There’s nothing like a natural disaster to alter the balance in industry. When it comes to heavy equipment, the clean up following a natural disaster can really test the industry. Who has the greatest need – the road crew that is busy trying to finish a highway before winter sets in, or those who have suffered a lot of damage caused by the disaster? Irene is having a similar effect with heavy equipment operators, and often their equipment as well, putting their hands up to help with the clean-up.

What we do know is that the ranks of experienced heavy equipment operators is already dropping and events such as Irene can create vacuums of skilled operators in other areas. The industry is constantly on the lookout for new operators, particularly those with skills across a range of machinery. If you have a commercial drivers license, your value to employers is further enhanced.

Many will claim a lack of employment opportunities for heavy equipment operators – the truth is far from it. Heavy equipment operators are always in demand and there are times when that demand is heavier in different parts of the country. There will probably not be a shortage of heavy equipment operators down the east coast right now, but there will be elsewhere as operators are drawn to the east coast.

One of the interesting aspects of a heavy equipment career is that it is well suited to those who like to move around a little. The demand fluctuates around the country depending on the time of the year, any natural events such as fire, storm and earthquake, and state and federal government road and bridge building programs. If you have the wander bug and would like a career that may well support it, then consider a career as a heavy equipment operator – it could take you around the world.

Mention the word heavy equipment operator and most people think of a big barreled hairy chest male, probably wearing a hard hat and a singlet. Soft skills – there’s nothing soft about a heavy equipment operator. Right? These days, that image is far from the truth – in fact, there are many women operating heavy equipment, but soft skills have nothing to do with being soft. Soft skills are those areas relating to how you interact with others.

In the workplace, soft skills include how you frame job applications and resumes, how you conduct yourself during interviews, how you work as part of a team and your interaction in that team, and can even include leadership skills. Do heavy equipment operators need these skills? If you’re new to the industry then they certainly won’t hurt. An old-but-still-relevant report from the University of Minnesota puts it quite clearly when it comes to work in general:

While jobs in today’s economy require that employees be able to solve problems, use technology, and be proficient in reading, writing, math, and speaking skills, it is the soft skills that seem to make the difference in whether or not an employer hires and keeps someone on the job (Bremer & Madzar, 1995; Rentner, 2001)

Research over the years has demonstrated that soft skills can improve job seeking success rates by anything up to 85%, which is understandable given the emphasis placed on training people how to apply for job vacancies to their best advantage. When it comes heavy equipment training, the core training is on operating heavy equipment and heavy equipment safety, however, if a training organization also offers soft skills training, don’t snub that training – it could make the difference between a successful heavy equipment career, and being on the wrong end of job application reject letters.

Heavy equipment operators are often in high demand, especially when major construction projects are scheduled. Taking that first step to becoming a heavy equipment operator is always tough. You need to justify the time and expense required to undertake heavy equipment operator training, and then there’s always the concern as to whether or not you will find a suitable job after graduating from that training.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have tried to make that decision a little easier by offering as much help as possible. The one attribute that you need to bring is desire – if you want to be a heavy equipment operator, then there are many different ways of achieving that goal. Without desire, the urge to push on is not there and the temptation to quit at the first obstacle all too easy to take. If you have that desire to work with heavy equipment, then talk to us. We can help you achieve that goal in many different ways. Some areas where we offer direct assistance include:

• Free Heavy Equipment Training – Take a day to attend a free training session. This will help you decide if a heavy equipment career is really right for you.
• Financial Assistance – We can help you locate suitable funding sources. We are also eligible providers of training under several government programs including those designed for service personnel.
• Housing Assistance – We can help you with accommodation for the duration of your training. This saves on travel time and costs and places you close to the training school for easy access.
• Career Services – We have skilled career services personnel who can help you source suitable employers, create application letters and resumes, and provide advice on how to perform well at interviews.
• Free Jobs Site – ATS has a dedicated jobs site where employers can list job vacancies. You can include your resume on site to make it easier for employers to find you as well.
• Heavy Equipment Training – Once you have made that final decision, we can provide you with all the training required to prepare you for employment as a heavy equipment operator. This includes both classroom based training and in-the-seat operator training.

If you have the desire to become a heavy equipment operator, then we have all the tools and resources and training required to help you achieve that goal. All it takes is one toll free phone call to (800) 383-7364 and you’ve taken that first step.

A career as a heavy equipment operator can be very rewarding. For some, learning to operate basic equipment such as bulldozers, graders, and excavators is just the start of a journey that takes them through some of the more complex heavy equipment that is rarely discussed in heavy equipment forums.

One of the problems with setting your sites on more specialized equipment is the scarcity of opportunities. Because this equipment is specialized, there isn’t a big call for operators and, in most cases, employers recruit from within their own ranks, training suitable operators to handle this equipment. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim to operate this equipment. the opportunities do occur, and if you show a real desire to learn, an employer may well give you that opportunity.

You will often see these machines being used and wonder how an operator worked their way into that role. In most cases, it all started with basic heavy equipment and proving how proficient they are in operating that equipment. Some of the specialized equipment you may see includes:

• Paver, asphalt finisher, paving machine – This machine may have several different names, but they all do the same job. They lay the asphalt for new roads and highways.
• Roller, roller-compactor, compactor – This too has many names, and if you’re old enough, you may have heard them referred to as ‘steam rollers’. They do the same job. They compact and smooth out material that has been put down. Rollers are used after asphalt has been put down to give roads that hard and smooth finish.
• Wheel tractor-scraper – Scrapers are used to ‘plane’ the surface ready for construction or road building. Dirt is scraped from the surface and held in a hopper. Large scrapers may have two engines, one to drive the front and one to drive the rear.
• Trencher, wheel trencher – This is a specialist piece of equipment normally used to dig trenches for pipe laying. They are also sometimes used on roads to score the asphalt prior to relaying new asphalt.
• Pile driver – As the name suggests, this machinery is used to drive piles into the ground. Often found where bridges are being constructed, and for some general construction roles.

If you have a desire to one day work on specialist heavy equipment like those listed above, your first step is to undertake heavy equipment training on standard every day equipment. Once you are proficient in their use, you can then look to advance your career operating some of that equipment. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can give you a head start as we include scrapers as part of our heavy equipment training program.

If you’re under 30 and dreamed of one day operating a bulldozer, excavator or any other heavy equipment, then listen up – your country is calling. At least, employers are. We have a rapidly aging heavy equipment operator work force, many of whom will be retiring in the next five years. The average age of operators is now well into the mid-40s and the number of younger operators coming through is dropping each year.

Heavy equipment operations is best suited to mature and steady minds. However, that doesn’t mean that younger minds cannot succeed. In fact, by starting young, by the time you get to your mid-40s, you will be an expert at your trade, if not running your own heavy equipment business. While unemployment may be high, there is still plenty of demand for heavy equipment operators and this trend is expected to continue for at least the next ten years – unless of course we can recruit a lot of younger people to the industry.

If you’re interested in a heavy equipment career, then acting now will have you perfectly placed to take advantage of this demand. You can undertake heavy equipment training that will have you work ready in as little as three weeks – and this is across a range of equipment. You can also receive assistance to help you find your first job as a heavy equipment operator.

Being a heavy equipment operator may not be as flashy as some jobs sound, however, as a career it’s rewarding. You are not repeating the same job over and over again, and there’s plenty of room for growth.

Are you ready to step into the shoes of those about to retire? If so, find out more about your heavy equipment training options. Don’t dream the job – experience it.

What is the biggest fear that many have of summer? It’s fire – and with June only weeks old, we have already had wildfires breaking out in a lot of different locations. Heavy equipment operators are often involved in the firefighting process, either in the weeks leading up to summer or during and after fires. It can be a dangerous experience as well.

Heavy equipment operators, particularly graders and bulldozers, are frequently used to create fire breaks and fire access trails. Fire breaks are used to try and put the brakes on a fire while also giving firefighters easy access to remote areas. Fire trails are there for one purpose only, to get those firefighters in and out quickly.

During a fire, bulldozers have been used to bury smoldering vegetation. Of course, after a fire, heavy equipment is called in to clean up, especially when homes and other buildings have been affected. This is a demanding and often dangerous job for heavy equipment operators – yet, when volunteers are called, there are often more hands raised than required – a testimony to dedication of heavy equipment operators.

Working in those environments takes a lot of skill and dedication – attributes that can never be achieved by sitting at home dreaming of a career in heavy equipment. To achieve that dream, you need to complete a heavy equipment training program that provides you with the skills required to succeed in the workplace. Once in the workplace, you can work on developing those skills and gaining the experience required to work in more demanding areas like fire protection and control.

If you have the dedication but lack the skills, then ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools are the people to talk to. They can help you develop the skills required to succeed as a heavy equipment operator.

Are you outgoing, determined to succeed, and enjoy working outdoors? If that is you, then you could be a perfect candidate for a career as a bulldozer operator. Bulldozers are the real grunt of the heavy equipment range since they rely on power and strength to complete their tasks.

In some work areas, bulldozers move tons of earth every day – and I’m talking about one bulldozer working on its own. Bulldozers are the preparers – they remove vegetation and carve out the ground ready for other equipment like graders and excavators to come in to do their work. Even when confronted by stubborn roots or large boulders, bulldozers are determined machines and they generally win the day.

For those looking for an interesting and challenging career, then operating a bulldozer could be just what you’re looking for. Your first step to achieving that career is to undertake training in the field of heavy equipment operations. What may surprise many is that training to operate a bulldozer doesn’t take months – you can be ready for entry level employment after just three weeks of training.

Associated Training Services has been in the business of training for over half a century. Over that time, ATS has developed a reputation for delivering quality operators to various industries, all ready to start work and all ready to be productive from day one. If you are considering a career change and operating a bulldozer appeals, then contact us for more information on how we can help you bulldoze your way to a great career – it’s a well paid career too.

Gender equity in employment has long been a challenge for women. I recently noticed an article on the topic of gender equity in truck driving, and some of the content could be equally applied to heavy equipment and crane operator careers.

Two statements really stood out. The first referred to the fact that a truck doesn’t know whether it’s a man or woman driving it – neither does heavy equipment machinery or cranes. The second statement was even more important, and to the point.

“recruiting ads looking for professional drivers you will often see the starting pay right in the ad. There’s no asterisk that says, “This pay rate is for men only.” Not only is that illegal, it would be foolish for a carrier to differentiate pay when the level of service is not dependent on the gender of the person behind the wheel. ”source

Again, this is very true of both heavy equipment and cranes. In fact, in today’s workforce, there are a lot of women working in all three areas. It’s not unusual to see a woman behind the controls of a bulldozer – in fact, from a distance, I’d challenge most people to tell me if was a male or female behind the controls.

Gender equality does exist in the field of heavy equipment. If you were to ask why there weren’t more female operators, the answer would be easy – they are not coming through and undertaking the heavy equipment training. It is no longer a man’s domain. As a career, the door is open to all who can pass the minimum requirements – and that really relates to training, including safety training, health, minimum age restraints set by the state, and the ability to communicate effectively in English. Meet those criteria, and you can train to operate heavy equipment, drive trucks, and operate a crane.

Changing careers, especially as we grow older, can be a stressful time. Retraining costs money and in many instances comes with the double blow of not being able to earn while you learn. This can be agonizing for some when they find out after the training that they are not really suited to their new career. There are many now working in careers, not because they like the work, but because they feel obligated to continue having invested so much time and money into retraining. We have a real solution to that problem.

How does an afternoon spent in a heavy equipment training school sound? I’ll sweeten the deal – how about spending some time watching heavy equipment in action, climbing aboard and getting a feel for the beasts, and working through a module of a heavy equipment training program? Still not won you over? What if I said it was free – totally free with no obligation to sign up for anything?

One of the best ways of testing your suitability for any career change is to get some time knee deep in that career. That’s what is on offer – a chance for you to talk to trainers and students, a chance to look over a heavy equipment training facility, and a chance to really test yourself around that equipment. At the end of the day you will know in your own mind whether or not that is a career that you could succeed at and enjoy working in.

What is more important is that you will walk away knowing whether or not the investment of your time and money is going to deliver the rewards you are seeking in both employment and life in general. Fortunately, a heavy equipment training program is a short three week commitment – that’s not a huge drain on time or loss of income.

Don’t commit to a career where there are doubts in your mind. Come and see us to see if you are really suited to a career as a heavy equipment operator – it’s free, and since there aren’t too many free opportunities in life, you need to grab them while you can.

No employer can afford to have idle employees. When it comes to construction, you have the added problem then of idle heavy equipment. In today’s business environment, construction companies want to gain the maximum out of both their equipment and their employees. To deliver maximum earning potential, operators and their heavy equipment are scheduled to fairly fine time lines, a factor that heavy equipment operators always have at the back of their minds.

If you were to look at a typical construction project, a construction company may schedule a bulldozer and operator to work for a set period of time. A loader and dump truck may be called in at some stage to remove the waste that the bulldozer has removed. As soon as the bulldozer work is done, it will be sent off with its operator to another job.

In the meantime, a backhoe or excavator may come onto the site to dig foundations, or in the case of road construction, a grader may be called to do its work. Again, support heavy equipment such as loaders and dump trucks may be scheduled. For roads, rollers and hot mix units will be scheduled to begin their work on certain days. For a building that has had foundations dug, the day for pouring cement will already be scheduled.

As a heavy equipment operator, you need to be aware of your place in this scheduling arrangement and the importance of completing work according to a schedule. Although you may be operating one piece of machinery, you are a part of a large team, a team that has one goal, getting the job done on time. By completing work on time, the construction company maintains a reputation for reliability and thus is able to contract ongoing work – ongoing work that keep you, the heavy equipment operator in work.

Heavy equipment training can provide the skills to get a job done on time – only you can deliver the commitment that sees a team complete a job on time. If you can work to a schedule, enjoy working as part of a large team, and enjoy working in the outdoors, then perhaps heavy equipment is a career worth considering.