Brody Heckman, an Exeter High School senior in the Heavy Equipment Operations (HEO) program at Berks Career and Technology Center, spent his summer gaining hands-on experience through a co-op with Berg Construction. He started on the pipe crew, working long days as a pipe laborer. “I was doing the manual work in the trench,” he explained. “I did screenings or put the rocks around the pipes for support. I liked the pipe crew; the crew was a lot of fun and made the 9–12-hour days fly.”
After the first month, Brody joined the dirt crew, where he spent most of his time driving a rock truck but also had opportunities to run a dozer and use state-of-the-art GPS technology. The GPS system provides real-time, precise positioning data from a 3D design model to guide the equipment’s blade, eliminating the need for stakes and manual surveying. “The GPS shows the entire jobsite and shows what grade the area needs to be,” Brody explained.
One of his biggest assignments was helping to build a parking lot on a hill outside of Philadelphia for a golf course preparing to host the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) Championship next year. “Everything needs to be flat for the parking lot, so dirt needed to be taken away, leveled, and graded,” he said. “There was a lot of draining ditches and pipework that were installed to manage the water.”
Brody shared that he has always been interested in “the big machines” and fit right in with the crew at Berg. “There are a lot of older guys, and you can learn a lot from them, just treat them with respect and listen. If you are early to work and do what you are supposed to do, you won’t have any issues. The foremen like when you show up early.”
Working Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.—and sometimes Saturdays—Brody earned over $20 per hour. He’s eager to return to his co-op soon. “I want to go to work, I enjoy it,” he said. “I learned so much from the HEO class. When an 18-year-old comes on a crew and they know what they are doing, it surprises the heck out of them.”
His foreman at Berg Construction praised Brody’s work ethic and growth on the job, noting that he quickly became a trusted member of the team. “Brody was consistently punctual with a great attitude and fit into the crew like a glove. Within a short time, he became our lead rock truck driver, someone the crew counted on to work safely and help us meet production goals. He took care of the equipment as if it was his own. We look forward to having him back on co-op soon.”
Brody says the experience reinforced his passion for heavy equipment operations and his appreciation for his teacher. “I love coming to tech and I enjoy HEO very much. Mr. Reifsnyder is a great teacher.”