Redding police say an 18 year old male from Redding, CA, Trevor Traphagan, allegedly stole a backhoe construction tractor and drove it erratically down Oasis Road near Lake Boulevard around 10:20 p.m. Police officers tried to stop the giant machine, but Traphagan ignored all of their attempts. The officers then placed spikes on the road in front of the tractor, which were once again ignored and just driven over. One police officer reported that Trevor ignored all police lights and sirens.
Traphagan then turned onto Santa Rosa Drive and drove the backhoe into a parked police car while the officer was laying down the spike strips, police said. After tuning onto Dara Court, a dead-end street, he stopped the backhoe struggled against the officers but was eventually taken into custody, polices said.
Traphagan was booked into the Shasta County Jail for suspicion of driving under the influence, resisting arrest, evading a police officer, reckless driving, assault on a police officer and stealing a motor vehicle. Unfortunately all of these charges could have been avoided if Traphagan had enrolled to become a certified heavy equipment operator through one of NAHETS member schools. Instead of driving backhoes into police cars, he would be driving them into the future.
Case Construction Equipment has produced the first 50 armored backhoe loaders for the U.S. Army, with another 150 in production. In addition to the armor, the backhoes feature interchangeable exterior cab panels, cooling systems for hot climates, as well as the Visibility Improvement Package, which includes 4 external cameras and 3 internal monitors to provide ground level vision for the operator.
Having provided service to the U.S. military for over 150 years, Case is the first heavy equipment manufacturer to incorporate armor and install camera systems to machines during production. Case has also reached contracts to provide skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, wheel loaders, and forklifts for the U.S. military.
Save on Construction Equipment just announced the launch of its new website, saveonheavyequipment.com. The new site, powered by Ebay, is to offer “pre-owned heavy equipment, available online for discount prices.” Users can bid on heavy equipment regularly (Backhoe Loaders, Crawler Dozers & Loaders, Trailers, Asphalt & Concrete Pavers, Lifts, Graders, Cranes, Excavators, Wheel Loaders, Stump Grinders, Wood Chippers, etc.). In addition, there are also attachments, parts, and even manuals available to buy. There is the “bid option” and also a “buy now” option for some of the products. Click here for the original press release.
Although online auctions may not appear to be the best way to sell/purchase heavy equipment and parts, some have found it efficient and had good success. The city of Cottage Grove, MN has found that they get better trade in value through selling used equipment on Ebay than through local auctions. The city management analyst, Brian Voelker, states that they can get 200-300 users from across the United States by listing items on Ebay, compared to roughly 20 users at local auctions. Click here for the full story.
With e-commerce steadily increasing across the globe, it is vital for businesses to offer products and services online, even in the heavy equipment industry. With sites such as Save on Heavy Equipment, as well as others, you might just find the equipments or attachments you are looking for–at a competitive price!
All of us have seen the “yellow metal” on the road side while driving to work, but many of us do not know exactly what those machines are capable of doing, let alone know how to operate them. Sure we know that a backhoe can move dirt around and dig holes. Surely it can’t be that hard to get in a backhoe and just drive it around. But the matter of fact is that you don’t use a backhoe just to drive it around; you use a backhoe to operate it, and that may take more skill and experience than one may think . . . and surely there is more to a backhoe besides just moving dirt around…
To illustrate what it takes to be a true heavy equipment operator on a daily basis, we’ll take a look at a video hot tip from a NAHETS online industry resource–Yellow Metal TV. In response to an actual question from a heavy equipment operator in Wisconsin, Blake Vernon–Heavy Equipment Instructor for the Nevada School of Construction (NVSC)–takes us through a specific scenario on how to jump a ditch with a backhoe while a form board is already in place . . .
Help is on the way for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but not in its usual form. This time “help” is the “JCB High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE),” a.k.a. the “world’s fastest backhoe loader.” I like to think of it as the “Batmobile of Heavy Equipment.” Its speed, mobility, and design will improve the capabilities of field commanders in front patrols. See batmobile of heavy equipment for the original article. See website directly below for video and other multi-media HMEE resources.
A few highlights of the article:
Specs
The HMEE travels up to 60 mph on paved roads and cross country surfaces
Full suspension and ABS brakes
Computer diagnostics
Run-flat tires and roll-over protection
17.55 tons with armor and 15.75 tons without armor
6.7-liter diesel
Lifts 2.2 tons, digs 13 ft deep
Purpose
Provide battlefield commanders more capabilities in front patrols
Increase Mobility and counter-mobility
Provide water and supplies, build burms, lay electrical lines, etc.
JCB Construction Equipment is the creator of the HMEE. It was 4 years in the making and built specifically for the U.S. Military. JCB is the world’s largest privately owned construction business.
Here is a brief video about some other JCB military equipment.
NAHETS Blog 
