Master of Maintenance, Travis Weber
Master of Maintenance
As Arro Crushing’s Superintendent of Maintenance, Travis oversees repairs and maintenance to keep production on track.
Tell us a bit more about your job and your responsibilities.
I oversee equipment repairs and monitor performance to ensure everything operates efficiently. My role includes scheduling preventive maintenance and repairs to align with our machine operating schedules. While our maintenance team handles most tasks, we outsource certain jobs to contractors depending on workload or complexity.
Describe your typical day on the job and how the work you do contributes to the company.
Each day starts with reviewing the agenda I prepared earlier, outlining the tasks at hand. My responsibilities range from ordering parts and scheduling repairs to performing hands-on maintenance. I’m always on call—if a machine breaks down, I head to the site to assist. Proper maintenance minimizes downtime, reduces stress, and drives production, making my role essential to the company’s success. The more we can keep our equipment repaired and maintained on schedule, the less downtime we will have. Less downtime = less stress = greater production.
What do you find most challenging in your work?
Having a separation between my work and my home life is definitely one challenge I continue to face. I honestly enjoy what I do for work, and sometimes I find myself replying to emails, or brainstorming ideas long after dark. Long term, for my overall well-being, I need to know when to say no and keep my home life for a time of getting rested up and spending time with family.
What do you enjoy the most?
My hard-hat says it all: “THE FABRICATOR”. If I can have a welding helmet and a box of 7018’s there will be no disappointing me that day. The winter months are especially rewarding, as we bring our crushers into the shop for larger maintenance projects that involve fabrication, welding, and customization.
How did you become interested in this field/this work?
I’ve always enjoyed being around heavy equipment, when I was younger, I remember visiting a large coal mine out in northern Nova Scotia, and being intrigued by the scale and size of the machines, much less the mine that these machines were in. It sparked my curiosity, but I ended up working for a welding shop for a number of years. An opportunity arose at a mobile crushing company, Arro Crushing, so I took it and that’s where this story begins.
Education and advancement
Is your current position the same as when you started in this company?
No, my position and responsibilities are quite different actually. When I started for Arro, I spent a good amount of time on the ground, shoveling under the crusher, looking for potential hazards, just walking around the machine, and recording tonnages etc. As I reflect on those days, I actually miss them. Although it may not be looked on as the most admirable work, it is definitely some of the most important. After 2 months, I started running machines more frequently, and by 8 months I moved to a foreman role for the crushing spread which I operated on. I managed that crew for about 2 years.
My real skill was in repair work—and I enjoy it—so when the man-power was sufficient, I moved to a full-time maintenance role, something we hadn’t had before. We bought a service truck and outfitted that, and to present I now oversee the repairs on all the equipment. As the name implies, ARRO, “always moving forward”.
Detail your past or ongoing education or training and how it is relevant to your job.
My welding shop experience laid a strong foundation. I honed skills in MIG and arc welding and worked on custom jobs requiring mechanical thinking. Also, I worked alongside an older gentleman with a wealth of knowledge in welding, hydraulic repairs, electrical, you name it. Working along side him was a game-changer for me. Now going into the role I am in today I can use those same skills and things I’ve learned from the welding shop, for manufacturing crusher parts etc.
If you could start over, would you change your career path?
There are challenges that arise in this industry, but I love the job I am doing and truly feel this is where my skillset is at. There is lots of opportunity in this trade. There is always continual room for improvement and the way we do things. So at the end of the day, it’s the vision that counts.
Industry and advice
What advice would you give a high school aged student unsure of the opportunities in the aggregate industry?
Go after it! There’s a misconception that college or university is the only path, but the skilled trades offer real-world experience, financial stability, and endless opportunities. Be eager to learn, stay humble, and embrace the hard work—it lays the foundation for a fulfilling career. And having a quiet tongue and an open ear will go far. Oh, and another thing, be willing to do the grunt work. Holding a shovel and cleaning up under a tail-pulley for the fifth time in a day may not be your type of work, but trust me, its those days that builds the foundation for your career. If you want to be responsible for what is great, be willing to do that which is least.
What skills should someone in your field have?
Three essentials:
- Honesty: Let your actions match your words.
- Growth mindset: Always seek improvement and be open to learning. There are many in the industry who can teach you a wealth of knowledge if you’re willing to lend your ear.
- Accountability: Take responsibility for your actions and own your mistakes—it defines character.