If you are looking for a career change but cannot make a decision, perhaps you should check out your options and perhaps try out one or two.

One of the real benefits of ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools is that you can try before you buy. They have a complete online training program that anyone can access – and it’s free. The free online training program is of course centered around heavy equipment and take you through the basics of heavy equipment operations and safety.

There are not to many careers, or in fact training providers, that will let you test your own skills, abilities and comfort levels when it comes to training for a new career. It is important. Undertaking a complete training program can be time consuming and expensive particularly when it comes to heavy equipment.

If your looking for a career change and don’t really know if heavy equipment operation is for you – check out our free online training options first.

With winter approaching there are many communities organizing their heavy equipment so they are prepared to seve the community. Roads often need clearing of snow, vehicles sometimes need digging out from under snow drifts, and of course the regular spate of black-ice instigated motor vehicle accidents.

The most common equipment used a specialized machine known as a snow plow. However, graders and bulldozers have often been called in to the same job – push the snow and ice off the road and onto the verges. Because of the snow and black ice, these can be dangerous times for heavy equipment operators.

It takes good quality training backed up with plenty of experience to safely handle heavy equipment in these conditions. Blades need to be set at the right height to ensure snow and ice is removed, yet the road surface remains untouched.

It’s cold work yet by the time your finished, you can look back on black ribbon of cleared road neatly surrounded by banks of white snow – the picture postcard setting that many from tropical regions can only dream about (if they lived through for a couple of years the dream would soon vanish).

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can get your heavy equipment career off the ground by providing a thorough training program on a variety of machines. Who knows, one day you could be keeping our roads open during the cold winters.

Heavy equipment training comes in many different shapes and sizes. Some training establishments use a classroom only approach which means you don’t get any hands on experience. Others employ the opposite where all your training is on the equipment but there is no classroom training on safety and other issues.

There is a ‘Q’ factor that often spoke off in business – the Q being Quality. Quality has a different meaning to different people. When it comes to heavy equipment training, the ‘Q’ factor, or quality factor, has three faces.

The quality of instructor is extremely important. No matter how good the machinery or the training materials are, if the instructor doesn’t know their stuff or cannot communicate it effectively, you are going to walk away trying to figure out what the class was all about.

The ‘Q’ factor is the training program itself. If that is of poor quality then even the best instructor will have difficulties delivering an effective training program.

The third ‘Q’ factor is the quality of the equipment. Very old and unreliable equipment will mean the hands on experience is frustrating and often not relevant to the workplace after training.

Heavy equipment training does have a set of guidelines that have been designed to train future operators to a level required to get a start in the industry. Training organizations submit their training programs to be assessed against those guidelines. If their training is approved they receive accreditation to deliver the training.

For you, the user of the training programs, you know that any accredited training has been designed to those guidelines. These guidelines include the skill required to be an instructor and the type of equipment used for training.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools are proud of their tradition of delivering accredited training that is recognized within the industry for providing employers with quality skilled new operators. If your looking to get a start in the industry, start by checking us out.

The best advertisement in the world is the recommendation that comes from the satisfied customer. Someone who has purchased your product and is happy to provide a testimonial of some type. Heavy equipment training is no different and heavy equipment operators that have been through our training school are always satisfied with the training and satisfied with their employment outcomes.

For those individuals who are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, you should take a minute or two to listen to what other students have to say about their training.

It is one thing to talk about quality training, it another to actually deliver, yet that is one of our important claims to fame, delivering quality training that is broken up into convenient and easy to follow sections. We don’t rush the training in any order, we have designed our training to flow smoothly and hold relevance to you the student.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools are happy to have prospective students review the testimonials left by previous students. You can view the video feedback left by these students on our main web page.

Being a heavy equipment operator does not suit everyone. There are certain personal attributes that are almost essential if you wish to work in this area. So what are these personal attributes?

The first attribute is simply a love of the outdoors. Working outside in a wide range of weather conditions is part of the job. Whilst most heavy equipment come fitted with weather proof cabs, there are still a lot o machines with open cabs.

The second attribute is a willingness to get your hands dirty. If you’re the kind of person who insists on clean hands 24/7, then this type of work may not be for you. You may not get your hands as dirty and greasy as a motor mechanic, there is still some dirt involved.

The third and perhaps most important attribute is one of patience. If a pile of dirt needs moving, there is a right and wrong way to do it. You can’t rush the job, it needs to be done slowly and methodically.

There are several skills that may also have an important bearing on your success as a heavy equipment operator. These include good hand-foot-eye co-ordination and the ability to accurately gauge distances and sizes.

With those attributes and basic skills, you are well suited to a career as a heavy equipment operator. All you need to add are the actual operational and safety skills associated with the equipment you intend operating.

This where ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can help you. Our accredited training can take those attributes and basic skills and turn them in to qualified and skilled heavy equipment operators. Put us to the test through our free online training program!

Once the excavator, backhoe or trench-digger have completed their task, it is time to call in the specialized pipe laying machines. These are relatively easy to operate when it comes to controls. Most units are comprised of a swing control and raising and lowering controls. Of course, like most heavy equipment, they have a drive control for movement.

Pipe laying machines do just that. They pick up pipes are lower them into the trench as precisely as possible. This process means that long lengths of pipe can be lowered and connected fairly quickly. They can be used for hard piping such as the cement piping used for sewerage, stormwater, or mains water. They can also be used to lay softer pipes used for telecommunications such as fiber optics.

Whilst the operation of a pipe layer is fairly straight forward. Many businesses in this field prefer operators that have a history of heavy equipment operation such as a bulldozer, backhoe or excavator. There is certainly a requirement to have the safety aspects of this training before starting work. Training for a pipe layer builds on the skills already acquired and can be done on the job.

To gain skills as a heavy equipment operator, you need training from a reliable accredited training organization such as ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools. At ATS you can be trained in the use of a variety of machines including bulldozers, graders, excavators and front end loaders. Check out the site for details on free online training, training dates and employment assistance.

We live in an age where most businesses try to maximize the returns on their investments. With heavy equipment, sometimes the best return on your investment is use the one machine – one operator philosophy. This philosophy includes a rider towards the operator – it the machine isn’t working, neither are you!

This philosophy places the onus of the machines well being fairly and squarely on the operator. Look after the heavy equipment, keep it maintained, don’t push it beyond it’s limits and ensure it has all the right fluids and the machine will run well between major servicing. If you don’t look after it, keep it clean, if you are rough and reckless in it’s operation, and fail to ensure it has all the right lubricants, it is going to be constantly in the repair shop. While it is, your at home not earning.

Is it fair. In the long run, yes. Most of the time you are working away from any supervision. There is no one there to watch you and you know it. If you are rough with the machine and it breaks down, it is your fault. It will cost your employer to not only get the heavy equipment repaired, they may have to source a replacement machine (and operator) to get the job done.

Treat the heavy equipment properly and it wont break down. That will keep you employed and get the job done. This is where good training comes in. Training that not only shows you how to operate the machinery, but also what to look for when you inspect the equipment and what danger signs to look for when operating the equipment.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools we recognize the need for comprehensive training that does more than just teach you which levers to pull and buttons to push. We train you in preventative maintenance, safety and of course how to operate the heavy equipment.

To become a heavy equipment operator does not necessarily require formal training through a training school. You can often be trained on the job and many years ago almost all operators were. These days however, there are a number of other factors that need to be considered.

The first and most important is the safety legislation that cover heavy equipment. If you are not trained to recognize safety situations and an accident occurs, you or your employer (or both) could be held responsible and sued, perhaps even facing criminal charges.

Some heavy equipment, for example trucks, require licenses to operate them. Not having a license again could lead to big fines or even criminal charges.

Operating heavy equipment is no longer a simple matter of moving knobs and levers. You are expected to know which attachements to use and how to fit them, how to do basic maintenance, and how to operate the new electronic devices such as GPS that comes with modern equipment.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can deliver the most up-to-date training available so you are ready to jump into the operators seat and start you career knowing you are fully trained and capable of doing the job.

Heavy equipment operators are always in demand, even when they reach a point when they don’t want to be behind the controls any more. Having the skills, knowledge and experience of operating heavy equipment means you are invaluable to many employers.

One of the more obvious areas that a skilled heavy equipment operator could work in is the training industry. You have the skills – in other words you can operate the equipment; you have the knowledge – this means you know your dirt, your surfaces, the work places and the people; and of course you have the experience – you have combined the skills and knowledge and been an effective operator.

These can all be passed on to the next generation of operators. The best people to learn from are the ones that have done it, got their hands dirty, and done the work.

Other post heavy equipment operator careers could include positions as inspectors such as safety inspectors. These often require further training, however your experience behind the controls is invaluable, especially when it comes to safety.

A career as a heavy equipment operator has many possible outcomes. You don’t have to look at it as being a ‘dead end’ job. However, without the right training you will not have a career in the first place. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can provide you will all the skills and knowledge you require to get you started in a career. And yes, we use highly skilled and knowledgeable trainers to deliver your training.

When undertaking a heavy equipment training program from a qualified and experienced trainer, you learn how to operate that equipment according to manufacturers instructions. What you also pick up are handy little hints and tips along the way that the instructor has learned from personal experience. Take the front end loader, or for that matter, the backhoe loader.

Both of these machines have a loader which is, effectively, a scoop. Although referred to as a scoop, it should never be used as a scoop. Take these handy little operating tips:

Leave the bucket flat – when using the front loader, many operators angle the bucket forward and attack the target in a scooping action. This can cause you to lose traction and possibly the load. It is also more stressful on the drive train. It’s better to keep the bucket flat on the ground as you approach the pile when loading, then lift and skim the pile.

Keep it clean – wipe your machine down daily, clean the windows and pick up any debris in the cab. By keeping the exterior clean, you can easily spot any fluid leaks before they get worse and result in downtime. Debris in the cab can get lodged in the controls and cause a problem.

Two simple tips. Most people don’t think about cleaning their equipment, however, if you don’t, you never know what damage it could create.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools only employ qualified and experienced people to deliver the training. They can train you as to how to operate any heavy equipment – they can also pass on tips gained from their experience on a the machine. All you need to do is pick their brains.