If you’re a construction worker and you feel you are stuck in rut, now could be a good time to get out of that rut by moving sidewise into a career as a heavy equipment operator. The future for operators is strong – in fact, there is real risk that operators will be in short supply in years to come. Changing careers is always risky, however, you are staying in construction, and your current skills will always be there should the need arise.

Many employers will appreciate your dual skills. They can employ you as a heavy equipment operator knowing they can use you in other areas should the need arise. If you’re currently employed, your employer may well find that additional skills such as heavy equipment operations are a bonus.

Heavy equipment operators earn a good deal more than general construction laborers. Training is a short three weeks to gain the basic skills, skills sufficient to get you into the workplace as an entry level operator. Undertaking your training through a recognized heavy equipment operator training organization is a must if you want your new skills recognized.

Don’t let costs hold you back. Financing is available, and the terms are very reasonable. Your current employer may welcome your new skills; if not, our career services department can help you locate a job that will give you the experience required to build your career. Get out of the rut and become a well-paid skilled construction worker in the field of heavy equipment operations. You won’t regret the change once you’re settled in.

Most people go into heavy equipment operator training programs with a set agenda. They may want to become bulldozer operators, or perhaps excavator operators. Some want to learn a range of equipment to make themselves more employable. For most people, life after training follows that agenda. There are, however, many other types of equipment in use, and the pathway to operating this equipment is often through the basic heavy equipment machinery.

So what equipment could you aspire to operate? This depends on the industry you want to enter. In road construction, there are wheeled rollers, heavy rollers and asphalt-laying machinery. In forestry, you could be operating specialist equipment that is used to handle fallen trees. There is a wide range of specialist equipment used in the mining industry, and even there you have a choice between above ground (open cut) and below ground mining. Other industries that make use of specialist equipment include ports (dockyards), general construction, and some manufacturing industries.

There is little in the way of specialist training for these fields, with employers often taking well-trained and experienced heavy equipment operators and providing on-the-job training on the machinery they use. In road construction, for example, it’s not unusual to start as a bulldozer operator or grader operator and to then progress onto other machinery within the company.

The path to this specialized equipment starts with quality heavy equipment operator training that is then backed up with experience in the workplace. In today’s workplace, one leads to another with employers preferring to hire new operators who have graduated from highly respected training schools. Heavy equipment operator training can open doors to more specialized equipment for those who are looking for something different.

The heavy equipment industry can be quite complex when it comes to different types of machinery. Take the humble excavator. This is a piece of machinery that has a bucket at the end of a boom used to dig holes. Or is it? The backhoe is an excavator that has been modified through the addition of a loader at one end – effectively, two machines in one. Different industries have specialized equipment which, whilst bearing the name excavator, look very different to the traditional excavator found digging trenches.

In the mining industry, there are bucket excavators where the name refers to a large wheel that has buckets attached. This machinery continually cuts through earth and rock, a little like a large grinder. A smaller version is sometimes used to dig trenches for underground services – this is known as a continuous excavator. The mining industry also uses an excavator that is similar to the traditional machine, however, it is much larger, and rather than digging holes, is used to scoop large amounts of ore to dump into huge trucks.

There are older excavators that use cables to control the boom and bucket. These are fairly slow workers, however, they are very reliable. Modern machinery achieves the same control using hydraulics. Hydraulics can be maintenance heavy as the equipment gets older – the slightest leak in a hydraulic line will weaken the machinery’s ability to work.

Traditional excavators have changed a lot over the years. The bucket is no longer fixed – it can be removed in minutes and range of different attachments installed – again, in minutes. These attachments can do anything from breaking up concrete to digging large post holes. Heavy equipment is not as simple as looking at a bulldozer, grader, loader or excavator – there are so many different versions of each equipment. Fortunately for new operators, it’s the more traditional equipment that they’ll be using. After completing heavy equipment training, and as you gain experience, you can look at some of the more specialized machinery.

There are times when people become confused over the term ‘heavy equipment’. The confusion is often related to the size of the equipment when, in reality, size has little to do with it.

In the early days, this equipment was referred to as ‘heavy earth moving equipment’ – in other words, equipment that could move a lot of earth quickly. The comparison was made to a group of people doing the same job by hand. An excavator with quite a small bucket can still dig a hole much faster than any team of manual workers could. This equipment did the ‘heavy’ work, hence the term ‘heavy equipment’. Those who operate these machines where then referred to as heavy equipment operators.

If you want to operate machinery that is designed to move earth, then you need to undertake training to make you proficient in that machinery. These days, heavy equipment is fairly straightforward to use so it doesn’t take long to learn how to operate a range of machinery. This range could (and should) include road graders, loaders, bulldozers and excavators. It is also handy to learn how to operate a backhoe -essentially a combination of loader and excavator. Smaller equipment like a skid steer loader is still considered heavy equipment since its main role is to move earth quickly.

Heavy equipment operator training should be designed to cover three aspects. These are – the skills to operate that equipment; heavy equipment safety operations; and the all-round skills and knowledge that make you work ready. That latter may sound obvious, however, there are many training organizations that will train you to operate heavy equipment, however, they fail to provide training on aspects such as grade reading, soil identification, site layout management, laser levels or heavy equipment maintenance. These are areas that employers expect to see proficiency in when it comes to new recruits.

When looking at heavy equipment operator training, be sure to select a training program that is well rounded and which prepares you well for the workplace. If you don’t, you may struggle to build a successful career as a heavy equipment operator.

Sometimes it can be hard to watch the news on television each night, especially when there are disasters that dominate that news. We are used to the annual scourge of tornadoes and hurricanes, the occasional passenger plane that crashes, and highway pileups. The recent explosion at a fertilizer plant is another in the long line of disasters to strike in recent years, however, there was one scene that really stood out on news bulletins, and that was the line of trailers loaded with heavy equipment ready to go in and clean up.

There were bulldozers, loaders, excavators and backhoes, all ready to do their part to clean up the scene ready for possible rebuilding. There’s no doubt that excavators and backhoes are being cautiously used to remove rubble in an attempt to find those who are still reported missing. Whilst these disasters take the news, heavy equipment operators work in other areas such as firefighting and even in the military. You can join the military and become a fighting bulldozer operator. Yes, you’re a soldier, however, your main job is to operate a bulldozer building runways, bridges, or just clearing land for new buildings.

That’s just part of the diversity of heavy equipment operators, and whilst these jobs may be at the extreme edge, they are important and require highly skilled operators. The best platform for a career as a heavy equipment operator is through a thorough training program that includes plenty of in-the-seat training and well-designed classroom training that ensures you not only have the skills but you also have the knowledge – and that’s important in today’s world where safety and new technology are high on the agenda.

If you think that heavy equipment operations is boring, think again. It can be interesting, very challenging, and often fraught with danger. If you are looking for that sort of challenge in life, then be sure to undertake the right heavy equipment operator training. Then use that platform to gain as much experience as possible.

According to the latest Bureau of Labor statistics report, heavy equipment operations is the fastest growing employment sector in the US. Now, when we say the ‘latest’ statistics, they do refer to the period 2010-2020, however, the figures used in their report do appear to be holding up with heavy equipment operators being in high demand around the nation. We have often mentioned the fact that Baby Boomers are now approaching retirement age, and those numbers have not been factored into the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. So what are the expectations in 2010?

The report estimated a growth of 23% for general construction heavy equipment operators with the exception of pile-driver operations where growth was expected to be around 36% (you’ll need a crane operator’s certificate in many states for these positions). The average growth rate for all occupations is around 14%, so heavy equipment operations is certainly an area worth considering if you’re looking for long term job prospects.

What do these percentages mean? In 2010, there were over 400,000 heavy equipment operators in work, and by 2020, the expectation is that 500,000 heavy equipment operators will be required. That’s a growth of around 100,000 over 10 years, or 10,000 new jobs each year. If we take a conservative figure of 25% or those 400,000 being ‘Baby Boomers’ who will be retiring around 2020, then that’s another 100,000 operators that will be required – a total of 200,000 new operators by 2020. Those numbers don’t factor in natural attrition caused by those who move on to other careers.

Other interesting facts from the 2010 census include wages with a median of around $40,000 per year, or almost $19 per hour. Heavy equipment operations is not just a growing field of work, it is also a reasonably well paid field. Even more appealing is the fact that it only takes three weeks of full time training to become a heavy equipment operator – all in all, a good career option.

The fact you’re on this website indicates you may be interested in heavy equipment operations. If that is the case, then I’m sure you have a number of questions that you answered before making a final career decision. You could make life easier on yourself, pick up the telephone and talk to one of our advisers, however, if you’re not quite ready for that step, then these quick and easy facts should answer some of your questions.

Are the jobs for new operators?

We are reaching a point in society where there will be many industries suffering from a skills shortage crisis, and heavy equipment operations is one of those. The reason is quite simple – the baby boomers. It is estimated that construction alone could lose up to 25% of its workforce over the next five-ten years simply through the retirement of baby boomers. Are there jobs for new operators? There certainly are, and demand is going to increase quickly in the coming years, especially for skilled operators with several years experience. Train now and you’ll be experienced and in high demand before you know it.

Are heavy equipment operators well paid?

Heavy equipment operators earn a good wage, and with skilled shortages on the horizon, skilled operators will see those wages increase. Entry-level operators start on a good wage, and these will include all of the benefits that come with most jobs, including health and insurance cover.

Is heavy equipment complex and difficult to operate?

Modern heavy equipment is almost as easy as operating a car. You can learn to operate a range of heavy equipment in just three weeks. During those three weeks you’ll learn all the safety requirements, receive in-the-seat operator training, and general skills required to work in construction areas. A good heavy equipment operator training program should have you ready for entry level employment after three weeks training. Complex? No – if you have a little common sense, then you’ll pick up the required skills quite quickly.

Is heavy equipment operations a boring job?

One of the great benefits to being a heavy equipment operator is variety. You’re not doing the same thing every day, and if you are, it will be on a different site and/or with a different area of dirt. In short, most heavy equipment operators find the work interesting, at times challenging, and always very rewarding. How many jobs can you work on where you can point to a finished project like a road, bridge or building, and say to your kids – ‘I helped build that’?

Heavy equipment operations is a career option that is well paid, interesting, and full of potential. If you still have questions, then you really do need to talk to us – so call us on (800) 383-7364. It could well be your first big step into a new and rewarding career as a heavy equipment operator.

Heavy equipment operators work in a wide range of activities, the hardest being the clean up after storms. As we head into the summer months, there are many operators preparing themselves for the associated storms. A lot of attention is paid to those who lose homes and businesses because of storms, however, little attention is paid to those who do the cleaning up, and it can be a heart-wrenching job. People’s homes, often still full of personal items that have been destroyed, need to be cleaned away – sure, insurance can pay for a new home, but to see those memories being trashed is never easy.

Bulldozer operators are particularly busy although loader operators and dump truck drivers run a close second. Excavator operators and backhoe operators are also kept busy during these periods. It’s not just homes and businesses either. The environment receives a fair hit as well with sand washed away from beaches and replaced by debris that wind and the waves throw up. Rivers often flood, and they leave behind a big mess as well – mud and debris, sometimes cars and parts of houses.

It requires a lot of experience to work in these areas, experience that is built up over several years following an operator’s initial training. That initial training has become very important in today’s workplace – employers don’t have the time (or money) to train operators from scratch, so they rely on new operators being at least competent enough to do many of the basic tasks that heavy equipment operators do every day. If heavy equipment operators have those entry level skills, they can build upon them in the workplace, taking on harder and more complicated tasks as they develop those skills.

At Associated Training Services, we pride ourselves on the skill levels that heavy equipment operators have when they graduate from our training programs. Our programs are designed to meet the needs of industry – we don’t just train students in the basics and leave them to fend for themselves. If you want a career as a heavy equipment operator, then be sure you receive the best training available. That will set you up for a long and successful career, and that includes working to clean up after storms have ravaged the landscape.

Deciding on a career can be a very difficult process to go through. It can be even harder if you are considering a career change. It is interesting to note that research is showing that most people change their career three to four times over a lifetime, so if you are considering a change, you’re definitely not alone. Becoming a heavy equipment operator is not difficult – it only takes three weeks of training to gain the skills that will open the door to entry level positions. The question for many then is whether or not this is the right career choice.

When trying to decide on a career, you need to get as much information as possible. You will also need to discuss any career change options with your family since your final choice may have an impact on your family. As a heavy equipment operator, you may well be leaving home for work as your children are getting up for breakfast. The upside is that you’ll often be arriving home from work as they arrive home from school. This is where your information gathering becomes important – with all the facts in hand, you can make an educated decision on your future. So where do you get this information? We suggest the following as a start:

• Talk to current operators – telephone a local contractor and ask if there is a suitable time when you can come and talk to one or more of their operators. Most operators will spare a few minutes to answer any questions.
• Look online – look at websites dedicated to heavy equipment operations. You’re already here, so browse through some of our older posts for more information on the various aspects of heavy equipment operations (this link will give you plenty to get started with).
• Training schools – contact a training school to see if they can provide information on heavy equipment careers. We are only too happy to answer any questions related to heavy equipment operator careers. We can also send you a brochure – just fill in the online request form and we’ll send one out to you.
• YouTube – if you want to see heavy equipment in action, and to perhaps get a preview of training, go to YouTube and search for heavy equipment – you can sit back in your home and watch some incredible footage if you’re prepared to sift through the thousands of videos available. It’s well worth the effort. We have a handful of heavy equipment training videos that have been taken over the years, so feel free to browse through them as well.

If you need more information, come and visit our heavy equipment training school – look over the equipment, talk to our training staff and perhaps some of our students. If you’re lucky, you may even get to sit behind the wheel of one of our machines just to get a feel for the job. Do your research – then, if you do decide on a career as a heavy equipment operator, you’ll be well prepared for a well paid and often interesting career.

Whilst heavy equipment operators are well paid, their rewards don’t stop there. Like all jobs, there are benefit packages that are offered when you first start with an employer. The size and scope of these benefits packages are generally determined by the size of your employer, your experience, and your reputation.

So what benefits can a heavy equipment operator expect?

• Health care that may include medical, dental, vision, and prescription medication coverage. These healthcare programs may include family members as well.
• Life insurance plans that include disability coverage.
• Retirement plans.
• Cash bonuses – these are generally tied to contracts, if a contract is completed early or on time, then a cash bonus may be payable. Some employers also offer bonuses for safety records and long service.
• Paid vacations.
• Paid training – some employers may even reimburse heavy equipment operators the costs associated with additional training such as truck driver training and crane operator training.

That is only a short list of common benefits offered by employers, however, the total value of a paycheck together with those benefits can be quite sizable. Heavy equipment operators who are highly skilled and who have a good reputation as operators can also look forward to job security, even when times are tough. Employers will hang on to their most valued employees for as long as possible – you certainly wouldn’t be the first to let go when times are tough.

If you want a well-paid career that comes with a lot of side benefits, then heavy equipment operations should be on your list. It only takes three weeks of heavy equipment operator training to prepare you for the workplace – from there, your future is in your hands, and it could be a lucrative and enjoyable working future at that.