The term “heavy equipment operator” encompasses a broad range of professionals from the lowly forklift driver to the glamorized long-haul truck driver. More often than not, however, it specifically refers to a person who operates one of several types of heavy equipment that are often found on construction sites and industrial zones within a variety of industries. Without getting into specific niche-oriented types of heavy equipment, the most basic equipment we’re talking about includes:

• Backhoes
• Mobile cranes
• Wheel loaders of various types
• Excavators
• Scrapers
• Graders
• Bulldozers

Again, these are the most basic types of heavy equipment you’ll find on most construction sites and many industrial work sites. A heavy equipment operator is a person trained to operate such equipment and has the proper certification to do so.

How Do You Become a Heavy Equipment Operator

Heavy equipment operators generally receive some type of professional training before they are allowed to operate heavy equipment. Some operators get their training on the job, but this is not the preferred way to get your professional certification. Rather, you are much more employable long term if you get trained and certified by an industry-recognized heavy equipment operator training school.

Many employers will hire instructors to come to their work site and provide such training to several employees at the same time. If your employer is one of those, they can contact Heavy Equipment School to set up the on-site training for you and your co-workers.

For more information on what you will learn in the heavy equipment operator training, you receive from ATS, visit our curriculum page.

The types of companies that hire heavy equipment operators are not short. All sorts of companies employ crane operators, forklift drivers, dump truck drivers, riggers and signalpersons, and people who operate every type of heavy equipment under the sun. Here’s a short list of the types of companies you might be employed by as a heavy equipment operator:

• Construction companies
• Utility companies
• City/municipal governments
• State agencies
• Federal state departments
• Oil & gas companies
• Timber companies
• Mining operations
• Military
• Other industrial employers

As you can see, that’s a broad swath of companies. In each of those categories, you may be employed by a variety of types of businesses. For instance, mining companies may include coal, diamond, or precious metals. Municipal governments could include cities, counties, townships, or boroughs. Even the military is versatile and often hires civilian contractors for some types of jobs.

Specific Employers Who Have Hired ATS Graduates

These employers will hire heavy equipment operators right out of training or with years of experience. They may also hire management personnel. You do not necessarily have to rise through the ranks. If you have the experience, you have the experience.

Employers who have hired heavy equipment operators who graduated from Associated Training Services classes include:

• Halliburton
• Waste Management
• Oak Park
• Quikrete
• Cranemasters
• Shaw
• Flippo Construction
• Merit Asphalt
• Senn Blacktop
• Waas Boring & Cable Inc.
• Intercon Construction LLC
• Buell’s Landscape Center
• Michels Corporation
• Pike Industries
• Tradesmen International
• Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Tube City IMS

And that’s just a small number of employers who have hired our graduates, who train on the best heavy equipment in the industry. You’ll learn how to operate brand-name equipment, such as Case, LIFTek, Badger, JohnnyBall, JCB, Dica, and more.

Our instructors are the best in the business, and all graduates gain access to our free job placement website with access to jobs all across the U.S. and Canada.

Our next heavy equipment class begins on December 7, 2015. Enroll to get in today.

Heavy equipment training is one of the bedrock of modern society. If it weren’t for construction workers, truck drivers, and other heavy equipment operators, much of our cultural infrastructure would never have seen the light of day. Roads and bridges, skyscrapers, single-family homes, apartment complexes, shopping malls, universities, hospitals, and all the other structures that make up modern society were constructed by people operating the types of the heavy equipment you’ll learn about when you enroll in an Associated Training Services heavy equipment operating training class.

Of course, we don’t see that changing any time soon. People will still need banks, grocery stores, and amusement parks well into the future. The processes of construction might change, and perhaps the type of equipment at some level may change, but someone will still need to operate that equipment. For now, it’s not robots.

That means, since construction equipment is still in use, heavy equipment jobs are still available. And as long as heavy equipment jobs are available, there will be someone ready and willing to train new recruits to use the equipment. It might as well be us doing the training and you get the jobs.

When it comes to training heavy equipment operators, no one does it better. We’ve been at it for more than 50 years.

There’s no time better than now to enroll in a heavy equipment course. Pick one and join the workforce.

Who doesn’t want to increase their income and make more money? It’s the American dream in action on the job site. You apply for a job, get hired, and negotiate your salary. In time, you should see your income go up. But there’s more than one way to skin that cat.

Here are 4 ways to ensure your income from operating heavy equipment goes up, not down:

1. Get promoted – The most obvious way to see your income go up as a heavy equipment operator is to get a promotion. Once you enter management, you’ll get a substantial raise and likely an increase in benefits, too. Get promoted into a supervisory role as soon as you can.
2. Establish seniority – Another way to ensure your income goes up is to stay employed with the same employer for a while. Longevity produces cost-of-living income increases. Plus, many employers reward excellent employees with pay raises, safety bonuses, and other monetary perks.
3. Multiple certifications – You can increase your income just by obtaining additional certifications. Get your CDL, mobile crane operators certification, or riggers certification and you’ll instantly be in more demand. You can then ask for more money for your skills.
4. Freelance – You’ll make a lot more money if you work for yourself. If you can afford to buy your own equipment, you can hire yourself as a freelance heavy equipment operator. This is the best way to earn top dollar, but you will be responsible for your own insurance, marketing, and ongoing training.

What ways can you think of to increase your income as a heavy equipment operator?

It’s a tough job market. Not only do you need employable skills, but you need to understand how to position yourself as the right person for every job. That includes knowing how to prepare a resume, conduct an interview, and negotiate salaries.

If you’re looking for a lucrative career, the heavy equipment career is ready for you. Here are five reasons why now is a good time to get in:

1. Lots of Demand – There is a lot of demand for heavy equipment operators. Construction is booming everywhere. Cities and municipalities, private businesses, and even the federal government have projects going on all the time.
2. Pay is Increasing – You’d think that demand is driving wages lower, but in fact, as the cost of living rises, heavy equipment operators need to earn more to maintain the lifestyles they’ve enjoyed. The best companies in the field are paying heavy equipment operators handsomely.
3. Baby Boomers are Retiring – The older heavy equipment operators in the workforce are retiring in droves. That’s leaving a lot of empty spaces for new operators.
4. Opportunities for Advancement – Because the top heavy equipment operators, who tend to be older, are retiring, that means a lot of younger but experienced heavy equipment operators will be moving up, leaving room for entry-level operators to step in and fill positions. When new positions in management open up, who do you think will be in line?
5. Many Ways to Earn More Income – Once you get certified to operate heavy equipment, you can make yourself more employable and valuable to your employers by training on other equipment and getting other certifications that can increase your pay. These include rigging, CDLs, and mobile crane certifications.

This is the best time to start a career in heavy equipment. What are you waiting for?

If you’ve been working as a heavy equipment operator and are looking for ways to increase your income, have I some ideas for you. The surest way to increase your income is to specialize in a particular skill. Here are 5 particular heavy equipment skills you can specialize in to increase your work income.

1. Mobile crane – Become a mobile crane operator and you’ll immediately be in demand. That’s because this special skill requires additional education. Get the training to become a mobile crane operator and you’ll see your pay increase.
2. Rigging – Riggers are highly sought after on the construction site. Their job is to ensure safety and to come up with the best ways to lift heavy loads. Riggers can specialize in a particular type of equipment or loads, or they can work in construction at the general level. The higher your specialization the more likely you are in demand for the big bucks.
3. Truck Driving – Truck drivers are highly paid on the construction site, as well. That’s because it’s a special skill with a special license requirement.
4. Get a CDL – Just by holding a commercial drivers license, you make yourself more employable and can demand a higher salary. It’s good that you know how to drive a dump truck. It’s better if you have a CDL to prove it.
5. Become A Certified Signalperson – OSHA has very strict requirements for signalpersons. If you can get your certification, you’ll demand higher pay right off the bat.

There is no substitute for skills and certification. Whether you seek a license or certification, if you specialize in a heavy equipment skill, then you’ll demand higher pay.

The demand is all over the world. People are building, constructing, and tearing things down. Dirt is being moved, high rises constructed, and governments funding capital projects. Businesses too. Wouldn’t you like to be a part of that? Well, you can be, with a little training.

Here are 8 pieces of heavy equipment that are always in high demand, and the ATS Heavy Equipment Operator School can teach you how to operate them while assisting you with getting your career off the ground.

1. Backhoe – Learn to excavate with the world’s best-known piece of heavy equipment.
2. Scraper – Governments, farms, and industrial companies all over the world use scrapers to even out landscapes.
3. Bulldozers – Bulldozers are big for a reason. You’d be big too if your job was to push dirt around.
4. Graders – A single blade used to flatten a piece of ground or a road for smoother traveling.
5. Loaders – There are all sorts of loaders — skid steer, front end, wheel loaders. You can learn to operate them all in one single course.
6. Excavators – Excavators are the world’s largest diggers. You can dig anything with one of these monsters.
7. Dump trucks – Dig it, pick it up, and drop it in the back of a dump truck, then haul it off somewhere and get rid of it.
8. Forklifts – All-terrain forklifts are useful pieces of equipment to have on any work site. With two prongs, you can lift thousands of pounds and carry it hundreds of feet.

Are you ready? Enroll in the ATS Heavy Equipment Operators Course today and start your career on the right foot.

There’s a lot of big machinery out there, and that means heavy equipment operators are working. Heavy equipment is a category of machinery that is designed to do big jobs that involve moving things that are too big or bulky to move any other way. The types of heavy equipment ATS trains students on include:

• Backhoes
• Scrapers
• Bulldozers
• Graders
• Skid Steer Loaders
• Wheel Loaders
• Excavators
• Off-Road Haul Trucks
• Front End Loaders
• All-Terrain Forklifts

Each machine is a little bit different because it is designed to do specific jobs. But heavy equipment operators don’t just learn to operate a variety of equipment because sitting in the driver’s seat is only one part of the job description. Operators are trained to know how to properly inspect their equipment for safety and maintenance purposes. They learn how to monitor materials, events, and environment so the changes in the job site are adapted to and everyone stays safe. The job of a heavy equipment operator changes the world around them, so the operator needs to understand what to do in a changing environment.

Operators Do More Than Drive

Heavy equipment operators also understand their machine and the regulations it falls under. There are lots of laws covering the skilled trades industries because this is a dangerous career — not just anybody can operate this machinery safely. Employers look for well-trained heavy equipment operators because it is cheaper in the long run even though the wage guidelines are good in this career. It’s cheaper for the employer because the job gets done professionally and safely.

Heavy equipment operators do an important job that cannot safely be done by an untrained person.

Do you know what a “green job” is? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Green Job Initiative is growing quickly and these jobs are popping up all over the place.

Green jobs are either:

1. Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.

1. Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

Being Trained To Do Green Jobs Is Good For YOUR Future

For heavy equipment operators, being able to say you know how to work in an environmentally friendly fashion means you are highly qualified and hireable. As the environment and natural resources become prioritized, so will green construction jobs. That’s why ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School offers green jobs and training. You’ll get the training that qualifies you for the green job initiative and you’ll get the help to find the green jobs where you are located.

These green jobs won’t just be the occasional homeowner wanting to keep the big trees alive while they build their house. It certainly includes individuals, but the Green Job Initiative means that these jobs will be in the commercial construction industry. That’s government projects, infrastructure, and more. It’s big money and it’s going to take heavy equipment operators who are able to do the job the way it needs to be done today, instead of the way it used to be done.

This change in the way heavy equipment is used is slow. You are still going to find jobs where it’s old school. But since there is a growing demand for jobs where it’s ecologically sensitive and new school, ATS provides an awareness of both and competency across the board. You will have a heavy equipment career in the future if you’ve been trained at ATS.

One of the best things you can do to be the person who stays employed is — drum roll, please — being the person who can do the job. In the skilled trades industries, that usually means being the person who has the experience, skills, and certifications to do that job. Most of the time that job will involve the ability to operate some type of equipment. The category of “heavy equipment” is pretty big, so a heavy equipment operator who wants to stay employed will try to get experience in many types of equipment.

Good Heavy Equipment Operator Training Involves Variety

One of the things you will notice about the ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School is the list of things students learn to operate:

• Backhoes
• Scrapers
• Bulldozers
• Graders
• Skid Steer Loaders
• Wheel Loaders
• Excavators
• Off-Road Haul Trucks
• Front End Loaders
• All-Terrain Forklifts

The reason so many types of equipment are part of the training is that a job site often will have a variety of machines to do the job. An operator who has the skills and certifications to operate more machines is a more valuable employee. ATS students don’t just learn to operate equipment, they also learn to read grades, identify soil, understand site layout and laser levels, and all the basic skills they will need. Heavy equipment maintenance and safety procedures are part of the training, too.

These basic things are going to be needed no matter which piece of equipment you end up on for the day, so everybody who is on the site should know them. But the operator who can do whatever is needed on the heavy equipment they have is going to be the operator who stays on the job when others are laid off.