I recently wrote on how to Become An Excavator Operator And Learn To Control A Real Monster – today I could almost eat my words. Over the last ten days or so I have watched with interest an excavator, admittedly one of the smaller variety, working away each day on a new pipeline. Although we have been in the industry for decades, I can still watch them at work with a certain amount of awe.

What caught my attention with this job? The excavator operator’s ‘fine’ skills. The excavator wasn’t being used as a ‘monster’, at least not all the time. Let me give you a run down on the job.

Day one – the excavator operator used the bucket like a butter knife to gently peel away the turf from the surface. This was neatly piled to one side of the job.

Day two and three – the excavator became the monster and dug a fairly deep and fairly wide trench ready for the pipes to be laid.

Day four – each pipe was rigged to the excavator bucket and gently lowered into the trench. One by one they all went in.

Day five – the trench was back-filled. I thought that was it – job done and I won’t see them again. Wrong.

Day six – back again – this time, as gentle as a baby, the excavator operator carefully scraped and combed the sides of the filled-in trench pulling in all the loose debris. Behind him his fellow workers were relaying the turf that had been pulled up on day one.

Now they are gone. I couldn’t resist it; I had to go and look at the worksite. You can see where the turf has been put down. However, that is all you can see. You would never know there had been a deep trench there a couple of days earlier. That excavator operator had cleaned the area to perfection – that takes skills – skills that are acquired first through quality excavator operator training, and secondly through years of practice.

I know his face looked familiar. I may have seen him on another work site – but then again, I wonder if he was one of ours and had undertaken his training through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. I should have asked.

There is a lot more to driving a dump truck than often meets the eye. One thing is for sure – a dump truck driver is not your average truck driver. Granted, a dump truck driver does need to know how to drive a truck. They do need to know the road rules and meet all the requirements of a general truck driver. It just doesn’t stop there.

If you consider the role of a dump truck driver, they are required to drive from point A to point B with a load, and dump it. Okay you say, a dump truck driver also needs to know how to operate the dump mechanism that tips the tray to dump the load. Whilst this is true, many dump truck drivers need added skills.

One of the most important skills that a dump truck driver requires is the ability to spread a load over a distance. This could be gravel that is evenly spread over a 100 yard stretch of newly formed road. You may have seen these drivers. They start the tilt on the dumper whilst driving at an even speed. The load is spread as the truck moves forward. The skill is knowing how fast to drive and how far to tip the tray.

These skills are developed during your training but it is on the job experience that hones those skills. In the hands of an expert dumper, that load of gravel can spread to the point it looks like a grader has gone over it to smooth it out.

Whilst dump truck driving is a specialist area of truck driving, undertaking truck driver training provides you with the skills and licensing that can open the doors to a wide variety of trucking jobs. These may be long distance haulage or local deliveries; hauling heavy equipment or driving that dumper. Either way, you will have a skill for life and a qualification that can provide employment nationwide.

When people think of heavy equipment, their initial reaction is to think of bulldozers, graders, excavators, and perhaps backhoes. There is actually a much wider range of machinery that is used in construction or mining that is classified as heavy equipment – you may often see it in use without having a name to put to it.

Skid steer loaders, or skid loaders as they are often called, are one example. Although small and lightweight in comparison to their much larger relatives, the skid steer is nonetheless important on a job site. The skid steer gets its name from the way it operates.

This little machine is run in four wheel drive with the left and right wheels driven independently. That means the left can be moving forward whilst the right hand side is stopped, effectively turning the machine on the spot. Because the right hand side is stopped, it will ‘skid’ through the turn.

A skid steer loader is often used in tight situations where larger equipment has no access. Although its normal configuration is with a loader attachment, there are many other attachments that can be used. These include backhoe, hydraulic breaker, pallet forks, angle broom, sweeper, auger, mower, snow blower, stump grinder, tree spade, trencher, dumping hopper, ripper, tillers, grapple, tilt, roller, snow blade, wheel saw, cement mixer, and wood chipper machine.

Another piece of heavy equipment that you may see in use is referred to simply as a scraper – since that is what it does. This is a strange looking piece of equipment – they often remind me of a strange looking insect. The machine is comprised of a scraper blade, a little like a cheese knife, a hopper, and an articulated drive cab. The machine is used to scrap layers of the surface depositing the scraped material into the hopper. Like a cheese knife, they are good at slicing even layers from the surface leaving a fairly smooth surface.

There are many other different types of heavy equipment, each requiring certain skills to operate them effectively. These skills need to be developed using the equipment on a suitable surface, or in work-like situations. Before selecting a heavy equipment training provider, check whether or not they provide training on the type of equipment you want to operate, and whether or not they provide real life training – ATS Heavy Equipment Operators Schools do.

Training on loaders used to be so boring. It often relied on you simply spending hours on end moving a pile of earth from A to B and when you were finished, moving it back again. These days, training on loaders has become far more interesting and doesn’t just rely on building hours in a loader operator’s seat.

When you undertake loader training now you find the course far more comprehensive and interesting than in years gone by. There is a requirement for you to undertake safety training – a requirement that could prevent you from entering a construction site unless you have completed it.

Safety of course is one issue. Now, when you get out into the field and work as a loader operator you are expected to know a lot more than just how to move that pile of dirt. There are basic, and sometimes not so basic, general equipment maintenance tasks and inspections that need to be undertaken – often on a daily basis.

Loader training now goes beyond simply operating a loader. Most heavy equipment training programs also include instruction on other machines such as a bulldozer, grader and backhoe. For the student, this has several benefits. First, and most importantly, you are not restricted to just one machine. You can obtain employment operating a much wider range of equipment.

Even if you wanted to specialize on a loader, knowing how other equipment works, what their limitations are and how they handle gives you a much better understanding of that equipment when they are working around you on a construction or mining site.

Today’s construction sites are often very different to those of the past. Operators move between various types of heavy equipment, particularly when construction is going on around the clock. If you’re looking for wheel loader training then contact the very best in the business – ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. We will get you started in the career of your choice.

Take on training to become an excavator operator and you have the potential to get into the control cab of one of the best machines around. Heavy equipment that is used in mining and construction come in many different configurations but nothing that beats the brute power of a giant excavator.

Most of the excavators you see working on building sites, on the side of the road excavating channels, or scarping a new road bed range in size of 5-60 tons. Their buckets can carry as much as a ton or two and their digging power is immense.

Take that image and multiply it a little – alright – multiply it a lot. Imagine a machine that weighs around 800 tons and the amount of material collected in a bucket is around the 75 ton mark. In fact, with those statistics, imagine a beast with a bucket and the strength to lift two or more of its little brothers.

Most excavator operators only get to dream of operating a huge monster like that. They do exist, though, predominantly in the mining industry, but also on some construction sites where excavating large holes is called for. A good example is where they include a multi-level underground car park. The excavator’s job is to dig that hole and it needs to be dug exactly to specifications.

One of the benefits of excavator operator training is that you are taught to operate a wide variety of machines. Once you have completed your training you can then go on to specialize on a particular type of machine ranging from backhoe to bulldozer and on to an excavator. Get a few years experience on an excavator and you can try to find your way through to one of those giants. Can you imagine the power that sits in that engine room? Many of those giants have not one, but two large diesel powered engines, each delivering as much as 2000HP – now that is what I call a monster machine.

No one can really promise you a job once you have completed your heavy equipment training, however, a job placement service can open doors to prospective employers that may otherwise have been closed. Having said that, not all job placement services are equal. Some provide a much better service than others.

One of the keys to a successful job placement service is the actual training itself. Over time, employers get to know which training organizations deliver the goods; which training organizations use honest assessment methods (rather than passing everyone regardless of skills); and which organizations use modern equipment.

Users of heavy equipment operators build a level of trust and develop networks within training organizations. You would be surprised how often an employer contacts a training organization asking for the best grader operator, or the best bulldozer operator. They have a vacancy and they want to grab the best available before someone else does. This of course is a measure of the level of respect that employer has with the training organization.

Job placement services of course don’t just sit back and wait for employers to contact them. They are actively building their own networks, talking to employers, finding out how well a previous student has done, and of course, if they have any actual or expected vacancies.

For employers, it saves them the time and hassle of advertising vacancies. Not only that, they are not inundated by job applicants. For you the student, it also means you are not competing with a lot of other applicants. This improves your chances of getting that job once you have completed your training.

If you’re looking for a heavy equipment training provider that has an effective job placement service, check out ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. Our heavy equipment job placement service kicks into gear the moment you start your training.

Crane operators are always in demand and the more experience you can gain the more in demand your skills will become. Over the last decade there has been a distinct change in the careers of crane operators with most states now requiring operators to become certified. Gaining your crane operator certification may be a bit of a hassle if you’re already employed in the industry – but it does come with a few benefits.

As each state introduced compulsory certification of crane operators, some of the older operators moved out of the industry instead of undertaking crane operator testing. This of course has opened the doors to new operators who receive crane operator training and certification at the same time. For others, certification has brought with it more stability within the industry.

For employers, crane operator certification brings with it an expectation of a minimum standard of skills and knowledge. They rely on the certification process to guarantee that standard. If you apply for a vacancy holding a certificate in your hand, the employer is confident that you meet the standard and are capable of doing the job required.

A more important benefit to operators is the portability of their qualification. Their training and certification means they can find employment virtually anywhere within the country. If they have a wealth of experience, they can often also find employment internationally, particularly working for local companies that working on projects in developing countries.

Choosing a career as a crane operator places you into one of the most satisfying and highest paid positions within the construction industry. With a steady demand of certified crane operators projected over the next five years, now is a good time to gain that training and certification. Feel free to contact us if you are looking for more information on crane operator training and certification.

Truck driving is one field of employment that is constantly in demand. Although air, rail and sea often transport products, almost everything still requires transporting by truck – even if it is only a short distance from the air, rail or sea port to its final destination.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has forecast a growth of 8% in job numbers over the next six years. This is an increase of over 250,000 additional drivers bringing the total number to over 3.6 million. Add to this the number of drivers retiring or moving on to alternative careers, thought to be around 5% each year, and you can see why truck drivers, particularly those with their commercial drivers licenses (CDL), are in high demand.

Long distance haulage can be demanding with drivers having to spend not just hours away from home, often it is days or even weeks. Some drivers have their rigs set up with beds, TVs and even microwaves and mini-refrigerators – talk about the comforts of home. However, driving for 10 hours straight, often overnight, can be wearing on the body. Fortunately, today’s trucks have the comfort of air conditioning, padded seats, power steering and GPS to help with navigation.

One of the benefits of obtaining and maintaining your Class A CDL license is that you can move in and out of the truck driving workforce. When employment in your regular field is tight, you can often rely on truck driving as a viable fill in. Heavy equipment operators can also benefit from obtaining their CDL as they are in a position then to transport their equipment to and from work sites. This saves a potential employer the problem of rostering two people to do a job – one to transport and one to operate.

The outlook is good for truck driving and now is a great time to take advantage of truck driver training. Once completed you will be in a position to take up many of the opportunities that will arise over the next 12 months.

One of the most highly skilled heavy equipment operators is that of a backhoe operator. Where motor graders are often found finishing a job, backhoe operators work from start to finish and often require high levels of precision.

If you consider some of the types of work undertaken by backhoe operators you may gain an idea of how precise they need to be. Take a standard backyard inground swimming pool. Because of the tight spaces, the only equipment suited to the job is that of a backhoe. They are required to dig the hole precisely to plans. This often includes a slope to accommodate the various pool depths and either dead straight or curved walls. This takes a lot precision and attention to detail.

Swimming pools are one thing. What about an archeological dig? We may not have archeological digs in every backyard but when they do occur, a backhoe operator is often called in to get things started. Again, it takes a lot of attention, a lot of precision, and the ability to treat the dig with a lot of care. This takes the effort of a highly trained and skilled operator.

Back to the normal everyday type of work undertaken by backhoe operators. Whether digging foundations, a trench for pipes and cables, or clearing debris, the same degree of precision and attention to detail is required. Get the foundations wrong and it can cause all sorts of problems and a trench dug from point A to C is useless if B is where the trench needs to be.

The job outlook for backhoe operators is not as prosperous as bulldozer or grader operators. National growth is expected to be around 4% – around 2500 new operators nationally each year. This also takes into account the number of operators who leave the industry. In yesterday’s post I highlighted grader operators and Illinois was looking at around 300 new operators each year. For backhoe operators, they expect growth at around 180 new operators this year falling to around 100 new operators each year after that. The trend seems to be similar in most other states with a high demand forecast for this year and a general taper over the next five years.

Wages for backhoe operators are also varied, ranging from as little as $31,000 to just over $65,000 per year. The median is $41,000 (www.bls.gov). The number of operators employed in the mining sector is expected to decline over the next five years although as the economy starts to pickup, this could change dramatically. Overall, the employment and wage outlook is positive, with a high rise in vacancies expected over the next six to twelve months.

If you have ever considered a career as a specialist backhoe operator then there is no better time to train than right now. If you act now, you can take advantage of predicted short term growth in the industry. Fortunately, backhoe training is often part of a general heavy equipment training program so you will also gain experience and knowledge on other heavy equipment – being multi-skilled is always a bonus in today’s workplace.

You would be surprised at some wages being offered these days. Whilst there has been a period of doom and gloom coming through most media outlets, some employment sectors seem to have become deaf to it all. Construction is one industry that now fits that bill. Grader operators, particularly experienced operators with knowledge of GPS and other IT based grader enhancements, can command very high wages.

If you take a look at employment prospects in an area like New York, the outlook looks promising. They are predicting demand to increase by 150 new operators every year through to 2016. When it comes to wages, the mean is around $36,000, but get this: the top paid workers are commanding over $75,000 each year. (NYCareerZone.org)

It’s not just New York either! Illinois is another area where employment growth has been steady. Projections are for that to continue at around 7% per annum. If you don’t like percentages, that is around 300 new operators each year. How much do you get paid in Illinois? The median there is just over $38,000 with the best operators receiving around $73,000. That’s a bit lower than NY but I think you get the message. Skilled and experienced operators can command high wages. Starting wages are around double the minimum wage – not a bad place to start. (Illinois WorkNet.com)

Operating a grader is a little more difficult than operating a bulldozer or loader and it can take up to five years to achieve the level of skills required to command the highest wages. However, once you learn to operate a grader you will have the skills for a lifetime of employment.

Grader operators prepare the foundations for many of our major constructions, particularly roads and large buildings. Budding operators should have a passing knowledge of physics and be comfortable around large heavy equipment. The ability to work to plans and as part of a team are particularly important. As you can see, the outlook for grader operators is looking good and the wages – well they are certainly nothing to sneeze at!