Mention a mobile crane and most people think of a truck with a crane attached somewhere. While the principle behind most cranes is similar, mobile cranes themselves come in many different styles, each designed to do a particular job. In some industries – for example, the logging industry – there are purpose-built cranes that are only suited to that job. Other types of cranes include:

• Rough Terrain Crane – designed to carry loads across a rough terrain
• All Terrain Crane – designed for use the highway and rough terrain
• Carry Deck Crane – this crane has a deck that holds a load for transporting
• Pick and Carry Crane – similar to a carry deck crane
• Telescopic Handler Crane – forklifts on a telescopic boom
• Crawler Crane – these cranes run on tracks (like a bulldozer) rather than wheels
• Railroad Crane – normally mounted on a flatbed rail car
• Floating Crane – normally mounted on a pontoon

These cranes can come in a range of sizes, for example, a floating crane can be the size of a ship and can be used to assist the building of oil rigs. Railroad cranes, while generally mounted on flatbed rail cars, can also have conventional wheels that can be raised and lowered over trolley wheels that can run on rails.

What is important for those interested in crane operations is that crane operator training for each of these cranes is the same. The principles of lifting are the same, the only difference being in the way individual cranes are stabilized prior to lifting. Like most machinery, this is specific to the type and brand of crane used, and requires basic on-the-job training for that specific unit, training that is provided by the employer. What a new graduate needs is a thorough introduction to mobile crane basics – from there a graduate can build on skills developed. Mobile cranes come in many guises, however, there’s only one form of mobile crane operator training required, and that the training providing by ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.

I know there are some in the construction industry who consider mobile crane operators to be second class operators – real operators drive huge fixed construction cranes. Let me let you in on a couple of secrets – first, there are three times more mobile cranes than fixed cranes; second, mobile crane operators have a more diverse career; and finally, operating a mobile crane takes more skills compared to operating a fixed crane.

One of the benefits enjoyed by mobile crane operators is the flexibility they provide. An urgent job comes in that requires a crane, send in a mobile crane. A fixed crane is just that – they are often assembled on site (at least in part) and can take weeks to move. That makes them fairly useless when it comes to urgent worked required on another site. All cranes have their uses, and that does include fixed cranes, however, that doesn’t make mobile crane operators second class operators.

When it comes to diversity, you just never know what your next job is going to be when operating a mobile crane. Simple lifts on a building site, complex lifts at a factory, or hazardous jobs such as pulling vehicles out of rivers, or righting overturned trucks could on your agenda – and that’s in one day.

If you pay attention while out driving, you’ll notice mobile cranes on the road. Some of these cranes are huge, at least the length of long distance trucks, sometimes even longer. Simply stabilizing these large mobile cranes can become complex. A career as a mobile crane operator starts with good quality mobile crane operator training that includes plenty of in-the-seat training. Get that training right, and you’ll have a long and happy career – you’ll certainly not be a second class operator.

Whilst some consider a career operating cranes as boring, mobile crane operators would certainly argue otherwise. Being mobile, they spend time on the road traveling from job to job, and for the very large cranes, that can be hundreds of miles. Not only do mobile crane operators travel around a lot, they are also doing very different work all the time.

Every job has its boring aspect. Raising and lowering pipes into a trench is not exactly a test of ones skills. However, tomorrow, you could be helping to pull a car out of a river, and that may well test you out. If you can think of a task where a crane could be required to offer assistance, then you almost guarantee a mobile crane is the tool of choice.

One of the most interesting jobs that has caught our eyes in recent years is the case of the grossly overweight woman who needed to be transported to a hospital. There was no way an ambulance stretcher could get her down a staircase, and there was no way she could walk down, so a crane was called in to help workers first, make the window opening much larger, and secondly, to help lower her to the ground.

Mobile crane operators do have interesting careers. They are well paid, and there is always plenty of demand for well trained operators. Crane operator training can be completed in as little as three weeks, and once you have passed your crane operator certification assessments, you are ready to start your first job. If you’re interested in a career as a crane operator, then contact us at Associated Training Schools – it’s the first step to a great career as a mobile crane operator.

How many careers can you think of that only require three weeks of training? Add to this a couple of extra days to go through the certification process and your career is ready to be launched. That’s all it takes to become a certified crane operator, and yes, certification is now a requirement in the workplace.

While cranes do look to be complex, their operations are fairly straightforward. A lot of your training time is spent developing knowledge in the area of safety, and assessing both the work location and the load. The actual crane operation is fairly easy to learn. When it comes to certification, this is centered around safety, and an operator’s ability to safely set up and operate a crane.

It’s strange how, in a fast-paced society, we look at short training programs and wonder whether or not they produce the goods. When it comes to crane operator training, it does produce the goods and we have tens of thousands of former students who have successfully completed their training. Those graduates have gone on to operate a wide variety of cranes in a number of different industries, and their success is based on their desire to learn, and our ability to deliver the right training.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools has a long history of training individuals for employment in the heavy equipment industry, truck driving, and crane operations. We continue to work with the major stakeholders in these industries to ensure the training we deliver produces operators that are immediately employable following their graduation. For crane operators, that training is over three weeks. Nationally recognized certification assessments can be completed following your graduation and a certificate issued upon your successful completion of those assessments.

Crane operators are always in demand. If you are interested in a career as a crane operator, be sure your crane operator training is comprehensive, delivers the right skills for industry, and prepares you well for those important assessments. If everything comes together well, you’ll be employable as a crane operator in less than four weeks – forget those six or twelve month training programs for a new career.

There is a certain fascination with working as a crane operator. Everyone wants to reach the lofty heights of a highrise crane operator, and I do mean lofty heights. Some of those cranes “walk” their way up the building as it grows below them. The problem is, while it may seem to be an exciting career, there’s a certain monotony to the job. You spend the whole day lifting the same objects, often to the same place – there’s not a lot of variation of challenges in these positions. At least, until it’s time to move your crane.

One of the advantages that mobile crane operators have is variety. Because their crane is mobile, it can be sent around the region at a moments notice, and the range of jobs performed is endless. Think of a task where a heavy object requires a lift, and a mobile crane will most likely be called in (unless it’s a high rise building of course).

Mobile crane operators require several skills. They need to be truck drivers, since their crane is effectively mounted on a truck – this also requires a commercial drivers license. Mobile crane operators may also require rigging skills in order to set up their crane ready for use. Of course, they also require crane operating skills in order to do the actual task. Add to that record keeping skills that their employer requires to bill clients, and time management skills in order to complete tasks on time, and you have a highly skilled operator.

Training to become a mobile crane operator is not taxing and can be completed in as little as three weeks. Mobile crane operators are always in demand and they can attract good wages, especially those with plenty of experience. If you want a job that isn’t boring, is well paid, and can often offer challenging situations, consider a career as a mobile crane operator.

If you’re looking for a career that has plenty of variety, doesn’t keep you stuck in the one place all the time, and pays well, then a career as a mobile crane operator could be just the answer. As the name implies, a mobile crane operator is mobile. They are constantly on the move doing tasks as and where required. You could spend a week on a construct site moving heavy construction material, and the next week out on a pipe line helping to put pipes into place.

Mobile crane operators can also spend their days hopping from task to task. You could be helping to lift a roof air conditioner into place in the morning and helping to pull a car out of a river in the afternoon. If you can think of a task where a crane could make the job easier, then a mobile crane will most likely be involved.

Like most heavy equipment, mobile cranes come in a range of sizes. There are the small babies that are often used around construction sites and where pipe laying requires their services, and there are huge mobile cranes that are large enough to lift an overturned tanker back onto its wheels. Mobile crane operators are required to hold a commercial drivers license and to be certified as a crane operator.

Crane operator training can be completed in as little as three weeks. During that three week training period, students will learn how to safely set up their crane, operate their crane, and to prepare their crane for travel. Safety is a key component for any crane operator training and is one of the driving forces behind the requirement for certification. A career as a mobile crane operator is varied and well paid, and the demand is there for new drivers.

Are crane operators well paid? According to the Wall Street Journal they are. At least, some crane operators in New York City are. The report suggested that some crane operators in the city were earning up to $500,000 each year in wages and benefits. And no, that’s not a misprint; they are collecting a half million each year.

Of course, the majority of crane operators are on far less than that – probably more like 10%, but $50,000 a year is still nothing to sneeze at. If you make it to a high rise crane operator’s position, your wage will be significantly more. Still, statistics show that crane operators in general are amongst the highest paid workers on construction sites.

If you consider the responsibility that sits in the hands of a crane operator, then you can understand why they are well paid. If you look at mobile crane operators, they still have a lot of responsibility in their hands. Their job can be dangerous, especially to others, and as such need to be very competent, very reliable, and very safe in the way they work.

Because of those demands on crane operators, it is hard to get reliable and skilled workers into the profession. This is one of the reasons why they draw larger paychecks than most others – employers have to offer better wages, benefits, and conditions to attract those good operators.

It takes several years experience before you can attract those higher paychecks, and that experience needs to demonstrate your reliability and skill. The only way you can ever hope to build a good long term career as a crane operator is by having a good skill foundation to begin with, and that requires quality crane operator training through a well respected training organization.

Undertake training today to become a crane operator, and who knows, in ten years time you could be operating one of those high rise cranes and taking home paychecks that most of us can only dream about.

If you have a desire to become a crane operator, then your first step should be to research the best crane operator training schools. Crane operations go far beyond just pushing levers to raise and lower a cable with a load on it. There are safety aspects to be considered. You need to know how to stabilize your crane before you even start to lift, and you need to be able calculate the best way to move a load given its weight and the conditions.

There are many different ways to learn how to operate any equipment. You can have a friend teach you, or you can just teach yourself. However, you are really only learning how to push those levers. This means you may be able to operate a crane, but you’re definitely not a crane operator. In fact, you now require certification before you can step onto a crane and no employer will look at you without that certification.

When looking for a crane operator training school, look for those that have a long history of successfully training operators. You should also look for those that offer certification as a crane operator as well. The best crane operator training combines in-class and in-the-cab training that gives you both the skills and knowledge to work effectively as a crane operator.

Associated Training Services (ATS) has been in the business of training for over 40 years. They offer crane operator training and certification for both new entrants and old hands looking to refresh their skills (and gain certification). If you are looking for quality training to kick start your crane operator career, look no further – ATS have the experience and follow-up services that will give you every opportunity to not just obtain a certification, but to find employment as well.

When it comes to cranes, technology can make a lot of improvements to they way they work and the way an operator controls them, but technology will never replace the crane itself. At least, not until they invent some form of anti-gravity device. Cranes fulfill a unique role in the construction industry, a role that would see building taking ten times as long again to complete if we didn’t have cranes.

Why won’t cranes be replaced? Simplicity. The concept behind a crane is thousands of years old and it has never changed. A crane uses a boom to provide lifting leverage and a cable that is used to raise and lower loads. It is a simple concept, a concept that kids learn in the playground without even knowing a lot about cranes.

That simplicity is hard to replace no matter how good our technology. The shape, size, and configurations of cranes may change, but that basic lifting system will remain in place for a long time. While I may be simplifying the process of how a crane works, that doesn’t mean that operating a crane is getting any easier. The opposite is perhaps true with cranes becoming more complex in the cab.

Computer technology is playing an increasing role in an operator’s work whilst, at the same time, there is a lot pressure to increase the safe operations of cranes. Operators have to be far more vigilant and safety conscious than they were several decades ago. In fact, the workplace has reached a stage where legislators are now insisting that operators are certified to meet minimum standards before they are allowed into a crane cab.

Crane operator training through an accredited and respected training organization is the only way to ensure your training meets those minimum standards, and that you are then able to seek certification. Once you are trained and certified, you won’t have to worry about technology taking over your job – humans will always be required to operate cranes.

If you have a commercial drivers license, then you’re well on the way to becoming a mobile crane operator, or at least adding that option to your truck driving repertoire. Operating a mobile crane has three very distinct components: driving, stabilizing, and lifting. Driving is done in a traditional truck drivers cab and this is why you need that all important commercial drivers license. From there, you will need specific training to complete the next two tasks.

As the name suggests, stabilizing is ensuring your mobile crane is stable and won’t move during the crane’s operations. Just as importantly, being able to return the mobile crane to a driving state is also important. Stabilizing a crane is normally done from outside the crane using feet that lift the whole unit so the wheels clear the ground – this ensures a level base and no rolling.

Crane operations are done from a separate cab that is attached to the crane. This has standard crane controls for lifting and lowering the cable, raising and lowering the boom, and swinging the cab from side to side. While that sounds easy, crane operations can be quite involved. The operator needs to assess the weight of the object to be lifted, the lifting conditions (for example, wind), and the destination of the object to be lifted. That assessment will determine how the lift will be undertaken.

Upon completion of the crane’s work, the crane operator will also need to learn how to return the crane to a safe position for transport to the next location. Mobile crane operations are well suited to those who enjoy variety and who like to use their brain to solve problems. If you have a commercial drivers license, all you need is three weeks of mobile crane operator training to complete the requirements.