If you’re in the construction industry, then you’re familiar with all of the tools and equipment that you’ll need if you plan on opening your own construction business. You’ll need things like small and large hand tools, power tools, and stationery equipment. You’ll also need a variety of construction vehicles.
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Backhoes
Backhoes are used to dig trenches, ditches, and other types of holes in the ground, and they can also pay down soil. Construction workers Mount these on tractors or front loaders to help with tasks like laying foundation, pipes, and cables.
Compactors
Like the name suggests, compactors help compact soil to prevent soil erosion— which can also lead to the erosion of a building’s foundation, slabs cracking, and pipes breaking. Different types of compactors include:
- Vibrating plate compactor
- Trash compactor
- Smooth rollers
- Rammers
- Baler-wrapper compactor
Conveyors
Conveyors move materials of any shape or size from one spot to another.
While not necessarily considered a “vehicle” it is a piece of machinery that is used in a variety of industries, such as print finishing, pharmaceuticals, mining, food processing; canning and bottling, automotive, agriculture, and aerospace.
Also, conveyors used on construction sites will often have wheels to help move it around the site more efficiently.
Cranes
Cranes are probably the most recognizable pieces of construction machinery, simply due to their size. They can be seen from a distance, lifting and lowering heavy materials, and also moving them across a construction site.
Dozers
While cranes are the most recognizable piece of construction machinery, bulldozers are both the most recognizable and most common piece of machinery. They’re also the strongest and most reliable type of construction vehicle, known for removing debris and even digging holes with ease.
Another type of dozer is a crawler dozer. This type of vehicle is mainly used for laying roadways and other types of “pioneer work”.
Dump Trucks
Dump trucks are another easily recognizable type of construction vehicle, though they’re probably more often associated with trash pickup instead of construction.
However, construction dump trucks do just that— they remove waste and other debris and dump it away from the construction site. They can also be used to bring in new materials to the site.
Excavators
Like the name suggests, excavators are construction vehicles that dig up dirt and other material. All construction sites require and frequently use excavators, or else all projects would take much longer than necessary. John Deere excavators come in many different sizes, and contain several different parts, including a dipper, a cab, a bucket, and a boom.
Forklifts
Forklifts are common pieces of machinery that are used on construction sites and many other places, including warehouses.
They’re used to lift and transport heavy loads around the construction site that would be physically impossible for people to do. There are many different types of forklifts, depending on the size and weight of the materials that need to be transported.
Graders
Graders are construction vehicles with long blades that remove small amounts of dirt and debris and make flat surfaces. These vehicles are mainly used for the construction and maintenance of roads, other things made of gravel, and also dirt roads.
Loaders
As this name suggests, loaders are used to load materials and also to move them around.
They also come in different types, such as mini loaders, tracked loaders, swing loaders, bucket loaders, front loaders, pay loaders, scoop loaders, and telescopic handlers. Most loaders have wheels so they can help move materials around the construction site, but others are tracked.
Skid Steers
Skid steers are considered a type of loader, but they can be used for more than just loading— they can also be used for digging, dozing, grading, lifting and transporting, and to prep soil with a landscape rake. They’re small and very versatile, being able to accommodate different types of attachments, though they’re mainly used for digging.
Trenchers
Trenchers are also very versatile construction vehicles used for many different purposes. Though they may not be popular among the general public, they’re very popular among construction workers. They can be used for digging, installing, laying, and for preparing trench warfare. Some different types of trenchers include:
- Wheel trenchers
- Micro trenchers
- Chain trenchers
In addition to the tools, equipment, and materials used by construction workers, construction vehicles make up a lot of what you’d expect to see at a construction site. So if you’re thinking about opening a construction company, these are some examples of some of the heavier machinery you’re going to need to effectively run your business.
