The only way to build a career as a heavy equipment operator is by gaining employment that will continue to build on your initial training. There is work available for heavy equipment operators. In fact, we are now entering one of the busiest times for construction and that builds demand for operators. We also have an aging workforce with baby boomers now entering retirement age.

There are two essential requirements to developing heavy equipment careers – training and employment. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are masters at both. We have over forty years experience in training individuals for work as truck drivers, crane operators, and heavy equipment operators. What really works to kick start a career is our Career Services program.

When a student commences their training at ATS, a member of the Career Services department will work with that student to determine the field of work they are interested in, and the regional area they would prefer to work in. They are then provided with a career package that includes potential employers that match their requirements.

For students, the Career Services Coordinator is available each day to help with tasks such as applications, refining resumes, or providing advice on how to approach employers. Students are also provided with soft skills training in areas such as application procedures, interviewing techniques, and networking methods.

Current and former students also have access to a database of potential employers and a dedicated employment site at http://www.the-job-site.com/. Job seekers can leave their resume on this site while employers can list vacancies and peruse the resumes of suitable job seekers. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Services don’t just train students, we also offer as much assistance as possible to complete that all important second set – getting their first job in the industry.

Backhoes are one of the strangest looking vehicles in a construction yard. They always remind me a little of a scorpion, sitting there with a stinger folded back behind them. What a backhoe offers to an operator is the combined capabilities of a front-end loader and an excavator – all in the one vehicle.

For operators who have been trained in the right environment, there is a good chance they will be skilled in all three machines. This adds a broader range of machinery to their employment options and can make a difference between being in work and having days or weeks between jobs. Being multi-skilled can make a huge difference to an operator’s career.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools offer students experience in a variety of heavy equipment including backhoes, loaders, and excavators. When a student graduates, they can choose whichever path best suits their skills (and ideals) – or they can choose to follow the multi-skilled path operating a variety of equipment.

Longer term, the two most popular vehicles chosen by operators when starting their own business is the backhoe and the loader. Of course, cost plays a big role in this decision with these two vehicles often being the lowest price in the heavy equipment field. However, bulldozers come in a close third, and they are not exactly inexpensive to acquire.

Backhoes really do bring together the best of loaders and excavators. At the same time, backhoes have challenges of their own for operators to navigate. The next time you look at a backhoe, don’t look at it as being a cut down version of a loader and excavator. They are vehicles that have a real life of their own – and in today’s construction industry, a very important role.

A trick question to start today’s post. How long does it take to gain a commercial drivers license (CDL)? Now I know the title says you can gain one within a month, however, the real answer is even simpler – it takes as long as you need to pass the relevant commercial drivers license tests. If you have never driven a truck before, then it could take you years to gain a truck license. Of course, you can cut that back considerably by learning how to drive a truck.

ATS CDL Schools offer three week full-time training programs that cover all the essential requirements for passing your commercial drivers license tests. This includes road rules and truck driver safety, CDL regulations including topics such as log books, along with pre-trip inspections and coupling and un-coupling techniques.

In the cab is where you will learn to actually drive – and you’ll be the one driving, not an instruction with you alongside to watch. Learning to drive a truck is far different than learning to drive a car. A fully laden truck can take up to 200 yards to come to a stop, and that’s in an emergency. Reversing is different to a car, however, if you have had experience reversing with a car and trailer then you have a good start.

Truck driving is a career that has you constantly out on the roads mixing it with the general public. Truck safety is paramount for a number of reasons – obviously no one want to see any loss of life, and trucking companies don’t want to lose trucks or their important loads. This is why truck safety is such an important issue.

If you attend ATS CDL Schools, you can complete your CDL training in three weeks and be ready to pass those all important CDL tests. Pass them and you’ll be the proud owner of a truck drivers license and ready to work in the industry. Now, how quickly can you arrange to sit those CDL tests?