Good Drivers in China: A Key Lesson in Career Development

Today, when people walk through the streets of cities or towns and pass by a construction site filled with the roar of machinery, they may have long since become accustomed to it, at most marveling at the power and beauty of these machines. However, if someone knows that—most of the operators of these machines are likely working without a license, have not received any formal training, do not know what safety regulations are, and once an accident occurs, even the insurance company refuses to compensate—would you still be able to pass by here easily and calmly next time?

Although most construction machinery does not operate on the roads like cars, the standardized operation and professional quality of this industry, as well as the psychological state and moral standards of its practitioners, not only affect production efficiency and project quality but also have a huge impact on public safety and social order.

With the rapid development of China's economy and various constructions, construction machinery has quickly become popular in various fields, creating millions of job opportunities and allowing many people to realize their Chinese dream of becoming wealthy or to live a more prosperous life. As a result, more people flock here with dreams, transforming into construction machinery operators without any preparation.

However, due to the rapid development, the supporting vocational education system and social management mechanisms have not kept pace, leading to this industry growing wildly like weeds, lacking rules and constraints. Accidents such as overturning, getting stuck, and collisions occur frequently, and incidents like cutting fiber optic cables, damaging gardens, and harming roads are rampant. To earn more money, many operators exploit the equipment and themselves, driving fatigued for 24 or even 48 hours without stopping... Behind the rapid growth lies a dazzling array of chaos.

No industry can develop in an unordered manner for a long time. In recent years, as the pace of large-scale infrastructure construction has gradually slowed down, the level of social management has been improving, and the requirements for safety, standards, and quality have become increasingly high. Many companies and projects have begun to refuse operators working without a license, and whether they have undergone training or possess a qualification certificate has become a basic condition for processing insurance claims.

Faced with increasingly high professional thresholds, many self-taught experienced workers and newly entered operators feel somewhat confused. According to traditional vocational education, learning and certification are integrated, similar to driving schools where tuition is paid first, followed by learning and testing. However, compared to driving schools, specialized construction machinery technical schools are few and far between, and there are hardly any across the country. They have already become skilled in their actual work, and their operational skills are not a problem; what they lack is only theoretical knowledge and standard regulations. So, what should they do now? Should they spend money to go to school? Or should they first secure their current job and wait for future opportunities?

This is not a simple choice, especially for those operators with lower educational levels, who inherently lack confidence in exams and know little about external information. Factors such as tuition, accommodation, time costs, work pressure, whether they can leave their jobs, and family matters make it difficult to prioritize anything but the immediate situation. Additionally, some unscrupulous merchants and training institutions deceive people under the guise of certification, and the 'certificates' bought with large sums of money are not recognized, further deterring people from training.

All kinds of disorder and helplessness are intertwined, and the actual result is that—until today, at least 85% of construction machinery operators are still working without a license. Whether for career development or practical needs, obtaining the nationally issued "Vocational Qualification Certificate" and gaining more employment opportunities and comprehensive life security has become a common professional ideal for construction machinery operators.

Although construction machinery rarely operates on roads, its potential for causing trouble is no less than that of road vehicles, and may even exceed it. Working without a license is just a surface phenomenon; at a deeper level, it reflects the weak awareness of regulations and safety among most practitioners. Therefore, education for construction machinery operators should not only cover various operational standards but also emphasize instilling moral concepts, promoting positive energy through role models, guiding people towards goodness, and establishing a sense of pride and self-esteem as "I am a good driver." As a young operator who just entered the industry said: I like construction machinery because it is a builder; it is here to help people!

Therefore, after the launch of the "China Good Driver" initiative by Shandong Lingong last year, it has caused a strong response in the industry and was recognized as the top "Top Ten Marketing Events in Chinese Construction Machinery in 2013." "China Good Driver" provides free professional training for construction machinery operators, helping them obtain the nationally issued "Vocational Qualification Certificate"; at the same time, it collaborates with national moral model Guo Mingyi to discover the excellent deeds and good character of frontline drivers, further promoting the role of moral models in the industry and spreading more positive energy at the social level.

Over the past year, the media and the public have been enthusiastic about the "China Good Driver" initiative. I believe that the free certification reflects the manufacturers' help and care for frontline practitioners, but promoting positive energy in the industry is a hundred times more important than the former and is the core value of this initiative, truly reflecting Shandong Lingong's responsibility as a Shandong enterprise and embodying the corporate culture that integrates benevolence and morality into the spirit of the times.

For those who lack awareness of professional ethics, telling them "you are a good driver" can touch a chord in their hearts and inspire their moral views, which is a crucial leap in their life journey.

It is reported that the "China Good Driver" initiative for 2014 has now been launched. Let us continue to pay attention to this initiative and look forward to the changes it will bring to the construction machinery industry!