Job Description
Job Description
Most paving companies treat the paver operator seat like a machine rental — someone to push the levers. Driveway Design treats it like the job it actually is: the most skilled position on the crew.
If you've been running pavers for five years or more and you're done with overnight travel, long hauls away from home, or crews that don't know what they're doing — this is worth reading.
ABOUT DRIVEWAY DESIGN
Driveway Design has been in the Twin Cities market for 50 years — residential driveways and commercial lots across the west metro. We don't chase every low-bid job. The work we take on requires someone to think: where does the water go, is the grade right, and what did the previous contractor miss? That's the job.
Four recessions. Still here. Randy doesn't bid jobs cheaply and hope for the best — he asks questions until he understands what the property actually needs, then builds it that way. The work holds up because the materials go in right and the problems get fixed, not paved over.
We're building toward $3.5M by 2028 with a crew that runs without Randy managing every job. The operator who comes in and performs is part of that build.
WHAT THE WORK ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE
You're responsible for the quality of every foot of pavement that comes off the machine. Set grade, verify alignment, lay mat — and coordinate with the dump truck driver to keep material flow consistent. When the paver stops, the whole crew stops. That's the job.
When the paver isn't running, you're on the ground — raking, shoveling, roller operation, whatever the job needs. This is not an operator-only position. Every person on the crew works every role.
The season runs May through mid-November. Days are 8–10 hours, sometimes more on commercial jobs with hard deadlines. All work is local — home every night, no travel. Winters off.
If "winters off" is the main appeal, this isn't the right fit. If 50 years of local reputation and a crew that actually functions are the appeal — keep reading.
WHO BELONGS HERE
- You find a way. Grade is off, material temp is wrong, the site isn't prepped right — you call it before the paver rolls, not after. Driveway Design has been here for 50 years because the people here don't fold when things get complicated. Dave worked here for 25 years. Jarred stepped up from the concrete crew to fill the paver seat when it needed filling.
- You know what you're doing. Five-plus years of real paver experience — in the seat, not on the crew. You've recognized bad grade before it became bad pavement. You understand what the machine is doing mechanically, not just which levers control what.
- Work hard, go home. Nobody here milks the clock. The Mama G's parking lot job — full reconstruction, drainage corrected, grade raised, 11 new parking spots gained — got done in eight days because the crew worked like it mattered. That's the standard.
- You do the right thing when nobody's checking. Grade gets corrected even when it's not in the original scope. Material goes in right, even when the customer won't notice the difference. Driveway Design's reputation is 50 years of work that has held up — the operator protects that, or they don't belong here.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 5+ years of verified asphalt paver operation experience
- CDL Class A or Class B with a clean driving record
- Mechanical knowledge of paving equipment — you understand what the machine is doing, not just how to run it
- Ability to operate rollers, loaders, and skid steers
- Physically capable of full-day ground work when the machine isn't running
- U.S. work authorization
You do NOT need:
- No highway or commercial-only background required — residential precision is a skill we value equally
- No union membership required
PAY AND WHAT COMES WITH IT
$33–$42/hr based on verified experience. No training discount. The rate reflects what you bring to the seat on Day 1.
Full health benefits and paid holidays. All work is local, west metro — home every night, no travel. Winters off. The crew has been together long enough that people know what needs doing without being told.
Harlan is moving into the foreman seat. The operator who comes in and runs the clean mat is who this crew gets built around as Driveway Design grows toward $3.5M.
THE HIRING PROCESS
- Apply. Five minutes.
- If the initial screening fits, a 15-minute phone call.
- Six written questions by email — takes about 15 minutes to answer.
- Face-to-face interview with Randy or Harlan. About 45 minutes.
- A day on site so you can see the crew and the work firsthand.
- Decision.
If you've run a paver for five years and you've read this far — you already know whether this is worth a phone call.
Compensation:
$33 - $42 hourly
Responsibilities:
- Operate asphalt paver on residential driveways and commercial properties — set grade, verify alignment, lay mat to Driveway Design quality standards.
- Prepare construction sites before paving begins: grade confirmed and equipment staged before the paver rolls.
- Coordinate with the dump truck driver to maintain material flow — paver doesn't stop, crew doesn't stand around.
- Operate roller, skid steer, and hand tools as needed throughout the shift.
- Complete daily pre-trip and post-trip equipment inspections; flag issues immediately.
- Communicate grade problems, material issues, or anything affecting quality to Randy or Harlan before it becomes a failure.
- Work ground crew roles — raking, shoveling, and cleanup — when the paver isn't running.
Qualifications:
Required:
- 5+ years of verified asphalt paver operation experience.
- CDL Class A or Class B with a clean driving record.
- Mechanical knowledge of paving equipment.
- Ability to pass a background check.
- Physically capable of full-day ground work.
- U.S. work authorization.
You do NOT need:
- No highway-only background required — residential precision is equally valued.
- No union membership required.
About Company
Driveway Design has operated in the Twin Cities metro for over 50 years. We do asphalt and concrete work that most contractors in this market won't take on — custom drainage, textured asphalt, commercial lots where the grade is wrong and the previous contractor didn't fix it. Four recessions. Still here. The work holds up because the materials go in right and the problems get actually fixed, not paved over.
Dave stayed 25 years. Vern kept coming back. That's not luck — Randy and Lanet keep people whole when things slow down. When there isn't enough work to fill the week, they find the hours. If you do the work and show up, you're part of that build.