Across the nation right now you will find hundreds of backhoe operators hard at work digging out foundations for new buildings and new homes. Backhoes are one of the key tools used by builders to prepare the way for their construction gangs. When you think about it, backhoes are perfect for the job. They can clear the area using their front scoop then turn around and use their buckets to dig the required trenches.

Backhoe operators have one of the most varied jobs out of all the heavy equipment operators. They need to be able to work as a loader operator using the scoop and then turn around in their seat and to start working as an excavator operator. Like excavators, backhoes come with a range of attachments that can be used for all sorts of jobs.

Heavy equipment training through ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools prepares students for work as backhoe operators. Not only do you gain experience and training using a backhoe, you also gain experience and training using front end loaders, excavators and bulldozers and that is just to name a few. This provides graduates with a broad range of skills and for backhoe operators, prepares the well for the workplace.

If you are looking for a change of pace, a change in careers, and to get out into the great outdoors then a career as a heavy equipment operator could be just the ticket. Training only requires three weeks of your time – three weeks that will set you on the path to a brand new career.

One of the benefits of undergoing heavy equipment training for machinery like backhoes is that it doesn’t discriminate on age, gender or ethnicity. What determines a good operator is skill. Of course, like all jobs, there are other attributes such as commitment, punctuality and reliability that are important. But skill is the most important attribute of them all.

When it comes to age, there are few barriers. In the workplace, the minimum age is 18 to work as a heavy equipment operator and here at ATS, our minimum age to enroll in a heavy equipment training program is 18. Maximum age? So long as you can pass a medical test, have good eyesight and hearing and can operate all the pedals and levers – there is no upper limit. Employers may balk a little at employing a ninety year old, but then again, if the operator is healthy and good at his job then age shouldn’t factor into the equation.

Backhoes are a popular starting point for many new operators. They can be tricky to begin with but it doesn’t take long to become proficient. The real tricky situations arise when it comes time to use one of the many attachments that can be fitted. Over the years we have also seen many women entering the field as heavy equipment operators. Bulldozers, backhoes and excavators are always popular equipment to gain a start in.

If you have recently left school, or perhaps in mid life and just been made redundant, you could consider a career as a heavy equipment operator. The pay is reasonably good, the conditions are good and, at present, jobs are available. Whether it is backhoes, bulldozers or any other unit of heavy equipment, age is not a barrier to most people – and that most likely includes you!

Are you sitting at home wondering where your next job is going to come from? Have you considered undertaking a few weeks training to learn new skills? If you haven’t then maybe it’s time you did because it only takes three weeks to learn the skills required to become a backhoe operator. In fact, it only takes three weeks to acquire the skills to operate most forms of heavy equipment.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are one of the most respected heavy equipment schools around, having supplied the construction industry with literally thousands of new recruits. Our graduates are noted for being skilled and ready for employment through training that is accredited to national standards.

Now all that sounds like one big ad doesn’t it? Yet, it’s all true. Let’s take a step back.

The construction industry has been on the crest of a wave over the last 12 months thanks to the injection of massive amounts of money by the Federal Government. This funding is going into basic infrastructure programs like roads, bridges and schools. More importantly, it has created a lot of new jobs across the board including heavy equipment. Backhoe operators have been particularly blessed with plenty of work because of the versatility of their equipment.

On the flip side of the coin, there are many hard working Americans who are now out of work, simply because the economist and the bankers got it all wrong. If you are one of them (hard working American that is, not an economist or banker) then you can get your working life back on track by taking on a career as a backhoe operator. These jobs are well paid with good work conditions and a terrific camaraderie. Just be sure you gain your heavy equipment training through an accredited, well-respected heavy equipment training company. Call us and reclaim your career – it only takes three weeks.

Backhoe contractors are amongst the busiest workers in the earth moving industry. In fact, backhoes are often in such demand that heavy equipment hire yards have waiting lists for available machinery. One of the qualities that makes a backhoe a popular choice is its versatility.

For operators, a day’s work for their backhoe could range from digging a trench to removing debris from a demolition site. Along they way they may be required to use any number of attachments for jobs such as breaking up concrete. Because backhoes are so versatile, they require skilled operators, operators that know how to use their machines and know how to use the various attachments.

Becoming a backhoe contractor is not as difficult as you may think. Training is the first step and when selecting a training company, you really should look at those that are accredited to deliver nationally recognized training. That is a sign of a well respected heavy equipment training company.

Following your training you should find employment for a business that uses backhoes in a variety of situations. This is where you can develop your skills and become a truly professional operator. It is also an ideal environment for networking and building a reputation for being a skilled operator.

The final step is the hardest – and most expensive. Once you have developed a network of businesses that regularly use backhoe contractors, and a reputation for being one of the best, you will need to acquire a backhoe of your own. They are expensive and many new contractors look to buy older used models. Just remember that with a used backhoe, or any piece of heavy equipment, you could be buying someone else’s problem machine. Give the backhoe a good workout before outlaying any cash.

Backhoe contractors earn a good living, they are their own boss and can set their own work hours and work days. It can be a hard road getting there but you will never achieve it unless you take those first steps. Those steps start with quality heavy equipment training.

How long do you think backhoes have been around? Backhoes came to life in the mid 1950s when someone had a brain wave and decided to add a shovel to the front of a tractor and hoe to the rear. Because the action of the hoe is the reverse of other equipment, it was called a backhoe. While the term backhoe really relates more to the hoe, the name stuck to the machine as a whole.

History aside, the backhoe has become one of the most popular units in the fleet known as heavy equipment, or earth moving equipment. The backhoe has come a long way from those early days and now includes four wheel drive, turbo drives, air-conditioned cabs, and computerized components. Despite the advancements, little has changed in the actual operational aspects of the equipment.

Sure, an operator from the early ’60s would struggle to operate one of today’s machines, given an hour or so to familiarize themselves with the controls, and they would be up and running and ready to work. One of the upsides to acquiring heavy equipment operator skills is that these skills are with you for life. Like all skills, it may take an hour or two to get up to speed if you’re out of the business for a couple of years, but the actual operations are still the same.

You can acquire the skills to become an effective backhoe operator by undertaking a heavy equipment training program. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, these training programs run for three weeks so, in effect, you can become a qualified operator in less than a month. Are you interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator? If you are then check out our heavy equipment training programs. A career as a backhoe operator could be just around the corner.

Backhoes are one of the most in-demand machines when it comes to construction and general excavating work. Because they incorporate the digging system of an excavator and the loading ability of a front end loader, they can do the work of these two machines with less cost to a business. Backhoes together with bulldozers are often the first heavy equipment purchased by a new earth moving business because of the range of work they can perform.

How do you become an in-demand operator? It goes beyond operator skills, although they are important. In-demand operators are those that know their soil types well, can complete a job on time (or sooner) and according to the plans, and do so with the right attitude to safety and the employer. Operators that fit this description soon earn a reputation and it is that reputation that creates the demand. Operators that have a strong reputation can often demand good wages, good work conditions and are rarely out of work.

So how do you gain those skills? It doesn’t start with your training – it starts with your attitude. If you have a positive outgoing nature, get on well with people, and can work to a set of plans then you’re ready for training. If you’re the kind of person that is always right, and everyone else is wrong then perhaps you should reconsider you career plans – the backhoe may not be your best choice.

If you have the right attitude then you’re ready for training and that means getting your training through the best possible training school. Guess what – ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools is one of the best in the business. Our graduates are well respected by employers and often find employment soon after graduating. If you take that positive attitude into our heavy equipment training program, and can acquire the skills quickly, you will become one of those skilled and in-demand backhoe operators.

Backhoes were once the machinery of choice when it came to ‘light’ excavations. These are jobs like shallow trenches, foundations for houses and landscape gardening. Backhoes were smaller, lighter and more flexible than other heavy equipment – they could go in, get the job done and be out again in next to no time. This preference is now being challenged by excavators – albeit mini-excavators.

Where a mini-excavator does lose popularity is in the area of flexibility and the fact that mini-excavators still rely on tracks rather than wheels. However, some mini-excavators are smaller than the smallest backhoes so flexibility doesn’t enter the equation – that just leaves those tracks.

Backhoes have a real advantage having wheels rather than tracks – they can drive quite quickly on public roads. Excavators, with their tracks, are still slow in comparison. However, despite some of these negatives, mini-excavators are gaining in popularity and it is at the expense of backhoes.

With this trend, what should you specialize in, backhoes or excavators? I’ll let you in on a little secret – you can do both. Backhoes, excavators and loaders all complement each other when it comes to skills. Yes, each piece of equipment is operated differently. However, sometimes those differences are not that great. With a backhoe, you have the combined skills of an excavator and a loader.

To gain these skills you need to complete a heavy equipment training program such as that offered by ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. Our training program will provide you with experience on a range of heavy equipment including backhoes, excavators and loaders. Our training programs are nationally recognized, which means your skills upon graduation will be recognized nationally. Excavators may be trying to take over from backhoes but they will never do it – if they do, you will have all the skills necessary to operate either one – and a loader as well.

If you’re a little tired of your current career (and many people change careers three or four times during their life) then a career as a backhoe operator may be the perfect choice. Backhoes offer a diverse range of tasks, sometime using the hoe and at other times using the loader. That is the one appeal to many people, the backhoe is more than one piece of equipment.

Add a couple of dozen different attachments and the backhoe becomes a jack (and master) of many tasks. Backhoes don’t just dig trenches, they are capable of much more, including drilling, jack hammering and loading or unloading trucks. They have become a common piece of equipment on construction sites and are becoming popular tools when it comes to landscaping.

The real beauty in selecting a career as a backhoe operator is that the training is fairly straight forward. Take three weeks out of your life and you will be trained and ready to start work. You will have a wealth of new knowledge and the skills required to operate a loader, excavator and, of course, a backhoe since that combines the skills of the previous two.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have been training people to operate heavy equipment for over 25 years. They have the experience to know what employers are looking for when seeking to employ new backhoe operators. Because of the experience, employers rate ATS highly when it comes to the quality of the training and the quality of the students that graduate from each training program. If you are tired of your current career and considering a change – consider a change to a career as a backhoe operator.

Like all heavy equipment operators, backhoe operators have to perform daily maintenance tasks. These tasks are designed to ensure the equipment stays on the job for as many hours as possible. Not only that, if done properly, daily maintenance tasks help to speed up the down time that is required when the backhoe goes into the workshop for major maintenance problems.

Most people assume that a daily maintenance program only involves checking fluid levels. Whilst this is an important part of any maintenance program, backhoe operators need to go beyond that. Checking buckets and scoops for damage, ensuring there is no build up of dirt or mud on any of the moving components, and checking tires for foreign objects all form part of this daily schedule. Of course, checking is only part of the role. Doing something is the real maintenance component.

Tires are a good example. You check the tires and see there is a piece of metal wedged in. What do you do – make a note in your log book, or remove the metal. Common sense suggests you remove the metal and that is what the backhoe operator should do. Many work sites insist on log books and there is a good reason for this as well. Regular workshop maintenance programs are generally undertaken based on hours of operation. Keeping a regular log book shows at a glance how many hours have accumulated since the last service, and how many hours are left before the next service.

Maintenance should be a part of any standard heavy equipment training program. Whether you operate backhoes or any other type of heavy equipment, undertaking a daily maintenance routine means your equipment will stay on the job longer and you will help to extend the life of the backhoe.

Winter brings quite a few interesting scenarios that backhoes have to deal with. Water pipes that rupture due to the cold, perhaps sewage mains and a myriad of other problems that occur every time we bury essential services. The one piece of equipment you can always rely on to come in and help, of course, is the backhoe.

They are quite nimble for their size and can be quickly set up to dig up a trench and expose problematic pipelines. They can help raise and lower pipes and finish the job by back filling the trench. It can be a cold job, however, especially in some of the older models that have open cabs. You could be called out at odd hours as well if it is an urgent situation.

Learning to operate a backhoe is an interesting experience as it combines the skills of an excavator operator and those of a loader operator – fortunately not at the same time. Gaining employment as a backhoe operator is even more interesting since your versatility exposes you to such a wide range of tasks.

Becoming a backhoe operator is not as difficult as many would imagine. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools can have you trained and ready to work in as little as three weeks. Forget training that takes three or six months – developing skills in areas that employers need is what is important, not developing a range of skills that you may never use.

If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, particularly as a backhoe operator, then contact ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools and find where and when the next operator training course starts.