What Heavy Equipment Is Used for Grading?

In the heavy equipment world, “grading” refers to the process of turning an uneven area of land into a smooth, uniform surface. While historically graders were pulled along by horses, in modern construction, the process is entirely mechanical. If you want to have a long career working with heavy equipment, it’s in your best interest to broaden your familiarity with the field.

Here’s a quick overview of the kinds of heavy equipment used as a grader and how grading is employed:

What Is a Grader?

In the most basic terms, grading is the process of sculpting earth into a uniform shape, so there are many kinds of heavy equipment that can be utilized for the task. Depending on the kind of work being done, you might be able to get away with using a multifunctional machine. Bulldozers, skid steer loaders, and wheel tractor scrapers can be used in some circumstances, but if you need to grade a large tract of land with any major degree of finesse, you’ll need a proper grader.

Since the modern grader is powered by an internal motor, it is often referred to as a motor grader. Motor graders have three axles, one in front and two in the rear. The grader blade is housed between the front and first rear axle.

The grader blade allows for an incredible amount of dexterity when shaping the soil. By lifting the blade, the operator is able to determine the elevation of the earth, and by tilting it, they can adjust the slope. Motor graders don’t have the same kind of versatility as other kinds of heavy equipment, but they make up for it with a high level of precision.

What Is a Grader Used For?

Even though motor graders are primarily built for one purpose, they have a wide range of applications. When a road is being built or undergoing maintenance work, a motor grader is used to level out the surface before asphalt is poured in. Similarly, motor graders are used to even out the ground for railroad tracks to be installed on.

In construction projects, motor graders are important in creating a level surface before laying the foundation of a structure. They also see use in landscaping, where they can be used to create slopes and drainage ditches. In the agriculture sector, they make it easy to prepare the soil for planting. In parts of the world that see heavy snowfall, motor graders can be used to clear snow off the roads. While the usage design of a motor grader might be narrow, its application is quite broad.

Learning to Operate a Grader

If you want to be a motor grader operator, you need to invest time into yourself to get there. While they can be some of the most challenging pieces of heavy equipment to operate, with instruction from a heavy equipment school like West Coast Training, you’ll be able to master the skills you need to sit in the cab. So jump right in! There’s no better time to start your career than now.