Backhoe operators are always in demand and those that are very good at their jobs soon gain a reputation that only serves to increase the demand for their services. How then do you gain a reputation for being a proficient operator? Like all careers, it’s not that difficult with time and patience being your best attribute. The following tips will certainly help you reach your goal.

Foundation – you can only become truly proficient at something if you have a good skills base to begin with. Learn bad habits early and they can become very difficult to change later in life. Learn good habits early and you have the start of a good foundation. For backhoe operators, start by undertaking an accredited heavy equipment training program that exposes you to a range of heavy equipment. Naturally, the training program should include hands-on experience behind the controls of a backhoe.

Practice – finding an employer that is prepared to let you build your skills on the job is the next step in the learning process. Some training organizations have career services that can help you get that first job.

Variety – over time, you can really hone your skills by seeking employment with businesses that will provide you with a wide variety of work. You need a solid training base with a good work history to move into a position where the work requires a higher skill level. However, if you have the patience and you’re prepared to learn as much as you can along the way, you will find employers happy to hire you in these more advanced positions.

It all starts with good training and a willingness to continue learning on the job. If that sounds like you then a career as a backhoe operator is waiting. If you expect to undertake some basic training then move into a high paying highly skilled position – think again – even doctors can’t achieve that.

If I had a crystal ball that could see into the future there is one thing I know I will see – tougher heavy equipment safety requirements. In fact, I can see a day when all operators will require certification of some type. We have it in the form of licenses for truck drivers for decades; from July, it seems that all crane operators will need certification with the NCCCO one of the preferred certification bodies; and with recent workplace accidents, including the mine explosion this week, it will only get tougher for general heavy equipment operators.

You may look at the Montcoal mine explosion and wonder why that will impact on heavy equipment safety. It won’t directly – but it will impact on all workplaces over time. Workplace safety is becoming a fairly large issue so whenever there is a major incident, all workplace practices come under scrutiny. If there is a workplace incident that involves heavy equipment in the near future, it too will suddenly come under the microscope.

Workplace safety is important and for heavy equipment this has been recognized by including safety training in all accredited training programs. In fact, a heavy equipment training program cannot now become accredited unless there are safety training components included. The subject is not one we take lightly at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. Our heavy equipment training programs are all accredited to national standards.

If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator then do make sure your training includes workplace safety components. If in doubt, contact us here at ATS, we will happily supply you with information related to our accredited training programs and the heavy equipment safety standards included in that training.

Graders are perhaps the gentle giants of the heavy equipment industry. It’s not brute strength that gets the job done with a grader; it’s finesse. Their role is to do the final sculpting of a surface, particularly when it comes to road building. You can often see them working up and down a stretch of new road and they seem to be moving a tiny amount of material. Like a good sculptor, it is those small amounts that make a huge difference to the finished surface.

Learning to become a grader operator is actually quite easy. Like many professions, the finer points of the operating a grader can only come with experience and to be truly proficient, you need to base that experience on a solid training foundation. When it comes to training, you can watch someone else then copy their bad habits; you can get big dollars for training from an unqualified or non-accredited trainer; or you can find a local training company that is accredited as a heavy equipment training business; and that delivers training that has been accredited to national standards.

Now consider who you would employ if you were in the construction business. I don’t think I need to say any more. Accredited training is now a must when it comes to heavy equipment. In some states, you cannot work on a site without at least the safety component on this training. When searching for a training company to undertake grader training, look for a business like ATS.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools we make grader operator training easy. In fact, along the way you will pick up skills and knowledge on a variety of heavy equipment – this gives you a wider range of equipment to work on after training. Our heavy equipment training programs run for three weeks and include in-class and behind-the-controls training. We also include safety components as required by many states. In fact, our training is accredited to national standards. This means your skills are going to be recognized nationwide. Grader operator training – do you want the easy way or the hard way?

Despite the tough times, or perhaps because of them, there is a lot of financial aid available for those considering a career as a heavy equipment operator. Financial aid can be found in two areas: career loans that you will need to repay and financial aid programs provided by various government departments. Realistically, if you don’t qualify for one – for example, a career loan – then there is a good chance you may qualify for one of the government programs.

The easiest way to handle the situation is to start by applying for financial aid at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. Your application will be processed quickly and someone will get back to you with the outcome. If you are not successful with a loan application, you can discuss which government programs may be suited to your situation. (Note: these programs are run by government departments so the criteria and the aid available is always changing. You will need to consult with their stake holders to ensure you do meet eligibility requirements – our advice can only be taken as a guide).

Financial loans can be a great way to retrain for a new career. When it comes to heavy equipment, your training is completed in three weeks and then you’re ready to enter the workplace. Considering the paychecks available to operators, your loan will be repaid many times over within the first twelve months of employment.

If you have been considering a career change, or your looking to re-enter the workplace and a career as a heavy equipment operator appeals to you, contact us to find out whether or not there is financial aid available to meet the costs of heavy equipment training.

There is a lot of activity in and around many of our towns and cities now with landscapers repairing winter’s damage and preparing for summer. Skip loaders have become a weapon of choice for many landscapers. They can get into tight areas, are versatile when it comes to the type of work involved and very economical, particularly when you compare the cost of doing a job by hand.

One area you will see skips loaders and skid steer loaders at work these days is in the area of re-turfing lawns that have been damaged over winter. Skip loaders can be handy tools for these jobs. They are able to get under the old turf and slice through it like you would a cake. The old turf can then be dumped into trucks for removal. Skip loaders are also handy when it comes to moving new rolls of turf ready for laying in place. If you have ever manually laid turf, you will know how heavy each roll can be. The skip loader makes short work off carrying a load to the area to be laid.

Loaders are versatile machines and, in spring, in high demand. Operators that run their own business often find that spring brings so much work they are booked out for weeks in advance and have to refuse new work. Whether you’re operating skip loaders or full size loaders, the demand for operators is there and with training only requiring three weeks of your time; you could be ready for work well before the end of spring.

If you want to join the landscaping profession as a loader operator, consider a heavy equipment training program that provides skills across a range of light and heavy equipment. With skills across a range of heavy equipment, you will be surprised at how many landscapers snap you up for work.

Sometimes news stories have ramifications that go beyond the initial story. An article in the Equipment Trader Online magazine from early March discusses the proposed move by Caterpillar of their excavator construction arm from Japan to the States. That, of course, will be a big plus for local workers in the manufacturing sector with production expected to triple. What does it mean for local excavator operators?

Local production could lead to an increase in the number of excavators being sold and with it an increase in the number of operators required. Local production should lead to lower prices, or at least more competitive prices. With local manufacturing, parts and servicing, their products will certainly create greater interest. There is a real possibility that Caterpillar will also require a small team of operators to test equipment as well. That could make for an interesting job, trying all the new models before they hit the market.

Excavators are becoming extremely versatile in the number of different roles they can play in construction. They are by no means restricted to just digging trenches these days. For operators, staying up to date with the latest in technology is almost a necessity and online magazines like Equipment Trader Online (its appears it will be free from May 1) can be ideal places to see what is happening in the world of excavators and heavy equipment in general. Of course, you could just keep coming back here as well.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have always kept an eye on what is happening in the world of heavy equipment and the new technology that is being released. Our heavy equipment training courses are designed to ensure that graduates are able to move straight into employment after graduation with most graduates having long and successful careers. If a career as a heavy equipment operator sounds interesting, contact us for details on training options available.

A commercial drivers license is like having a license for a lifetime career – so long as you keep renewing it. The next time you are out on the road, check out the truck drivers around you. If you are observant you will notice a couple of things. The drivers range in age from early twenties right through the late fifties and early sixties (at least, they look it). They also come from a variety of backgrounds and, if you’re lucky, you may even catch sight of the rare (but growing in numbers) female truck driver.

Trucks of today are a little like our modern cars. They come with power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, cd/radios, you name it. They have the latest in modern conveniences. Check inside a big rig and you will see a mini-apartment complete with bed, television, refrigeration and microwave oven.

Of course, those are the modern trucks. There are still plenty of the older style trucks around but very few of the old dinosaurs that require muscles the size of Hulk Hogan’s to steer – thankfully. You can gain your commercial truck drivers license at virtually any age (so long as you meet the various state driving requirements) and gain employment in trucks ranging from the smaller local delivery trucks up to the large interstate transporters.

Believe it or not, it all starts with a basic three week training program that prepares you for your commercial drivers license (CDL) testing. ATS has a truck driving school that has over 40 years experience in the field of truck driver training. Our course prepares students for the CDL test using both in class and behind the wheel training. Important maneuvers like reversing and driving in traffic are also well practiced. Looking for a lifelong career opportunity? Consider obtaining your commercial drivers license – it only takes three weeks yet it opens up a lifetime of opportunities.

So what do bulldozers and Agatha Christie have in common? Not a lot apart from the town of Luxor in Egypt. Now I know Luxor is a long way from here, but for some, it’s not that far. Agatha Christie found a lot inspiration for her books in Luxor and now the whole area is to be turned into a giant open-air museum based around the ancient city of Thebes. This is where the bulldozers come in – they are currently hard at work leveling much of the city of Luxor in order to reveal that ancient city.

Now I know what you are thinking. What does Luxor in Egypt have to do with heavy equipment training here at home apart from the association with bulldozers? At ATS Heavy Equipment Schools, we train our students in a range of equipment and prepare them for the workplace. Heavy equipment is one field of employment where your skills are valuable everywhere – and when I say everywhere I do mean worldwide.

The team of bulldozer operators clearing the way in Luxor is somewhat of an international effort with operators being employed from all parts of the world. There are several US citizens who are currently working as bulldozer operators in Luxor and several local operators owe their skills and knowledge to US operators who trained them.

One of the benefits of training on a range of heavy equipment is the multi-skilling that occurs. You walk away from your training with the skills to operate many different types of heavy equipment, not just a bulldozer. Naturally, you will specialize on one particular machine, but it you keep your skills updated across the board you will find employment opportunities everywhere, including overseas. For younger people just setting out in life, and perhaps wanting to see the world first, training as a heavy equipment operator is definitely an option. Who knows, you could end up in Luxor pulling down one of Agatha Christie’s old haunts.

Show me a construction site and I can almost guarantee that the busiest piece of equipment is a loader. They are versatile pieces of equipment capable of moving material like dirt, sand or debris from one place to another, loading trucks, or carrying anything heavy. Life as a loader operator is just as busy and it takes someone who can remain extremely alert to safely operate one.

Safety on a construction site is always important and it is particularly true of a loader operator. Their equipment is fast compared to most other equipment. Loaders are also fairly nimble, often able to get into places that other equipment cannot. Because of that speed and versatility, operators cannot afford to become complacent. They can quickly come upon an area busy with workers who themselves may be oblivious to the loader’s presence.

Being able to operate a loader in a busy environment is just one skill that an operator requires. They also need good depth perception when emptying a load into a truck. Without that depth perception, they could empty half the contents back onto the ground.

Loaders are one of the pieces of equipment that ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools includes in its heavy equipment training program. This training program is undertaken over three weeks with students gaining sufficient knowledge and skills to be in a position to commence employment as operators. There are not many careers that can start with a three week training program and have you work ready. If you are looking for a change in career and you think you can handle the hustle and bustle associated with being a loader operator, contact ATS and we can discuss your loader operator training options.

Crane operators can lead a boring life sometimes. You sit through your crane operator training, find a job on a construction site, then spend day after day lifting the same old stuff. Compare that to a mobile crane operator and things are completely different. In fact, the working life of a mobile crane operator can be quite an adventure – you just never know what tomorrow may bring.

Of course, the biggest difference between a mobile crane operator and a fixed construction crane is that a mobile crane is on the road. Every day brings a new job, a new location, new people and something entirely different to lift. In fact, much of your time is spent on the road, grounding the crane or packing up ready to move on.

Mobile crane operators do just about everything. They help with the laying of pipes; help to right overturned vehicles, especially big trucks; they even help to lift plant and equipment into homes and buildings. Mobile cranes have been called upon to lift giant wheels from earth-moving equipment when a change is needed out on site.

Operators of mobile cranes are multi-skilled requiring the skills and licensing of a truck driver whilst on the road, and the skills and certification of a crane operator while on the job. Operators also need to be able to make quick assessments of the job at hand to determine how best to perform the lift given the environment they are in.

You can undertake a fully accredited mobile crane operator training program through ATS Crane Operator Schools and following completion of the three week course, undertake the certification process through us as well. There’s nothing boring about a mobile crane operator’s job – in fact, every day brings something new. If this is the career for you, contact us for more information on the latest training schedules.