Looking for Concrete Chipping Work? Keep These Things in Mind.

Are you interested in heading down a new career path and digging in on concrete chipping work? That’s great! At General Chipping we might be a bit biased, but we believe chipping concrete is one of the most rewarding jobs there is. Not only does it feel good to help keep concrete and construction crews ready to roll by looking after the vehicles and equipment they rely on, but there’s the simple reward that comes with a hard day’s work. Of course, as with any profession, there’s more to what we do than meets the eye.

Before you begin filling out that job application for concrete chipping work, we recommend taking a moment to make sure you understand what exactly the job entails. Why? Because chipping concrete is a highly specialized undertaking, and there are only a handful of companies nationwide that do the work. For that reason, there’s a fair share of confusion about what exactly concrete chipping work entails.

In an effort to clear up confusion — and continue the conversation about an industry we know and love — our concrete chipping pros have pulled together high-level details every potential concrete chipper should know. Read on to learn about the work our crew carries out each day, and other insights you should know before applying for concrete chipping work.

Tip 1: Have a Basic Understanding of What Concrete Chipping Work Entails
Believe it or not, many people who apply for concrete chipping work with General Chipping believe we’re a concrete company. (Don’t worry, we get it! A bit of confusion is understandable in an industry as small as ours.) The truth is, companies like ours actually service concrete companies and other businesses that use ready mix concrete trucks.

Our whole mission at General Chipping is to keep our clients’ valuable vehicles and equipment clean, healthy and ready for whatever work lies ahead. We break that work down into three targeted areas — concrete chipping, silo cleaning and central mixer cleaning. Here’s a look at what each entails:

• Concrete Chipping: This routine maintenance for ready-mix trucks involves physically entering the drum itself. Using handheld jackhammers, the concrete chipper removes dried concrete which has formed along the walls — and then ushers it out through the drum’s openings.
• Silo Cleaning: This ongoing maintenance is all about removing clumps and clogs that hinder the flow of dry cement. After physically entering the cement storage silo from above, a silo cleaning pro uses pneumatic tools to free up the clumped material. They then usher it down and out of the silo through the opening at the bottom.
• Central Mixer Cleaning: Similar to the concrete chipping service mentioned above, central mixer cleaning involves physically entering a central mixer — or reaching inside, if the mixer is smaller — and using handheld jackhammers to remove caked-on concrete. Once again, the chipped material is then ushered safely outside.

So, why do concrete and construction companies hire us on for such work? Because that ongoing maintenance helps ensure they’re able to tackle future projects.

When dried material forms along the walls of a company’s redi mix truck drums and central mixers, for instance, it can lower carrying capacity, weigh the machinery down and result in budget-breaking repair needs. Similarly, clumped material inside a cement silo can halt the flow entirely, making it impossible to blend new concrete. Concrete chipping work is all about keeping their tools of the trade working well for them.

General Chipping Tip: The Concrete Chipping: 101 video on our Resources page offers a great visual explanation of what goes into chipping concrete. Check it out!

Tip 2: Consider the Physical Demand Associated with Chipping Concrete
As you might have guessed, concrete chipping work isn’t like your everyday desk job. It requires concrete chippers to carry out their work within confined spaces, to work in high places, and to bend and reach to get the job done — often while working with jackhammers. We recommend only applying for such work if you feel you are physically capable of doing it safely.

Of course, safety considerations aren’t up to the concrete chipper alone.

At General Chipping, we believe the best job site is a safe job site. We work hard to ensure our team is adequately trained for concrete chipping and silo cleaning work — and that they undergo regular OSHA safety training, too. In addition, toolbox talks keep crews on the same page regarding need-to-know info for upcoming jobs. We also supply proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and encourage team members to adequately stretch before each and every shift to avoid muscle strain and similar injuries.

There is another aspect of physical strain associated with concrete chipping: The somewhat unusual schedule that goes along with it.

Although General Chipping is happy to provide concrete chipping service whenever our clients need it, the majority of our work is carried out in 12-hour overnight shifts. This means many team members wake up at noon or later, hit the road for the job site around 3 p.m. and then get to work around 6 p.m. From there, concrete chipping appointments last until about 6 a.m.

We encourage team members to get plenty of rest following a shift, to ensure they’re fresh and ready to take on the coming day’s work in the safest manner possible.

General Chipping Tip: Wanna know more about what your job might look like if you took on concrete chipping work? Our Day in the Life blog post offers a helpful overview!

Tip 3: Know That Concrete Chipping Work is Incredibly Rewarding
It’s true the work our concrete chipping company does isn’t easy. (In fact, Mike Rowe of TV’s “Dirty Jobs” once deemed it the toughest work he took on!) Even so, we enjoy every minute of it.

It’s all about that sense of satisfaction that comes with a job well done, and the good feeling we get knowing we’re doing our part to help clients maintain their equipment so they can continue doing the work they love. The before and after images of the vehicles, mixers and silos we work on? Those are pretty rewarding, too.

We hope this helps clear up some of the confusion surrounding the work crews like ours do each day. And if you like what you’ve read — and think you have what it takes to make a career out of chipping concrete — our team would love to talk.

General Chipping is always hiring hardworking individuals interested in concrete chipping work. You can apply online through our Careers page, and access our Spanish job application, too. We look forward to hearing from you!