There are two basic types of heavy equipment operator – those who specialize in one type of equipment and those who multi-skill and operate a range of equipment. There is still room in the industry for both, however, employers are showing a preference for multi-skilled operators. The rationale is simple; employers can place multi-skilled operators where the need is most. This is much more preferable to having an operator idle because there is no work for them at that time.

Fortunately, there is a lot of common ground when it comes to different heavy equipment. Dirt is dirt and it doesn’t matter what sort of equipment you are using, dirt will act the same. The same can be said for any other material being used. Students can concentrate on learning the actual mechanical actions required to operate a range of equipment, then practice, practice and practice for as many hours as possible.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools, we deliver training on a range of heavy equipment including:

• Bulldozers,
• Graders,
• Backhoes,
• Loaders, and
• Excavators.

Those are the most common machines in use and the skills learned can be transferred to other types of heavy equipment. Safety training is common to all machinery types as are skills such as site plan reading and learning about the different types of dirt.

If you can graduate from a heavy equipment training program with skills in a range of equipment, you will find you are more attractive to many employers than those that have only the one skill. Being a one trick pony is fine and you will get by, however, being multi-skilled opens more doors, and give you options on the direction you want to take in the future.

If you are looking for a career in heavy equipment that offers real variety, then a backhoe could be the perfect choice. Backhoes don’t just offer variety, they depend on operators that are multi-skilled in many different types of work. Whilst the most common operations will be working as a loader or ‘excavator’, backhoes are frequently called on to perform other activities using a variety of different attachments.

To begin with, backhoe operators need to be competent using their equipment to dig trenches and similar excavations. They will also need to be competent using a backhoe to move material around a work area and to load material onto trucks. Over time an operator will learn how to use various attachments for tasks such as breaking up dirt or concrete blocks, and perhaps even the demolition of buildings.

Backhoe operators are well served learning to operate three different machines; a loader, an excavator, and the backhoe itself. The backhoe brings together the best of both a loader and excavator, however, being a combined unit, the backhoe can be a little trickier. At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools, we provide students with hands on training on a variety of machinery including loaders, excavators and backhoes. Upon completion of their training, heavy equipment operator graduates are well prepared for entry level employment operating their chosen piece of machinery.

Heavy equipment careers are lucrative and the expectation in years to come is for a shortage of skilled operators. This is due to a workforce that is aging and retiring, and the annual retirement rate is greater than the number of new recruits coming into the industry. Act now and you’ll be in high demand in years to come as you gain valuable experience. Backhoe operators will certainly be in high demand, more so because of their versatility.

Major transport companies have, in recent years, started to push into areas that were once the domain of small owner operators. The oil fields and associated mining were once happy hunting grounds for these small owner operators because of the specialized nature of their work. Sand tankers are a good example – a few owner operators were able to service the needs of most areas and make a good living.

Today, those small operators are being overrun by big transport companies, and it’s all related to economies of scale. Large transport companies can buy in 100 or 200 trucks, gaining huge discounts because of the size of the order. Those trucks can then be distributed to wherever the need is greatest, then re-distributed when required. Of course, with 100/200 trucks in operation, that suddenly increases demand for drivers, and flow-on effect can be felt in the industry across the nation.

The end result is a general shortage of truck drivers, and in some areas, a chronic shortage of specialized truck drivers. On the weekend we saw a job vacancy listing from Schneider. They are looking for experienced sand tanker drivers in Odessa, TX, and drivers are looking at pay rates of $65,000+. Schneider are not alone when it comes to specialized drivers – a closer look will demonstrate a shortage of drivers everywhere.

You can’t expect to start life as a truck driver in a $65,000+ specialized job. However, it doesn’t take a lot of experience to be snapped up by large companies, especially if you work hard at establishing a reputation for being a good driver who always arrives on time without incident. It all starts with a commitment from you, and good quality truck driver training. We can deliver the training, are you committed to completing your training and building a solid reputation as a truck driver? If so, contact us, the industry needs you!

If you’re looking for work as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver or crane operator, then you’ve certainly arrived on the right page. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools don’t just offer the best value in training, we also provide a job site where employers can post job vacancies. Some of the vacancies available this week include:

Sand Tank Drivers
Odessa, TX
Schneider is looking for experienced drivers to operate sand tanks. Very good pay, $65,000+. More for exp drivers.

Equipment Operators
Sawyer, ND.
Clean Harbors hiring Equipment operators. Also need drivers in USA and Canada.

Dragline Operator
Miami, FL
Operates dragline to excavate raw aggregate material from quarry pits. Maintains mechanical condition of dragline by inspecting and reporting items needing service or repair to maintenance personnel. May service and perform repairs to dragline with maintenance personnel as needed.

Heavy Equipment Operator
Boca Raton, FL
looking for qualified Heavy Equipment Operators that have experience with site development and underground utility installation work. We are currently seeking operators that have experience with the following equipment:- Tracked Excavator- Finish Dozer Operator- Motor Grader- Rubber Tire Loader- Installation of water, sewer and drainage line.

Equipment Operator – Heavy Equipment Operation
Curtis, NE
This position will include drive, maneuver, and control heavy machinery such as a loader, dozer, motor grader, or excavator. The Equipment Operator will operate heavy machinery for highway construction, site work, feedlot, ag work, and subgrade preparation.

Heavy Equipment Operator
Lubbock, TX
Operate motor graders, scrapers, front-end loaders, dump trucks and other construction equipment of comparable size and complexity; Maintain and service equipment and trucks; operate mechanical attachments and equipment on vehicles and Operate pickups and other light equipment when assigned.

If you’re considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver or crane operator, then there’s certainly plenty of work available. You will need to undertake the relevant training first, so give us a call or visit our heavy equipment training website for more information.

Heavy equipment safety has become a central issue across the nation. This comes after decades of uncontrolled operation of heavy equipment. Even now, there is little in the way of licensing when it comes to operating heavy equipment. However, employers are required to keep employees up to date when it comes to workplace health and safety issues. In today’s workplace, employers can be fined quite heavily if their workers have not completed some form of recognized safety training. Our heavy equipment training programs include a safety component that is sufficient to allow graduates onto a work site.

If I was to offer one tip to new heavy equipment operators, it would be familiarity – in other words, getting to know your equipment. In many workplaces, the equipment you operate today will be the same equipment you operate tomorrow, next week, and indeed perhaps next year. Getting to know that equipment well will make it a lot easier to detect problems. If you have owned a car for a long time, you know almost immediately when something doesn’t feel quite right. You will also generally spot an external problem quickly, simply because of that familiarity.

The same is true for heavy equipment. If you know your equipment well, a pre-startup inspection will quickly reveal any problems. You will also spot potential problems that you can monitor daily. During operation, you’ll also quickly identify problems – an engine that doesn’t seem to have the normal power; controls that are not responding correctly; or perhaps just a feeling that ‘somethings not quite right’.

Our heavy equipment safety training can teach you how to inspect for problems, and how to report them. It takes constant use and a certain familiarity with your heavy equipment that makes the job easier. A word of caution – don’t let familiarity with you heavy equipment turn into complacency, use to your benefit instead.

As wild fires again cause devastation, you can be assured that bulldozer operators are somewhere in the thick of things helping to slow down or prevent damage. Modern day bulldozer operators are a lot safer than those of years ago operating in sealed cabs with filtered airconditioning. They are still risking their lives – if they are caught in the midst of a wild fire, that cab will only offer minimal protection.

Bulldozer firefighters are often part of a firefighter team having undertaken the same firefighter training as their team mates. Others are only part time firefighters, spending most of their lives working as regular bulldozer operators. A recent article highlighted the importance of bulldozers to firefighting, with South Carolina adding ten new bulldozers to their team, with a further fourteen to be added next year.

Whether you’re a full time firefighter or a full time bulldozer operator, the training required to operate a bulldozer is the same. Three weeks of heavy equipment training will prepare you well for a role as a bulldozer operator. Once you have the basic skills down pat, on-the-job practice is what will help an operator hone their skills. Firefighting bulldozer operators will require further training from a fire department before they can work in wild fire situations.

If you are looking for an interesting and sometimes exciting career as a heavy equipment operator, then consider becoming a bulldozer operator. Of course, if you’re smart, you’ll learn as much as possible about a range of heavy equipment, and that’s where a heavy equipment training program through ATS is perfect – we train you to operate that range of equipment, allowing you to then specialize once you have that broad experience.