In truth, there is only one kind of mobile crane operator–a trained one. But there are 4 main types of mobile cranes that a trained operator may work on. These mobile cranes are known as:

1. Fixed cab – The cab is that part of the crane where the driver sits. In a fixed cab crane, the driver is stationary because the cab doesn’t move. The crane operator is always looking forward.
2. Swing cab – The swing cab swivels. It allows the driver to turn to see what is behind him more easily. A swing cab mobile crane is handy on some construction sites because of the nature of the work. If you do a lot of maneuvering and moving in the crane, forward and back, and with a 360-degree awareness scenario, the swing cab crane is a mighty handy tool.
3. Lattice boom – The boom is that part of a crane that does the heavy lifting. It is the arm of the crane that can raise high above the cab and is used for lifting items off the ground. In a lattice boom crane, the lifting is usually done in a straight up-and-down movement.
4. Hydraulic boom – Also called telescopic boom cranes, these creatures are very flexible. The boom is maneuverable in multiple directions simultaneously. It can raise up and down like a lattice boom, but the arm can also be extended and retracted. On top of that, the boom can rotate left or right.

Interested in being a mobile crane operator? Learn how to operate all four types of cranes.

No new job leads this week. For last week’s leads, check out last Saturday’s job listings.

One thing you may notice about last week’s heavy equipment job listings is that there were a few crane operator openings around the nation. That’s a good thing. Crane operators make good things happen.

What Do Crane Operators Do?
On many work sites, crane operators are the heavy equipment specialists who move large objects and material from one location to another. They operate various types of cranes using levers, foot pedals, wheels, and other navigational instruments to get the job done.

They may also be responsible for making minor repairs to their equipment and routine maintenance. Usually, they are responsible for setting up and inspecting moving equipment before operation.

Crane operators may be called upon to operate a variety of types of heavy equipment in a variety of work environments. For instance, one day they may be in a warehouse moving pallets with forklifts and conveyor belts. The next day they may be on a construction site moving lumber or dirt and rock. Telephone companies use cranes for lifting their workers into the air for tree trimming.

Who Hires Crane Operators?
A lot of different industries and types of companies hire crane operators. Here’s a sampling of the types of employers you may work for as a crane operator:

• The military
• Defense contractors
• Construction companies
• Mining operations
• Trucking companies
• Shipping industry
• Fisheries
• Oil & gas exploration companies
• Logging operations
• Utility companies

And that’s not all. There are a ton of different types of businesses and industries that employ crane operators. Heavy Equipment School celebrates the crane operator as an essential part of today’s workforce. Learn how you can become a certified crane operator right now.

One of the heavy equipment jobs that almost always is on the top of the pay scale is the crane operations. There’s a lot that only a crane can do, so this position is in high demand, too. But the reason crane operators get sought out and get paid well is that they do a dangerous job that takes a lot of skill. Crane operators need to be certified by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) because that ensures the operator meets high standards of knowledge and skill.

Crane Operator Certification

Crane operators get their NCCCO certifications by passing both written and practical exams, just like you got your driver’s license by passing both a written test and a driving test. The reason both kinds of testing is required is that operating a crane is every bit as potentially dangerous as driving can be.

When you go through the Certified Crane Operator Programs at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School there will be a lot of both types of learning; knowledge and practical. You become familiar with a lot of things depending on the program:

Mobile Crane Operations – 1

• Beginner Level Curriculum
• 3 Weeks, Monday through Friday
• Fixed Cab (small hydraulic or boom truck) Mobile Cranes
• Swing Cab (large hydraulic or rough terrain – RT) Mobile Cranes
• NCCCO Preparation, Testing & Certification

Mobile Crane Operations – 2

A student must have successfully completed Program -1 to enroll in this program.

• 3 Weeks, Monday through Friday
• Lattice Boom Cranes
• Articulated Boom (Knuckleboom) Cranes
• NCCCO Preparation, Testing & Certification

In addition to these programs, there are custom training options, rigger/signalperson certification programs, and more. Each one will give you the preparation you need to go on to the next step in your career as a skilled craftsman who is in demand.

One of the highest paid categories of heavy equipment operation is the crane operator, and a rigger is an essential partner in the operator’s mission. Because this is such an important job on a site, most states and insurance companies will require certifications for both positions. ATS is fully qualified to provide the training programs and certifications you need to hold both of these key spots on a work crew.

Our program can prepare and test you on both written and practical NCCCO exams; the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators and the recognized gold standard in the field. You can get experience operating swing and fixed cab, lattice and articulated boom mobile hydraulic cranes along with a good foundation in the safety regulations.

Choose The Programs You Need

There are five different types of NCCCO training offered at ATS:

• Mobile Crane Operations 1 — beginning level
• Mobile Crane Operations 2 — secondary level
• NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Prep/Test — only for experienced operators & offered through a business
• NCCCO Rigger/Signalperson Certification — a vital position for the safety of everyone
• Specialized Crane Operator Programs — we work with you to provide the specific training needed

Every one of these programs has had hundreds of graduates over the years, and those graduates have gone on to provide valuable service by expertly performing their job. Employers trust the training that you get at ATS and the proof of your competence in passing the NCCCO exams means you are a valued employee.

If you are interested in becoming a mobile crane operator or rigger/signalperson, the most important thing on your resume is an NCCCO certification because it verifies your professional status.

One of the questions that pops up from time to time is: “What makes a good heavy equipment operator?” And then it gets a little more specific and turns into “What makes a good mobile crane operator?”

There’s some overlap, but there are a few differences.

Things Heavy Equipment Operators Need

All big machinery, no matter what it is, needs an operator who knows what is happening around them and isn’t afraid to stop when things get dangerous. Good heavy equipment operators have these qualities:

• hand/eye coordination
• certifications from trusted schools
• respect for the safety rules
• a feel for their machine’s location and operation
• an eye on their surroundings
• knowledge of their machine’s operation
• rehearsed emergency procedures for instant response

Heavy equipment is hard to stop once it gets going, and everybody is safer when the operator is a professional. But the mobile crane operator has some added factors:

Things Mobile Crane Operators Need To Add

All of the above applies to a mobile crane operator, but the fact that there are additional NCCCO Certified Crane Operator Programs tells you that things get racheted up with the whole overhead-lifting thing. Loads to be hoisted have to be rigged correctly or they’ll fall, and it won’t be pretty. The momentum of a big machine is multiplied when that big machine is swinging a big load around.

Crane operators function as part of a team, and communication is really important. They need the strength to ignore pressure to hoist unsafe loads, even if the boss is giving them a hard time. They need to know what is safe and what is not safe, and it’s a good idea to know why so you can explain your refusal clearly.

Mobile crane operators are heavy equipment operators who have gone into a specialized field and done the training to earn specialized certifications in that field. They have great responsibility and are up to the task.

The crane operator does spectacular things, hoisting heavy loads and accomplishing tasks like placing critical beams where the job requires it. But the crane operator doesn’t work alone because riggers and spotters are part of a team, making the whole unit successful. Without each member of that team, something bad could happen on the work site.

Riggers make sure the load is safely attached to the crane. The rigger’s job should be guiding the load, and keeping that load their priority.

Spotters make sure the crane is not going to hit any power lines or other hazards. They can’t guide the load, too, because they need to keep watch on the hazards. People have died when both rigging and spotting are done at once; all it takes is hitting a power line with the boom.

Crane operators need to be able to see both the rigger and the spotters at all times. Signals have to be clearly understood since the noise of the equipment messes up communicating by shouting. The operator uses the rigger and spotters as extra eyes to see what is going on and do the job safely.

All three positions on the team have to be filled by qualified people who were trained in all the safety procedures. Anything less than that is an accident waiting to happen. Associated Training Services provides that training and makes sure the certifications are earned. An ATS graduate has the knowledge and the training to be a part of the crane operation team and do it well. We schedule the NCCCO Certification regularly all through the year, so there’s no reason you can’t become part of this team of qualified professionals.

Do you remember the car-swallowing sinkhole that opened up inside the National Corvette Museum in February? Early one morning, the ground beneath the Skydome area started caving in. By the end, there was a cavern about 40 feet across and 20-30 feet deep with eight Corvettes inside. You can watch assorted footage of the whole timeline, from collapse to final recovery of the cars, here. There’s even a few with ‘crane-cam’ footage.

You know who the stars of the show are? Heavy equipment operators. The Corvettes just sat there needing to be rescued from the predicament they were in, but cranes and other heavy equipment saved the day. It was a tricky operation, too, because the situation had to be carefully evaluated and stabilized before any Corvette could be moved. The Museum is in the middle of a geological area known for developing sinkholes, so area crane operators probably have a lot of experience with this type of thing. Still, this particular rescue operation was pretty special.

It would be safe to assume that any heavy equipment operator brought in for this project was both skilled and certified. Those Corvettes are worth a good bit of money and the owners were not going to entrust them to someone who isn’t qualified to do the best job in a delicate situation that could change quickly. I’m pretty sure they were picky about finding the best crane operators for the job.

The best crane operators are trained at fully accredited schools like ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School. Our Certified Crane Operator Program gives students a lot of options in choosing the best program for their particular need but every one of those options is going to result in a graduate who is qualified for the job.

A lot of times you might hear someone say they just don’t have the time to go through a long training process because they have bills to pay. But you really shouldn’t say things like that without knowing how long certification can actually take. For instance, Mobile Crane Operations – 1 is the ATS beginner level program, and it just takes three weeks. You go from Monday to Friday three times and get NCCCO prep, testing, and certification in both fixed cab mobile cranes (small hydraulic or boom truck) and swing cab mobile cranes (large hydraulic or rough terrain — RT).

Once you successfully complete program 1, if you have the time and want to go further and train for lattice boom (crawler or truck) cranes and articulated (knuckleboom) cranes; it takes another three weeks of Monday through Friday commitment, and by the end, you get another NCCCO certification. That is pretty good for six weeks of class/training time!

Experienced operators who are being paid by a business can take a single week of Monday through Friday NCCCO mobile crane operator prep/test on any two combinations of these mobile crane types. One week to get the certification that verifies your experience and the benefits that come with it. The NCCCO Rigger/Signalperson certification and training takes one week, Monday through Friday, too.

Associated Training Services Heavy Equipment Operator Training School isn’t just a push-you-through and leave-you-hanging operation, either. We provide the best professional crane operator training in the industry and have the graduates to prove it. For more information, call (800) 678-8149 and ask about our crane operator training school, class dates, curriculum, or certifications. In a couple of weeks you could be getting a whole different paycheck.

On February 7, 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a proposed rule to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification requirements. This would give three more years to both the certification and phase-in requirements that ensure crane operators are qualified to operate the equipment. It is a good thing, but it’s better to just go ahead and get your crane operator certification now.

Associated Training Services offers training for the CCO certification exams and we endorse the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) national certification program. The NCCCO program is designed to provide a complete assessment of knowledge and skills for those who work in, with, and around cranes. It shows you are a recognized professional crane operator.

We think you should get your NCCCO Certification if you are going to operate a crane, pure and simple. It shows you know what you are doing, it keeps everyone safer on the job, and employers are more likely to choose you over other job applicants. Even though the OSHA deadlines are extended, you know they are coming so why wait?

Crane operators are in high demand and those who are well-trained make very good money. We are one of the biggest crane operator schools in the country and our Certified Crane Operator Program will give you the experience and training you need to get that higher wage. Our training includes experience with fixed cab and swingcab mobile hydraulic cranes and a whole lot more. You learn how to operate a crane professionally, and you get your NCCCO Certification by the time you complete your training. You will be ahead of the pack scrambling to meet the new OSHA deadline and in a good position to be hired.

Crane operators are some of the most important employees on a construction site. If you are a certified crane operator, you can expect to get some of the best and most sought-after assignments, even ones that are high-paid even by construction industry standards.

Here is a simple three-step process for becoming a paid crane operator in today’s heavy equipment industry:

1. Enroll in a heavy equipment or crane operator course – The first step to becoming a well-paid crane operator is to get trained. Enrolling in a certified crane operator’s school is the best and most sure way to get trained for operating the latest types of cranes used on the work site today.
2. Get your certification – After training, you’ll have to pass the certification exam. Associated Training Services prepares you for the exam, and students take the crane certification exam before they graduate.
3. Start interviewing – After getting trained and certified in crane operation, you can confidently start looking for your first job. Associated Training Services has a job placement department whose mission it is to assist graduating students with getting their first job assignment.

You can start your journey toward becoming a certified crane operator right now. Enroll in crane training and you can be employed as a crane operator in just a few short weeks.