With the holiday season emptying a lot of wallets (and bank accounts), paying for a heavy equipment training program may seem beyond your means right now. It doesn’t have to be since there are financial aid options available designed to get you into a new career as soon as possible. All it takes is a commitment from you to want to succeed and the rest is certainly achievable.

Financial aid can come in many forms. There are a range of government programs available that you may be eligible for. These programs include:

• Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
• Department of Workforce Development
• Trade Adjustment Act (TAA)
• Displaced Workers
• Displaced Farmers
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Tribal Education (BIA)
• Veteran’s Benefits (VA)

If you are not eligible for financial aid through any of those programs then you may find that you are eligible for one of the many loan options that are available. Your own local financial institution may have student loan facilities available. It costs nothing to ask and the process through a local financial institution is often fast and painless.

Failing that, you can fill in our online financing application form. We have relationships with national financing institutions and we will endeavor to obtain finance on your behalf. USA Finance is another option for students looking for student loans. Generally speaking, you will need to make a down payment when you commence training with the balance paid off as agreed in your loan contract.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools will assist you in every way possible to find suitable financing for your training. Our success is built on your success and your success is built on the quality of our training and the services we provide. If you are looking for financial aid for heavy equipment training, contact us to see what is available and what options you have.

Becoming a skilled bulldozer operator is a career within itself. For the more adventurous, there is a lot on offer beyond the construction and road building industries. It all starts with heavy equipment operator training. Once you have the basic set of core skills, you can find employment. This gives you the opportunity to hone those skills and become a highly skilled operator. From there, the world is your oyster, as the saying goes.

As I mentioned, careers exist for skilled bulldozer operators outside simple construction and road building. A military career is one option – bulldozer operator recruits are often in high demand in the military and after basic training, you could find yourself anywhere in the world operating bulldozers.

The mining industry is possibly the third largest employer of skilled bulldozer operators. In some areas around the world, bulldozers are used under ground as well as on top of the ground. Bulldozer operators are also ideal for training for some of the more specialized equipment used in mining. Bulldozer operators are also employed for 8-9 month contracts on bases on Antarctica. Don’t get your hopes too high, these positions are few and far between and very competitive – but then, you never know what the future holds.

Other industries that use bulldozer operators include forestry, farming and some manufacturing sectors. There are also opportunities in other areas of the world, particularly third world countries. International operators are often called in to help with special projects whilst helping to train local operators.

The role of a bulldozer operator is not restricted to just local construction and road building. There is a broad range of opportunities for skilled operators – you just need a little research to uncover some of the opportunities. It all starts with your bulldozer operator training and as the nation’s oldest heavy equipment training organization, ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is there to get you started. Are you ready to start?

Like all heavy equipment operators, backhoe operators have to perform daily maintenance tasks. These tasks are designed to ensure the equipment stays on the job for as many hours as possible. Not only that, if done properly, daily maintenance tasks help to speed up the down time that is required when the backhoe goes into the workshop for major maintenance problems.

Most people assume that a daily maintenance program only involves checking fluid levels. Whilst this is an important part of any maintenance program, backhoe operators need to go beyond that. Checking buckets and scoops for damage, ensuring there is no build up of dirt or mud on any of the moving components, and checking tires for foreign objects all form part of this daily schedule. Of course, checking is only part of the role. Doing something is the real maintenance component.

Tires are a good example. You check the tires and see there is a piece of metal wedged in. What do you do – make a note in your log book, or remove the metal. Common sense suggests you remove the metal and that is what the backhoe operator should do. Many work sites insist on log books and there is a good reason for this as well. Regular workshop maintenance programs are generally undertaken based on hours of operation. Keeping a regular log book shows at a glance how many hours have accumulated since the last service, and how many hours are left before the next service.

Maintenance should be a part of any standard heavy equipment training program. Whether you operate backhoes or any other type of heavy equipment, undertaking a daily maintenance routine means your equipment will stay on the job longer and you will help to extend the life of the backhoe.

Our heavy equipment training schools strive to deliver training that is both industry relevant and at the same time compliant with national standards. To achieve this we designed our training programs inline with those established by the various national bodies. This enables us to seek accreditation for the delivery of this training. As a student at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, you know the training is industry approved and relevant to the work place. But how do you know?

The internet has brought a valuable resource to online shoppers in the form of product reviews. Recent research is showing that many online shoppers are first referring to product reviews before making a purchasing decision. I assume you are reading this post because you have some interest in the field of heavy equipment as a possible career choice. Our training is a product and many of our graduates have, over time, contacted us to leave very positive feedback about their time with us. Take Jim from Minnesota as an example. He writes in part:

…..My employment started one month after graduation and would have never been considered without the certification I received from ATS. The knowledge I received from their down-to-earth instructors has proven to be invaluable. Attending ATS has been the single most important event of my life….

In fact, we have interviewed many of our former students to gain some form of feedback related to our training programs. You can view these videos on our student feedback pages. Do we get negative feedback? After more than 25 years providing training to heavy equipment operators and truck drivers, of course we do – but it’s very rare and when we do we look closely at the issue to see what changes need to be made.

If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, check on what sort of feedback is being left by former students – if any. Heavy equipment training schools are there to provide training for those seeking employment as heavy equipment operators – be sure your training organization is providing training that employers are looking for. Otherwise, you could be wasting your time and money. See what our former students have to say before making any firm decisions.

Truck driving as a career offers a lot to those that like variety. You can drive the same stretch of road every day for years, yet it’s not the same. There are different weather conditions and, of course, your fellow road users are different every day. You have the idiots that want to take a truck on by overtaking when there’s no room, and you have the reverse, those that are terrified by big rigs. They suddenly slow down when they see one in their rear vision mirror and drive with so much caution they almost create accidents.

Learning to be a truck driver is not that difficult. Learning to put up with other drivers takes a life time. In fact, as a driver, I don’t think you ever get used to the way others drive. Being on the road, you see them all – the crazy, the drunks, the teens partying while driving and nervous nannies.

If you’re interested in a career as a commercial truck driver, it is as easy as ABC:

A – ask us at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools about our truck driving training programs. We have over 25 years experience training people to drive trucks. We can advise you where your nearest training school is and when the next courses start.

B – Begin your training. Start your training with ATS and we will provide you with all the on and off road skills required to achieve your commercial truck driving license.

C – Complete the testing for a commercial drivers license (CDL) and you’re ready to hit the road as a professional truck driver.

With a professional training organization like ATS behind you, you will receive all the support necessary to obtain your CDL and then to locate suitable employment. Remember – all it starts with is ‘A’ – ask us about our truck driver training programs. It’s the first step to a successful truck driving career.

The demand for heavy equipment operators is steadily rising with forecasts for 2010, indicating a much heavier demand in spring and summer, especially when it comes to excavators and loaders. Bulldozers and graders follow closely with other heavy equipment operators also in strong demand.

Excavator operators will be in heavy demand in spring with new building projects scheduled for spring starts. Excavators and bulldozers are the two machines generally called in first for a building project. Many projects have already had the clearing preparation completed and ready to turn the soil. This involves excavator operators and, to a lesser extent, loaders and backhoes.

Foundation work and service trenches is the area that will see highest demand although road construction will create a demand across most areas of heavy equipment. Excavators also play a role in road construction – this is why the demand for excavator operators is expected to surge – both areas of construction requiring operators at the same time.

Undertaking a heavy equipment training program early in 2010 is advisable if you are looking to enter this field, particularly if you are considering specializing in excavators. The number of operators in the work place has diminished over the last 10 years. Many older operators have left the profession whilst others have simply moved on to other trades.

Excavator operators will be in demand in 2010. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are gearing up for a busy year training new operators to meet this demand. If you are considering a career change and moving into heavy equipment, contact us to find out what training are available in your area.

GPS skills are becoming an important asset for grader and excavator operators as new equipment comes onto the market fitted with these devices as standard. More importantly, contractors are starting to realize the real benefits behind these devices. In an environment that is so competitive, being able to reduce costs and submit lower price tenders for projects is becoming essential to survive.

Using new technology like GPS to its fullest means contractors can cut days, if not weeks, off some projects and with it tens of thousands of dollars. How does GPS help these operators? Whilst it may sound complicated, the process is fairly straightforward.

In the past, a grader operator would be asked to grade a section of ground to a set of parameters that included blade angle, slope and depth etc. After a number of passes, the operator would wait while a surveyor checked the levels and determined the next set of settings. The introduction of GPS, particularly with laser technology, has produced a big change to how the operator works.

At the start of a process, the desired results are entered into a computer-like interface. The computer then determines blade angle, slope and depth and automatically sets them. The grader operator then proceeds to work the area with the computer constantly making fine adjustments – all guided with the aid of GPS and lasers.

With this technology, there is no stoppage time while the operator waits for the surveyor. The surveyor comes back at the end of the process and checks to ensure it means the plans. If it does, the next stage begins. Similar procedures occur in excavators where a depth and angle are preset. The GPS unit then helps to set the bucket angle and depths of the dig.

These devices save a lot of down time (non-operating time) which means a job can be completed far quicker than in the past. These tasks can also be completed with far greater accuracy than in the past. If you are a grader or excavator operator and you want to take on the challenge of working with GPS, consider undertaking a GPS training program. The skills won’t harm your career – they may well enhance it.

If I was to pick one season that was best for commencing a heavy equipment career it would probably be winter. Demand for heavy equipment operators is at its peak during spring and summer. In the Fall, demand starts to drop off a little as projects begin to wrap up for the winter months. Winter, of course, can be reasonably quiet when it comes to demand. But then, you are not looking for employment yet – you are looking for training.

Therefore, the best time to start a career as a heavy equipment operator is during the winter months. During this period you can undertake your training and, if possible, follow it up gaining hands on experience. It may be just pushing snow around a heavy equipment yard – but it is still experience. Once winter has come and gone and construction companies are starting to gear up again, you will be training and experienced and ready to start the ‘real’ work.

Timing is important. If you start the process now, you could probably have everything in place to start training around mid-January. If you undertook your training through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, you would complete your heavy equipment training in early to mid-February (depending on when you commenced). A couple of weeks of experience with a willing employer and come March, when employers start to look for operators, you’re there ready and waiting.

Changing careers always takes a lot of thought and a lot of forward planning. In winter, things are generally quiet so this is the perfect time to go through that planning process. Get your timing right and you will be ready for that heavy equipment career just as employers start looking for operators.

Working as a crane operator has become a little more controlled over the last ten years as more states and more businesses insist on operators obtaining certification before being employed. The various states became involved because of the frequency of accidents. Certification was introduced as an attempt have all operators trained to an industry agreed set of core skills – these skills, of course, included safety issues. How do you obtain a crane operator certification? These five steps show you the way:

1. Seek out a training company that has NCCCO accreditation to deliver crane operator training
2. It is also advisable to obtain your training through a company that is accredited by the NCCCO to undertake crane operator assessments and is authorized to issue certification
3. Complete your training
4. Undertake and pass the certification assessments (theory and practical)
5. Issued with crane operator certification

And, yes, it is as straight forward as that. The hard part, of course, is finding a training organization that is accredited to deliver the training and who is also accredited to undertake assessments for certification. Find that combination and the rest is up to your own ability to learn and pass the assessment.

You are in luck. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are accredited to deliver both the training and the assessments for crane operator certification. Now that you don’t have to look any further, the next question is how much would you like to work as a crane operator? At ATS you can have your training completed in as little as three weeks. This means you can literally be working as a crane operator within a month of starting your training. There are no guarantees, of course. You have to pass the assessments – no one else can do that for you. Complete those steps, and a great career as a crane operator awaits – and you will have the benefit of a crane operator certification behind you.

Is a job placement service worth considering when looking for work? Undertaking a heavy equipment training program is a sensible move considering the employment outlook for the next two years. However, if you are moving into the heavy equipment field from a totally unrelated field, you may be wondering where to look and how to secure that first job. If your training provider includes a job placement service then it is well worth considering as an aid to gaining that first job.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have a free job placement service that is available to all students who attend one of their schools. From the moment you commence your training you can access the service and receive help identifying potential employers and in developing application material.

Job placement services that are attached to recognized training schools are ideally placed since they often communicate with and work with employers when delivering training programs. ATS, for example, has been delivering training for several decades. Over that time we have developed strong relationships with many employers. We know what skills they are looking for and what sort of people they prefer to employ.

Everyone is settling down to a peaceful Christmas period. This may be the perfect time to reflect on your current career and determine if you are going in the direction you want. If not, consider a career change and whilst doing that, consider a challenging yet exciting career as a heavy equipment operator. Undertake your training through ATS and our job placement service will help you find that first job.