Before the sun cuts through the morning dust in northeast Oklahoma, Trent Harris is already in the cab, diesel engine roaring beneath him. It is another day of hard work and overcoming challenges for the rising contractor.
Harris started Blue Collar Contractors — an earthwork, demolition, and utility company in Oklahoma — from the ground up, with just one machine. Today, he and his crew have a fleet of equipment that is ready to take on major site development work in the area, including a recent fast-paced commercial warehouse project that Crossland Construction bid and awarded to Blue Collar Contractors. For Harris, this job was about more than just moving dirt; it was about showing what a reliable crew and the right machines could accomplish.
Spanning a little over 2 acres, the project scope was compact but intensive: clearing heavy timber, stripping topsoil, moving roughly 6,000 cubic yards of dirt, laying up to 1,000 linear feet of utility lines (including water, sewer, storm, and fiber conduit), and prepping a 5,000-square-foot warehouse pad.
Mass earthmoving was nothing new for Harris’ crew, but the small size of the site presented a major challenge. Working in close quarters meant Harris could not bring in large machinery. He needed a fleet that delivered maximum performance without crowding the job site.
“Our machines had to fit our operation and size,” Harris said. “We looked for equipment that could fit in tight areas on smaller sites, stay light on its feet, and give us the power and cycle times we needed to keep up with much larger fleets.”
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| Star Equipment LTD |
Before utility trenching could begin, the crew had to clear the site. A 14-ton excavator and compact track loader worked side by side to knock down heavy timber and strip the topsoil. Once the lot was open, the excavator shifted to dual duties: loading out haul trucks and digging utility trenches. Operating in tight quarters made the machine’s reduced tail swing feature essential to keep production moving safely.
“On a tight site like this, a reduced tail swing excavator was a game-changer,” Harris said.
Setting up to 1,000 linear feet of utility pipe required more than power; it called for smooth hydraulic control to safely and accurately place the pipe. At the same time, fast hydraulic cycle times kept trucks moving off site without backing up at the gate.
The compact track loader unloaded utility materials, cleaned up spoils, placed bedding and backfill, and cleaned up tight spots larger machines could not reach. The built-in bucket shake feature cleared out sticky materials, keeping the job moving without delays.
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| Road Machinery and Supplies Company |
“Oklahoma clay loves to stick to a bucket, and in the past, you’d spend half your day banging the bucket or digging it out by hand,” Harris said. “With the built-in bucket-shake option, we cleared that sticky soil instantly and kept moving dirt.”
Prepping the 5,000-square-foot warehouse pad was all about building a strong base. The crew brought in dirt, added moisture, and packed it down layer by layer to build a solid foundation for the concrete slab. To build the pad, Harris used a dozer with an integrated Topcon 3D GPS system. The dozer’s sloped hood gave the operator an unobstructed view down to the blade edge, making it easier to move along tight property lines.
“Knowing how much the 3D GPS system would help us as far as efficiency and effectiveness on site, adding that machine was a no-brainer,” Harris said. “It makes everything faster and eliminates the need for survey, staking, and an operator or grade checker walking near moving equipment. Safety and efficiency are a big deal to us.”
Harris’ dozer comes equipped with electrohydraulic controls and factory pre-wiring for third-party machine control. Integrating the machine control involves mounting the GNSS hardware, connecting into the dozer’s pre-wired CAN bus harness, and calibrating the automated hydraulic blade controls.
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Inside the dozer cab, a touch screen display runs 3D-MC software to show real-time cut/fill data and digital terrain designs. Positioned within the operator’s line of sight, the display delivers instant data at a glance while keeping full sightlines open down to the dozer blade edge.
Harris began by running a landscape business, Blue Collar Lawn Care, until customers asked if he could handle small dirt projects around residential properties. Seeing an opportunity, he got his first machine and took on small earthmoving jobs that came his way.
“With one machine, I started spreading sand for pools, clearing overgrown lots, and grading driveways,” Harris said. “I was feeling my way through it and figuring it out as I went. Now here we are, still learning every day and trying to make it happen.”
He reinvested every dollar back into new attachments and equipment for the business. In 2018, he officially rebranded the company to Blue Collar Contractors, shifting his full focus from lawn maintenance to commercial and residential site development.
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| Star Equipment LTD |
Rather than staying small, Harris sought out larger, more complex projects that pushed his crew and accelerated their growth.
“Blue Collar has essentially doubled year after year,” Harris said. “To make it in this business, especially at our size, it takes a lot of grit, perseverance, and persistence to stick with it through all the ups and downs. There’s plenty of companies a lot bigger than us, and we have to knuckle down, find a way to get it done, and compete on that scale.”
As the jobs got larger, the deadlines got tighter. Harris knew that a slow machine or a sudden breakdown could ruin a project. To keep doubling his business, every piece of equipment had to pull its weight. Harris was not tied to any single manufacturer. Rather, he picked his fleet based strictly on speed, power, and job site results.
“To me, all that matters is: Is the machine worth the money I’m paying for it?” Harris said. “I don’t care what everybody’s used for the last 100 years. Today, what is the best return on my investment?”
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That combination of machine performance and operator comfort keeps the crew sharp, finishing projects right on schedule. For Harris, succeeding on a confined job site is all about making every square foot count. By pairing a skilled crew with right-sized equipment, Blue Collar Contractors is able to deliver big results in a tight space.
