Your questions about used heavy construction equipment

Are there any construction Unions in south TX ?

I use to work in the Local 3 Operating Engineers Union in NV running heavy equipment. Looking for a similar union here.

An economic problem in which the A (amount given) changes from year to year.?

The highway department expects the cost of maintenance for a piece of heavy construction equipment to be $5000 in year 1, to be $5500 in year 2, and to increase annually by $500 through year 10. At an interest rate of 10% per year, determine the present worth of 10 years of maintenance costs.
What I did was added all of the A values (5000 + 5500 + …) and I got a value of $445,481 for P. However from my understanding A is not the sum of A, but A is a value that can not change. The formula I used was P = A[ ((1+i)^n -1)/(.1(1+.1)^n). Any help would be great thanks!

Case 480e Construction King Loader Backhoe Question?

It has a 390 Cummings and I was wondering if anybody has any info on how many gallons/quarts of oil this particular loader takes and also should I be using SAE-30 in it? I use Rottella T 15w40 in my Duramax, would this be o.k. in the loader. I remember when I worked for a construction company many years ago we uses straight 30 weight in all Diesels. I do not have a owners manual but the loader is a 1987-1989 model, not sure which year. Any info would be appreciated. Also is there a heavy equipment category in Yahoo Q/A? Thanks

I thought Obama said these jobs were safe?

Caterpillar Inc. on Tuesday announced plans to lay off more than 2,400 employees at five plants in Illinois, Indiana and Georgia as the heavy equipment maker continues to cut costs amid the global economic downturn.

Caterpillar, the world’s largest maker of mining and construction equipment, has seen its sales wither as the sluggish world economy and credit crisis weaken demand for its products, used to build everything from houses to highways. The company had expanded dramatically in recent years, helped by a building boom in developing countries.

In response to the worsening conditions, Caterpillar in January announced job cuts that will ultimately eliminate 20,000 positions. It also said it would slash executive compensation by up to 50 percent and offer buyouts to about 25,000 U.S.-based employees. Caterpillar, which employs about 112,000 people worldwide, said it had imposed a global hiring freeze.

Can you provide a job description for a person who measures the grade level in paving construction?

The company is Lafarge Canada Inc. and the job entails measuring the grade level so that the equipment operator knows the precise depth to dig.

A vague description of the job entails using a tape measure, simple mathematics, and getting dirty. A safety hazard is walking in front of heavy moving equipment. In addition, 6-inch steel-toed boots are required.

Can you provide a name for this position, more details, and a formula for the simple mathematics performed?

Thanks.