Becoming an excavator operator – Sonnie shares his story

Considering a career as an operator? In this series, seasoned operators share insights into the profession, including how they started out and the best thing about the job. Next up, is Sonnie Söderberg, who works for Borg Entreprenad AB in Sweden…

When and why did you decide to become an operator?

I graduated from high school as a carpenter but then switched to an excavator operator as it was difficult to find a carpentry job.

How did you become an operator?

I started in a tractor, ploughing snow, then the company asked if I wanted to operate an excavator, which was a dream come true and a great chance for me. I first worked with a smaller excavator of 3.5 tonnes, then I got a machine licence and started operating wheeled excavators full time. I took a training course that took about a day to complete so it went very smoothly.

What was the most difficult thing to learn?

I am still not an expert in any field, and the hardest part is digging ditches and preparing slopes.

What did you find the easiest thing to learn?

The easiest thing would probably be learning to work with GPS.

Have you been taught how to use machinery economically / use less fuel? Can you share advice on this?

I have learnt that you don’t need to work at full throttle, the machine is stronger when you don’t. Now I work in eco mode and use max half throttle, that’s what I like about Hitachi.

What’s the best thing about being an operator?

The best thing about operating a wheeled excavator is that there are so many different jobs – it’s fun! From excavation to fine planning, I like the variety of each project, and that every stage brings a different aspect.

And the worst thing?

The worst thing is the stress that many jobs have. You need to do as much as possible, but there are not always the right conditions for it.

What do you wish you had learnt during your training?

Being new, it wasn’t easy going out on my first job with a 15-tonne wheeled excavator with GPS, especially when I hadn’t operated anything like that before. So, it would have been good to practice a little more and test drive the machine first before going out on a large construction site. But 13 years later, I don’t regret it, because I’ve learned so much about this profession and it’s impossible to be fully educated – there’s always something to learn. I know one way or another I can handle most things that need to be carried out.

Whether you’re dreaming of ditching the desk job or just curious about life behind the controls, we hope Sonnie’s story has offered an insight into what it takes to become an excavator operator and has inspired you to get your career in construction off the ground. You can read more operator Q&As in our ‘Becoming an operator’ series.