What if you were driving a front end loader? Well, we got to see one close up at the H&K Quarry in Hilltown, Pennsylvania. Did you know that 65 wheel barrow loads equals one load in a front end loader? The weight of this piece of equipment is equal to that of 100 cars. A big loader can weigh over 99 tons! A front end loader has a 550 horse power engine and can go up to 7 miles per hour.

Loaders are similar to tractors,but there are differences. Loaders have deeper blades. The front end loader mostly picks up dirt and rocks once they are available. This usually happens after the explosion. Most front end loaders work at construction sites and quarries. Front end loaders are similar to bulldozers because then can also push rocks and dirt around. The teeth on the bucket are for digging up hard rocks that some strong shovels couldn't. These loaders are controlled by people. Here at the quarry, the main job of the loader is to pick up rock and move it to different locations or to a piece of machinery, like the crusher.