A Day in the Life of an Equipment Coordinator at RDO Equipment Co.: What to Expect

The equipment coordinator position at RDO Equipment Co. is crucial to the success of every store and our organization. 

In some stores working in partnership with a Yard Coordinator, this role involves managing important tasks that impact the lives of RDO customers and your colleagues. 

I am the lead equipment coordinator at RDO in Riverside, CA. After six years in this role, I’ve had the opportunity to see this career from all angles. This includes what it’s like to work as an equipment coordinator at RDO, what the best parts are, what challenges you’ll face and how to be successful. 

Let's talk about what it's like to work in this role to help you decide whether this will be the right fit for you.

What Does an Equipment Coordinator Do at RDO? 

Equipment coordinators are responsible for overseeing the equipment yard at their store. 

When I’m at work, managing the yard means doing a lot of different things, including:

• Maintaining a safe, efficient yard environmen
• Handling and monitoring the trafficking process for all equipment that enters or leaves the yard
• Completing a thorough check on all equipment before transferring it to the shop
• Moving, linking, unlinking and monitoring all equipment in the yard
• Preparing company and customer equipment, including cleaning and detailing, for rental, sale, and/or demonstrations
• Supporting the service, parts and sales department
• Documenting information on completed work orders

In addition, my team and I spend time organizing the yard by operating the equipment and using tools like forklifts and cranes, unloading palletized freight for the parts/service teams and participating in professional development. 

What Does a Typical Day Look Like in This Position?

My days as an equipment coordinator rarely look the same. This is a fast-paced role where there’s constantly something new to work on.

Here in Riverside, I typically start my day with a 6 a.m. delivery of new equipment. When a truck shows up with new equipment, it’s my job to offload it, handle its bill of lading/paperwork and get it where it needs to go in our yard.

After the deliveries are handled, I may do any number of things, including: 

• Pulling customer equipment and equipment from RDO's rental fleet for the sales team
• Moving equipment for the service team into the service bay
• Organizing the yard
• Helping my colleagues learn to safely operate the equipment
• Demonstrating the operation of the equipment for customers

As an equipment coordinator, I also spend time with RDO’s Access Your Future (AYF) interns, showing them how the yard functions and teaching them to be safe in it.

What Are The Best Parts About This Position? 

I really enjoy this job for a couple of reasons. 

First, every day is different as an equipment coordinator. There’s always something new to do, whether it’s learning about equipment, unloading a new shipment or solving a problem for a colleague. This makes every day exciting. 

The second reason I enjoy this role is that you’re the go-to person for everything related to the yard. 

Being relied on by people around the company — from sales and service to company leaders and customers — feels good and is important. It’s rewarding to help other people solve problems, and you get to do a lot of that in this role.

What’s Challenging About This Position? 

As you evaluate whether you should become an equipment coordinator, it’s important also to consider the potential challenges you’ll encounter.

The main one, in my experience, is dealing with the elements. When you’re an equipment coordinator, most of your work is done outside. This means when it’s hot outside, you’re hot; when it’s cold outside, you’re cold. You get my point; rain, snow or wind, I’m getting the job done. 

Although there are ways to counter the effects of bad weather (drinking water, dressing appropriately, etc.) this isn’t for everyone and should be noted before you start this position. 

Another challenge you may encounter, especially when you first start, is learning how to structure your time. There is no shortage of work as an equipment coordinator. At any given time, you may have multiple priorities and tasks to complete. This can be a challenge, especially if you struggle to self-prioritize. 

Who is a Good Fit For The Equipment Coordinator Role at RDO?

This job can be a good fit for a variety of people. In my experience, there isn’t one background that’s better than another for someone entering this career. 

However, over the years, there are definitely some skills that have made me successful. 

First is communication. Communication skills, being able to communicate well in person, over the phone and via text/email, are a big part of this job. This will help you keep all stakeholders informed of what you’re doing, when you’ll get to their task. Communication also prevents things from slipping through the cracks. 

Another important skill I use is attention to detail. There are many hazards out in the yard, and attention to detail helps me keep myself and everyone else safe. It also helps me complete tasks correctly and keep everything on schedule.

If you have used communication and attention to detail in a previous position, these skills can help you succeed as an RDO equipment coordinator. 

Beyond this, I firmly believe that anyone who is a hard worker and wants to get ahead can do well in this role.

Ready to Take the Next Step?  

Now that you’ve gotten a window into what a day in my life as an equipment coordinator is like, what do you think? 

This is a fulfilling, critical job with opportunities to grow within it. 

If you feel this is the right fit for you, find an opportunity in your area here.

If you’re unsure what position at RDO is perfect for you, join our Talent Network. 

When you do, you’ll receive a monthly update connecting you with what’s going on at our company and any new job openings.