Heavy equipment safety is at the forefront of all training these days and with just cause. Over the years there have been hundreds of deaths or serious injuries caused by heavy equipment. In most cases, it is not the operator who is injured, it is those working around the equipment.

Of course, not all accidents can be attributed to the heavy equipment operator. After all, no one is psychic. Yet, with a little common sense, many accidents could have been avoided. No one can teach ‘common sense’, however, you can be trained in basic safety aspects when using heavy equipment. There are common situations that every operator can adhere to.

Safety starts with knowing your equipment and its limitations. It also includes knowing your own limitations. Once you get to know your equipment, you will sense when things are ‘not quite right’. Believe it or not, many accidents are caused, not by operational errors, but by equipment failures. Knowing your equipment can help you assess whether or not it is safe to operate.

This is where common sense can play a big role. A walk-around inspection prior to starting a job is the first task. Common sense should dictate that if something doesn’t quite look right, it should be looked at more thoroughly by an inspector. For example, a mechanic. The same is true if things don’t ‘feel right’ whilst operating the equipment.

Safety is important in the workplace now. There is a lot equipment being used at once. There are often a lot of people either working in the same area, or passing by. When enrolling in a heavy equipment training course, you can now expect to receive intense training in heavy equipment training. Employers expect it, the government insists on it, and your work colleagues rely on it.

Heavy equipment is generally associated with construction and whilst most heavy equipment careers involve the construction industry, you could also work in mining, forestry, oil drilling, farming or, in some cases, production. The construction sector is by far the single biggest employer of heavy equipment operators.

The classification of heavy equipment can be difficult with gray areas covering some of the smaller machines used. However, if you accept that heavy equipment is used to move heavy material then you would be close to the mark. A career in heavy equipment then is the operation of machinery that falls into this category. This machinery includes equipment that:

• clears and grades land
• digs trenches
• hoists heavy construction materials
• assists in constructing oil rigs
• applies asphalt and concrete

This is just a small example of the type of work performed. Machinery that could be used in these tasks include:

• Bulldozers
• Road Graders
• Wheel Loaders
• Excavators
• Pile Drivers
• Mobile or Fixed Cranes
• Paving Machines

This list doesn’t include specialist machinery such as forestry equipment, mining equipment or equipment such as the specialist gantry cranes used in ports and harbors. Most heavy equipment operators start their careers operating equipment you see everyday. Bulldozers, excavators, loaders and mobile cranes are the most common entry level positions. Operators can also enter the workforce through road graders although for major construction work like road building, the preference is for experienced operators.

The one key ingredient to a successful career as a heavy equipment operator is the initial training received. Quality training across a broad range of heavy equipment is the best start you get. This provides you with hands on experience and a thorough understanding of workplace safety. With the basic skills under you belt you can move into the workforce and experience a long and lucrative heavy equipment career.

Not all heavy equipment training schools offer job assistance. That’s why when you find one that does you should jump at the opportunity to get the training you need to further your career. And in these tough economic times, finding long-term payable work is a task worth putting all of your energy into.

Job assistance programs, of course, are of two natures: First, there’s the kind that simply takes your name and puts you on a list. Then there’s the kind of program where a list just won’t do. The job assistance program administrators actually care about your employment future (as much as they care about your employment history). Those kinds of programs will put out as much energy in helping you find the right job as you will. In many cases, they have their preferred employers and when you sign up for the job assistance program they will notify all the employers on their list to see who has an opening. Then they’ll contact you and give you your list so that you can be proactive in finding employment.

That’s the kind of job assistance you need. Real, proactive assistance. But before you get there, you need real, proactive training in the heavy equipment you’re going to be working on. You might as well pick the best heavy equipment training school with the best job assistance program.

With the economy starting to rebuild, a lot of individuals are resorting to agencies to help them rebuild their own lives. If you’re an agency operator, or perhaps an agency employee – have you considered referring your clients to a career as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver or crane operator? With a lot of money being thrown into construction at present the need for operators and drivers is growing substantially.

Heavy equipment careers are not restricted by age, gender or race, making these careers one of the true non-discriminatory work-forces around. Average incomes for these careers range from $35,000 for commercial truck drivers, around $37,000 for heavy equipment operators and $39,000 for crane operators. Top operators can earn in excess of $60,000 per year making them one of the best paid in the industry.

There are several benefits to referring your clients to ATS Heavy Equipment Schools. Training can be completed in three weeks and ATS has a follow up job placement program designed to help graduates find employment in their chosen field. For agencies looking for outcomes, placing clients into training where the training provider also helps to find employment can be a real bonus – the training provider is doing a lot of the work for you.

If you think you may have clients that could be well suited to careers in heavy equipment, crane operations or truck driving, contact us for an agency pack that contains a video, brochure and other relevant information to help you and your clients select the right training program for their future.

Are you a heavy equipment operator that needs to move their own equipment? If so, then a commercial drivers license (CDL) is the only way to go. A class-A commercial drivers license allows you to drive trucks on the public highways and is the trucking equivalent to a standard drivers license.

Truck driver courses go for three weeks and include both in classroom and hands on training. The object of the training is to give you the knowledge and skills that will enable you to pass your class-A commercial drivers license test. This knowledge includes road rules and safety along with skills required to safely and efficiently drive a truck.

On the road training includes highway driving, reversing and parking, along with the many other skills required to drive any vehicle, trucks in particular. ATS has over 45 years experience in truck driver training – in fact, truck driver training was the starting point for the business.

Over the past 45 years ATS has established an enviable reputation for providing skilled operators who generally have little trouble gaining their Class-A CDL. There are many heavy equipment operators trained by ATS in the workplace who have turned to us for help in achieving their Class-A CDL. The only reason they return is because the quality of the training has helped them succeed in their chosen career.

If you’re a heavy equipment operator looking to open up your career options, consider adding a class-A commercial drivers license to your set of skills. It will open more doors than you can imagine.

There is a growing shortage of certified crane operators throughout the country with many employers finding it difficult to find workers who have undergone crane operator training and certification. In many states, crane operators can not be employed unless they have that certification. It can be frustrating for employers and for crane operators.

Crane operators of course can seek certification – that is not a difficult process. For those seeking a career change, the opportunities are there. Undertake crane operator training from a reputable training organization and your certification assessments should be included. This means you can undertake the training and have employers waiting to snap you up.

It is surprising to hear there is a shortage of certified operators when you consider the employment prospects. Crane operators are amongst the highest paid heavy equipment operators. They work in an environment that is interesting and often challenging. Certified crane operators are classified as professionally skilled with the certification being recognition of the skills and knowledge of the operator.

Certification covers areas that go beyond just operating a crane. Important areas such as general workplace safety, lifting safety and knowledge of the crane itself. The certification process is recognized throughout the country which means those that secure their certificates are able to find employment anywhere in the country.

ATS provide both crane operator training and certification. The latter is done through the National Commission For The Certification of Crane Operator (NCCCO), an organization established to set and monitor certification processes for crane operators. If you decide to undertake your crane operator training and certification through ATS you know you will be receiving training from one of the most respected training organizations in the country – that makes your qualification all the more important.

The use of GPS is growing markedly in our society and you can really see the impact it is having when you look at construction and machinery like graders or excavators. A technology known as 3D GPS assists the grader operator to accurately position the blade, allowing for a faster grade without utilizing survey grade stakes.

There are several spin-offs in the use of GPS when it comes to heavy equipment. A grader is a good example of the use and some of the benefits obtained. Safety, of course, is always an important issue on a work site. The use of GPS to set the position and orientation of the blade, even when working to slopes, means the grader will perform the work exactly as planned. This removes the need for a grade checker. Their job was to constantly check the grade from the ground, often putting them in close proximity to all the heavy equipment – the closer you get, the higher th risk of an accident. No grade checker – no accidents.

A second major benefit for construction companies that use GPS in their work is speed. Machinery like graders will get the job done first time every time. If the GPS co-ordinates have all been calibrated correctly then you will never come across a situation where the work done doesn’t meet the plans – and it’s done first time around. This saves time which equates of course to saving money. In some cases, construction contracts award bonuses for early or ontime completion of projects.

The use of GPS can be a specialized field when it comes to graders and excavators. Before undertaking GPS training, you would need to have a solid foundation of excavator or grader operator training along with a little experience using that equipment. Once you have that solid base of skills, you can then undertake GPS training for heavy equipment

Going to a heavy equipment training school to undertake excavator training can provide you with a really good skills base. However, once you get out into the workplace, your training continues. Learning by doing is certainly one of the best options, however, sitting back and just watching the experienced operators at work can be a big lesson in itself.

It’s not restricted to excavators either. Just watch the experienced hands at work on bulldozers, graders or any other heavy equipment. The reason I picked on excavators today is because I took a little time yesterday to watch an excavator at work. They may be large cumbersome beasts, but there are a few little tricks that some operators pick up with experience.

The excavator I was watching had almost finished digging a large trench. It had about 10 feet left but was really cramped for any room to move. It certainly had difficulties extending its arm. One option was to send the excavator home and get either a smaller unit in or perhaps a backhoe. Of course, that takes time and you know what they say, ‘time is money’.

Here is where the experience of the operator came to the fore. He set about building a mound, only five or six feet high. Once completed, he navigated his excavator to the top of the mound. From an increased height of only five or six feet, he had the extra room to extend the excavator’s arm and complete the trench, the last part being only a few feet in front of the mound he had built. Where it would have taken a couple of hours to swap equipment, he had the job completed.

Of course, without a solid training base you will never come to appreciate the little tips that experienced operators can demonstrate. Excavator training by a quality heavy equipment training organization is a must if you ever hope to be in a position where your experience can be passed on to the next generation. You have to get the basics right before you can learn the more advanced processes.