Everywhere you look there is bound to be a unit of heavy equipment hard at work. There are bulldozers clearing land, graders preparing roads, excavators and backhoes digging trenches and loaders moving what ever it is that needs moving. But which unit of heavy equipment is the most popular? Now, by most popular, I refer to most number of units sold and most number of units in operation at any one time. The answer may surprise you although on reflection, it shouldn’t. The answer? Believe it or not it’s the skid-steer loader.

I said that, on reflection, you can understand why. First, it is the largest unit of heavy equipment sold. Second, there are more skid-steer loaders in operation today than any other unit of heavy equipment. The reasons are fairly understandable too. They are cheap to buy, efficient when it comes to fuel use, easy to maintain and easy to transport. Add to that the versatility with the range of attachments and the fact their lighter weights cause little damage during operations and you have one handy little piece of equipment. It also helps that they are fairly easy to learn to operate as well.

Just about every construction yard, construction company and local government authority has a skid-steer loader. Most heavy equipment operators could jump into the seat of a skid-steer loader and operate it as well – perhaps not as efficiently as a full time operator, but they could get the job done.

Learning to operate a skid-steer loader is not that difficult. Most respectable training companies like ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools include skid-steer loaders in their heavy equipment training programs because of their popularity. If you want to get behind the controls of one of the countries most popular units of heavy equipment, give us a call to discuss your possible training options.

A question that is frequently asked is how difficult is it to learn to operate loaders; or excavators, bulldozers and so on. The answer often surprises many people. Heavy equipment operator training doesn’t concentrate on just the one piece of machinery. Students at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are trained on a range of equipment that could include:

• backhoes
• wheel loaders
• scrapers
• excavators
• bulldozers
• road graders
• rock trucks
• Skid Steers
• All-Terrain Forklifts

Learning how to operate a range of heavy equipment provides the student with an understanding of how they operate and what sort of skills are required. While you may want to work as a loader operator, having excavator and backhoe skills gives you more options in the work place. That, however, is only part of the training. Knowing how to operate heavy equipment will not make you a good operator. There are others skills and knowledge that must be learned as well. For example, we also train our operators in:

• grade reading
• laser levels
• soils
• safety
• site layouts
• heavy equipment maintenance

Learning safety issues is now a requirement in all training. In fact, in most work sites you cannot be employed unless you have undertaken some safety training. One of the benefits of training through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is that our training is nationally accredited. This means your training is recognized throughout the country providing you with work opportunities nationwide.

Loader operator training is just one component of a heavy equipment operator training program. Yet, you can complete your training in as little as three weeks. If you want to fast track your way into a loader operator’s job, give us a call at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools – we have over ten training centers spread across the nation.

Loaders get called in to do a variety of jobs including helping to clear snow. Once again, there are areas around the nation that are reporting record levels of snow. It is seems odd that whilst record snow and freezing conditions are also being reported in Europe, political leaders have meetings to discuss global warming. The global warming going on right now is in people’s lounge rooms as they try to keep the cold out. At least modern loader operators get to work in heated cabs.

Heavy snow often sees a call go out to all heavy equipment operators to help clear fallen snow. At times, the snow can be too deep or packed for traditional snow plow equipment. This is where loaders are able to help. They can scoop up buckets full of snow and deposit it all in areas where they will do no harm. It can still be a slow and dangerous job, however. With icy conditions loaders can struggle to find a grip to dig out thick snow.

It is situations like this that test the knowledge, skill and experience of loader operators. Those that started their careers with a good sound training program generally do better over time when it comes to developing new skills and becoming proficient operators. It stands to reason, of course. If your knowledge base is weak to start with, you have no substantial skills to build upon.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have a long and hard earned reputation for producing graduates that are well training and ready to commence work. Employers know that graduates from ATS are reliable and well trained so they will often select an ATS application over all others based simply on this knowledge. If your future career is as a loader operator, contact us at ATS to see when our next training course commences.

Whilst backhoes, excavators and bulldozers do all the hard work digging and pushing dirt around, it is the loader that invariably gets the job of cleaning up after it’s brothers. Of course, backhoes have loader scoops at the front so for the purpose of this post we will include them in the category of loader. The other aspect to remember is that loaders come in all sizes, from the small compact loaders to the mighty beasts that are used in mining.

Before anyone argues the point with me, I know some loaders can also undertake a degree of digging and earthmoving, but for the big jobs, the specialist machinery is generally called in relegating the loader to cleanup detail. If it sounds like I am putting loaders down, I’m not. Cleaning up is of equal importance to any other aspect of a job.

Wheel loaders are really quite special. They are quite maneuverable and can travel fairly quickly over the ground. They can also move a lot of material fairly quickly. Loaders are probably one of the fastest machines used on a construction site. Even the larger models can move quickly. If you ever watch a loader at work you will see how quickly they can load a truck; zipping forward to scoop up material then in reverse to line up with the truck. And all done at a fair speed.

Loaders rely a lot on hand-eye coordination with eyesight quite important – you need to be sure the scoop is over the truck before tipping the load. If your eyesight is askew you could be dumping the load just short of the truck all the time.

You can undertake loader training as part of a general heavy equipment training program. This will also equip you with skills to handle backhoes, loaders, excavators and bulldozers. Loaders may do all the clean up work, but without them we would have pretty awful looking buildings.

Think of a wheel loader and you probably think of the loaders you see running around a construction site loading rubble onto dump trucks. They do a great job too but did you know they were the teens of the family? The bobcat is probably the baby of the family and just like a baby that has learned to crawl, they zip all around the place – always under your feet.

If the bobcat is the baby of the family, you should see the grandpappy of the family. Compact loaders weigh in at around 10,000 pounds and draw around 50 horse power. The grandpappy’s weigh as much as 430,000 pounds and draw as much as 1500 horse power. That is one big machine – do the maths. That’s 43 times larger and 30 times more powerful.

Wheel loaders of that size of course are used in specialist roles such as mining and, yes, helping to move mountains – large hills anyway. One scoop load would fill a standard dump truck with plenty to spill over. Imagine the size of the wheels!

While these machines are giants in their class, the skills needed to operate them are not much greater than those required to operate a standard loader. Experience is the key to operating a machine of this size and that experience starts with a wheel loader training program that prepares you for the workplace.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools may not get you into the cab of one of these monsters straight away. They will, however, provide the training that can get you into the cab of a standard wheel loader where you can start to build the experience required. Discover more about our wheel loader training programs and the opportunities that await.

Loaders are one of the units of heavy equipment that seem to be everywhere, doing everything. When it comes to versatility using just one scoop, loaders beat off all their on-site rivals in almost every department.

According to some loader operators, you should never refer to the scoop as a bucket. Excavators and backhoes have buckets, loaders have scoops. Whichever way you look at it, that scoop is deadly and can certainly move a few mountains.

Sometimes known as a front-end loader, these machines perform different tasks on a continuous basis. One moment they are moving dirt or gravel, the next is moving pipes. They even help to move other equipment around a construction site.

Being one of the most versatile machines in use, loader operators are always in demand. You will find a loader on almost every major construction site, on road building and maintenance projects, on farms and in many other situations. Loaders are also used in some industrial complexes. For example, handling wheat and other grains.

Loaders come in a range of sizes starting from the vary small toy-like skips to the large articulated loaders similar, but larger, to the one in the picture. Some of the smaller loaders use tracks, however, the larger ones almost always use wheels – it is one of the distinguishing differences between a loader and bulldozer.

To become a loader operator you need to attend three weeks of heavy equipment training. Training covers a range of heavy equipment and is undertaken both in class and hands on. A career as a loader operator offers a career that can be challenging, is always changing, and one that is quite rewarding. Get your start as a loader operator through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools.

If you have ever visited or worked on a construction site you may have noticed one piece of equipment that seems to be everywhere. Chances are, it will be a wheel loader. They certainly are busy bees although others may refer to them as the ‘gopher’ of the heavy equipment team.

Gopher’s they are too. They dig holes, move dirt, carry pipes, remove rubbish and debris and do any other type of lifting and carrying that is required. About the only piece of heavy equipment that does more in the way of lifting than a loader is a crane, and that’s only because they have a longer arm. In fact, when it comes to working on a construction site, a loader operator has to be skilled enough to quickly switch from one mode, say loading dirt into a truck, to another such as carrying pipes and gently lowering them into a trench.

Wheel loaders not only do a wide variety of tasks with their scoop, they have a wide range of attachments that can be added. The list of attachments these days is almost endless. If you can think of a task, there will be an attachment of some description for a loader.

As I mentioned, loader operators require a range of skills. One of the best training programs available is one that provides experience on several different pieces of heavy equipment. If you can gain some experience in operating a bulldozer, excavator and backhoe, you will find that these skills can be blended and actually complement those of a loader operator.

Find a training program for loader operators that has this combination of skills and you will be set to enter the workplace ready to tackle most jobs. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools provide training on a variety of heavy equipment and can have you work ready in as little as three weeks. Not only will they have you work ready, their employment assistance program can help you find that first job. What are you waiting for? – the construction industry needs operators now.

Bulldozers are often considered the work horses on a construction site but it is the loader that has to transfer the looser material to trucks. Front-end loader with either wheels or tracks with the former type articulated for better handling. Loader don’t just load despite their name, they can dig and as well load material.

Front end loaders are can be found in a range of bucket sizes and operational weights. Don’t consider them as small machinery, many are quite large and very powerful and can be found on construction sites, road works, plant loading, shipping and mine face excavation.

Getting started as a frond end loader is not that difficult. The number one requirement these days is quality training followed closely by experience. However, you will never get the experience without having first completed the training.

Loader have a variety of different types of buckets, the common two being the scoop, a wide square bucket that tilts to capture the dirt or to dig out an area; and the clam shell type of bucket that opens to grab whatever you are working on in its jaws.

Related loaders include the bobcat, skid steer loader and the backhoe, a combination of a loader and an excavator. The skills required to operate a backhoe are simply those of a loader and those of an excavator. Basic training is often undertaken on wheel loader as this provides most of the skills required to operate all variations. Wheel loader training itself is generally a component of a larger heavy equipment training program. If your looking for a career as a loader operator, check ATS for the latest course information and start dates for wheel loader training.

Bobcat loaders are the little relatives of skid steer loaders. They have become popular machines due to their ability to get into small areas. They do the same work as their larger loader relatives such as the front-end loader, just in miniature.

You will often find these machines buzzing around construction sites cleaning up once all the major construction work has been completed. I have seen them at work on demolition sites as well, taking part in the final clean up.

A story on Twitter was passed on to me yesterday and I must admit I hadn’t come across this situation before. Imagine demolishing a house using a bobcat loader – from the inside? I am not joking, you can read the story here.

In a nutshell, the operator, after a dispute with his neighbor, simply drove his bobcat loader into the house and started knocking the walls down. How he didn’t end up with the roof crashing down around his ears I don’t know – perhaps he knew a little about demolition work.

This is definitely a case of how not to operate a bobcat loader. They are expensive machines that are becoming very popular. Whilst they can and do work effectively on demolition sites, the heavy part is normally left to the larger heavy equipment. It certainly sounds like the ultimate way of seeking revenge.

Loader training will provide you with the skills required to operate skill steer loaders and bobcat loaders, however, before deciding to demolish a home, make sure the home owner gives their permission first.

Wheel loaders are common on construction sites but they can suffer from one problem, the larger vehicles can be cumbersome and difficult to maneuver in tight situations. This led to the introduction of what we call an articulated wheel loader.

An articulated vehicle is simply a vehicle that has been ‘broken’ into two separate pieces. The vehicle is then rejoined using a system similar to attaching a boat trailer to a car – only on a much larger scale and a little more involved. Like a boat trailer, an articulated vehicle swivels on a central point with each half able to move back on themselves.

This is the principle of articulation. You see it more frequently with large truck and trailer combinations. The benefit of articulation is that it can maneuver in much smaller areas than traditional wheel loaders. Where articulated wheel loaders are different to other forms of articulation is that steering is handled through the rear wheels rather than the front wheel. This leaves the front of the vehicle free to do what it does best, scoop material up and transport it where it needs to go.

We are entering an interesting time when it comes to the demand for heavy equipment operators. With so much construction happening around the country the demand for operators is on the increase. This includes loader operators, particularly wheel loader operators.

Wheel loader training is undertaken as part of a broader heavy equipment training program. This provides skills in a range of heavy equipment including wheel loaders. Once training has been completed, operators can choose to specialize as wheel loader operators if they choose. The demand for operators is there, we just need fill those vacancies with suitably qualified operators.