When looking for work as a loader operator you will be surprised at how many different terms are used for these machines. Some terms are regional specific, most are manufacturing specific, yet there is a certain amount of logic behind each name. Some of the names you may come across include:

• Wheel Loader – as the name suggests, this equipment is driven on wheels rather than tracks like a bulldozer. This is one of the more generic terms used for loaders.
• Front-End Loader – this is another generic term for a loader.
• Skip Loader – these are smaller vehicles, often smaller than a standard car. The arms that control the shovel come forward from behind rather than from the front.
• Skid Steer Loaders – these vehicles are also much smaller. They are generally driven on tracks rather than wheels and get their name from the steering method. Each track is driven independently so stopping or slowing one will cause the vehicle to skid in a certain direction.
• Backhoe Loader – this is a combination of front loader and rear excavator tool. For many businesses, these are popular since you get two tools for the price of one.
• Shovel – an old term that is not used very often. This term describes the bucket or scoop used to move material.

There are many other terms used to describe loaders. What they have in common is a bucket, shovel or scoop in the front that is used to move items, generally dirt, from one point to another. Most have sufficient reach to enable the loading of dump trucks. What they also have in common is the need for basic training on heavy equipment. Basic heavy equipment training programs provide the skills required to operate a loader. These training programs also provide knowledge on factors such as safety and maintenance, essential in today’s job market.

It doesn’t matter what name you give them. Loaders all over do similar tasks, just on a different scale. If life as a busy loader operator appeals to you – contact us for more information on training programs and training schools closest to you.

We have mentioned in the past that excavators are for more useful than just digging trenches. Large excavators can do a number of jobs including an involvement in mining. Smaller excavators are also useful for many different jobs. In the last week there has been a lot of activity around the world involving excavators – some of the news isn’t what you see or want to be involved with while others are a sight to see.

One area that excavators are used in is rescue operations. Despite their size and power, excavators can be quite gentle when used with experienced hands. There have been two situations recently, one in Taiwan involving a landslide and another from the sub-continent also involving a landslide. In both cases, people were trapped in trains or vehicles under tons of dirt, mud and rock. Excavators were called in to quickly remove the debris so rescuers could get in.

Closer to home, excavators were hard at work, in the middle of night, demolishing a large bridge in Portage last weekend. You can see the photos of the excavators at work here. That would have a sight to see, in the middle of the night, in pouring rain, a pair of excavators virtually eating their way through this large overpass bridge – the whole area lit by large flood lights.

Of course, it takes a considerable level of skill to complete these jobs but I can guarantee one thing – the operators involved in these tasks all started with some sort of basic training. Heavy equipment training is the core to being a successful excavator operator. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools we design our training in such a way that you leave us with the skills and knowledge required to start work immediately. If you’re ready for work, we’re ready to provide you with the skills.

Retraining for a new career is becoming harder as many organizations that provide this funding start to run short. The Federal government has injected more funds into some of these budgets, however, this has really only scratched the surface. Many people currently in long term training may soon find their financial aid suspended. One of the benefits of short career courses is that the course is over and done with quickly.

Associated Training Services runs a number of career training programs including heavy equipment, truck driving and crane operator training. These training programs generally run over three weeks – in theory, you could be in the work force three weeks after starting your training. Of course, some of these training programs require licensing (truck driver CDL for example) so that start would be delayed. The point, however, is that you are not committed to six/nine/twelve months of training – training often without an income.

Because you can be back into the workforce quickly, there are a number of financial aid possibilities that could be accessed to cover your training costs. These include traditional career loans. While many people may balk at going into debt to cover the cost of training, the prospect of returning to work quickly with a good pay packet should allay some of those fears.

If financial difficulties are preventing you from making a career change, contact us at Associated Training Services. We have a number of financial aid options that we can take you through that can help to pay for some or all of your heavy equipment training.

Most people imagine bulldozers on constructions sites, building roads, leveling residential estates, or perhaps clearing a huge block for a new factory, school or hospital. While construction is a big user of bulldozers, the rural community makes use of them as well, particularly our farmers. There are a number of roles that bulldozers fill although few are directly related to producing food.

When it comes to rural communities, bulldozers play a big role in the establishment of dams, in clearing areas ready for grazing or tilling for broad crop farming. Bulldozers can frequently be found rebuilding farm roads, often nothing more than a scar on the land that has had road metal or gravel spread over it. In the past, farm equipment like tractors (the actual forerunner to the bulldozer) were used as bulldozers, however, these vehicles are not really built to handle the pressure. Why put the stress on a farm tractor when there’s a bulldozer just down the road.

Working as a bulldozer operator in these rural communities is more demanding, more interesting and more rewarding often than working on construction sites. The skill levels for rural bulldozer operators needs to be high given the diverse range of jobs and conditions required of them. Yet many of these operators start by undertaking basic heavy equipment training then diving straight in and continuing their skills development on the job.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is a popular choice for those looking to head into our rural communities. Our training programs are designed to provide a solid platform of skills that makes it far easier to build on in the workplace. If a career as a rural bulldozer operator appeals to you then contact us for more information on heavy equipment training and the location of the nearest training school to you.

Undertaking a heavy equipment training program at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools gives you one advantage – you receive training across a range of equipment. When it comes to working as a backhoe operator, you need to combine the skills of several units of equipment into one.

Backhoes are the odd one out when it comes to heavy equipment. At one end you have an excavator style digging tool while at the other end you have a loader tool – being proficient with an excavator and a loader would certainly be handy.

Backhoes are one of the most versatile units when it comes to heavy equipment and earth moving. Being wheeled vehicles, you will often see them driving down the road with their ‘back hoe’ folded in a little like a scorpion’s tail. Their ability to work in reasonably confined spaces is a help but their real value comes in the flexibility of the tools they can use.

Like excavators, there are scores of different types of tools that can be attached. There are also different types of scoops at the opposite end of the vehicle – some that can be opened at the bottom for faster emptying. Having a broad range of skills then is essential if you wish to become a proficient backhoe operator. Those skills can only be obtained through training followed by experience on the job.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, we take a holistic approach. Your backhoe training is important and needs to be across a range of equipment. Just as importantly, being able to quickly find employment where you can use your newfound skills will help to hone them. We don’t just train you, we also help you find this employment through our career services department. Put together, this means you can become a highly proficient operator in a very short time.

Becoming a crane operator is not everyone’s idea of the ideal job and mobile cranes are probably even less popular as careers. For many people, the life of a crane operator appears to be quite boring. Sure, they are kept busy all day, but they are repeating the same thing time after time. To an extent, they are right. However, ask any crane operator and they will tell you that every lift is different, even if it’s the same type of load.

When it comes to mobile cranes, the work is not quite so boring. In fact, it can be quite interesting. On a building site, a standard crane sits in the one spot and just repeatedly lift materials. For a mobile crane operator, every day is a new day and brings with it a new job. In fact, as an operator, you could have several different jobs in several different locations, all on the one day.

If you are considering a career as a mobile crane operator, don’t use the life of a construction crane operator as a guide. Mobile cranes are out and about, on the road, moving from one job to another, often at a moments notice if there has been an emergency of some kind. Mobile crane operators also require good skills in setting up and standing down a crane very quickly.

Crane operator training is a short three week training program that prepares graduates for assessment for certification as crane operators. Certification is a nationally recognized, and soon to be a nationally required, recognition of the skills and training of crane operators.

ATS Crane Operator Schools has been at the forefront of crane operator training for several decades. During this time we have developed close relationships with employers of mobile crane operators. We know what skills and attributes they look for in new recruits so we design our training program to deliver just that – skilled graduates ready for the workplace.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools are one of America’s oldest heavy equipment training schools, having had forty years of experience. Although we are one of the oldest, it doesn’t mean our heavy equipment is and our range is not limited to a bulldozer or two. Depending on which school you attend you could have access to:

• backhoes
• wheel loaders
• scrapers
• excavators
• bulldozers
• road graders
• rock trucks
• Skid Steers
• All-Terrain Forklifts

Our training programs run for three weeks and are designed to provide the fundamental operating skills required to work using this equipment. By offering a broad range of equipment, students leave our schools in a position to apply for available work opportunities. Along with operational skills, students are also trained in:

• grade reading
• laser levels
• soils
• safety
• site layouts
• heavy equipment maintenance

Knowledge of these areas is essential in today’s heavy equipment operator if they are to enjoy a successful career in the industry. Heavy equipment operations is a career that is built on experience. As we have mentioned in the past, that experience needs a good solid foundation and that is where ATS excels – we help you lay those foundations. Over time, with hands on experience in the work place, you will find your reputation growing as a skilled operator and, with it, the demand for your services.

The demand for heavy equipment operators is constant. As a skilled operator you will find your services always in demand – and as a bonus, the pay checks that most experienced operators take home is well above many other career options. If you need more information on heavy equipment training, feel free to contact us at any time.

A CDL is simply an acronym for a commercial drivers license yet we come across many job advertisements for heavy equipment operators that use terms like “possessing a CDL would be beneficial”. What the employer is looking for is a heavy equipment operator who has commercial drivers license so they can transport the equipment to the job. It’s a pity sometime that they didn’t just ask for a truck drivers license since the term CDL can be confusing.

Your commercial drivers license may well be labeled as a Class A CDL, or Class A commercial drivers license. They mean the same thing. State transport departments issue truck driving licenses so you will need to check on requirements in your state. Generally speaking, a Class A CDL entitles you to drive any vehicle apart from those that require special endorsements. Dangerous goods is one example of special endorsement. To gain a CDL, most states require the following:

• Possess or qualify for a non-commercial Class C driver license;
• Complete a Commercial Driver License Application;
• Provide proof of your full legal name, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your legal presence in the U.S., identity and date of birth, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your Social Security Number, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your residence address in that state, each time you apply;
• Pass a CDL General Knowledge Test;
• Pass a CDL Combination Knowledge Test;
• Pass a behind-the-wheel Drive Test in a Class A commercial vehicle;
• Pass a Pre-Trip Inspection Test
• Present a valid DOT Medical Certificate with waivers or exemptions as required; and
• Pay the appropriate fees

Some states will differ slightly from this list so, again, check with the requirements in your state. How do you put yourself in a position to be able to successfully complete that list? Easy. Call us at ATS Truck Driving Schools. We are the leader in the nation in truck driver training, with 40 years experience in the business. We prepare you well for your tests with a thorough behind-the-wheel training schedule that includes tricky components like reversing maneuvers and negotiating highway traffic. You can complete the training and obtain your commercial drivers license (Class A CDL) in as little as three weeks.

Perhaps it’s true – you can’t have beauty and brains! I know some people would argue with me when I say that road graders are not exactly the prettiest of machines – I guess it is all in the eyes of the beholder. Pretty or not, road graders are becoming one of the most intelligent units of the heavy equipment family.

GPS and laser leveling are just two areas of technology that road graders incorporate. Some motor graders are now coming off production lines with complete computer systems. These systems constantly monitor areas like the angle and height of the blade and use GPS and laser leveling to constant fine tune these settings. This means a road grader can complete a job with less passes and that means less time. Compared to road graders of 20-30 years ago, today’s models can complete jobs in almost half the time of the older models.

For new operators coming through, it doesn’t mean that life gets easier – if anything, it gets a little harder – at least during the early stages. New operators need to learn skills involving GPS, laser and computer systems. Heavy equipment training has come a long way in recent years in order to meet this new technology. This is perhaps one area where ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools excel – we stay up to date with all the latest technology and deliver training to students that is relevant to today’s equipment, not equipment that was relevant 30 years ago.

Road grader operators are always in demand. Whether it is helping to build new roads in the summer or helping to clear snow laden roads in the winter, there is always a call for operators. If you’re interested in a career as a road grader operator, contact us today to discuss your training options and to find a training school close you.

When it comes to running a business, particularly a heavy equipment business, there is no such thing as ‘spare time’. If equipment is not earning money, it is most likely costing money and no business can afford that. This is one of the reasons that loaders and backhoes are so popular – they are versatile enough to put to a lot of different tasks. Backhoes can do much of the work of both loaders and excavators, but what of a loader, what can it do?

Loaders are more versatile than some people would imagine. The next time you’re out and about, you should keep your eyes open for heavy equipment to see what sort of jobs they are doing. For loaders, they have been known to attach mowing equipment to cut grass over large areas. On construction sites, loaders are often used to ferry heavy items, particularly if they need to be lifted a few feet into position. Why call a crane in for one job when a loader is there and available?

There are many tasks that a loader can perform, it’s really the skills of the operator that determine many of its limitations. Skilled loader operators are always in demand. For an operator, while cutting grass on the side of a highway may not sound interesting, it does require skills that are very different to, say, loading a dump truck with debris. The alternative jobs that can often be asked of a loader operator provide variety and remove some of the monotony of the job.

Loader operators are always in demand. If you are looking for a change in career, enjoy working outside and find operating heavy equipment like loaders appealing then contact us at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools for more information on heavy equipment training.