One option open to heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, and crane operators, is to seek opportunities overseas. One job listing in our Saturday job listing series required 80 crane operators for work in either Afghanistan and Kuwait. In fact, wherever the U.S. has had a military presence, you’ll find work for capable operators and drivers. You can also find work in many African nations where aid is helping to build roads, schools, hospitals and dams.

Before looking for work overseas, you will need to complete an appropriate training program. Crane operators generally need to be certified; truck drivers will need their commercial drivers license; and heavy equipment operators will need to have completed an approved heavy equipment training program. It will also help your cause if you can get six-twelve months of experience here in the U.S. before applying for international positions.

There is a high demand for experienced heavy equipment operators overseas. The pay is good, and, depending on where you work and who you work for, there are hefty tax concessions on your income. The downside is that you are working in remote areas a long way from home. You may even find you are working in somewhat hostile conditions and in areas that are quite primitive compared to what you enjoy at home right now. In some places, something as simple as running water is non-existent.

U.S. crane and heavy equipment operators (and truck drivers) are preferred in many locations, particularly where U.S. contractors are involved. They prefer to employ from home, fly suitable recruits to their work locations, and to fly them home again once their contracts have been fulfilled. These operators and drivers are generally offered new contracts to return after a short period R and R at home, often with bonuses for renewing those contracts. It does take a special type of person to work overseas under trying conditions, however, many enjoy the experience and continue to return year after year.

If you have a yearning to work overseas in remote and primitive locations, then perhaps heavy equipment operations, truck driving, or crane operations is worth considering.

There is a misconception amongst many in the community that heavy equipment careers are fairly itinerant by nature. This is far from the truth. Sure, there are major construction companies that move from project to project, taking their equipment and their operators with them. However, the majority of work for heavy equipment operators is local, with most operators home for dinner each night.

As for being a career for young single males – the majority of workers in this industry are over 40 and married, most with children. You can dispel the male only component as well, there are a lot of women who are now working as heavy equipment operators, and enjoying every minute of it. In reality, anyone can become a heavy equipment operator; all it takes is desire and an aptitude for operating equipment.

When it comes to employment opportunities, local construction leads the way while municipal councils run a close second. Private contractors are also big employers, offering equipment and operators for lease to farmers, developers and, on occasion, environmental groups wanting sensitive areas cleared of non-native vegetation. Even large construction companies, with their somewhat itinerant workforce, need to employ local operators to fill gaps in their ranks.

This means that most operators own their home, and work from their home base. These workers take the daily commute to and from their workplaces like everyone else, just a little earlier than most. A heavy equipment career is certainly not restricted to young single males (although the industry would love to see more of them join the ranks). A short heavy equipment training program is all that most people require to start successful careers as operators.

Some people seem to have natural abilities when it comes to operating machinery while others take time to develop those abilities. When it comes to heavy equipment, you don’t necessarily need a wide range of skills before undertaking training, however, you do need to be the type of person who can quickly develop those abilities. So what abilities does a good heavy equipment operator require?

• Control – Heavy equipment operators are required to quickly and repeatedly adjust controls of their equipment, often to very precise positions, and these adjustments are often very small, yet may have a large impact on the finished work.
• Coordination – One of the most important abilities is that of coordination between hand, legs and eyes. Sometimes it’s not as easy as it looks, however, operators very quickly learn how to coordinate their limbs to control their equipment’s actions.
• Steadiness – This ability is required in conjunction with coordination and control. Keeping a hand or foot very steady on a control while moving other controls, or moving over rough terrain, can be difficult. Being able to make very minor adjustments (control) ensures you maintain the accuracy of the work your equipment is completing.
• Dexterity – This ability is used in conjunction with coordination, however, it often requires different limbs to be doing reverse operations; for example, one hand pushing forward while another pulls back.
• Reaction – Being able to react quickly is important, however, being able to react and make the right corrective movement is even more important, and sometimes, that movement may feel unnatural. This is a skill that can take time to learn, however, for safety reasons, it is one that should be developed as quickly as possible.

You can liken some of these abilities to those of a car driver. For example, being able to make fine adjustments to the steering as you drive at speed down the highway; the ability to change gear while breaking or accelerating in a vehicle with a manual gear box; and reversing with a trailer attached (this requires opposite movements to what comes naturally). Attending a heavy equipment training program that gives you in the seat operator practice on a range of heavy equipment will help you to develop these abilities quickly. Get them right, and that’s half the battle to becoming a great heavy equipment operator. Fortunately, with a good training regime, these abilities become second nature and you hardly ever need to consciously think about them – a bit like driving a car really.

If you work as a heavy equipment operator, then there’s a very simple reality about today’s workplace – you can’t have too many skills. Employers, when listing job vacancies, are now looking for operators with a range of talents. The most common is the wide range of heavy equipment that an operator has experience with. Other skills often requested include CDL licenses with experience on dump trucks or heavy equipment haulage. Employers are also looking for individuals who have had training and experience as a signal person and/or crane operator.

You don’t need to go to the expense of adding too many skills. If you start by learning as much as possible across a range of heavy equipment, you’ll meet an employer’s major requirement. Over time, however, it has been shown time and again that the addition of a commercial drivers license has added value to an individual’s career opportunities.

Modern machinery has changed to the point that some jobs can now be done in far less time. Rather than having an operator idle while awaiting their next task, employers are now wanting to move them onto alternative machinery. It’s understandable – an idle worker is not productive, yet the employer still needs to pay their wage.

If you are considering a heavy equipment training program, then be sure to gain as much experience across a range of equipment as possible. If you are already skilled as a heavy equipment operator, consider adding a commercial drivers license or a crane operators certificate to your skills list. You will open up more employment opportunities and add a lot more variety to your career.

Winter may be approaching, but it seems the amount of work available for heavy equipment operators is not easing. In fact, demand for operators in this sector is steadily on the increase. According to a quick search on Indeed.com, as of today, there are almost 4,500 positions available waiting for operators. While 4,500 may not sound like a lot, it is up from this time last year where there were just over 3,800 vacancies listed on Indeed.com.

Job vacancies are across a range of industries including construction, forestry, mining, conservation, land clearing, reclamation, landscaping, utilities and the army. The latter is an interesting option – the army prefers to recruit heavy equipment operators that have already undertaken their equipment training, and who have a reasonable amount of experience on that equipment. The army will train operators to use their specific equipment, however, they still need that core base of skills to work with.

Today’s employer is looking for one key factor – quality training. Heavy equipment is expensive with some machinery costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is no way an employer is going to allow an untrained operator to use their equipment when they have invested so much money in them. OSHA guidelines also insist that operators are qualified in some way, and that they have completed safety training designed for heavy equipment operators.

The work is there, the job advertisements clearly show that. Even as winter approaches, employers are still recruiting, and while new recruits do find it a little tougher initially, those that have undertaken their training through a reputable heavy equipment training school are finding their first jobs. That’s all takes – good training and that first job, from there, you can build a long and successful career.

When learning to operate heavy equipment, there are five machines that you should spend as much time on. These five form the core of heavy equipment in use around the country and are generally the machines that most new operators are likely to work with. These five also form the basis for most other heavy equipment since the skills developed on these machines are easily transferable to other machinery. The five basic units are:

• Bulldozers – learning to operate a bulldozer really does teach a number of important skills. The two most important are controlling tracks (rather than wheels) and learning about dirt – yes dirt. Moving earth depends largely on the type of dirt you are working with, and what obstacles are in your path – for example, large boulders and tree stumps.
• Loaders – loaders are generally wheeled vehicles, however, some are articulated which can take time to get used to. You will also learn perception skills when loading trucks with a bucket load of materials. You need to get it in the truck accurately, without knocking the truck around.
• Excavators – while excavators are considered ditch diggers, those ditches require real skills. Again, earth reacts differently and operating an excavator can teach some of the finer skills required to work in some environments.
• Backhoes – this has become one of the most popular machinery in use. It combines the skills of both an excavator and a loader.
• Graders – while bulldozers do the grunt work, graders do the fine finishing work. Operating a grader can be technically challenging and it is through this training that site plans and grades become important.

If you can learn to operate each of those machines well, then you’ll be assured of a successful career as a heavy equipment operator. You will also lay a solid foundation for new skills and a range of similar heavy equipment. Heavy equipment training should be the place where those solid foundations are built.

When looking at recent job vacancies for heavy equipment operators, one can’t help noticing that employers are looking for operators who can operate a wide range of equipment. It’s impossible to be trained on every piece of equipment in use; for example, how do you learn to operate a snow plow in the middle of summer? I guess you could go to Alaska.

In fact, no one expects operators to have had basic training on every piece of equipment. Rather, being trained to operate the basic equipment in use is what is important. You need to learn how to dig a trench (excavators, backhoes), how to move dirt (bulldozer, grader), and how to load trucks (loaders, backhoes). More importantly, and this is the real key to a successful career as a heavy equipment operator, to build confidence in your ability to handle that basic machinery.

Why? Almost every piece of heavy equipment in use is simply an offspring of one of those units. Back to the snow plow – it’s really a cross between a loader, grader and bulldozer (depending on the type of snow plow). If you have confidence operating that machinery, it’s a piece of cake hopping into another piece of machinery and becoming proficient in its use. You will most likely require a quick how-to on that new machinery, however, since the levers, pedals and controls are similar, you will pick it up quickly.

The moral here is simple. When undertaking heavy equipment training, don’t go to a training school where you are trained on only one piece of equipment. Attend a heavy equipment training school where you’ll be trained on a variety of heavy equipment. Your aim is to become a confident as possible on as many machines as possible. This will set you up for that successful career as a heavy equipment operator.

It is interesting to note one of the jobs that we listed on Saturday and its reference to winter work. While heavy equipment operators traditionally work in the field of construction, they are not limited to construction. Mining and agriculture rely on heavy equipment while in winter, state and country authorities rely on heavy equipment operators to keep roads open. What caught my eye from Saturday’s job listings was the following:

Operate dump truck with snow plow and salt spreader working snow and ice. Learn to operate with supervision frontend loader while loading trucks with materials & load salt during winter months.

Most snow plow operators come from heavy equipment backgrounds, commonly (but not limited to), bulldozer and grader operators. Salt is no different than dirt and sand in the way it is handled. It requires a front end loader to load it into trucks or salt spreaders, however, where it does differ is in its corrosive effect, so cleaning equipment regularly becomes important.

Heavy equipment careers are now year round careers. Operators can often find alternative work in the northern states helping to keep roads clear. Others find that their career is a perfect excuse to escape the winter chill as they work on projects in the warmer southern regions. Some operators even gain the ultimate escape by finding employment overseas – and yes, U.S. trained operators are well regarded and sought after internationally.

If you are interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator, don’t let the thought of winter unemployment deter you – there will be work, and the best time to gain experience is now. We can have you trained and work ready in as little as three weeks – well before the winter chill arrives.

Being multi-skilled is important in today’s work environment and while we have often discussed the benefits of having heavy equipment training and a commercial drivers license there are other skills that compliment both occupations. If you are multi-skilled, then you have more to offer employers. It also means you can step in to do another job when the need arises, without breaching any safety laws that may apply. Complimentary skills that you could consider include:

• Fork Lift operations – being able to operate a forklift enables truck operators to load/unload their own trucks
• Overhead crane operations – overhead cranes are used in a wide range of workplaces, particularly in warehousing
• Signalperson qualifications – while you may spend much of your time operating heavy equipment, it’s handy to be able to be called on to work at ground level when required
• GPS training – heavy equipment and modern trucks now rely on GPS to help complete tasks
• Equipment maintenance – being able to maintain your equipment increases reliability and reduces down time

While training courses often include these components – for example, heavy equipment training may include fork lift, maintenance and some GPS training – it doesn’t hurt to build on these skills once you have developed your working skills. Some training establishments offer these skills individually while others may allow you to enroll and to complete modules that only relate to your specific area of need. For example, a truck driver completing the maintenance module for heavy equipment would be very handy if your job is to transport heavy equipment from site to site.

The more skills that relate to your career, the more employable you are. Employers value multi skilled employees over single skill employees all the time, so if the opportunity arises to build on your skills, grab that opportunity with both hands.

It is becoming more apparent every week that employers are focusing more on multi-skilled heavy equipment operators. We have often promoted the benefits of adding new skills to your employment options, and the jobs listing from this past weekend certainly give credence to our stance. What is worth noting is the range of skills that employers are looking for.

There are many operators who tend to focus on just one piece of heavy equipment. Bulldozers have long been a favored option followed by excavators and loaders. Employers are now looking for individuals who can operate all three, and more. They are also showing a preference for heavy equipment operators who can also drive a tractor-trailer – obviously, that requires a commercial drivers license. One addition that stood from the jobs listing over the weekend was for an operator who could do all of the above, and also operate a crane. That requires training and certification as a crane operator.

Fortunately, you don’t need to dash out and undertake training across the board. If you are new to the industry, then selecting one area of training and completing that successfully is your first goal. Your second goal is to obtain employment and to gain as much experience on the job as possible. If you select heavy equipment as your preferred area, then be sure to seek employment where you will have exposure to a range of equipment, not just the one type.

For those already employed within the industry, undertaking further training will help boost your employment opportunities. If you are a heavy equipment operator, adding crane operator training and certification could cover two areas – operating a mobile crane, and obtaining a commercial drivers license (often required to drive a crane on the open roads). If you are a truck driver, consider adding a crane operators qualification, or heavy equipment training, to your skills list. As you can see from these heavy equipment jobs, employers are looking for multi skilled operators – and they will continue to do so for a long time.