Traveling Manufacturing Jobs
Traveling manufacturing jobs offer flexibility and higher wages to those experienced in manufacturing and production environments. These types of jobs are available throughout the United States because manufacturing skills are in high demand and companies across the country are struggling to hire and retain production and skilled trades workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic completely shifted the labor market and as a result, more companies than ever are contracting with crisis staffing agencies to bring them the talent they need from all across the country. When it comes to contract assignments for traveling production or traveling skilled trade jobs, there are plenty of project options across different industries such as automotive, consumer goods, agricultural, construction equipment, and more. The types of positions available and the demand for certain positions can change at any given time, but the ones mentioned below are the most common right now.
Traveling Manufacturing Jobs & Traveling Production Jobs
Traveling Assembler Jobs
As a Traveling Assembler, there will be a wide range of manufacturing positions available to you across a variety of industries including aerospace and defense; automotive; agricultural and construction equipment; machinery, and all sorts of general manufacturing. There will be a range of clients that will manufacture both large and small assemblies as well as systems and equipment.
When considering a job as a traveling assembler, be sure to ask your recruiter about the environment at the plant, the details of the assembly role, how physical the work will be, how long the contract is for, and of course all the details about traveling to the project site and lodging. You’ll be expected to work from blueprints, work orders, specification documents, and schematics.
Traveling Machine Operator Jobs
The duties and responsibilities of a Traveling Machine Operator will vary from project to project and will depend upon the industry, but in general machine operators, will be responsible for a variety of machine-specific functions—from setting up equipment to loading materials and operating the machinery to monitoring and maintaining machines as well as performing quality checks.
You’ll want to find out from your recruiters what the physical requirements of the job are, what the plant is like, and of course, all the details of the assignment including contract length, pay, per diem, and travel. If you’re an experienced machine operator that is willing to work hard then a role as a traveling machine operator will offer plenty of overtime, opportunities to work for some well-known companies, and the ability to travel to destinations all across the country.
Traveling CNC Operator, CNC Machinist & Manual Machinist Jobs
When considering taking a traveling CNC Operator or CNC Machinist job you’ll want to speak in-depth with your recruiters about what experience their client is looking for, what equipment and programming languages you’ll need to know if you’ll be expected to do setups/changeovers because the last thing you want to happen is to show up and not be able to do the work they’re looking for. Job titles can vary greatly from industry to industry and from company to company and if your recruiter doesn’t fully understand the scope of the job then you may show up to a project that is not what you expected.
Manual Machinists are even more difficult for companies to hire which makes this type of traveling work quite lucrative. In addition to making a high hourly rate, the overtime work available plus untaxed per diem will provide an opportunity to make a substantial amount of money each week. Find out from your recruiter what the project duration is, how long you have to commit, and how long the project is expected to last. If you’re willing and able to stay at the project site for longer than the minimum requirement, you can do the math to figure out just how much you can make depending on how long the project is expected to last.
Brake Press Operators / Metal Fabricator Jobs
Brake press operators are responsible for the fabrication of parts by pressing sheets of metal into shape using a brake press. The skills that are needed for a brake press operator vary depending on the type of brake press that is being used. Generally, however, the operator needs to be able to read and interpret drawings and blueprints. They also need to have good math skills in order to calculate the dimensions of the parts they are fabricating. The operator also needs to be able to use precision measuring tools. Taking a position as a traveling Brake Press Operator will open up opportunities across a variety of industries and enable you to make more money in less time. Plus, you get the added benefit of traveling, meeting new people, and adding some great experience to your already impressive resume.
Traveling Welder Jobs
Many Welders travel for pipeline construction projects, shipbuilding/repair, and industrial shutdowns, but manufacturers are in need of experienced Welders all across the country and they’re hiring traveling Welders too. If you’re an experienced MIG, TIG, or Flux Core Welder that is willing to travel, you’ll have plenty of assignments to choose from across many different manufacturing industries. In addition to a high hourly rate, you’ll have guaranteed overtime each week plus non-taxed per diem making travel assignments a great opportunity to make great money while gaining more experience at premier manufacturing companies.
Staffing Agencies Hiring Traveling Production & Manufacturing Workers
There are many contingency staffing agencies that provide traveling manufacturing workforces — some focus more on manufacturing and others offer a mix of manufacturing, warehousing, and staffing in other industries as well.
Even within manufacturing, you’ll find that some companies work more in certain industries than others — for example, some may do a lot of work in the automotive industry, some may focus on agricultural and construction equipment, and others in food processing.
As you begin to contact different companies and learn more about them and their clients you’ll likely start to notice these differences. Included below are some of the top travel staffing companies that support manufacturing companies throughout the country.
MADICORP
Based out of Massachusetts, MADICORP is the leading provider of temporary industrial staffing, specializing in manufacturing and warehousing for Fortune 1000 companies across the United States. Leveraging over 30 years of crisis staffing and security expertise, MADI stopped providing all strike related services (contingency planning, strike staffing and strike security) in January of 2023 to focus on helping American businesses solve their most critical staffing challenges with traveling industrial workforces. MADI believes that physical location shouldn’t be a barrier to attracting industrial talent. By tapping into their national talent pool, MADI can deliver experienced workforces anywhere in the U.S. rapidly and efficiently. MADI specializes in large-scale production and warehouse staffing projects ranging from 20 to 200+ personnel.
Website: https://www.madicorp.com/
FlexTrades (fka PMG Services)
Based out of Minnesota, FlexTrades which was formerly Personnel Management Group, or PMG, provides temporary staffing and labor dispute staffing within manufacturing, energy, and now healthcare sectors throughout the U.S.
Website: https://www.flextrades.com/
Strom Engineering
Based out of Minnesota, Strom Engineering provides labor dispute staffing and temporary labor throughout the country.
Website: https://www.stromengineering.com/
AFIMAC
Based out of Ohio, AFIMAC provides security, strike staffing, and temporary staffing to public and private sector organizations worldwide.
Website: https://afimacglobal.com/