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It is not easy to find on demand trained operators that are willing to relocate in an instant to whatever forgotten by god construction site you set up for mont

It is not easy to find on demand trained operators that are willing to relocate in an instant to whatever forgotten by god construction site you set up for months.

taeric 1y ago
I find this hard to believe, to be honest. The capital costs of the machinery is already such that paying a premium to relocate someone for the duration of the construction is almost certainly not the bottle neck for most construction jobs? If you have numbers on this, I'm game to see them. Just because I find it hard to believe doesn't mean I think it is impossible.
- cycomanic 1y ago
  This report identifies skilled labour shortages as the main risk and factor behind construction cost inflation. https://publications.turnerandtownsend.com/international-construction-market-survey-2024/global-construction-cost-performance https://publications.turnerandtownsend.com/international-con...
  - taeric 1y ago
    This report isn't looking at open field construction, though? It literally highlights the most expensive cities to build in. I'm not surprised that it is expensive to keep skilled labor in places where they will be in very high demand.
- kevinmpeterson 1y ago
  There are companies (like Kiewit) that specifically hire and pay (a lot more) to incentivize their employees to travel. It's a really really hard job and many people burn out. The travel is brutal.
  - whatever1 1y ago
    The worst is that it’s not even semi-permanent move. You go to the site, you work for some months then you need to move to the next. If by accident you have a family then guaranteed they cannot follow you and you will be seeing them only sporadically.
renewiltord 1y ago
In China they haven't needed that for the better part of a decade https://en.xcmg.com/en-ap/news/news-detail-626577.htm https://en.xcmg.com/en-ap/news/news-detail-626577.htm
AngryData 1y ago
It is if you aren't adverse to training people and living with lower productivity for a few months as they learn. The biggest obstacle to becoming a heavy equipment operator is finding someone willing to put you in heavy equipment without already being an experienced heavy equipment operator. And the machines cost enough money that someone can't afford to just go buy their own excavator and practice, even really old used equipment that leaks fluids and can't run more than 20 minutes without overheating can cost 6 figures, especially if you also need a truck and large equipment trailer to move it. And even if someone likes the job and gets past those obstacles there are other restrictions, like drug usage, that keeps many people out of the business. You went home and smoked a joint last week but this week something broke or went wrong? Well you better hope they don't fear any liability because they will drug test you, fire you, and black list you to shed all liability.
- _zoltan_ 1y ago
  I think that's perfectly OK. If you consume drugs don't operate heavy equipment.
  - AngryData 1y ago
    What about caffeine? Tobacco? Refined sugars? Pain killers? Are you going to pay for people to do nothing for 6 months while they wait for an injury to heal and stop taking painkillers? Why are you not regularly drug tested for your job and fired and blackballed from the industry if it comes up positive? It is completely idiotic to kick people out for smoking weed on their own time. And then you wonder why you have trouble filling these positions. People use drugs and have since before humans were human, get over it.

It is not easy to find on demand trained operators that are willing to relocate in an instant to whatever forgotten by god construction site you set up for months.

taeric 1y ago

I find this hard to believe, to be honest. The capital costs of the machinery is already such that paying a premium to relocate someone for the duration of the construction is almost certainly not the bottle neck for most construction jobs? If you have numbers on this, I'm game to see them. Just because I find it hard to believe doesn't mean I think it is impossible.

cycomanic 1y ago
This report identifies skilled labour shortages as the main risk and factor behind construction cost inflation. https://publications.turnerandtownsend.com/international-construction-market-survey-2024/global-construction-cost-performance https://publications.turnerandtownsend.com/international-con...
- taeric 1y ago
  This report isn't looking at open field construction, though? It literally highlights the most expensive cities to build in. I'm not surprised that it is expensive to keep skilled labor in places where they will be in very high demand.
kevinmpeterson 1y ago
There are companies (like Kiewit) that specifically hire and pay (a lot more) to incentivize their employees to travel. It's a really really hard job and many people burn out. The travel is brutal.
- whatever1 1y ago
  The worst is that it’s not even semi-permanent move. You go to the site, you work for some months then you need to move to the next. If by accident you have a family then guaranteed they cannot follow you and you will be seeing them only sporadically.

renewiltord 1y ago

In China they haven't needed that for the better part of a decade https://en.xcmg.com/en-ap/news/news-detail-626577.htm https://en.xcmg.com/en-ap/news/news-detail-626577.htm

AngryData 1y ago

It is if you aren't adverse to training people and living with lower productivity for a few months as they learn. The biggest obstacle to becoming a heavy equipment operator is finding someone willing to put you in heavy equipment without already being an experienced heavy equipment operator. And the machines cost enough money that someone can't afford to just go buy their own excavator and practice, even really old used equipment that leaks fluids and can't run more than 20 minutes without overheating can cost 6 figures, especially if you also need a truck and large equipment trailer to move it. And even if someone likes the job and gets past those obstacles there are other restrictions, like drug usage, that keeps many people out of the business. You went home and smoked a joint last week but this week something broke or went wrong? Well you better hope they don't fear any liability because they will drug test you, fire you, and black list you to shed all liability.

_zoltan_ 1y ago
I think that's perfectly OK. If you consume drugs don't operate heavy equipment.
- AngryData 1y ago
  What about caffeine? Tobacco? Refined sugars? Pain killers? Are you going to pay for people to do nothing for 6 months while they wait for an injury to heal and stop taking painkillers? Why are you not regularly drug tested for your job and fired and blackballed from the industry if it comes up positive? It is completely idiotic to kick people out for smoking weed on their own time. And then you wonder why you have trouble filling these positions. People use drugs and have since before humans were human, get over it.