They call them boys and their toys and when it comes to heavy equipment, they don’t get much bigger – mind you, there are plenty of girls enjoying the thrills of the sport as well. Around the country and throughout Canada there are various events that challenge heavy equipment operators at what they do best. Often held as part of county or state fairs, these contests are a lot of fun to watch. They are even more fun to participate in.

One of the best contests to watch (and one of the funniest) is the backhoe egg race – yes, egg race. Backhoe operators need to move an egg from on top of a pile of dirt and place it into a nest made from an old tire and some straw – without breaking the egg. By the way, they don’t use their hands, they have to use the backhoe bucket to do the whole task.

Backhoes are not the most graceful of tools, yet you would be surprised at how many eggs make it unscathed. How about a game of backhoe basketball. Here the operator has to lift a ball from the top of a cone and place it into a basket.

If you really want to have fun, keep your eyes open for, wait for it, synchronized dancing. I have only ever seen this twice – once using backhoes and the second time using skid steer loaders. It is fun to watch but more than that, you have to marvel at the control these operators have over their equipment.

This of course is the aim of these contests. How well can these operators master their machines? It all starts way back at the beginning when they first received their heavy equipment training. They have obviously had the kind of training that has made them feel extremely comfortable with their machines – the kind of training that has lead to them being experts in the field of heavy equipment operations. If you ever get the opportunity to visit one of these contests, do it. You will be thrilled at the action and amazed at their skills.

Backhoes are everywhere and range in size from small toy-like machines to huge monsters, but have you wondered how they got their name? Let’s have a look and see if there are any clues.

The most common backhoe in use today is a backhoe loader. These machines have a large wide loading scoop at the front and a smaller digging bucket at the rear. These vehicles can perform various roles with the front scoop predominantly used to move material such as sand, earth, and gravel. The digging bucket at the back (also called a hoe – now is that a clue?) is used to dig holes, traditionally trenches.

There are other types in use as well. The skid loader is a very small version of a front-end loader. However, the front scoop can be removed and a backhoe attachment fitted. The backhoes attachment works in exactly the same manner as a traditional backhoe.

Now, hang on – a backhoe goes at the back of the machine, doesn’t it? That is why it is called a backhoe. That is the popular misconception. A backhoe is not called a backhoe because the bucket is at the ‘back’ of the machine. The answer is just as straightforward, however.

If you think about the front loader or a bulldozer, they move earth and dig by scooping the dirt forward, away from the machine. Backhoes dig by moving the earth towards the machine. In other words, it moves dirt backwards rather than forwards. So, that is where the backhoe derived its name.

It is perhaps a useless piece of information unless you’re looking to work as a backhoe operator. However, you would be surprised at how many people would not have known. It would be an interesting question to put to all new students before they commenced their backhoe training – I am sure we could catch a lot of them out – unless of course, they have read this post.

One of the most highly skilled heavy equipment operators is that of a backhoe operator. Where motor graders are often found finishing a job, backhoe operators work from start to finish and often require high levels of precision.

If you consider some of the types of work undertaken by backhoe operators you may gain an idea of how precise they need to be. Take a standard backyard inground swimming pool. Because of the tight spaces, the only equipment suited to the job is that of a backhoe. They are required to dig the hole precisely to plans. This often includes a slope to accommodate the various pool depths and either dead straight or curved walls. This takes a lot precision and attention to detail.

Swimming pools are one thing. What about an archeological dig? We may not have archeological digs in every backyard but when they do occur, a backhoe operator is often called in to get things started. Again, it takes a lot of attention, a lot of precision, and the ability to treat the dig with a lot of care. This takes the effort of a highly trained and skilled operator.

Back to the normal everyday type of work undertaken by backhoe operators. Whether digging foundations, a trench for pipes and cables, or clearing debris, the same degree of precision and attention to detail is required. Get the foundations wrong and it can cause all sorts of problems and a trench dug from point A to C is useless if B is where the trench needs to be.

The job outlook for backhoe operators is not as prosperous as bulldozer or grader operators. National growth is expected to be around 4% – around 2500 new operators nationally each year. This also takes into account the number of operators who leave the industry. In yesterday’s post I highlighted grader operators and Illinois was looking at around 300 new operators each year. For backhoe operators, they expect growth at around 180 new operators this year falling to around 100 new operators each year after that. The trend seems to be similar in most other states with a high demand forecast for this year and a general taper over the next five years.

Wages for backhoe operators are also varied, ranging from as little as $31,000 to just over $65,000 per year. The median is $41,000 (www.bls.gov). The number of operators employed in the mining sector is expected to decline over the next five years although as the economy starts to pickup, this could change dramatically. Overall, the employment and wage outlook is positive, with a high rise in vacancies expected over the next six to twelve months.

If you have ever considered a career as a specialist backhoe operator then there is no better time to train than right now. If you act now, you can take advantage of predicted short term growth in the industry. Fortunately, backhoe training is often part of a general heavy equipment training program so you will also gain experience and knowledge on other heavy equipment – being multi-skilled is always a bonus in today’s workplace.

We’ve all driven past a construction site, seen the backhoes working away, and wondered what it would be like to get the right heavy equipment training to start a career on that machine. Well, the time is right to start.

Although these aren’t the best economic times, there are opportunities since there are projects that require heavy equipment operators of all kinds to fill these shoes. From backhoe training to training on loaders, there is opportunity in all of these areas for the properly trained individuals.

However, for some people the questions remains about how to go about getting this training. The answer is simple. To get the best in heavy equipment training you need to go to the experts at Associated Training Services. These are the people that offer the very best comprehensive training package that the Internet has to offer.

The services that you can look forward to here at Associated Training Services include:

-the best in class instruction. The people who run this business have been training people for this job for over fifty years and in that time they’ve leaned what the construction industry expects from the people that take training.

-They also have both a finance and job placement options that helps their students have the ability to concentrate on the training at hand

The people at Associated Training Services are the ones that can get you started with the best in backhoe training to start you off in a new career.

All across the United States, people are sensing that the time has come for a change and that as far as their careers go, they might need to make a change and get the kind of high demand backhoe training that will get them jobs. A call has been put out by the federal government to rebuild the nation’s roads and highways and that means that there is a need today like never before for those looking to get heavy equipment training.

And there are those looking to get the best in high end training so that they will feel confident and ready to start out in the responsible position of backhoe operator. Those are the ones that are turning to the professionals at Associated Training Services to get the education they need and there are several reasons for that.

– ATS supplied a comprehensive package that includes both in class and hands on training. They also include the best in saftey training so that all their candidates will be ready to fill the jobs that are waiting for them.
-ATS has several financing options that are waiting for the right candidates. They are so confident in what they offer that they’ll even help you with the cost.

Remember that there are opportunities in America today, and to stay ahead of the new curve you need to get the right backhoe training from the experts at Associated Training Services. Their job is to put you back to work.

There’s a new aptitude in America and those catching this new wave are the ones that know getting trained to be a heavy equipment operator is the way to go. When you need the best training that’s done by the more knowledgeable staff, you need Associated Training Services.
Backhoe
And there are machines that are helping to rebuild the roads and streets nationwide like the backhoe. There are a variety of reasons that you might want to change jobs or even start a new career and the professionals at ATS are there to guide you every step along the way.

They have all the necessary attributes that will get you started in a new career as a backhoe operator, and for those who are having trouble in these hard economic times they’ve even got the right financing options to help you get a good start.
Reputation
And these are the people that have the reputation that you can trust. This is a family run business that goes back to 1959 and their obvious commitment to quality and excellence has enabled them to get connections within the industry as well as a host of testimonials from satisfied and successful students.

Take a look at what the professionals here at ATS have to offer in the way of training for the backhoe as well as a host of other construction machinery. Heavy equipment operators are in demand nationwide, and this is the place to get the heavy equipment training that you’ll need to get the best jobs.

Backhoe operators can be on call 24 hours a day seven days a week as they are the perfect heavy equipment to assist in emergency repairs of services. The backhoe is relatively easy to move from one job to another and has the capability to work in small spaces – a factor often required when working around homes, buildings and street kerbs.

Humans seem to have a fascination these days with burying everything. It understandable for water, waste water and gas piping to be placed underground. However, we are now placing electricity, telephone and the new fiber optic cables underground as well. As soon as there is a problem, we have to start digging.

A good backhoe operator can dig around pipes and underground cabling with precision exposing the area required without doing any damage. Everyday (and every night), somewhere in a major city you will find a backhoe operator at work helping out in an emergency situation. A broken water main, a leaking waste water pipe or perhaps a gas leak. Of course, there are the times when someone has accidently dug through a telephone or power cable as well.

Operating a backhoe with precision takes experience and that experience is built on the back of a solid backhoe training program. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have had decades of experience training individuals for careers in heavy equipment, this includes backhoe training. If you don’t mind being on call 24/7, helping out in urgent situations and enjoy working outdoors, then a career as a backhoe operator maybe just waiting for you – feel free to contact us for more information.

As a general rule backhoes are machines that have an excavator type tool at one end and a front end loader type tool at the other end. If you undertake front end loader training then are you are completing the requirement for a front end loader as well as the loader tool on a backhoe. You will only need to undertake the excavator component of backhoe training to competent then to operate both machines.

Front-End Loaders are generally used for the movement or loading of sand, dirt, gravel, mud and other lose materials in a variety of work situations. Machine may be a traditional loader or loader end of a backhoe. Loaders can be used for digging but they are generally not efficient in that role. Loader training will take you through the various jobs that can be performed using a loader. As Mentioned in the preceding paragraph, loaders also form one half of a backhoe so it could be advisable to undertake backhoe training at the same time.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools we take that concept one step further. We include loader training, backhoe training and training on a variety of other heavy equipment in to the one training package. This means that at the completion of your training you will be skilled in a variety of heavy equipment machinery.

Having the skills in a variety of heavy equipment has a couple of advantages. The first is that your employment options wide open. You are not looking for work for one type of machinery. Just as importantly, you may have decided that operating a loader was the job for you. However, with some training companies, fees are not refundable so once you start a loader training course, you have to complete it or lose your money – bad luck if you decide half way through that you don’t like loaders and that perhaps a backhoe training course would have been preferable.

Through ATS you are covered across the broad spectrum of equipment. From bulldozers through to excavators, from loader training to backhoe training. If you decide that loader training wasn’t really for you – no worries because tomorrow you may be doing backhoe training, or bulldozer, or excavator. You have to admit that is a great way to start a career in heavy equipment – find which equipment suits you by experiencing all of them – don’t we call that multi skilling?

The backhoe has to be one of the weirdest designs when it comes to construction equipment. It looks a little like a praying mantis, sitting ready to pounce. Despite it’s weird design, the backhoe is one of the most versatile and most effective machines in use.

Comprising of a small bucket on the front and a smaller square trench digging bucket at the back (hence the term backhoe), the backhoe can work in quite small spaces and can be found at some stage on most building sites, particularly smaller ones like housing developments.

The small square bucket is generally used to dig trenches for foundations or for services such as water and gas. The larger bucket at the front is used to backfill and to clean up around a site. Where the backhoe becomes the versatility king is in the attachments that can be added. The backhoe can be removed and replaced with attachments such as a digging spike used for breaking up rock and concrete.

If you were to take a small front end loader and cut it in half and then add a small version of an excavator, without the swiveling cab, you would have a backhoe. Experienced operators of excavators or front end loaders have little trouble operating a backhoe, the reverse is not generally the case.

For an interesting career as either a backhoe operators, front end loader operator or excavator operator then check out the training program available through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools.

Rippers are one of the most interesting pieces of heavy equipment to watch. Some are stand alone machines, some are attachments to traditional machinery like backhoes. They can dig up the rockiest terrain ready for dozers or loaders to come in and removes the material.

The large heavy duty rippers are mean machines. They use their considerable weight as leverage along with a multi segment arm to which a sharp digging tool is fitted. The heavy weight of the ripper anchors it to the ground while the power of engine drags the ripping tool through the rock and earth. The are interesting observation in physics as the number of segments and the angle of attack is used to magnify the power of then engine. By using physics, heavy equipment like a ripper can leverage their power to perform incredible feats of strength.

Even backhoes fitted with a ripper tool can use the principles of physics to dig up ground that is rock solid, and I do mean solid rock. The operation of heavy machinery like a ripper is based on similar principles to a backhoe. The point goes into the earth and is dragged toward the machine. This is similar to you sitting in a sandpit and using your hand to drag the sand towards you. It is far easier to use your own weight as a counter balance – trying to push away from you has the wrong angles and does not make use of your own weight.

Learning to operate a ripper, or backhoe is not difficult. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can provide all the training you need to becomes a backhoe operator. From there it is just a step up to a fully fledged ripper.