Tractor drivers are the professionals who work with the tractor as a tool to produce agricultural products. Thus, most of the field operations that are carried out throughout the cycle of cultivation of different field products (vines, cereals, fruit production, among others) are carried out with the help of the tractor and the different tools that are attached to it. In this sense, the correct qualification and professional competence of these workers who drive, handle and maintain the tractor on a farm is the key factor in efficiency and profitability from the economic point of view. Likewise, the qualification is aimed at preventing or minimizing the risks inherent in the handling of the tractor and its tools.

In this way, the tractor is used for weeding, soil and subsoil conditioning, distribution of fertiliser products (manure, other organic products, chemical fertilisers), treatment with phytosanitary products, pre-pruning, and perhaps mechanical harvesting. It is also necessary to know how to apply the tractor's accessories for each task (for ploughing, fruit picking, mowing, etc.) and perform its maintenance.

Tractor drives can carry out their professional activity on any type of farm that requires the use of a tractor. They are incorporated in all types of farms, both woody and extensive, where the use of the tractor is more continuous and intensive.

• In charge of soil treatment to remove the soil with the corresponding tools, such as the disc harrow that allows preparing the soil for sowing or a surface cultivation achieved by means of vertical discs that are driven into the soil at different depths. Thus, for example, in the case of vines, these professionals are in charge of using the cultivator and the inter-row cultivator with the specific tools for this purpose.
• Spread manure and/or organic products to apply the soil fertiliser that is considered appropriate.
• Check the poles of the supporting structures (fruit trees, vine training) with a machine considering the necessary adjustments and precautions.
• Apply the phytosanitary treatment with a nebuliser and agricultural machinery designed to apply the product in the form of droplets so small that they take the form of a cloud or mist on the crop.

• Maintain the tractor and traction equipment so that they are kept in a perfect state of use, following the technical specifications for cleaning air filters, engine, cab, engine radiator, air conditioning, engine oil change and general greasing of the tractor.
• Periodically check the pressure of the tyres, the condition and characteristics of the tyres, the oil levels of the engine and hydraulic system, greasing of the tool bearings, as well as the greasing of the tools that are attached to the tractor. Likewise, ensure that the space where the tractor is parked is a tidy and optimised working space for accessing tools and traction equipment for immediate use.
• Perform maintenance considering the company's occupational health and safety risks and the good environmental practices manual.
  

Regulated training and graduates

• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Agrària: Operacions específiques en activitats agrícoles (Nivell 2)

Complementary training

Flexibility and change management: Level 2

Orientation within reach: Level 1

Analytical thought: Level 1

Planning and organisation: Level 1

Concern for order and quality: Level 2

Mechanical handling

People related to the field of mechanical handling are interested in the assembly, maintenance, repair and use of machines, tools and installations. Some good examples of professional activities in the field of mechanical handling are adjusting and configuring machines, reviewing technical equipment to detect incidents in their operation, handling machinery in production processes and driving specialised vehicles.

Environment

People who work in this field focus their professional interests on the preservation, improvement or restoration of the environment (vegetation, fauna, flora) in both built-up areas and natural spaces. Some of the activities that represent this field are the detection, analysis and control of pollutants, the carrying out of measurements and tests in relation to climatic or environmental variables and the reduction of the harmful effects of human activity on the environment. The carrying out of these activities requires knowledge of the environment, for its planning and use, and of environmental regulations.

Tubular scaffolding assembler

Painter

Tower-crane operator

Installer of air-conditioning systems

Building waterproofing system installer

• Work hours

  It is usually 8 hours a day from Monday to Saturday. Depending on the time of year and the type of farm, the working day is split and/or without lunch break. In any case, field work is clearly conditioned by the weather and the characteristics of each crop and therefore it is not always possible to respect public holidays.
  
  

• Salary

  On farms, remuneration is usually per hour worked. Currently the gross wage is 10.71 euros per hour. The average annual wage is therefore around 21,277 euros gross.
  
  

• Professional category

  Specialist staff