Do you like adventure? If so a career as a bulldozer operator may be just the ticket. There is plenty of reliable and steady work available for bulldozer operators. There is also a lot of work available for those who like variety.

Bulldozers are versatile machines. You could be working for a couple days out in the back blocks somewhere clearing land for farming. Your next job could be in the middle of the city clearing rubble from a demolition site, or out on new stretch of highway that is being built.

As a bulldozer operator you get to see and participate in all sides of a construction saga – the construction, the demolition and the reconstruction. Life is never dull, life is never boring and if you like to do a little traveling then a bulldozer career can offer it.

If you are tired of the monotony of sitting behind a desk or walking a factory floor then getting out and about in the sun could be the change you are looking for. As a bulldozer operator I can promise you one thing, you will see plenty of sun, a little rain and perhaps even a little snow.

Bulldozer operators are well paid compared to many other workers and with a steady flow of work currently available there is little chance of being laid off through lack of work. Training to become a bulldozer operator can be completed in as little as three weeks. With the amount of work available at present you could be employed in a new career within a month of starting your training.

If you are sick of your current job, consider a career as a bulldozer operator. If you are looking for bulldozer training designed to get you started – look no further. We have exactly what you need. The only thing missing is you.

An interesting question that was put to me today by a youngster. Is an excavator operator just an excavator? Likewise, is a grader operator just a grader? I was waiting for that logic to flow through – is a bulldozer operator a bulldozer?

An excavator is someone who digs holes like trenches. The excavator, as a machine, is also something that digs holes like trenches. However, the person who is an excavator can dig trenches in many different ways. They can use a machine like an excavator or backhoe; they can use a shovel; they could even use a teaspoon – don’t laugh, some do when dealing with archeological excavations.

The catch, of course, is that although the person who is an excavator can use any number of implements, they may not necessarily be trained, qualified, or capable of operating an excavation machine. Excavator operators, on the other hand, can use a shovel or teaspoon to dig a trench.

With that conclusion in mind, excavator operators are excavators – however, excavators are not necessarily excavator operators. At least, not until they have received their excavator operator training.

Confused? No – good. Are you an excavator or an excavator operator? Children seem to spend half their childhood as excavators. Once they start to grow up, they leave the excavating behind them. If you have still got the excavator in you and you’re looking for a career that is interesting and well paid, consider the life of an excavator operator. You already know how to dig – learn how to do it on a machine instead.

Do you know the difference between a mobile crane, a tower crane and an overhead crane? Do you know what the training requirements are for each? Careers are often built on dreams yet the reality is often quite different to what we dream about. There are many little boys that grow up wanting to be the operator of a crane that sits on top of a skyscraper – it’s possible, if you know what the requirements are.

Mobile Crane:

Mobile cranes are the cranes you commonly see driving around. As the name suggests, they are quite mobile and generally registered and insured to drive on public highways. The skills required to operate a mobile crane will obviously include driver training. Apart from driving the mobile crane, you will also need training that fulfills the requirements of the NCCCO. In some states you will need certification to prove you have the skills and knowledge required to operate a mobile crane.

Tower crane:

Tower cranes are the cranes you commonly see on building construction sites. They come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Operating the more complex self erecting cranes will come with experience. Training to become a tower crane operator is similar to that of a mobile crane operator. Emphasis, however, is placed on features relevant to the tower crane. You are still required to sit an assessment for certification through the NCCCO.

Overhead crane:

Overhead cranes are cranes that typically run on tracks overhead – hence the name. Operation could be from a specialized cab to remote controls. The training required to be an overhead crane operator is different again to that of a mobile or tower crane operator. Assessment and certification is also a requirement in many states.

There is a common thread that runs through each of these cranes and it starts with your crane operator training. You can start life as a mobile crane operator and over time gain experience and further training that allows you to branch out into either tower crane operations or overhead crane operations. If your dream is to become a crane operator then start your career with one of the best mobile crane operator training organizations in the country.

Heavy equipment technology is a little like new car technology. It doesn’t matter what they do under the hood or inside the cab, operating the equipment (or car) is still the same. Many of the changes we see now relate to computerized components, the use of lasers and GPS, or the addition of new tools.

The introduction of laser or GPS technology often requires a little training to operate effectively, however, the equipment still operates in the same fashion. Like a car, if you add a GPS device, you will need to learn how to operate the device. The car will still be driven using the existing skills.

The addition of tools is a different matter. Here you may need to learn a few new operator skills. Using the car analogy again, it would be similar to adding a boat or trailer – the basic operations remain the same, you just need to learn to drive with the load. With heavy equipment, the levers and pedals still do the same job, you just need to learn that new job.

Cranes are a good example of the introduction of new technology. You can add a lot of devices such as cameras and in-cab video screens, but the basic principles of lifting a load remain the same and the initial training you receive is still relevant.

When it comes to training for a career in heavy technology, it is not always possible to include every new device that has come onto the market. Backhoes and excavators have attachments that number into the hundreds. If you were to learn each and every one of them, it would probably take a year of training. Getting the basics right is the first step to a long career as a heavy equipment operator. As heavy equipment technology arrives, you undertake training only if it is appropriate. The bottom line – there is no change to your normal operating practices.

Are you considering a career as crane operator but worried about the cost? Why not check out the financial aid that may be available to help pay for your crane operator training. In fact, taking up a financial assistance package may be the best move you ever make. Crane operators are amongst the highest paid heavy equipment operators in the country which means your training will soon pay for itself many times over.

There are a number of different options available to you depending on your circumstances. There is government assistance available for some people all the way through to career loans available through the many financial institutions.

With loans through financial institutions, you can either approach them yourself or you can fill in one of our online application forms. ATS have several loan options, once we receive your application we can generally get back to you within 48 hours.

Government assistance may be available through the following programs:

• 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)

Crane operators enjoy good working conditions, a challenging job that rarely gets boring, a respected status amongst heavy equipment operators and construction workers in general, and lucrative pay schedule. Crane operator training is fairly intense with a strong focus on safety that is designed to prepare students to sit for the crane operator certification tests once training has been completed.

Financial aid is available to most people. If your next career move is into heavy equipment then contact us to determine what is available in the way of financial aid for crane operator training.

Becoming a crane operator is not as difficult as most people would imagine. The general impression is that crane operator training takes many months to complete and that it is a very difficult area to get a foothold in once training has been completed. This is not at all true, particularly when it comes to mobile crane operators.

You can complete a crane operator training program in as little as three weeks. This will depend on the training provider you select and the design of the training program. If you stop and think about it for a moment, operating a crane is not really all that difficult. The number of moves possible by a crane is actually fairly limited so there are not a million and one buttons, levers and pedals to remember.

The area of training that is probably most difficult are the safety aspect. This is where crane operator training is highly important. As I mentioned, the actual operation of a crane is very straightforward. Knowing the safety limits of your crane is not so straightforward since circumstances are always changing. Even wind has a major bearing on the safety of a crane.

So how do you become a crane operator? Your first step is to find a crane operator training provider who is accredited to deliver nationally recognized training. They should also be in a position to assess you and provide crane operator certification at the completion of your training. Whilst not compulsory in all states, it is in many of them. Being certified is also a selling point to becoming employed within the industry.

As far as getting your foot in the door once your training has been completed? A good training provider will also have a job placement program in place to help you gain that first job. In fact, when you look at all the facts, becoming a crane operator is not that difficult and doesn’t take months of study. If this is a career for you – what are you waiting for?

Changing careers can be a rather scary experience and this is particularly true if you try to do it without some type of job placement assistance. Before commencing training, your knowledge and life experiences have all centered around your previous career(s). For many just starting out in heavy equipment, they have little knowledge of the industry itself, let alone potential employers.

It’s not just knowing who the potential employers are. Once you have been in the industry for several years you become aware of who are good employers and who you need to steer away from. An industry specific job placement service already has this information – by the bucket load.

Training organizations such as ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools have been able to build a reputation, not over years, but over decades, for providing well trained operators to the industry. ATS have also seen employers come and go with the more successful businesses providing good employment opportunities for graduates.

As a graduate of ATS you are able to access their job placement service and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and information they have been able to gather. There are employers that come to ATS when seeking new operators for their businesses. Why? Because of the reputation that ATS has.

If you are considering a career change to heavy equipment operations, be sure to check what post training assistance there is to help you find that first work opportunity. If they don’t offer a decent job placement service then I suggest you look at other training providers. The cost of heavy equipment training is not low – you need to ensure that every dollar you spend is used to its fullest -this includes making use of their heavy equipment job placement service.

There are a great many ‘home renovators’ and amateur ‘garden designers’ in amongst us and over the years they have gathered together an array of skills. The question is, can they build on those skills for a heavy equipment career? It is important to understand that just about anyone can find a career in heavy equipment with the right training. Those that have been involved in the workplace, or home activities like those mentioned, bring with them a wealth of skills and knowledge.

There are pluses and minuses to this. Yes – there are minuses. Sometimes we need to untrain individuals of bad habits they may have picked up over time. This is done by training you in the right habits. Having said that, there are a great many benefits to be had by coming into heavy equipment with a few life and trade skills. These include:

Patience – having the patience to know that jobs need to be done in the correct order to achieve a result.

Tool knowledge – heavy equipment operators need a good knowledge of hand tools. Attachments may need changing, minor repairs, and perhaps even changing a tire – these all require the use of hand tools.

Safety awareness – workplace safety is a priority issue in today’s modern workplace. Having a basic understanding of workplace safety helps to rationalize any safety issues specific to heavy equipment operations.

There are many other skills that an individual develops in life that they can bring to a career in heavy equipment. You certainly don’t need to be a youngster to start training although being young at heart certainly helps. Heavy equipment careers are for everyone – all that is require is the desire.

Truck driving is one of those skills that never goes unnoticed in the work place. Most businesses will generally employ specialist truck drivers to do the work required. It’s common sense. However, truck drivers are human, (at least I think they are) so they fall victim to all the human ailments that are around at the time. We are now heading into winter and that brings with it coughs, colds and winter flus. How does a business cope when one or more of their regular truck drivers falls ill?

Some companies are smart and have a list of casual drivers on file. If a regular truck driver is unavailable, they just call on one of their casuals. Smaller businesses don’t always have that luxury. Their only approach to the problem is to quickly ring everyone and tell them their deliveries will be late. It’s not great for customer service particularly if the delivery winds up being a week late.

What about the truck driver? They have been off sick for a day or two now whilst still feeling a little off color. They have to do twice as much work to catch up as soon as possible. It’s probably not fair on them and could lead to a relapse.

As a business, you do have another alternative and that is to ensure you have other workers who have the necessary truck driving skills. They could be storemen, shipping clerks, general office employees. In fact, as a manager, you could benefit from additional skills as well. With that sort of approach, you will always have a regular supply of drivers on hand. Your business will not suffer through lack of driving skills and your workers will appreciate the added skills. Truck driver training is a quick training program that only lasts three weeks. It is certainly worth consideration.

Backhoes and excavators have very similar actions when it comes to digging out trenches. In fact, a backhoe is really an excavator that has been cut down in size and had a scoop added to the front. There are other design differences, of course, but the action of each is very similar. If that is the case, why would you choose a backhoe over an excavator, or vice-versa?

I said there were differences, and there are. Size is one difference that can be an important consideration. Backhoes are generally articulated through the middle which means they can be maneuvered in places that an excavator can’t get into.

There are other important differences. One of these is the fact that backhoes are multi-purpose built. The scoop or shovel at the front gives the backhoe the added bonus of being used as a front-end loader. If you need a trench dug and the material that has been taken out of the trench removed altogether, the backhoe is the best machine for the job. It can dig the trench then use the scoop to lift the piles of dirt/rock into a truck.

Excavators can do the same task using their digging bucket, however, this means the truck must spend the day alongside the excavator. These days, no-one can afford to have equipment just sitting around – that truck could be off doing other work. Bring in the backhoe, it can dig the trench then come back later and remove the waste in one work session.

Backhoes are one of the more interesting machines in the heavy equipment lineup. Requiring skills in excavation and loading, training across a broad cross-section of equipment is necessary. When seeking a heavy equipment training program, make sure it offers training on a variety of machines.