Background
A national general contractor was building a data center in West Texas and needed a certified crane operator to set equipment and transformers on a 55 to 70 ton hydraulic crane. The run was expected to last more than five months at five to six 10-hour days a week.
The Challenge
Setting transformers and switchgear is precise, high-value work, and the contractor wanted an operator who had done it before rather than one who would learn it on the job. The site was a long way from any large pool of operators, so whoever took the role would be travelling and living on per diem for months, which is exactly the kind of assignment that loses people in the first few weeks. The contractor also needed a current DOT medical card and OSHA 10 on day one.
The Solution
Advastar looked for NCCCO operators with the TLL endorsement and recent time on telescopic boom cranes in the 50 to 100 ton range, then narrowed the list to those with equipment, transformer or substation setting experience on data center or heavy industrial work. The operator’s certification, endorsement and medical card were verified before submittal. The hours, the length of the run, per diem and travel were all agreed with the candidate first, so the offer held no surprises.
The Outcome
The operator was on site four days after the order and set equipment for the full five-month run. The contractor added a second Advastar operator when a second crane arrived on the project.