Becoming a crane operator is not everyone’s idea of the ideal job and mobile cranes are probably even less popular as careers. For many people, the life of a crane operator appears to be quite boring. Sure, they are kept busy all day, but they are repeating the same thing time after time. To an extent, they are right. However, ask any crane operator and they will tell you that every lift is different, even if it’s the same type of load.

When it comes to mobile cranes, the work is not quite so boring. In fact, it can be quite interesting. On a building site, a standard crane sits in the one spot and just repeatedly lift materials. For a mobile crane operator, every day is a new day and brings with it a new job. In fact, as an operator, you could have several different jobs in several different locations, all on the one day.

If you are considering a career as a mobile crane operator, don’t use the life of a construction crane operator as a guide. Mobile cranes are out and about, on the road, moving from one job to another, often at a moments notice if there has been an emergency of some kind. Mobile crane operators also require good skills in setting up and standing down a crane very quickly.

Crane operator training is a short three week training program that prepares graduates for assessment for certification as crane operators. Certification is a nationally recognized, and soon to be a nationally required, recognition of the skills and training of crane operators.

ATS Crane Operator Schools has been at the forefront of crane operator training for several decades. During this time we have developed close relationships with employers of mobile crane operators. We know what skills and attributes they look for in new recruits so we design our training program to deliver just that – skilled graduates ready for the workplace.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools are one of America’s oldest heavy equipment training schools, having had forty years of experience. Although we are one of the oldest, it doesn’t mean our heavy equipment is and our range is not limited to a bulldozer or two. Depending on which school you attend you could have access to:

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

Our training programs run for three weeks and are designed to provide the fundamental operating skills required to work using this equipment. By offering a broad range of equipment, students leave our schools in a position to apply for available work opportunities. Along with operational skills, students are also trained in:

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

Knowledge of these areas is essential in today’s heavy equipment operator if they are to enjoy a successful career in the industry. Heavy equipment operations is a career that is built on experience. As we have mentioned in the past, that experience needs a good solid foundation and that is where ATS excels – we help you lay those foundations. Over time, with hands on experience in the work place, you will find your reputation growing as a skilled operator and, with it, the demand for your services.

The demand for heavy equipment operators is constant. As a skilled operator you will find your services always in demand – and as a bonus, the pay checks that most experienced operators take home is well above many other career options. If you need more information on heavy equipment training, feel free to contact us at any time.

A CDL is simply an acronym for a commercial drivers license yet we come across many job advertisements for heavy equipment operators that use terms like “possessing a CDL would be beneficial”. What the employer is looking for is a heavy equipment operator who has commercial drivers license so they can transport the equipment to the job. It’s a pity sometime that they didn’t just ask for a truck drivers license since the term CDL can be confusing.

Your commercial drivers license may well be labeled as a Class A CDL, or Class A commercial drivers license. They mean the same thing. State transport departments issue truck driving licenses so you will need to check on requirements in your state. Generally speaking, a Class A CDL entitles you to drive any vehicle apart from those that require special endorsements. Dangerous goods is one example of special endorsement. To gain a CDL, most states require the following:

• Possess or qualify for a non-commercial Class C driver license;
• Complete a Commercial Driver License Application;
• Provide proof of your full legal name, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your legal presence in the U.S., identity and date of birth, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your Social Security Number, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your residence address in that state, each time you apply;
• Pass a CDL General Knowledge Test;
• Pass a CDL Combination Knowledge Test;
• Pass a behind-the-wheel Drive Test in a Class A commercial vehicle;
• Pass a Pre-Trip Inspection Test
• Present a valid DOT Medical Certificate with waivers or exemptions as required; and
• Pay the appropriate fees

Some states will differ slightly from this list so, again, check with the requirements in your state. How do you put yourself in a position to be able to successfully complete that list? Easy. Call us at ATS Truck Driving Schools. We are the leader in the nation in truck driver training, with 40 years experience in the business. We prepare you well for your tests with a thorough behind-the-wheel training schedule that includes tricky components like reversing maneuvers and negotiating highway traffic. You can complete the training and obtain your commercial drivers license (Class A CDL) in as little as three weeks.

Perhaps it’s true – you can’t have beauty and brains! I know some people would argue with me when I say that road graders are not exactly the prettiest of machines – I guess it is all in the eyes of the beholder. Pretty or not, road graders are becoming one of the most intelligent units of the heavy equipment family.

GPS and laser leveling are just two areas of technology that road graders incorporate. Some motor graders are now coming off production lines with complete computer systems. These systems constantly monitor areas like the angle and height of the blade and use GPS and laser leveling to constant fine tune these settings. This means a road grader can complete a job with less passes and that means less time. Compared to road graders of 20-30 years ago, today’s models can complete jobs in almost half the time of the older models.

For new operators coming through, it doesn’t mean that life gets easier – if anything, it gets a little harder – at least during the early stages. New operators need to learn skills involving GPS, laser and computer systems. Heavy equipment training has come a long way in recent years in order to meet this new technology. This is perhaps one area where ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools excel – we stay up to date with all the latest technology and deliver training to students that is relevant to today’s equipment, not equipment that was relevant 30 years ago.

Road grader operators are always in demand. Whether it is helping to build new roads in the summer or helping to clear snow laden roads in the winter, there is always a call for operators. If you’re interested in a career as a road grader operator, contact us today to discuss your training options and to find a training school close you.

When it comes to running a business, particularly a heavy equipment business, there is no such thing as ‘spare time’. If equipment is not earning money, it is most likely costing money and no business can afford that. This is one of the reasons that loaders and backhoes are so popular – they are versatile enough to put to a lot of different tasks. Backhoes can do much of the work of both loaders and excavators, but what of a loader, what can it do?

Loaders are more versatile than some people would imagine. The next time you’re out and about, you should keep your eyes open for heavy equipment to see what sort of jobs they are doing. For loaders, they have been known to attach mowing equipment to cut grass over large areas. On construction sites, loaders are often used to ferry heavy items, particularly if they need to be lifted a few feet into position. Why call a crane in for one job when a loader is there and available?

There are many tasks that a loader can perform, it’s really the skills of the operator that determine many of its limitations. Skilled loader operators are always in demand. For an operator, while cutting grass on the side of a highway may not sound interesting, it does require skills that are very different to, say, loading a dump truck with debris. The alternative jobs that can often be asked of a loader operator provide variety and remove some of the monotony of the job.

Loader operators are always in demand. If you are looking for a change in career, enjoy working outside and find operating heavy equipment like loaders appealing then contact us at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools for more information on heavy equipment training.

Sometimes we downplay the role of excavators and their work digging trenches. After all, digging trenches doesn’t really sound interesting. Mining, demolition and other jobs can sound far more interesting; however, there is no denying the important role that excavators play in servicing our nation. Today, when a new housing estate is being built, most of the services to each home are there because of the work of an excavator.

Waste water leaving the home; fresh water, electricity and telephone going in to the home; they are all provided using below ground connections. Those below ground connections are there because of the expert work undertaken by excavator operators. If you think about it, digging trenches is more than just digging a hole. The trench needs to be accurately dug so that all connections meet where the plans indicate. If they don’t, repairers will have problems in years to come, locating the pipes when required.

Trenches for waste water, fresh water and electricity (and often gas) are normally dug at different levels. Working as an excavator operator means you need to work as part of a team, be able to read and follow plans, and be able to operate with precision. This requires skills and experience. However, all excavators start somewhere and that is where heavy equipment training plays its role.

By undertaking a professional heavy equipment training program you develop a set of basic skills that enable you to work as an excavator operator. Over time, you will develop skills in certain tasks to the point you could be called an expert. This may well be digging trenches and helping to deliver services to our new homes. Excavator operators – without them our housing would develop at a snail’s pace!

It’s one thing to undertake training in heavy equipment, it’s another to land that first job. This is where our Career Services option comes into play and, being a free service, it’s there to be used. Having spent nigh on 40 years training people to work in heavy equipment, crane operations and truck driving, we know what employers are looking for in new recruits. Not only that, our Career Services department has developed a strong network of contacts within the various industries, contacts you can use to your advantage.

Our Career Services option starts with a personal interview with each student to determine which sector of industry they want to work in and which geographic location best suits their needs. We also provide a package that includes a list of possible employers based on that information. We do the hard work for them in collating those possible employers. This means each student can start targeting employers before they have even completed their training.

Our service doesn’t end there. During training, we also offer training in soft skills designed to help you land that ‘dream job’. These soft skills include interview techniques, application procedures and networking skills. The latter is one of the most important if you want a long career in the industry. It’s through networking that you gain a solid reputation and, if you become highly proficient, find employers knocking on your door rather you knocking on theirs.

Our Careers Services department also offers an online resource where graduates and employers can connect. We also provide a Jobs Leads Database that contains contact details for thousands of potential employers. If you put the complete Career Services package together then you have a highly efficient mechanism designed with one aim in mind – to help you land your first job in either heavy equipment, crane operations or truck driving. Looking for a career change? It’s all here waiting for you!

A story this week from the Orange County Register is a timely reminder that even bulldozers face situations that are dangerous and require skilled operators. Bulldozers are often thought of as muscle machines that just get in and get a job done. They are strong and its their strength that is relied upon to complete jobs quickly, but this news story adds a high level of caution.

There are houses around the Anaheim Hills area that are threatening to slide down the hill and onto a busy freeway. As a home owner, I guess the last thing you want is to find your home on the freeway and the living room now the fast lane. Houses were bought, residents moved out and now it’s time for the bulldozers to move in and demolish them.

Being subject to landslides, heavy earth moving will be tricky. They may only be knocking down the homes, but that is not a simple task under these conditions. Bulldozer operators will need to be vigilant, not just in watching the ground around them, but also in ‘feeling’ the ground as they slowly pull these buildings down. These skills cannot be taught; they can only be gained through experience. However, if you read this blog often enough, one philosophy we always promote is that of your skills base. If you don’t have a good grounding in operating heavy equipment, you will never truly become a proficient operator.

A good skills base is a little like a building and its foundations. Weak foundations and the building will eventually fall. Good strong foundations and the building will be around for a long time. You can develop a good skills foundation by ensuring your heavy equipment training is delivered by accredited training organizations. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is accredited and delivers training that has been accredited to national standards. If you are looking to become a bulldozer operator, contact us now to start developing your skills foundations.

One of the benefits of a truck driving career is that you get to choose the type of trucks you want to drive and where you want drive. This is important to many people who don’t want to wander too far from home each day. However, local truck driving jobs are not restricted to just local deliveries of goods. There are other options. Likewise, distance driving doesn’t have to mean interstate, you can also drive intrastate, that is, from one city or county to the next. Here is a list of the types of jobs and trucks you could be driving:

Local – deliveries, parcels and packages, food items, building materials. Trucks used include refrigerated trucks, specialist trucks, large vans and open trucks.

Regional – grain handling, heavy equipment, furniture, building materials and cement. Trucks used include specialist trucks, flat beds, large vans and dump trucks.

Intrastate – grain handling, petroleum products, furniture and produce and may involve specialist trucks, tractor trailers, large flat bed trucks and large delivery vans.

Interstate – petroleum products, motor vehicles, furniture, produce. This work traditionally involves large tractor trailer rigs although specialist trucks, flat beds and large vans are also used.

There is a large cross-over of trucks used and materials carried. I have really only touched the surface since every single product used has to be transported at some stage. That is one of the great things about truck driving as a career – the type of work and the type of vehicles available is so varied you will always find something that suits your interests.

You can start a truck driving career with as little as three weeks training that readies you for both the workplace and the mandatory licensing processes. Call ATS Truck Driving School for more information on truck driver training programs.

If you are a crane operator and you haven’t been certified then now may be a good time to consider undergoing the crane operator certification assessment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) is introducing federal certification requirements for crane operators with the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) the organization charged with setting standards and issuing certificates. These standards are expected to be set in July although a start date is unknown at present.

Crane certification is already compulsory in some states and the effect in reducing workplace accidents involving cranes has been noticeable. This is one reason behind the extension of this requirement nationwide. For many students of ATS Crane Operator Schools, the news will be welcome since they have not only completed their training, they have also completed the requirements for certification.

Our crane operator training program is undertaken full time over three weeks. ATS Crane Operator Schools has also been accredited to deliver assessments that lead to certification. This means student can undertake crane operator training and undertake the certification process, all in the one location. Graduates can then enter the work place fully certified in accordance with regulations.

If you are considering undertaking a crane operator training program, make sure it is accredited and check to see whether or not the training body is also accredited to deliver assessments that lead to crane operator certification. In the near future it will be mandatory so receiving certification soon after training makes a lot of sense.