There is often a mistaken belief that crane operator training (and heavy equipment training in general) requires some prior knowledge of machinery and perhaps some prior experience. As I said – this is a mistaken belief. Training for cranes and heavy equipment is often better suited to those that come into the industry with little or no knowledge of the machinery since they don’t bring with them bad habits or misconceptions. If you are totally unskilled – you may find that crane operator training is the perfect choice.

Mobile crane operator training will necessitate learning to drive a large vehicle so some driving knowledge and experience is required. Training to become a crane operator takes around three weeks with almost all students ready to sit their certification tests after that period. Training involves learning about cranes, how to set them up ready for use and, of course, how to safely and efficiently operate them.

That knowledge is acquired through your training, not through any prior experience. In many cases, students that have had prior experience, or some basic training delivered by friends or family, need to go through a re-learning process because of bad habits or poor techniques they have acquired. Being totally unskilled means you come in as a raw recruit and, if you are mentally ready, able to learn the basics quite quickly.

Good crane operators are always in demand and they can attract decent pay checks each week. Having the right base training is essential if you want to build a career as a crane operator and here at ATS Crane Operator Schools we not only deliver quality training, we deliver training to standards that the industry recognizes. Most of our students are able to find gainful employment soon after completing their training, employment that enables them to further develop their skills.

If you are totally unskilled, don’t let that stop you from becoming skilled. Crane operator training, or heavy equipment training in general, is an option that you can seriously consider – and a rewarding career you can seriously consider entering. Contact us for more information if you’re ready to become a skilled and sougt after operator of cranes or heavy equipment – we have schools across the country just waiting to give you those skills.

The wildfires in California have once again seen the introduction of bulldozers to help reduce the fire’s impact. Bulldozers, of course, cannot fight fire directly, but they can have a huge impact when it comes to preventing the fire from spreading too far. Some bulldozer operators spend much of their career working as part of a fire reduction crew, moving from area to area clearing away the ground cover.

Fires generally start in fallen leaf litter, often spreading quickly, and when wind and dry conditions combine, quickly climb to tree tops where they can rage through the canopy at high speeds. By clearing as much of the ground litter away as possible, it helps to reduce the possibility of fires starting in the first place. But what about fires that are already raging?

Bulldozers play an important role in these situations as well. Firefighters will determine where a suitable fire break should be established. Bulldozers will then move in and totally clear that area, often working around and against the clock. When successful, the fire is either brought to a halt, or at least slowed sufficiently to allow firefighters to get the upper hand.

For bulldozer operators, it can be dangerous work. The last thing they want is to be caught with the fire raging towards them. At the same time, there are homes and peoples lives at risk if the fire break isn’t established. It takes dedication and a lot of skill to complete a task with that sort of pressure around yet, year after year, bulldozer operators not only do it, but they often do it well enough to make an impact on slowing that fire.

If you want to be a firefighting bulldozer operator then you need to start off on the right foot and that is by obtaining the very best in heavy equipment training. Gaining the skills required by employers is a must in today’s workplace. From there, you can further develop your skills until you reach a point where you can work in areas that are both taxing and dangerous. Homes and lives are saved each year because of the work undertaken by skilled bulldozer operators – are you going to be one of the next generation of firefighting bulldozer operators?