If you’re a former operator returning to the field then changes in heavy equipment technology will no doubt astound you. In fact, for decades, heavy equipment rejected the introduction on new technology. The old ways worked and worked well and operators didn’t see the need for the added expense of technological change. The last ten years has seen a complete turnout in thought.

Actually, cost has been the driving force behind technological change although in recent years, legislative requirements have played a role as well. As machines got older, parts became harder to find, and more expensive. The increase in the number of owner operators also meant more competition with incomes from contracts actually dropping. Less income has meant that machinery has to work harder, and faster, to pay for themselves. Simple devices like GPS tracking has reduced heavy equipment theft losses by almost 70%. Whilst insurance can cover a loss, it often doesn’t cover the down time while waiting for a new machine.

Heavy equipment technology is changing across the board. GPS tracking is one area, GPS navigation; laser technology; and digital systems to monitor performance and other areas. Fuel emission legislation, together with its increased costs, has lead to other changes. Modern heavy equipment uses far less fuel than the older models and pump out far less in the way of emissions.

A modern cab looks very different to some of the older cabs – where they had a cab that is. Operation controls have changed from pure lever and hydraulic to, in some cases, electronic controls that use nothing more than a joystick.

What hasn’t changed is the dirt. It’s still the same. And operating today’s heavy equipment, whilst different when it comes to controls, is still pretty much the same. Dirt is dirt and rock is rock and as an operator, you need to know how each responds. Heavy equipment training using equipment that incorporates the latest in heavy equipment technology is the only way to start – or restart – a career in heavy equipment.

Training, particularly heavy equipment training, can be an interesting exercise when it comes to promotion. You can spend millions on advertising and not see a major return on your investment. At the same time, it only takes one satisfied student to talk about their training and it can bring in a dozen new recruits to the industry.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, we prefer the latter. Satisfied students are what we aim for with every training class that comes through out training schools (and we have ten of those). It’s a simple rationale. If we provide you with effective quality training that helps you discover a new and lucrative career, you’re going to be happy. If you’re happy, chances are you will tell others and that, of course, keeps us in business.

It may sound almost brutally frank, but that is reality in today’s world. The reverse is also true. If our training is crap and leaves you out of pocket with no chances of ever working as a heavy equipment operator, you will soon sing our failures to the world at large – and that of course will lead to our downfall. So we have a vested interest in your success as a heavy equipment operator. How do we achieve that goal? It’s all fairly straight forward. This is what you can expect when you enroll in one of our training programs:

• Accredited training to national standards
• Hands on in-the-cab training
• Industry approved training in safety standards
• Post graduate job placement assistance

If you’re looking at a career in heavy equipment, check out our track record; listen to former students who now have successful careers in heavy equipment operation; and talk to one of our staff members about what training options are available now. Remember, your success is our success.

Over the past ten years there has been a mini-boom in the number of women taking on truck driving careers. It’s understandable. In the past, truck drivers needed to be strong and well bulked up in the upper part of the body. There were two reason; the first, was simply steering those old tractor-trailers. I mean, we are talking about a period, not all that long ago either, when power steering was virtually unknown – you needed brute strength to handle that steering wheel. These days, power steering makes the process a breeze.

Truck drivers also needed a certain level of strength to tie down their loads. These days, there are untold strap tightening devices to help out – a seven year old could learn to tie down a load. Strength is no longer the issue so that has opened the door to women to train as truck drivers.

ATS Truck Driver Training Schools can now prepare students for a truck driving career in as little as three weeks. Add another week or so to obtain your Class A Commercial Drivers License and you’re ready for the road. Are women being employed as truck drivers? They most certainly are. They are proving to be skilled, reliable and much tougher mentally sometimes than the men.

If a career driving trucks sounds appealing to you, contact us at ATS Truck Driver Training Schools – we will have you in the driver’s seat in no time – man or woman. When it comes to driving trucks, there is little in the way of discrimination to consider.

Loaders are already working away, preparing the way to spring and summer work. Spring is not that far away although you wouldn’t know it given some of the weather conditions at present. However, in some areas, the snow is turning to water and starting to run off. What it is leaving behind is often churned up mud and pot holes. Dump trucks can’t get in with fill so it is left to loaders to do the work – they at least can get across boggy ground.

That is one of the advantages of loaders, they can cover a diverse range of terrains and offer construction companies a lot of diversity. Loaders are also efficient, being able to carry large payloads with respect to their overall size. Not only can they carry these payloads, they can spread the material fairly evenly, effectively carrying out two jobs.

Loader operators are the key. Well trained, they can get loaders to do a lot of tasks, tasks that others may find beyond them. That training starts with a credible training organization that understands what skills employers need and how to train students to meet those needs safely. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools has the accreditation to deliver nationally recognized heavy equipment training. This includes training on loaders, bulldozers, excavators and motor graders.

Entering the profession of heavy equipment operations is not as difficult as most people imagine. You can start by undertaking a comprehensive three week training program that provides the skills to get you into the work place. Like many occupations, you deliver higher skills on the job – provided, of course, that you have a good foundation of skills.

If you’re looking to enter the profession then gain that good skills foundation through ATS – contact ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools now to discuss your training needs and for more information on our next heavy equipment training program.

As we improve the technology of modern heavy earthmoving equipment the skills of operators are becoming more refined. This is especially true of grader operators who have laser and GPS technology to deal with. Add to this the introduction of computerized controls and the machinery now, although looking similar to those of yesterday, can be far different to operate.

The key to surviving as a grader operator is the quality of the training you receive. Grader operator training shouldn’t just rely on how to operate the controls. That is only one component of the job. These days, a good grader operator can read plans, is able to identify different soil types and how they react when worked, and have a thorough understanding of workplace safety. Soil types is one area where training can provide the basics, but it is only through experience that you can build a thorough understanding of the topic.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools doesn’t just train to the basic operator skills. We include plan reading, soils, safety and general equipment maintenance – all the skills that employers now require of their operators. Of course, we also include hands on use of the equipment; grader operator training wouldn’t be training without it.

Our graduates are well respected within the industry so gaining useful employment after your training is not a big issue. If you are interested in a career as a grader operator, consider enrolling in our heavy equipment training program. You can be on your way to a successful career as a grader operator in as little as three weeks.

One of the most lucrative careers in the heavy equipment industry is that of a crane operator. They are well paid, work under good conditions, and are always in demand. Your career as a crane operator starts with an accredited crane operator training program.

Accredited crane operator training programs have a lot of advantages over non-accredited programs. First, accredited training programs all conform to an industry norm – this means you trained with skills that industry has identified as essential. With conformity comes a nationwide recognition of your skills – this means, of course, that you can work anywhere in the country and not require further training.

When it comes to crane operators, there is another important component to accredited training – this is certification. If you are trained to a central set of skills, you can then undertake the assessment for accreditation. In some states, you cannot work as a crane operator unless you have this certification.

ATS Crane Operator Schools deliver crane operator training that has been accredited by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). ATS has also been accredited to deliver assessments that lead to the certification of operators. Training is delivered over three weeks for mobile crane operators followed by a second stint of two weeks for lattice boom crane operators. The latter is only held once every three months.

If you’re looking for an interesting career as a crane operator then contact us at ATS Crane Operator Schools to find the closest training center to you (we have ten centers around the nation). Before you know it, that career could be yours.

Bulldozers in one form or another have been responsible for much of what we call home. From the woodlands that were cleared to make way for agriculture to the swamps and grasslands that have been cleared to make way for housing – all of it undertaken by bulldozers. Sure, in the early days it was more a case of a tractor with a blade attached to the front – that is not the case these days. Now we have purpose-built heavy equipment that makes those old tractors look like toys.

However, the principle is still the same. A strong motor pushes a blade across the top of the ground, carving away the unwanted top layer. What has changed in an attempt to make these machines more powerful is the adoption of tracks rather than wheels. Tracks spread the weight of the bulldozer thereby providing more traction – and with it more grunt.

Learning to operate a bulldozer is really a breeze. They look complicated but in reality the bulldozer is one of the least complicated of all heavy earth moving equipment. As I have alluded to, a bulldozer is nothing more than a powerful engine mounted on tracks that pushes a blade around. Sure, the blade can be raised and lowered and even tilted forward and back a little. Otherwise, it’s a simple machine.

Being a simple machine, the controls are likewise quite simple. Learning to operate a bulldozer is easy. Learning to be a bulldozer operator, now that is another story. Most of us could operate a bulldozer with a couple of hours training. However, like all jobs, operating a piece of machinery and being a skilled operator are two different things. Knowing the soil and how it will react to being pushed around; knowing your machine and how to maintain it; and knowledge of workplace safety are some of the components that come together to make a skilled operator.

If you would like to become a skilled bulldozer operator or a skilled heavy equipment operator then you will need to undertake a training program from a skilled group of trainers. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are the people you need to talk to. With over 45 years of training experience, they know what skills employers want and they deliver. Join the next wave of skilled bulldozer operators who gained their skills through ATS. Call today for more information on the next available training program.

How long do you think backhoes have been around? Backhoes came to life in the mid 1950s when someone had a brain wave and decided to add a shovel to the front of a tractor and hoe to the rear. Because the action of the hoe is the reverse of other equipment, it was called a backhoe. While the term backhoe really relates more to the hoe, the name stuck to the machine as a whole.

History aside, the backhoe has become one of the most popular units in the fleet known as heavy equipment, or earth moving equipment. The backhoe has come a long way from those early days and now includes four wheel drive, turbo drives, air-conditioned cabs, and computerized components. Despite the advancements, little has changed in the actual operational aspects of the equipment.

Sure, an operator from the early ’60s would struggle to operate one of today’s machines, given an hour or so to familiarize themselves with the controls, and they would be up and running and ready to work. One of the upsides to acquiring heavy equipment operator skills is that these skills are with you for life. Like all skills, it may take an hour or two to get up to speed if you’re out of the business for a couple of years, but the actual operations are still the same.

You can acquire the skills to become an effective backhoe operator by undertaking a heavy equipment training program. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, these training programs run for three weeks so, in effect, you can become a qualified operator in less than a month. Are you interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator? If you are then check out our heavy equipment training programs. A career as a backhoe operator could be just around the corner.

Excavators come in a variety of sizes these days. From giant lumbering beasts to compact units that can get into some pretty tight places. Not only are they available in a range of sizes, they also have a wide range of attachments, making them extremely versatile machines. Gone are the days when an excavator was only useful for digging trenches – show me a hand tool and I can almost guarantee there is an excavator attachment to match.

Despite the range in sizes, the wide variety of attachments that an excavator can use, learning to operate one is not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, you can go from zero to a competent operator in as little as three weeks. Not only that, but along the way you could also pick up operator skills in bulldozers, graders, backhoes and loaders.

Exposure to a range of equipment during training helps you appreciate their power and their limitations, important knowledge when you are working as part of an earth moving team. The main role of an excavator is still to dig trenches. Their attachments help them to achieve this quickly without having to call in other equipment. However, they are not restricted to trenching.

Excavators have been used as part of demolition teams, in the mining industry, and in very different roles such as removing silt from the bottom of rivers to make them deeper. The role of an excavator operator is varied, challenging and well paid.

Does a career as an excavator sound interesting? Find out more by contacting us at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools to see when our next heavy equipment training program starts.

We are entering an era where the skills of yesterday may not be adequate enough to continue with today’s equipment. At the same time, who wants to lose skilled and knowledgeable employees just because of new equipment. On-training is perhaps the next big step in employer-employee relations. This is where Associated Training Services and their heavy equipment, crane operator and truck driver training schools can be of assistance.

ATS has been providing in-the-workplace customized training for many years now. We have a well trained and highly dedicated team of trainers that can design and implement training programs for your employees based on your actual needs. Wherever possible, we align these training programs to national standards. This provides employers with well trained employees and at the same time offering these employees skills that are recognized nationwide.

Customized training can be delivered at any one of our ten training centers or, if it’s more practical, in the workplace. Training covers a broad spectrum, including heavy equipment associated with earth moving; mobile cranes and lattice boom cranes; and CDL truck driver training.

The advantage of undertaking customized training in the workplace is that employees can be trained on the actual equipment in use in the environment it is being used in. They are trained to use the equipment to deliver maximum productivity for specific tasks.

For more information on customized training, contact us at 1.800.383.7364 and we can discuss your training requirements. Customized training in the workplace helps to reduce employee stress in situations where they are failing to cope with the demands of the job through lack of up-to-date skills. By providing training that updates those skills, you will be increasing confidence levels and reducing stress and you’ll be rewarded with increased productivity and less downtime.