Heavy equipment operators, particularly those that are prepared to go out into the mines, or perhaps out onto the oil rig, do so with the one ambition of working hard, saving their money and buying a heavy equipment machine of their own.

One of the popular choices is the compact or mini excavator. These are easy to operate and, more importantly, easy to transport from one job to another. The feature of these machines are similar to their heavy equipment brothers. They do however have several real benefits to the owner operator.

Where the space is tight or the job is near another structure, the compact excavator can operate efficiently the area much easier than a bigger excavator. If the work to be done is in a sensitive area that won’t tolerate a heavier load, like inside a house block, the lower weight of the compact excavator allows the machine to perform with little impact on the surrounding environment.

Despite their size they still deliver a lot of power so they are popular in landscape gardening and for digging utilities trenches ready for pipe laying. Some compact excavators have zero tail swing; this means that no portion of the machine extends beyond the footprint of the tracks as the machine rotates a full 360 degrees. This feature is important when working in tight areas like next to a wall or fence.

Compact excavators may not be large heavy equipment machine, when it comes to small jobs like building gardens, they rule! Owning and operating a compact excavator starts with the basic training in heavy equipment use. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can provide this basic training and have you up and running operator this type of equipment very quickly.

Timber piles have been the most widely used pile foundations in history with known structures being supported by timber piles dating back thousands of years. However, with the development of steel and concrete piles, the use of timber piles has steadily declined as they are generally considered to be less versatile. Heavy equipment mechanized pile drivers have also required a rethink as timber can split under pressure.

Over the years engineering codes have been written to limit the use of timber piles. This has primarily been done due to the belief that timber piles are not as consistent in strength as the steel or concrete pile alternatives.

Timber piles are still used today, however pile drivers need to be more precise in the way they drive these timber piles into the ground. Heavy equipment can, at times, be just too heavy for this kind of work.

Pile drivers themselves have a long history starting with huge mechanical devices that relied on human or horse power to raise the hammer before it was released to drive the piles. These days, heavy equipment in the form of motorized pile drivers do the job in far less time using far less in the way of resources.

For a career in this age old profession, check ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools for a start in the heavy equipment industry.

Mobile cranes come in all shapes and sizes, from small cranes suited to small construction sites to huge cranes that require huge flatbed truck trailers to move about. These cranes have a boom that is mounted to a platform, the crane then relies on pulleys or levers to raise and lower the boom.

The mobile crane’s platform can be a traditional truck style with standard wheels, railway type wheels to run on train tracks, or caterpillar tracks like a bulldozer. The base of the crane is bolted to a concrete foundation which supports the weight of the crane and the weight of the loads it moves.

The mast or tower is the vertical portion of the crane. It is connected to the base at the bottom. At the top of the tower is the slewing unit. The slewing unit is a term for the gears and motor which allow the crane to rotate.

Self-erecting cranes arrive on job sites where the operator uses the power from the crawler or truck to slowly extend the crane. Instead of being anchored in a concrete base, the self erecting crane is supported by four outriggers that fold out from the crane’s body and rest on the ground.

For training on how to operate heavy equipment like trains, contact ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.

Commencing a career as a heavy equipment operator is not that difficult. Whether you want to work as a motor grader operator, bulldozer operator or simply drive trucks, there are plenty of jobs available for those with the right training. At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools we make that transition as easy as possible.

One: Select the right training course for your needs.

Two: Use our online application process to enroll in your selected course.

Three: Arrange finance or funding for your course.

Four: Attend training and complete all the requirements to pass.

Five: Sign up to our Job Placement service so we can match you with suitable employers.

It’s as easy as that. Sign up and before you know it your working at the wheel of a heavy equipment machine, earning good money and wondering why you didn’t visit ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools earlier.

Working on an oil rig can be a tough job. You are miles away from land, from your loved ones, and from the hustle and bustle of city life. What you have is miles of wide open sea, as far as the eyes can see.

Pile drivers have a noisy job. They are required to drive piles, made from steel, wood, or concrete and steel mixes, up to 10 or 15 feet underground. These piles are the bases on which buildings, or this case, oil wells, are built.

These ‘piles’ need to be driven in precise locations to precise depths. If the driver is one inch of center the pile could be driven in at an angle, or perhaps be damaged.

The pile driver itself may be mounted on a platform, housed on a barge or attached to the oil well itself. Using levers, pedals and hydraulic valves, the operator raises and drops the heavy hammer to drive the pile deep into the earth.

On land, pile drivers assist in the building of retaining walls, bridges where they drive the piles that support the bridge into the rivers bank and for building construction.

Heavy equipment such as pile driving requires training and ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools are the best prepared to train you for a career as a heavy equipment operator.

If your travel the highways, back roads, or even the streets around your neighborhood, these roads all have one thing in common. They have been created by heavy equipment from what was once uncleared land to the finely finished surface you are driving on.

Heavy equipment is used every step of the way. Whether it is bulldozers tearing up the ground, motor graders leveling the surface to dump trucks spreading sand, dirt or gravel. That is only half the job.

The heavy graders are then brought back in to again level and plane the sand, dirt or gravel until there is an even surface with the right slope or camber ready for the final seal.

The heavy equipment used to place that final seal is one of the most important. If asphalt is being used, then the operator has many things to consider. The material needs to be placed at a specific thickness, however, the material is often a hot mix so it must be placed at a set speed to ensure the mix hasn’t cooled off to quickly.

Even concrete surfaces need placing at the correct speed and thickness to ensure a top surface for driving. Where asphalt differs to concrete is in the final finish. Heavy equipment roller driver drive up and down the road using machines with many tires helping to cure the surface.

So called ‘steam’ rollers (although they no longer use steam) also travel up and down trying to achieve a level surface that allows vehicles to travel on with reduced noise whilst being safe.

All of this is in the hands of heavy equipment operators. To gain training in this field, select a recognized training firm such as ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.

Over the last 100 years heavy equipment has slowly evolved from large cumbersome beasts that spent a lot of fuel to move a small amount of dirt to today’s machines that are, by comparison, much smaller and yet capable of moving far more dirt with less effort.

The role of an operator has also changed. 100 years ago you proved your abilities, not with a piece of paper, but by climbing in and doing the job. The hours were long, the work dirty and as an operator, it was brute strength that was required simply to turn the steering wheel. The levers took even more work.

Today, with power assisted steering and feather touch lever control, you can operate your heavy equipment virtually with a single finger.

With the implementation of laser pointing devices, satellite navigation, GPS, and onboard computers, an operator can virtually set the machine to a do a job and sit back go to auto pilot. Perhaps it isn’t quite that easy, but the day is coming. Computers certainly do make life easier now. Heavy equipment operators from the past would not recognize todays machine.

Top operate a piece of heavy equipment now, you need almost as much class room training as behind the wheel. Check out our training at ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.

The mining industry, particularly the large open cut mines and quarries are always on the lookout for heavy equipment operators. The work is hard and often involves rotating shifts. There are many mines that operate 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Whilst the hours are long, and the locations sometimes remote, the pay is excellent. Because the locations are reasonably remote, the opportunity to save is good and many young operators start of in the mines where they can save their income and buy their heavy equipment machine to start their own business.

If you don’t mind working in the heat (or cold), the dust (and sometimes mud), in remote locations then starting your heavy equipment career in the mining industry could be for you. The compensation in dollar terms is certainly attractive.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can provide the training to get you started in a mining career. Check out the free online training to see if you’re ready to start an exciting career in heavy equipment.

Hazmat training – short for HAZardous MATerials – can be interesting for a heavy equipment operator. Whilst much of it is theory and theoretical principles, some training is required in the field.

The theory is just that. What signage is required on vehicles and what that signage means. How hazardous materials should be handled. There is plenty of theory.

It becomes interesting when you get out into the field. Using a back hoe can be a lot of fun – try operating it when you are fully kited with a hazardous materials suit complete with breathing gear! Not only will you be required to operate the heavy equipment fully protected, you will be required to operate with extremely precise control.

Controlling heavy equipment to handle hazardous material takes a lot of skill, training and experience. Being able to lift a container full of hazardous material onto a truck or into a pit without piercing the container or spilling any of the contents is stressful enough, knowing that one wrong move could have serious consequences just adds to the stress.

Fortunately you will not be asked to do this type of work until you have the experience and the licenses required to deal with hazardous material. If the idea of working in this field appeals then your first step should be to acquire the necessary training to operate heavy equipment similar to the training we offer at ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.

The career of a heavy equipment operator is generally an interesting one. No two days are the same even though you may be working on the same job. There is always something happening, always something changing.

The job itself is not one of brute force as many people think. Most jobs take some considerable thought and planning. The real work is in the finishing touches which often have to be precise.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools offer free online training for those considering a career in the heavy equipment areas. If you are not ready for the free online training then perhaps viewing some of our videos may help.

We also offer a free brochure and DVD on heavy equipment careers and the training required. Just visit the site and either view the videos or request your free brochure and DVD.

Heavy equipment operation is one of those trades that will never disappear. No matter how tight the economy, roads are still constructed, factories still built, and food and other necessities are still freighted around the country.