Heavy Equipment Operator

At Midwest Salt, we don't just deliver salt – we deliver excellence. With almost 40 years in the industry, we've mastered the trifecta: top-quality products, competitive pricing, and reliable, on-time delivery. But what truly sets us apart is our people.

Why Midwest Salt?

We believe in building win-win relationships, not just with our customers and vendors but with our team members too. When you join Midwest Salt, you become part of a dynamic, agile work environment where your ideas and contributions truly matter. We foster a community that thrives on collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Guided by proven processes, we are committed to helping you reach your career goals as we grow together toward becoming the largest nationwide salt distributor.

About Grit One

Grit One is Midwest Salt with a port address. For almost 40 years, Midwest Salt has kept roads safe across the Midwest with top-quality product, competitive pricing, and on-time delivery. Grit One is where that supply chain starts. Vessels and barges unload at our Port of Chicago terminal, product gets stockpiled, and it moves out fast to the customers who count on us every winter. You get the stability of an established company and the energy of a growing operation. Our port is expanding, and the people we hire now will help build it

Heavy Equipment Operator: About the Role

You're the first hands on the product. When a vessel ties up, you're in the seat of a Sennebogen pulling salt out of the hold and building the piles that carry us through the season. Between vessels, you manage those stockpiles and load out trucks so customers get product when they need it.

This is outdoor, all-weather work on an active port, with vessels, trucks, and other equipment moving around you. You'll be expected to run clean, run safe, and know your machine well enough to catch a problem before it becomes downtime. Vessel days are busy and the pace picks up as winter gets close. When the season hits, this team keeps the supply moving

What You'll Do

• Unload vessels safely and efficiently with Sennebogen material handlers and field unloaders
• Build, shape, and maintain salt stockpiles
• Load trucks and move product around the yard to keep orders on schedule
• Do pre-shift inspections and follow care and maintenance instructions so the equipment stays running
• Cover other roles when teammates are out
• Own your numbers and know where you stand
• Speak up when you see a safer or better way to do something

Equipment You'll Operate

• Wheel loader
• Wheel Bobcat
• Material loader
• Pneumatic and other hoppers
• Blending system
• Conveyors
• Field unloader
• Sennebogen material handlers

What You Need

• High school diploma or equivalent
• 2+ years operating heavy equipment (loaders, material handlers, or similar)
• Comfort working outdoors in all weather and around vessel and truck traffic
• Reliable transportation to our port facility

Pay and Benefits
• $24–29.50/hour, plus overtime
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k)
• Vacation and PTO
• Paid holidays
• Real advancement as the port operation scales

About Grit One
Grit One is Midwest Salt with a port address. We're the bulk salt production and storage facility at the Port of Chicago, where vessels unload, product gets stockpiled, and supply moves fast to customers who count on us.
We're still building this operation, which means every person on this team has a real hand in shaping what it becomes.