At a glance
| Criterion | With operator | Bare rental |
|---|---|---|
| Who operates | Certified RentaCentro operator | Your certified crew |
| What you pay | Machine + operator (or a rate that includes one) | The machine |
| Maintenance | On us | On us |
| Best for | High skill, short stages, no crew free | Long projects, simple equipment |
When operated rental makes sense
- High-skill machines: excavator, backhoe and lifts — the learning curve is paid in rental hours.
- You don't have a certified operator available, or your best one is already on another front.
- Short, intense stages: the operator arrives productive from hour one.
- Work with demanding safety protocols (height, deep excavation, lifting near utilities).
When bare rental is enough
- You have your own certified operators with real hours on that machine type.
- Long project with a dedicated machine — your operator learns its rhythm.
- Simple-operation equipment: light compaction, light towers, scaffolding.
How operated rental works
You run the site; we provide the machine and the person operating it safely. The operator is certified, knows the machine — which we also maintain — and coordinates with your site manager like any other resource on your schedule.
In the rate it shows up like this: some published rates already include an operator — like the hourly excavator and backhoe rates — and the equipment page says so; otherwise the operator is added in the proposal.
Where operators are trained
The group runs its own academy, Academia APMT, which certifies excavator, skid steer and forklift operators with simulators and real-machine practice; certificates can be verified online. If you'll rent bare, ask your crew for that level of preparation: a machine performs as well as whoever drives it.
What to say when you request operated rental
- Site hours and shifts: the operator coordinates with your site manager; if you run double shifts, say so from the quote.
- What the machine will do and the risks: digging near utilities, work at height, traffic.
- Who the site manager or foreman giving instructions on site is.
- Whether your site requires its own safety induction before entry.
- Start and end dates of the stage, to book machine and operator together.
Total cost: your own operator vs operated rental
When you compare, don't set the operator's rate against zero. Add what your own operator costs for that period, the hours lost while they learn the machine and the risk of damage beyond normal wear, which is on the customer. On short stages with skill machines, operated rental usually pays off; on long projects with your own certified operator who has hours on that machine, bare rental wins.
Common mistakes
- Putting someone with no real hours on that machine in the seat 'because they've driven another one'.
- Assuming the rate includes an operator: check the equipment page or the proposal.
- Not coordinating the operator's schedule with the site manager.
- Waiting until the end of the stage to request the missing operator.
Frequently asked questions
Is the operator from RentaCentro?
Yes — certified operators from our team, experienced on the fleet they run. You bring the project; we bring the machine and its operator.
Is the operator included in the rate?
Only on rates that say so: the equipment page shows it on the published rate. Otherwise the operator is charged separately and itemized in the proposal.
Which machines can be rented with an operator?
Skill machines: excavators, backhoes and aerial lifts; the ride-on roller can also be requested with a certified operator.
Can I start bare and add an operator later?
Yes, subject to availability. If mid-project you need to add — or remove — an operator, talk to your advisor and we adjust the contract.
Where are operators certified?
At the group's academy, Academia APMT, which certifies excavator, skid steer and forklift operators with simulators and real-machine practice.
Does the operator work my hours?
It's coordinated with your site manager around the job's schedule. If you'll run double shifts or weekends, say so when you quote so it goes in writing.
Equipment in this guide
Add them to your quote with the + button and send them together, with dates, in a single request.
- Komatsu PC200-10M0 CE Excavator
The 20-tonne excavator that carries the heavy stage of the job.
Get a quote 
Komatsu WB93R-5E0 Backhoe LoaderDigs in the back, loads in the front: two machines in one rental.
Get a quote
SIMAQ SQTHZ 170 PRO Articulating Boom Lift (13.7 m)Reach that works around obstacles at height.
Get a quote