Agricultural Equipment Operators

Job duties

Original text, as filed with the Department of Labor.

We are seeking dedicated and hardworking individuals for our Cotton season. This is a seasonal job and if hired, you are expected to complete the full contract period.
Workers must be able to monitor and adjust equipment and controls. A cotton ginner/presser operates and maintains the heavy machinery used to process harvested raw cotton. They are responsible for drying and cleaning the cotton, separating the lint from the seeds, and compressing the finished lint into dense, tied bales while maintaining workplace safety and strict operational standards.
Ginning Operations
• Feeding: Unwrap and load harvested cotton modules onto the module feeder.
• Drying & Cleaning: Monitor machinery (dryers, incline cleaners, and stick machines) to remove burs, stems, leaves, and moisture.
• Separating: Operate gin stands and saws to pull cotton fibers away from the seeds.
• Seed & Waste Handling: Manage the collection and storage of separated cottonseed Manage the collection and storage of separated cottonseed and gin trash for sale or disposal.

Equipment Maintenance & Yard Duties
• Maintenance: Perform daily equipment upkeep, clear blockages, clean lint filters, and lubricate moving parts. Inspect at least daily to ensure that it is clean dan in safe working order. Following directions of their supervisor, workers will perform some routine minor adjustments on equipment, using hand and power tools, occasionally while being 30 feet in the air. Must not be afraid of heights.
• Logistics: Safely operate heavy equipment like forklifts and skid steers to load seed trucks and stack baled cotton in the warehouse. Workers may be asked to operate a truck hauling a module in the gin yard (no CDL required and never used on the road).
• Facility Upkeep: Sweep, rake, and maintain a clean ginning environment to reduce fire hazards and improve efficiency.

Physical Requirements
• Heavy Lifting: Ability to frequently lift, carry, push, or pull items weighing 50 lbs or more.
• Endurance: Capability to stand, walk, bend, stoop, and climb ladders for extended periods.
• Environment: Tolerance for working in fast-paced environments with high noise levels, airborne lint, and exposure to seasonal temperatures.

Qualifications & Skills
• Mechanical Aptitude: Basic understanding of mechanical systems and troubleshooting.
• Safety Compliance: Strict adherence to OSHA guidelines and hazard awareness. Safety Training will be provided. To ensure the safety of all employees, those interested in operating machinery must be able to communicate with and adequately follow instruction given by Supervisor, the ability of an employee to safely operate machinery will be left to the discretions of Management.
• Teamwork: Ability to communicate clearly and work effectively with co-workers and shift supervisors.
May drive workers to job site and/or grocery store.

Requirements

Applicants must be 18 years or older. Must have 3 months experience in cotton gin processing. Applicants need to be familiar with agricultural machinery & safety of (and harm it can do to themselves or others), as well as work in cotton gin & have some knowledge of safety rules, but also need to understand the seriousness of working in extreme climates especially heat.
Employees may be required to work day and/or night shift.
Valid Drivers License required if asked to drive vehicles.
Job is physically demanding, requiring attention to detail, the ability to work effectively as part of a team and adaptability to varying work & extreme climate environments. Applicants must have the physical ability to repeatedly walk, stand, climb, sit, stoop, bend, push, pull, all while being aware of the task and others around them. There is a lifting requirement of up to 60 - 100 lbs.
Awareness of your surroundings and of all agricultural machinery safety is very important.

Benefits and conditions