Today’s heavy equipment technology actually has more processing power than the first Apollo missions that went into space. The improvements to electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, transmissions, engines, along with the introduction of on board computer systems, lasers, and GPS have turned what was once a very heavy and hard-to-handle machine into an extremely powerful yet easy-to-operate piece of machinery.

Manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Kamatsu, John Deer, Volvo, and Case are all competing for markets where productivity is a primary issue. With today’s heavy equipment now capable of doing many tasks in half the time compared to 30-40 years ago, the push is on for even more improvements. When people talk about cutting edge technology, heavy equipment should be held up as a prime example. How easy have these machines become? You can operate many of the controls with a simple joy stick – it’s almost kids play.

Learning to operate heavy equipment has become the easy part. The difficult part has become learning how to read site maps, use the computer-aided technologies, and to understand soils – the latter really only coming with on-the-job experience. Safety issues are another area where good training has become paramount to a successful career in this industry.

We are reaching a stage where it is hard to know where improvements can now be made. There is new technology at work throughout heavy equipment, even to the point of making the latest machinery very ‘green’ friendly. Heavy equipment training using the latest machinery could put some operators at a disadvantage these days. There are still plenty of businesses using older equipment – those trained solely on modern computerized heavy equipment may struggle to operate some of those older machines. Still, we are moving on as a society and new technology is everywhere – even in heavy equipment.

If you talk to some of the old timers, they will tell you that our modern equipment is too easy. A child could operate it. In a way, it’s true. The equipment that was around 50 years ago was heavy, awkward, and often took brute strength to operate. Today, some of the controls could be operated using one finger. But has it made the job easier?

While the equipment has become easier to operate, the range of jobs required from that heavy equipment has broadened considerably. Heavy equipment like a bulldozer can now venture into terrain where older equipment never dared to go. Look at how easy some of these machines work on sandy beaches, restoring the sand after a storm. They maneuver over the top of that sand like it was a concrete highway.

So, while heavy equipment technology has made the operation of some equipment easy, it has not necessarily made the job easier. Heavy equipment operators now require more skills than they did 50, or even 20, years ago. Knowledge of soils and how they react when moved, being able to read site plans, and, today, being able to operate equipment such as GPS units come together to make the job more taxing on the brain rather than the brawn.

The one thing that new heavy equipment technology has done is influence the way new operators are trained. When those old timers learned to operate their equipment, it was virtually a trial-by-error learning experience. Five minutes instruction from another operator to learn what the levers did, then on to the job. In today’s workplace, that type of training just doesn’t cut it. Employers are looking for operators that have been trained by reputable heavy equipment training companies – companies that have built their reputations on the delivery of skilled and employable graduates.

You know, things haven’t changed that much. Sure, the equipment is more modern and easier to operate. But the training is still delivered by experienced operators – the big difference being that today’s trainers are also qualified to train, and they train to a specific set of skills. Has heavy equipment technology made the job too easy? Definitely not – industry today expects our graduates to be well trained and ready to go to work – and that’s our aim too.

Heavy equipment technology has come a long way over the last twenty years. Gone are the days of heavy equipment that took brute strength to operate. Now you can almost operate equipment with one finger. What is becoming apparent is that those kids who have had a lot of experience playing console games are finding that learning to operate new heavy equipment quite easy. It’s almost like there is a convergence of the two technologies.

There is sound logic to this. First, there is the obvious. Console games involve the use of small joysticks and steering wheels (and sometimes foot pedals as well) while watching the outcome on screens several feet away. Modern heavy equipment technology is quite similar although there may be more than one joystick to control. The second observation I can make is that related to coordination. Being able to manipulate the console games while watching the game on monitor is fairly similar to the coordination needed to operate heavy equipment.

What students do need to learn is that tactile feel that operating equipment delivers. This is something that game makers have not yet been able to achieve. Being able to feel what your equipment is doing is an important part of heavy equipment operations. However, this is something that comes with experience in the operator’s cab.

For young adults who have had a lot of experience playing console games, a career as a heavy equipment operator is a natural progression. They can put their console gaming experience and coordination to good use learning to become heavy equipment operators. Three weeks hands on heavy equipment training will help to provide those tactile skills that are missing, and prepare them well for a great career as a heavy equipment operator. If you were told your hours playing games where a complete waste of time, prove them wrong and put those skills to good use.

Now there is a question that will raise the eyebrows of many old time operators – can robotics and new heavy equipment technology take over from operators? I think, first and foremost, before getting too heavily into any arguments, no technology has ever really replaced an operator. Sure, one person may now control a variety of machines, but there is still a human controlling them in some manner. What about heavy equipment then?

In some areas, robotics have replaced humans at the work place. Instead, they control the vehicle using remote control technologies. Again, there is still a human operating the remote control device. While operators as we know them may be replaced, in the short to medium term, this will only be in jobs that involve considerable danger like mining and the creation of tunnels and perhaps in certain demolition roles. The emphasis at present is not on robotic technology for heavy equipment, it is focused more on fuel efficiencies, greener vehicles and computer technology like GPS that enables more accurate work at much faster rates.

At present, heavy equipment technology is something that present or future operators need to worry over. Research is aimed at making their jobs quicker, smoother and safer whilst still looking after the environment. If you are considering a career in heavy equipment, technology should not be an issue that creates any long term career fears.

Here at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, we embrace new technology and try to include the latest advances into our training programs (of course, it’s not possible to include every advance – but we try). If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, talk to us about your training options. You can be assured that our heavy equipment training will have you well prepared for the workplace including aspects of modern heavy equipment technology.

If you’re a heavy equipment operator, or perhaps someone looking to move into the field of heavy equipment operations, you can undertake a GPS training program that adds these skills to your personal toolbox. GPS – or Global Positioning System, has been around for a long time in cars and other modes of transport. Airlines are now switching to GPS rather than radar when working with control towers. One of the reasons for this is the precise data that GPS can provide.

Building roads, bridges and tunnels all takes precision. These days, a construction crew can start at both ends of a tunnel, bridge or road and meet precisely in the middle – all thanks to the use of GPS. Of course, the technology used is the same as that used in vehicles, the big difference being the lack of a voice telling you when to turn and which roads to take to avoid traffic snarls. Instead, the GPS unit helps to direct the operator in the use of their equipment.

GPS use is a skill that is not common at present so any operator that does undertake training gains an advantage over everyone else. This can be a real bonus when times are a little hard and work is difficult to find. It also means that people who are employed often find themselves working on projects that are more challenging than normal.

ATS offers GPS training through our Ohio training school. If you’re interested in adding specialist skills to heavy equipment skills set, contact us to discuss how GPS training can help you in your heavy equipment career.

Mention technology these days and most people automatically think about computers. While they do have an important role to play, new heavy equipment technology involves far more. If you were to compare today’s machinery with those from twenty or more years ago, the changes, while not so obvious from the outside, are huge when you get ‘under the bonnet’.

Hydraulic systems are one area that has gone through considerable change. The hydraulics on today’s equipment are more efficient, quieter and less prone to break down compared to older equipment. The engines are now far more fuel efficient, expel far less in the way of pollutants and are quickly reaching a point of being labeled ‘environmentally friendly’. Twenty years ago, you could smell a bulldozer in operation a mile away, if you couldn’t smell it, you could often see the plume of black smoke coming out of its stack. You could most definitely hear it at work.

Computers are of course making themselves felt when it comes to heavy equipment technology. Adding GPS locators has meant that stolen equipment is now retrieved, often within hours of going missing for weeks or months. GPS is also being used to help operators complete tasks more accurately and faster than those units not using GPS.

Heavy equipment technology improves because operators are constantly looking at ways to get more work done in far less time. Construction companies are paid by the completed project, with most projects having penalties for finishing late and bonuses for early completion. Being able to complete a project means getting paid more, early, and being free to start the next project. New heavy equipment technology is helping construction companies achieve this.

Despite all these changes, the operating basics haven’t changed that much. If anything, learning to operate heavy equipment has become a lot easier. If I can operate a bulldozer then you can as well – if not a bulldozer then a grader, backhoe or excavator. Why don’t you consider a career as a heavy equipment operator – heavy equipment technology is making the task easier everyday.

If you’re a former operator returning to the field then changes in heavy equipment technology will no doubt astound you. In fact, for decades, heavy equipment rejected the introduction on new technology. The old ways worked and worked well and operators didn’t see the need for the added expense of technological change. The last ten years has seen a complete turnout in thought.

Actually, cost has been the driving force behind technological change although in recent years, legislative requirements have played a role as well. As machines got older, parts became harder to find, and more expensive. The increase in the number of owner operators also meant more competition with incomes from contracts actually dropping. Less income has meant that machinery has to work harder, and faster, to pay for themselves. Simple devices like GPS tracking has reduced heavy equipment theft losses by almost 70%. Whilst insurance can cover a loss, it often doesn’t cover the down time while waiting for a new machine.

Heavy equipment technology is changing across the board. GPS tracking is one area, GPS navigation; laser technology; and digital systems to monitor performance and other areas. Fuel emission legislation, together with its increased costs, has lead to other changes. Modern heavy equipment uses far less fuel than the older models and pump out far less in the way of emissions.

A modern cab looks very different to some of the older cabs – where they had a cab that is. Operation controls have changed from pure lever and hydraulic to, in some cases, electronic controls that use nothing more than a joystick.

What hasn’t changed is the dirt. It’s still the same. And operating today’s heavy equipment, whilst different when it comes to controls, is still pretty much the same. Dirt is dirt and rock is rock and as an operator, you need to know how each responds. Heavy equipment training using equipment that incorporates the latest in heavy equipment technology is the only way to start – or restart – a career in heavy equipment.

Heavy equipment technology is gaining new ground all the time. Sometimes, the technology is not necessarily with the heavy equipment, but with the tools used alongside heavy equipment. Take excavating as an example. Excavators have changed remarkably over the last 20 years and so have some of the tools. When I say tools, I am not referring to the attachments.

Excavators dig trenches. However, trenches can create problems, particularly if the sides start to back in to the trench. To stop this, and to provide a safe work place, shoring is used to hold the walls together. What does this have to do with the excavator? Plenty. First, as an operator you find that a trench can be dug in half the time compared to ten years ago. Secondly, excavator operators now need to learn how to work around any shoring that has been erected- the need to develop new skills.

New heavy equipment technology means that all operators require a level of training that enables them to learn to work with that new technology. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools prides itself on being up-to-date with the latest trends in heavy equipment. We pass this along to our students so they can, where appropriate, put them into use once they have completed their training.

Does a career in heavy equipment call? If so, contact us at ATS to see where and when our next heavy equipment training course commences. Your new career could start in as little as three weeks and you may well be up to date with all the latest in heavy equipment technology.

Technology is everywhere and over time it has developed to the point that mankind has almost become redundant. Where advances won’t take over from humans is in the area of heavy equipment technology. There are many reasons why this won’t occur – here are a few:

Reaction to changes in dirt – it takes more than a human eye to know when the dirt under the heavy equipment is changing. Operators will tell you it’s in the hands – really, it’s like a sixth sense – they feel the change in the hands and feet just like an experienced driver can feel the changes in a road’s surface. There is no way you can build that into technology without it consuming a lot of time as it senses the area before it digs.

Reaction to the environment – machines are not that good at avoiding anything that moves, especially if it moves unexpectedly. An operator can see a child, adult or animal that wanders too close. They can also see vehicles, buildings and intangibles like wind and the effect it has on the environment. Even if a robot had ‘eyes’ to see these changes, would it react as quickly as a human?

Experience – experience has shown that even in areas where robotic heavy equipment has been trialled – for example in mining, it is has still taken an operator somewhere to control that robot – so it is still not working on auto pilot.

A career as a heavy equipment operator is quite safe from any modern technology. Heavy equipment technology can do a lot to make the work environment safer, more comfortable and to work faster – but it will never replace a human at the controls. Heavy equipment operator training is still a worthwhile investment in your future – an investment that has a lot of rewards to offer.

Heavy equipment technology is a little like new car technology. It doesn’t matter what they do under the hood or inside the cab, operating the equipment (or car) is still the same. Many of the changes we see now relate to computerized components, the use of lasers and GPS, or the addition of new tools.

The introduction of laser or GPS technology often requires a little training to operate effectively, however, the equipment still operates in the same fashion. Like a car, if you add a GPS device, you will need to learn how to operate the device. The car will still be driven using the existing skills.

The addition of tools is a different matter. Here you may need to learn a few new operator skills. Using the car analogy again, it would be similar to adding a boat or trailer – the basic operations remain the same, you just need to learn to drive with the load. With heavy equipment, the levers and pedals still do the same job, you just need to learn that new job.

Cranes are a good example of the introduction of new technology. You can add a lot of devices such as cameras and in-cab video screens, but the basic principles of lifting a load remain the same and the initial training you receive is still relevant.

When it comes to training for a career in heavy technology, it is not always possible to include every new device that has come onto the market. Backhoes and excavators have attachments that number into the hundreds. If you were to learn each and every one of them, it would probably take a year of training. Getting the basics right is the first step to a long career as a heavy equipment operator. As heavy equipment technology arrives, you undertake training only if it is appropriate. The bottom line – there is no change to your normal operating practices.