even recruiting trainees.I know there are experienced operators looking for work in Texas and Florida,just trying to connect with them.

P.S. HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS PAYSCALE AT $31 P/HR.HOW CAN WE COMPETE.

Thirty one bucks is tough competition. Where do I sign up?

A real deal pumper isn't an equipment operator; a hippie with a Cat Hat can be an equipment operator. Our guys are the best of the best; they are a breed apart. My question is and always has been: "Why can a guy pay $35,000.00 for a skid steer and rent it out for $90.00 per hour and another guy pays $350,000.00 for a 32meter and rents it out for $90.00 per hour???"

That is why the so called equipment operators are paid $31.00 per hour. The owner can make that check out on Friday and still have $$ left over; he doesn't have the GIANT payments to make on his machine. That is why I never bought a pump. The economy of scale neccessairy to actually make (and keep) some money is too far down the road. I really respect the guys that have made it in our industry. Man, they earned every penny... the hard way.

So, how about when everyone wakes up Monday morning they tear up their old rate sheet and have a new one printed with the new prices three (3) times what they were.

Do you think that there would be less concrete pumped? I don't, I think that for the first time all these owners would get paid what their investment is worth. And just for kicks, do the math, what if the volume of concrete pumped went down by 25%? The only people that would get hurt are the ones selling pipes and wear plates. The pump owners and operators would be right where they should be; on a level playing field with the rest of the world.;~)

i'm a real deal pumper in south louisiana that pumps for a heavy highway construction company, and i do both heavy equip and pump but i sure aint making 31.00 bucks an hour

"the so called equipment operators"

Bob, the best of the best huh? I have no doubt there are many talented people here, and I'm sure you are one of them. However a statement like that takes arrogance to a whole new level.

The best of the best reference was aimed not at me, but at all of you. I think you are, as a group, one step above.

You guessed wrong about my experience; I never ran a belt truck but I have many hours on a CreterCrane...etc

For someone that 'dabbles' with pumps and doesn't LIVE this business it is probably hard to understand, but I have a lot of years invested in our industry; if pride is really a sin, well... I am guilty. A guy that does this day after day and still loves it is OK with me. ;~) 

As for the OP'S question about wages, it depends in your area. We are 30.00 then all the benefits is company costs of 45. We make money, the op's always want more, the area is fierce for pumps, Buddy leases one and works 40.00 an hr less than the comp.The comp US Knows the supply demand is high, but for how long. Compete not us.We are the highest price, but also control ready mix. But that doesn't stop the single lease guy that seems to like killing his machine for less money, the best of the best PFFF. You get what you pay for, nothing more nothing less.

Machine operator, hmm pumps cranes hoes curbing machine road grinders and low beds 9 axle.I havn't flown a 747 yet, maybe next year.

for all bob included i live on the cape there are no such things as good operators in the excavation business there are only a couple of pump operators worth a damn pay sucks for them i have done a lot of different jobs in my life operating most of them so i dont think you can judge everyone the same i dont want to be put in the same catigory as all the rest of the operators in my area

Knowers of all masters of none. Seems to be Global LOL.

“The best of the best reference was aimed not at me, but at all of you. I think you are, as a group, one step above.”

It sounded like you were saying that pump operators were better than other operators.

I wasn’t trying to say that there’s anything special about conveyors. There’s no doubt in my mind anyone here could run one as good as the next guy, it ain’t rocket science. Everyone likes to think they’re special, and many people manage to convince themselves that what they do, is rocket science. Therefore they must be better than the next guy. Don’t get me wrong running a pump is a serious job, that requires a certain type of person. It’s a huge responsibility. Just don’t kid yourself into thinking it’s the only machine like that.

There’s nothing wrong with being proud either, but there’s a difference between proud and delusional. What you basically said was, the people who run this piece of equipment are the best, and the ones that run everything else are not as good, because anyone could run that stuff. I don’t think anyone can intelligently make that claim unless they’ve run everything, and I’ve yet to meet someone who has run everything. Some machines are more demanding than others, but I didn’t think it was accurate or fair, to claim that the operators of one type of equipment were better than all the other operators out there.

I think most of us has had some numb nut tell us how easy our job is because we just stand around playin’ with a remote all day. We laugh it off because we know that they have know idea what it takes to do our job. Your statement reminded me of that, except you were the one saying it about everyone else.

“Knowers of all masters of none. Seems to be Global LOL.”

A truly good operator is plenty capable of being “master of many”. You listed a handful of things you’ve run, are you master of none?

I’ll stop beating the horse, I think he’s dead now. It wasn’t a big deal anyway, I was just pointing out why I disagreed with what you said (Bob).

I would be the first to admit that there is always better out there, I to got the same impression but also responded with the maybe wrong words, besides I have also ran many more machines and yes master of none. I like concrete pumps, they are probably the most challenging machine as it takes a sales man a machine operator and a batchman to have a good name in the industry. Now some may argue my way of putting this also, but I have no allusions as to my abilities and realize others are more versed in the operation of the machine, but realize I can learn a new idea and improve on my ideas.

I agree that nobody should ever feel they've mastered something, because there's always more to learn, or room to improve. 

I prefer humility over arrogance any day. I guess that's why Bob's post rubbed me the wrong way.  I probably misinterpreted it, it sure as hell wouldn't be the first time I got something wrong.

I'm still gonna wear my Cat hat though. :)

well gill you must not be doing something rite.Maybe start working industrial there paying the big bucks.