As we come towards the end of the month it’s interesting to note the job vacancies that we have seen. The trend has been towards crane operators more than heavy equipment operators or truck drivers, however, that trend may well switch around again next month. Truck driving vacancies are always strong, although that strength can be regional. Some of the jobs to come into our jobs website this month include:

Heavy Equipment Operator Jobs

Madison, WI – Heavy equipment operators required
Cuba, Guantanamo – Proficient heavy equipment operators required for work in Guantanamo

Crane Operator Jobs

Society Hill, SC – Employer is seeking Certified Hydraulic Crane Operators
Society Hill, SC – Employer is seeking Certified Lattice Boom Crane operators
Cuba, Guantanamo – Certified crane operators required for work in Guantanamo
Hartland, WI – Employer is looking to hire boom truck operators in a variety of locations
Madison, WI – Boom truck operators required in various locations
Fond Du Lac, WI – Employer requires Boom truck operators.

Truck Driving Jobs

Sauk City, WI. – Drivers required for 53? Dry Vans.
Madison, WI. – Hiring local CDL-B drivers and Heavy Equipment operators.
De Forest, WI – Tandem axle dump drivers required in De Forest for immediate start

The future is bright for anyone looking to enter a career in heavy equipment, crane operations and truck driving. And with training designed to have you work ready taking as little as three weeks, the rewards are certainly worth the investment. Visit the ATS training website if you need more information on training programs.

I had the opportunity to sit in the operator’s seat of a brand new mini-excavator today – and I must say, it was impressive. One of the first things to strike me was the size of the cab. It may be a mini-excavator, but there was plenty of room in the cab – even for a large person. The seat was quite comfortable – I could imagine sitting in it for hours on end working away at a trench or demolition job.

The most impressive part of the cab was the view – 360 degrees of unobstructed view. Now I know many heavy equipment operators would say they have that already, however, I am talking about a fully enclosed air-conditioned cab – not an open air cab. It was all glassed in with narrow corner frames that didn’t obstruct the view at all. Air conditioning was comfortable to work in, and the unit also heated for those cold winter days.

When it comes to controls, they are almost child-friendly. If anything, they may have been oversensitive, however, it only takes a little time to adjust to the fast response of these controls. When it came to actually digging, this mini-excavator had plenty of power, literally carving through dirt bucket load by bucket load.

You’re probably wanting to know what make of excavator I was sitting in, however, I’m not here to advertise that mini-excavator. Rather, I am pointing to how easy it is to use modern heavy equipment and how comfortable working life is. You don’t need to be built like a professional wrestler to handle these machines. In fact, a pro wrestler would probably have too much strength.

No, modern equipment relies more on the subtle touch than the brute force, and the office you’re going to be working from is almost luxurious compared to those from a decade or so ago. The view from the operator’s seat of modern heavy equipment is great – perhaps you’ll get the chance to experience it one day. It takes a couple of weeks of heavy equipment training to have you ready.

Years ago, being certified often meant being locked up in a mental institution. These days, certified is a term applied to those who receive recognition for their skills and abilities, often through the receipt of a certificate. Current work place regulations force employers to only hire crane operators who have been certified – that is, certified as competent to safely operate a crane.

If you attend formal crane operator training, then you should have direct access to the crane operator certification process. If you don’t, it may be wiser to seek training elsewhere. The ATS crane operator training program includes the option to undertake the certification processes at the conclusion of your training – and it all happens on our campus.

What does the certification process involve? It’s really very straightforward. You will be tested on your skills operating the crane, and tested on your knowledge of crane operations and workplace safety. Having just completed your training, this should all be fresh in mind and a piece of cake to complete. Once you satisfy all the requirements, you will receive certification, making you eligible to work as a crane operator – and your certification is recognized nationwide.

No one likes to sit for tests, however, with the right training and a little application to that training, crane operator certification tests are not something to fear. If you can complete your training satisfactorily, then you’ll breeze through these tests. Interested in becoming a certified crane operator? Come and talk to us – we can take you through the whole process – from initial training all the way through to certification. We’ll even help you find your first job as a crane operator.

There are several jobs listed this week that have employers looking for a operators/drivers in several areas, or who are looking for several different types of operator/driver. As summer approaches, you can expect to see an increase in the number of job vacancies for heavy equipment operators and crane operators. Visit our jobs website each day to gain the latest information on job offers.

Crane Operators
Hartland, WI
Employer is looking to hire boom truck operators in a variety of locations

Crane Operators
Madison, WI
Boom truck operators required in various locations

Crane Operators
Fond Du Lac, WI
Employer requires Boom truck operators.

Truck Drivers
Sauk City, WI.
Drivers required for 53′ Dry Vans.

Truck Drivers
Madison, WI.
Hiring local CDL-B drivers and Heavy Equipment operators.

Heavy Equipment Operators
Madison, WI
Heavy equipment operators required

Crane Operators
Cuba, Guantanamo
Certified crane operators required for work in Guantanamo

Heavy Equipment Operators
Cuba, Guantanamo
Proficient heavy equipment operators required for work in Guantanamo

Crane Operators
Society Hill, SC
Employer is seeking Certified Hydraulic Crane Operators

Crane Operators
Society Hill, SC
Employer is seeking Certified Lattice Boom Crane operators

Dump Truck Drivers
De Forest, WI
Tandem axle dump drivers required in De Forest for immediate start

Interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver, or crane operator? Talk to us – we have the complete package from training through to employment assistance post graduation.

Most people go into heavy equipment operator training programs with a set agenda. They may want to become bulldozer operators, or perhaps excavator operators. Some want to learn a range of equipment to make themselves more employable. For most people, life after training follows that agenda. There are, however, many other types of equipment in use, and the pathway to operating this equipment is often through the basic heavy equipment machinery.

So what equipment could you aspire to operate? This depends on the industry you want to enter. In road construction, there are wheeled rollers, heavy rollers and asphalt-laying machinery. In forestry, you could be operating specialist equipment that is used to handle fallen trees. There is a wide range of specialist equipment used in the mining industry, and even there you have a choice between above ground (open cut) and below ground mining. Other industries that make use of specialist equipment include ports (dockyards), general construction, and some manufacturing industries.

There is little in the way of specialist training for these fields, with employers often taking well-trained and experienced heavy equipment operators and providing on-the-job training on the machinery they use. In road construction, for example, it’s not unusual to start as a bulldozer operator or grader operator and to then progress onto other machinery within the company.

The path to this specialized equipment starts with quality heavy equipment operator training that is then backed up with experience in the workplace. In today’s workplace, one leads to another with employers preferring to hire new operators who have graduated from highly respected training schools. Heavy equipment operator training can open doors to more specialized equipment for those who are looking for something different.

The heavy equipment industry can be quite complex when it comes to different types of machinery. Take the humble excavator. This is a piece of machinery that has a bucket at the end of a boom used to dig holes. Or is it? The backhoe is an excavator that has been modified through the addition of a loader at one end – effectively, two machines in one. Different industries have specialized equipment which, whilst bearing the name excavator, look very different to the traditional excavator found digging trenches.

In the mining industry, there are bucket excavators where the name refers to a large wheel that has buckets attached. This machinery continually cuts through earth and rock, a little like a large grinder. A smaller version is sometimes used to dig trenches for underground services – this is known as a continuous excavator. The mining industry also uses an excavator that is similar to the traditional machine, however, it is much larger, and rather than digging holes, is used to scoop large amounts of ore to dump into huge trucks.

There are older excavators that use cables to control the boom and bucket. These are fairly slow workers, however, they are very reliable. Modern machinery achieves the same control using hydraulics. Hydraulics can be maintenance heavy as the equipment gets older – the slightest leak in a hydraulic line will weaken the machinery’s ability to work.

Traditional excavators have changed a lot over the years. The bucket is no longer fixed – it can be removed in minutes and range of different attachments installed – again, in minutes. These attachments can do anything from breaking up concrete to digging large post holes. Heavy equipment is not as simple as looking at a bulldozer, grader, loader or excavator – there are so many different versions of each equipment. Fortunately for new operators, it’s the more traditional equipment that they’ll be using. After completing heavy equipment training, and as you gain experience, you can look at some of the more specialized machinery.

The employment cycle for heavy equipment operators, crane operators and truck drivers continues this week. It’s the turn for crane operators this week with the majority of jobs coming in aimed at this sector. That doesn’t mean there isn’t work for other operators – there is, and job vacancies are constantly being listed on our jobs website. The pick of this week’s jobs include:

Crane Operators
Cuba, Guantanamo
Certified crane operators required for work in Guantanamo

Heavy Equipment Operators
Cuba, Guantanamo
Proficient heavy equipment operators required for work in Guantanamo

Crane Operators
Society Hill, SC
Employer is seeking Certified Hydraulic Crane Operators

Crane Operators
Society Hill, SC
Employer is seeking Certified Lattice Boom Crane operators

Dump Truck Drivers
De Forest, WI
Tandem axle dump drivers required in De Forest for immediate start

If you’re interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator, crane operator or truck driver, then we have all the resources to get you started. We offer comprehensive training in these fields, certification and licensing, and assistance to get you into your first job.

Heavy equipment safety is no longer a matter to be dealt with trivially. It is now mandatory for all heavy equipment operators to have OSHA-approved training prior to commencing work as an operator. We certainly don’t make light of this area of training, ensuring that all graduates who leave our heavy equipment operator school have met those minimum safety standards.

Safety is all about getting the basics right. You’ll often hear two phrases repeated time and again, both in training and in the workplace. These are – “three points of contact” and “look UP.”

Three points of contact refers to movement on heavy equipment (and rigging). The three points of contact are your limbs – either two hands and a foot, or both feet and a hand. Those three points of contact reduce any risk of falling.

Looking UP is important for any equipment that uses height as part of its operations. Excavators, backhoes, loaders and cranes are examples of this type of equipment. It’s natural to look ahead, around you, and down, however, it’s not natural to look for danger from above. There have been a lot of accidents over the years caused by heavy equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines. In many cases, the outcome was deadly for the operator and some of those working around them.

These are just two of the basics that heavy equipment operators need to get right, from day one. Whilst it’s important to think safety, it’s also important to do some things automatically, and looking up and maintaining three points of contact fit into that category. When undertaking heavy equipment operator training, don’t pay lip service to the safety aspects – your life could depend on it.

What’s the hardest truck to drive? Long distance semi-trailer drivers spend long hours behind the wheel whilst a local dump truck drivers could be getting in and out of the cab a dozen or more times a day. Are bigger trucks, then, technically harder to drive? Again, there is not a simple answer to this question. In most cases, a larger truck does involve more skills, however, don’t elect for a small truck because it sounds easier – some smaller trucks are technically harder to drive.

Like all professions, each type of truck has its own idiosyncrasies and levels of difficulty. There are some trucks that have large gear boxes – sometimes as many as 16 gears. There are other trucks that have nothing more than a straight-forward gearbox and drive more like a large van. Each type of truck has its own skill requirements, so it’s almost impossible to state that one truck is more difficult to drive than another.

Trucks carry different types of loads. For example, tankers, which generally carry liquids, require special skills to handle the movement of that liquid in the tanker. Flat bed trailers are often used to transport heavy equipment, and most drivers are expected to load and unload that heavy equipment – a different set of skills altogether. Drivers who transport large loads need to be aware of low bridges whilst those that transport wider loads may require special escorts to clear the way ahead. They often drive late at night to avoid heavy traffic.

When undertaking truck driver training, you need to select a school that can prepare you for the type of truck you intend driving. In most cases, you are expected to undertake your practical driving test (for your commercial drivers license) in a vehicle similar to that you intend driving. There are many skills that are common to all trucks, and the road rules and regulations are very similar for each truck type. You select your career path then undertake truck driver training to suit that career path.

The job listings are a little short week this week, however, over the last month they have been quite good, especially for truck drivers. Jobs become available on a regular basis and the best place to get the latest listings is on our job site. Over the last month we have had vacancies for:

Truck Drivers
Watertown, WI.
Lycon is hiring drivers at many locations.

Truck Drivers
Fergus Falls, MN.
RV Doctor hiring drivers hauling new trailers. 6 days on and 2 days off

Heavy Equipment Operators
Caffeen, IL.
US Minerals needs backhoe and front-end loader operator.

Truck Drivers
Bainville, MT
DUAL TRUCKING is hiring drivers (they are also looking for operators)

Heavy Equipment Operators
Bainville, MT
DUAL TRUCKING is hiring heavy equipment operators (they are also looking for truck drivers)

Truck Drivers
Mobridge, SD
Employer now taking applications for spring hire of truck drivers with CDL-A

Heavy Equipment Operators
Mobridge, SD
Employer now taking applications for spring hire of heavy equipment operators

Heavy Equipment Operators
Evergreen, CO.
Employer hiring HEAVY Equipment Operators

A point worth noting is that many of these job listings are for multiple truck drivers and heavy equipment operators. This means of course that the employer is looking for more than one. If you’re looking for a heavy equipment, truck driving or crane operator job, then check out our job site. If you are considering a career as an operator, then don’t let anyone tell you there are no jobs. There are jobs, you just need to be trained in order to start your career, and we can help throughout heavy equipment training school.