The life of a crane operator can be a dangerous one. It becomes more so for those working at the top of new buildings in the city. Yesterday’s collision between a helicopter and crane in London is a good example – although thankfully not one that happens regularly. Mobile crane operators can be grateful for one thing – they have their feet firmly planted on the ground, and it would take a very low flying helicopter to cause them any problems. In fact, mobile crane operators are more at risk of colliding with overhead power lines than anything else.

Mobile crane operators lead a fairly interesting life. Because they are mobile, they are able to travel very quickly between jobs. A mobile crane is nothing more than a specially built truck that has a crane mounted at the rear. The truck is driven like any other truck following normal truck driving road rules. The crane has its own operating cab – in effect, an operator is skilled as both a truck driver and crane operator, and that often includes the requirement for a commercial drivers license.

There will be times when a mobile crane operator is required to work at the one site for days or weeks at a time. At other times, they may well find themselves at two or more different sites each day, with each site requiring completely different jobs. Variety is certainly a big factor in the life of a mobile crane operator.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools provides training in both mobile crane operations and truck driving. Our training will prepare you for certification as a crane operator and complete the requirements to be issued a commercial drivers license. If you’re interested in a job that has a lot of variety requiring multiple skills, then mobile crane operations not only provide those also a career that is well paid and always in demand.

It doesn’t matter what sort of training you undertake. It is going to cost you. If you were buying a car or a washing machine, for example, you would ensure you were getting value for money, so the same should hold true for training. When it comes to crane operator training, you can undertake basic training, which will provide you with some of the skills required, or you can undertake training that leads to a national certification.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools goes one better. We deliver crane operator training and follow that with NCCCO-approved assessments and certifications. Employers cannot employ a crane operator unless they are certified, so it makes sense to walk away from your crane operator training with that certification, not just the basic skills. The ATS training program includes options for:

• Training on swing cab boom cranes,
• Training on rough terrain boom cranes,
• Training on fixed cab cranes,
• Training on fixed boom trucks,
• Professional lattice boom crane instruction,
• Articulated crane training (aka knuckleboom crane),
• OSHA-compliant rigging & signalperson training,
• NCCCO written exams, and
• NCCCO practical exams.

Our training methods and standards are up-to-date and designed with future employment specifically in mind. We want our graduates to have long and successful careers as crane operators – you are, after all, our best advertisements. Your success helps us to remain successful with a philosophy we have held over fifty years, and one that has been maintained through our strong reputation with industry.

If you are interested in a rewarding and interesting career as a crane operator, then talk to us about your training options. You’ll be surprised at how quickly we can have you ready to commence work as a crane operator.

Work places have become quite tricky when it comes to following OSHA guidelines. In many jobs, your primary role may be very easily defined, however, it’s your secondary tasks that could cause confusion – and problems if you’re not very careful. Truck driving is one job where problems could arise.

Truck drivers that deliver pallet loads of building bricks to construction sites are often required to use a small crane boom that is attached to the truck. Rather than being a truck driver, they are now crane operators, and as such they require all the crane operator training and certifications that full-time crane operator receive. Small cranes, even those attached to the back of delivery trucks, require skills that go above and beyond those of a truck driver.

Small crane operators still need to assess the load, stabilize their vehicle, and ensure the load is moved safely and in accordance with crane operator guidelines – hence the requirement for certification as a crane operator. The upside for truck drivers who are certified to operate a crane is that they have a secondary occupation they can fall back on if times are tough in the trucking industry – not that there’s any likelihood of that in the foreseeable future.

If you have a commercial drivers license and you want to extend your skills base, consider crane operator training. If there is always a demand for truck drivers who are multi-skilled, another example being truck drivers who can also drive heavy equipment on and off flat bed trailers. You can learn these skills in less than a month and they will provide a lifetime of employment opportunities.

One of the more challenging machines in the heavy equipment field has to be a crane. A quick look at one of the job vacancies listed over the weekend gives you an indication of what is expected of a crane operator. Because of the complexities of this type of work, authorities have made it compulsory for crane operators to be certified before they can commence work operating a crane.

The weekend’s crane operator job listing required, in part, an operator:

Will observe load hook-up and determine safety of load using load charts and lift plans. Must be able to judge spaces correctly and handle many controls at the same time. Will initiate lifts, hoists and movements according to written, verbal or signaled instructions.

Whilst that may sound complex, most operators perform these actions day-in and day-out, almost on auto pilot. Of course, the job can’t be done on auto pilot alone when you need to refer to load charts and lift plans. To begin with, you have to have a clear understanding of these charts, how to read them, and how to apply the current situation to those charts.

When it comes to judging spaces, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can learn this aspect of crane operations, even when operating a multitude of controls. Experienced operators do appear to be handling this side of their work on autopilot – and they may well do so. If you drive a car, you soon learn to judge distances and speed – it’s a similar concept when operating a crane.

The key to successfully acquiring the abilities to perform as required in this job ad is through your crane operator training. You should be able graduate from your training with a reasonably good knowledge of load charts, and experience with judging distance and space. It goes without saying that your training includes reading hand signals and other communications devices. As a crane operator, you’re often blind to many aspects of a lift, so you will be relying heavily on those around you to give clear and easy to understand signal.

Crane operator training may teach you how to operate the levers in a crane, however, it is just as important to learn the the non-operational side as well.

Mobile crane operators have one of the most varied and interesting careers. Fixed rig crane operators tend to spend their days doing the same thing – the only time the job becomes really interesting is when the crane needs to be moved and then it’s back to the same role. Mobile crane operators are moving their crane constantly, and every job is very different to the last.

If you’re looking for a job that offers challenges, then mobile crane operators have that by the bag load. Every job brings new challenges. Fixing their crane so that it is stable can be tough enough. Then there are variable conditions such as weather and buildings, power lines and other obstacles. Fixed cranes are, as the name suggests, fixed in the one spot for extended periods. The weather can still be a challenging variable, however, the environment is fairly stable.

Even training to be a mobile crane operator has its challenges. You obviously need to learn how to operate a crane, and you will also need to learn how to drive a crane – and that will require a commercial drivers license. You will also need to pass the requirements to become certified as a crane operator – a requirement under state and federal regulations.

The best way to face those training challenges is by selecting a good quality crane operator training school.

Crane operators have an interesting career. At first glance, you may think that a crane operator’s role is fairly repetitive. However, that thought really doesn’t take into account how complex a crane operator’s role can be. Take a fixed construction crane. Sure, they spend all day lifting (or lowering) building materials, however, every lift is different with environmental factors like wind playing a big role.

A mobile crane operator’s working life is very different to that of a fixed crane operator. As the name suggests, a mobile crane is frequently on the move, going from one job to another, and it’s rare for any two jobs to be the same. A mobile crane operator may find themselves on a construction site today, in someone’s backyard tomorrow as they help install an in-ground swimming pool, and out on the highway the following day helping to retrieve a car or truck that has run off the road.

Each and every job is different, and a mobile crane operator’s skills are put to the test whilst still in the truck driver’s cab – they have to pick the best position to locate their crane (taking in all environmental factors). They then need to stabilize their crane off the wheels – you don’t want to be rolling whilst in the middle of a lift. Finally, they need to do the actual work. The irony often is that setting up can take longer than the actual lift, and once completed, the whole set-up process needs to be reversed.

Crane operators do lead an interesting life, especially if they are in control of a mobile crane. Mobile crane operators are paid well, and there is always demand for crane operators somewhere. If you’re considering a career change, consider a career as a crane operator – it only takes a few weeks of crane operator training and you’re ready to start work.

The term “mobile crane” probably invokes a picture of a smallish vehicle that has a crane on its back. These vehicles are common, however, mobile cranes are not necessarily small. There are mobile cranes around that dwarf large tractor-trailers, and which are capable of lifting huge weights.

Large mobile cranes often end up on a worksite where they are placed in semi-permanent positions for weeks or even months. The total extended boom length can be measured in hundreds of feet whilst the whole rig can weigh a hundred ton or more. Despite being a large vehicle, the principles behind its operation are no different to that of a small lightweight mobile crane.

It’s fairly easy to become a mobile crane operator. A few short weeks of crane operator training, an assessment to prove your knowledge and abilities, and a piece of paper that states you’re now certified to operate mobile cranes. That’s it. The training involves a lot of hands-on practice, including how to set up your mobile crane ready for work. There is also classroom-based training that looks at safety and other knowledge-based areas of crane operations.

Crane operators are in constant demand around the nation. Unfortunately for industry, crane operations has been an unwanted career in the under 25 age groups. This means the industry is struggling to replace baby boomers who are now reaching retirement age. Crane operations can be challenging, interesting and varied. Add to this a great pay packet with excellent benefits and you have the potential for a great career. As a mobile crane operator, you could be operating small lightweight cranes, or you could be in control of a monster.

Are you interested in a career as a crane operator? You will need to decide on the type of crane you want to operate since they come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and configurations. The two most common basic crane types are the mobile cranes and the fixed cranes. Some fixed cranes require assembly and dis-assembly before and after use. Mobile cranes can be driven to a work site and be readied for action quite quickly.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools, we offer training in several different types of crane including:

• Fixed and Swing Cab Mobile Hydraulic Cranes,
• Lattice Boom (Crawler or Truck) Cranes, and
• Articulated Boom (Knuckleboom) Cranes

For an individual interested in becoming a crane operator, the training is only half of the story. You will also need to become certified before an employer can place you into a cab. This makes the training an important half (of the story) since you will need to pass tests to become certified. It also helps if your training provider is also accredited to undertake the assessments required to gain certification.

ATS is one of the oldest and biggest crane operator training organizations in the country. We have developed training programs that are accepted nationally and we are accredited to deliver practical and theory assessments for certification by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).

Employers recognize the quality of our training and the validity of our certification process, often coming to us when looking for new operators. If you are interested in a well paid career as a crane operator, then seek out the best training possible – it will set you up for a long and very successful career.

ATS has several programs for crane operation training and they are great courses. Whether you have no experience and want to become certified or you are a current operator who needs re-certification, we can help you.

Crane operation is a great field to enter for many reasons. There are jobs available worldwide and job security is not an issue if you are certified, qualified, and good at the job. Crane operators are among the highest paid operators in the entire heavy equipment industry. This alone, may motivate you to enroll at ATS.

The courses offered at ATS for crane operation will instruct you on the operation of both fixed and swing cab cranes. The course will lead you to the proper testing and certification necessary to work in the field. This training school believes in hands on training which allows students to have in the seat training. This helps students remember things and get a true feel of what being an operator is all about.

You may also be interested to know that there is assistance in housing while you are in training and there is financial assistance available for those currently in the program. During the course and even as a graduate, there are career services available to assist operators in finding jobs.

By enrolling in the crane operation program at Associated Training School, you will have a great future career set ahead of you. The demand is high and pay is great. Consider becoming a crane operator today and enroll at ATS.

Working as a crane operator is not that difficult. You will need to have some understanding of mathematics, however, much of that is taught to you when you undertake crane operator training. These days, if you can use a calculator, or look up a table, then you’re halfway there.

Crane operators are amongst the best paid heavy equipment operators. The work is almost always interesting, and it’s very diversified. One day you could be on a construction site building a factory or home, the next you could be out helping to build a bridge. Crane operators are also used in mining, forestry, the waterfront, railways and even in horticulture these days given our desire to relocate trees rather than cutting them down.

Students can learn everything they need for a career as a mobile crane operator in around three weeks. Add another week for the assessments to become a certified crane operator (required now by law), and you’re ready to start work. If you want to work on more complex cranes, for example, telescopic booms, then you may require a little extra training in order to pass your assessments.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools has been preparing individuals for the workforce for fifty years. We have earned a reputation for delivering high quality graduates to industry. So much so, employers often come to us looking for new recruits. In fact, we have a dedicated job-site where employers list vacancies and where graduates can access to check out job vacancies. Interested in becoming a crane operator? You don’t need to be a genius – all you need is desire, and to complete a crane operator training course.