2009 will be an interesting year for everyone. There has been so much doom and gloom on the financial markets that most people are looking to tighten their belts and hang on to their money. The various governments on the other hand are looking to open their wallets and spend up big, and they all hope we do the same. What’s in store for heavy equipment operators then if money is tight?

Employment prospects for heavy equipment operators are good. In fact you may even find there is a shortage of operators in some sectors. Truck drivers are always in heavy demand. We all eat and we all buy the basic necessities. In fact some areas of consumer spending will increase as we all decide to stay at home to eat and play.

Whilst home construction may fall in 2009, the reality is that there is not a huge call for heavy equipment operators. Sure, bulldozers may come in and level a building site, but on housing estates, that has often been done years in advance. Excavators, particularly the mini kind may find a small downturn. They are often employed to dig the trenches for service connections.

The real demand for heavy equipment operators is in the road building, mining, forestry and large building construction sectors. These will all see a rise in demand for operators. Roads are one area that governments throw money at when they want to spend.

With the price of commodities on the rise, the employment prospects for heavy equipment operators in mines will increase. The large building construction sector will also see a rise in demand for operators as again governments build new hospitals and schools.

2009 will be a good year for trained and qualified heavy equipment operators. If your thinking of taking up a career as a heavy equipment operator then enroll today. This is the last opportunity to take advantage of our training discount. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools start new training programs on a regular basis. Get in now and take advantage of the employment prospects for 2009.

If you have ever wanted to become a truck driver the now is the best time to enroll for truck driver and CDL training. Our training program is designed to teach you the fundamentals of driving and to prepare you for the Class-A Commercial Driver License (CDL) road test.

Our graduates have found employment in many different types of truck driving jobs including equipment transporting, dump trucks/trailers, sand and gravel, paving, concrete/asphalt, mining, freight haulers, construction materials, tankers to name just a few.

Training includes classroom and ‘hands-on’ training and covers subjects such as Department of Transportation rules, safety and safe operation of equipment, Commercial Driver License regulations, logbooks, and hazardous materials in the classroom whilst the “hands-on” training includes backing and other close quarter maneuvers, pre-trip inspections, coupling and uncoupling and actual Highway and City driving.

If you enroll before close of business on December 31 (and that’s tomorrow), you could receive a nice discount on your training fees. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is the biggest network of heavy equipment training schools in the country. Call 1.800.678.8120 or visit our heavy equipment training website for more details.

There is one thing I always see as students graduate from their heavy equipment operator training program – there is a look – a gleam in the eye – sweaty palms – they just cannot wait to get out into the workforce and put their new found skills to work. They want jobs.

Of course, for many of them it’s not because they want a job. Oh no, it is because they have already scored a job and they cannot wait to front up on Monday morning ready to start. I am sure for some they would rather start right there and then. Job placement is always a concern when you make a career move. If your smart, you will start your job search the moment you start your training.

Our heavy equipment operator schools are well known for producing highly skilled and competent operators ready to perform in the work place. Employers know it and often come to us with job vacancies looking for one of our graduates to fill that vacancy.

We now utilize a job placement database that students can access to help search for employers and job vacancies. A job placement coordinator can also help students locate suitable employers, particularly if they are looking for a job placement in a particular area.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools offer quality training and employment assistance. Enroll now and you may be entitled to a discount of your training fees. Hurry – the offer ends in on Wednesday December 31.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have had a training facility in Colorado since 2006. The school was primarily established to deliver heavy equipment training which it has done quite successfully. The long term goal was to add both mobile crane and CDL truck driver training to the curriculum.

This has now been achieved and Colorado school now offers the full range of heavy equipment, mobile crane and CDL truck driver training programs. For prospective students wanting to enroll in any training programs for the new year, enroll now and you could still be eligible for a discount off your training fees. This applies to all our training schools. Call us on 1.800.678.8120 for further information or visit our web site for more details on the heavy equipment training discount.

Employment is always a big issue when it comes to training. The question is often asked, “are there jobs for heavy equipment operators available at present”. The answer is almost always a resounding yes. We have our own employment program for successful students so finding a job is generally not that difficult. The economy may be in recession, however the government is continuing to spend up big on infrastructure projects so job placements are continually being made. Enroll now, grab your discount and look forward to a lucrative career as a heavy equipment operator, mobile crane operator, or CDL truck driver.

I watched with interest as a single bulldozer worked away at one of the local airports yesterday – up and down it went, pushing the snow of the runaway and onto the sides. It was a never ending task. As quickly as the bulldozer cleared the tarmac, more snow would fall.

He eventually cleared the runway sufficiently for a couple of the smaller planes to take off. As I watched the snow building up on the shoulders and at the end of the runway, I had the most ghoulish thought – if a plane were to have an accident right now, what a wonderful bank of pillows to land on.

The skills employed to move the snow and clear the runway are no different to those required to clear a construction site. Those skills can be taught through an accredited training provider like ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.

You pick the most appropriate training to meet your needs and wind up as a highly successful heavy equipment operator. Sign up before the end of the year, December 31, and you could be eligible for a nice little discount off your training costs.

With record snow falls being recorded across the nation, many of the interstates have been closed. Snow is up to three or four feet deep in many places; in some places it is even deeper. In times like these, once the snow stops falling, every spare piece of heavy equipment gets a call up – come clear the highways.

Whether it’s a snow plow, a grader or a front end loader, they all have their uses. The interstates are the nations life lines. Under normal circumstances, trucks would be traveling up and down the highways, often in their hundreds. With snow falling and roads blocked, these trucks become idle, often laden with perishables.

Heavy equipment operators will often work ten or twelve hours shifts clearing the highways of snow and trying to open them up as quickly as possible all the while hoping there is no more snow. On icy roads it takes a high level of skill and patience to move the blockage and get the traffic going again.

Many of these operators gained their qualification and skills through ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools. You could be one of those operators in years to come once you have completed your training. There are only days left in our special Christmas promotion. Enroll today and you could be entitled to a discount off the training fees. See our website for the full details.

Here they are, all lined up ready to help Santa deliver all those presents to the children who have been good this year.

Santa’s sack is big, but these days it’s not big enough to hold everything so the trucks line up ready to refill Santa’s bag whenever he needs it topped up.

Of course, Santa only chooses the best and this time around, he has chosen ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools to help him load up his sack.

If you look closely at the bottom of his sack you will find a special gift just four you. Enroll in a training program before December 31 and Santa will arrange a tidy discount off the training costs – check the site for details.

We here at ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools would like to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas.

If you need to move a grader or front end loader, or perhaps even a bulldozer, then your going to need to a specially designed trailer to transport that heavy equipment. You are also going to need a big strong rig to pull that loaded trailer.

There is more to transporting heavy equipment than just loading up and driving away. You also need to ensure that everything is chained down securely, particularly components like booms and buckets.

For particularly large heavy equipment, you may require escorts to clear the road and be restricted to late night driving.

Truck drivers require special training and licensing before they can hit the road transporting heavy equipment around the countryside. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools specializes in truck driver training. Sign up now and you may qualify for a special Christmas discount. Hurry – the offer ends December 31.

You would be surprised at the number of locations where we deliver heavy equipment training. In 1963, we started the Diesel Truck Driver Training School near Madison, Wisconsin. We still maintain our primary office and training facilities there.

Since 1963 we slowly spread our wings. In 2002 we started delivering training in Florida (2002); then Ohio in 2003 and New Hampshire in 2004. This quickly followed Virginia in 2005, Colorado and South Carolina in 2006, and California in 2007. We haven’t finished our growth yet with Texas and Arizona on the cards.

Our growth has been tempered by one thing – quality. With over 100 staff members, we are diligent in ensuring that each staff member is trained and qualified for the position they fill. Heavy equipment trainers are skilled operators as well as being effective trainers.

Enroll in one of our heavy equipment training programs before December 31 and receive a generous discount on your fees. With demand for skilled operators increasing you are one step away from starting a career as a well-paid heavy equipment operator.

When it comes to heavy equipment, bulldozers are heavy. They are designed to cut and push large quantities of material around with little effort. With their size and weight there are bound to be dangers, in fact, they can cause serious injury and even death, if not operated properly.

Sometimes the situation can be as simple as overhead power lines. At other times it can be the danger of people and vehicles moving in close proximity to the machine. Heavy equipment often comes with one major problem, they can be slow to action in an emergency. Not only can they be slow to react, if you can image a bulldozer pushing a large rock, even thought he bulldozer has come to a stop, the large rock may still move a little, particularly on a slope.

The same can be said if the bulldozer is being used as crane. The bulldozer may come to a stop but the load may continue to swing. Often, the only solution to operating a bulldozer safely is to have a second person on the ground who can provide directions and warnings to both the operator and those on the ground.

Ultimately, only qualified and trained workers should be allowed to operate and ride on bulldozers. The training should also include safety aspects as set down by state and national authorities. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools provides a comprehensive regime of bulldozer training that includes safety aspects, maintenance checks and of course the operation of the equipment. Enroll now and secure a discount on training fees – hurry, offer ends December 31.