One of the few things politicians of all persuasions agree on is that the country needs investment in its infrastructure to ensure that we have the systems in place to take us into the future. While they argue about how much and so on, for the construction industry as the plan for infrastructure takes shape, it is having a dramatic effect.

There are several areas where such large construction plans matter and one of the main ones is the skill shortage that needs to be addressed. In almost every aspect of the construction-connected industry, from truck drivers to haul materials to skilled heavy machinery operators to work on-site, there are shortages of people with the appropriate skills.

Construction throughout the country hit new highs at the end of 2017, with over $1 trillion in November, and with government infrastructure construction spending yet to really get moving, there is much more to come. Everything from housing, where demand is high but inventory is low, through to major infrastructure projects are coming online requiring more people and more skills.

The lack of skills is a problem all over the country, and this became apparent last year after contractors struggled to recruit skilled staff in the response to Hurricane Harvey, and those problems persist today in almost every state. It is not just a recruitment problem for today either, with many skilled professionals in the building trade having an average age of 50, this is a long-term issue that is now becoming a critical problem.

For those looking for a career though, this problem definitely represents an opportunity, and for those willing to learn those in-demand skills, whether that is craftsmen, heavy machinery operators, crane operators, and everything in between, there is much to enjoy about the coming infrastructure spend. Gaining those skills is a commitment of course, but with vocational schools now back on the political agenda and awareness that there is an alternative to college to build a career, it is one people are beginning to choose.

With a skill shortage, these are careers that are paying increasingly well, and with the construction projects put in place over these next few years often stretching out into decades-long commitments, they are also able to offer a level of job security that many other areas cannot hope to match.

The ability to be a part of projects that will shape the future of the country is an amazing opportunity for anyone today, and with the right skills, even in the 21^st century, you can still leave your mark on this great land.

For many years, it has seemed like for many people, the only way to succeed was with a college degree, and of course, the huge debt that goes with it. But while this has become accepted as the only route to a valued career, vocational schools have been helping people acquire the job-specific skills they need to launch a rewarding, valued career in a given profession.

There are advantages to this, firstly it takes much less time than a college degree, with 2-year courses being the average but for some industries even less. Tied to that, a 2-year or less course at a vocational school not only gets your career started and earning money sooner, but it also costs much less, to begin with, avoiding those long-term student debts that so many people end up struggling with for years.

In fact, with so much focus on academic colleges, many areas of the industry are struggling to meet the demand for skilled employees, and even the government is now rightly pointing out that we need more of the skills that vocational schools produce, but how do you know if it’s for you? The cost difference is important, but when it is your career path being chosen, that is your future and should be the main focus of the decision.

One of the biggest challenges over the next two decades is job security, so with vocational schools providing very specific skill training for chosen careers, looking at examples such as the healthcare or construction industry, we can see that here, automation is unlikely to cause as many problems as in other areas. For on-site work, operating heavy machinery, and so on, or working directly caring for patients, those skills will be in demand for a long time to come. Contrast this with the reports that many managerial and administrative jobs could disappear by 2030 through automation, and the idea of a vocational college is even more attractive.

With lower overall costs and a faster path into earning, vocational schools provide a more economical route to acquiring valuable skills, and as we have seen, with many career paths to choose from that offer sustainable and rewarding careers, they provide students with another approach that has much to offer. The mindset of ‘college or bust’ really is meaningless today, and vocational schools are a valid choice for anyone if that is the best way to acquire the skills for their chosen career path.

While social pressure may push towards college, this is changing, as society is recognizing the value of the practical skills that many vocational schools deliver, and for anyone that is thinking about their future career, a vocational school that delivers those valuable practical skills should be a choice to consider.

In any construction site, no matter what crane is being used, from the smallest loader crane to the largest tower crane, there is a certain amount of danger once a load is off the ground. Safety is a crucial aspect of any crane operation, and riggers are central to that safety, with the crane operator making up a team that oversees every aspect of the crane operation on site.

The rigging team is responsible for all aspects of a lift, from the rigging of the load to ensure it has the required support and stability by organizing the cables and so on. This is where the rigging reference comes from, a throwback to the times of sailboats, but the rigger’s duties do not stop there, they also take part in the monitoring of the process throughout the lift. The other aspect of rigging that is incredibly important for safety is the signalperson. The signalperson relays the load condition, observations of the team, and other details to the crane operator themselves throughout the process.

Each of these positions is essential for site safety, the load riggers assess the weight, balance, and size of the load, setting up the pulleys and cable system to ensure a safe lift, so safety actually begins well before the lifting process is even started. During the lift, the signalperson will help control the lift and is an essential rigger position. With modern construction requiring ever larger and heavier loads to be moved, the rigger team is crucial to keeping the site safe during the lift, aiding and advising the crane operator throughout the process. Safe crane operation really is a team effort, and riggers are crucial to that team’s success.

Of course, for that team to work effectively and efficiently to maintain safety, training is essential, but the right training is even more important. There is specific OSHA qualification for riggers and signalpersons, and those qualifications can open doors to a new and rewarding career as a rigger or signalperson.

Here at ATS, we believe safety on site is one of the most important aspects of the construction industry today, and we are proud to offer OSHA-compliant courses for both riggers and signalpersons that go beyond the basic requirements.

Our qualification program for either rigger or signalperson meets OSHA requirements, and features both written and practical instruction and testing over 8 to 12 hours, resulting in each student receiving a qualification compliance card issued by Associated Training Services upon successful completion.

Moving on, our Certification Program for riggers and signalperson exceeds the OSHA qualification standard, and again, includes both written and practical training and testing over a 4-day period. Successful completion brings with it NCCCO Rigging Level One and NCCCO Signal Person Certifications, providing a valuable skillset that employers are actively seeking.

A heavy equipment operator can be many things, and their workday is very different, depending on what kind of machine it is they are working with. One such machine is the road grader, which is also known as a motor grader, and its job is to create a smooth, flat surface. It does this using a centrally mounted blade that sits behind a single front axle and in front of the double rear axles.

It is the elongated appearance of road graders that makes them so easy to recognize though, with the cab and rear axles sitting with the rear-mounted motor, and the front wheels held a long way in front on an arched chassis that allows room for the blade itself. One of the more unusual-looking machines you will find on-site, they have been refined to the point that they are perfectly designed for the job they do.

Graders are mostly used for road building and road maintenance, where they create the flat, even surface that asphalt is laid on top of. As you can imagine, this is precision work, requiring a careful operation to obtain the perfect grade required for the project. Following precise location and height measurements to deliver the foundation for the best possible road surface. That means creating a crown and slope, the gentle curve of the road from the high point centrally down to either side, that enables proper drainage. That slope needs to be around a half inch per foot, so you can see the kind of skill required to be able to do that right.

To do that effectively means experience, and the experience required to do that comes over time. However, for many road grader operators, gaining that experience comes from using the machines in more general work.

That includes earthmoving and spreading, fine grading on site, clearing debris, and even snow removal. For new operators, these aspects of road graders provide valuable experience while building confidence in their own skills, requiring a little less precision than road grading itself. This means that the road grader operator has varied work experience, with various tasks that all present different challenges.

While different tasks that road graders can be used for present different challenges for the operator, in every case, the ability to balance all aspects of the machine, including the blade angle, moldboard position, front wheel angle, and speed of the machine, to get the right outcome to require a skillful touch and a real understanding of the machine itself. Getting the best out of a road grader is certainly a challenge, but with a variety of jobs and the satisfaction that comes with a job well done when you see a beautifully finished roadway, it is a rewarding machine to operate as well.

Every course we teach includes a section that refers to safety on site, and it is something that is incredibly important for every heavy equipment operator, every day. However, part of that dedication to safety includes the clothes we wear, but what do you need to look out for to get the right safety clothing when on-site?

Boots

Having good boots is important, not only for protection but for comfort too, there is nothing worse than a pair of boots that hurt when you have a long day ahead of you. Steel-toed boots are of course essential, but also look for quality leather that will wear in and provide real comfort, good grippy soles are important too, and always ensure that the lacing is strong and sturdy too.

Gloves

The right gloves are a balance between protection and flexibility, you don’t want gloves that get in the way too much, as they just become annoying after a while, but very thin gloves don’t really offer enough protection. For winter, insulated gloves, especially those that use effective but light insulation such as Thinsulate, are a wise choice, and for all seasons, goatskin gloves provide strength and abrasion resistance without adding weight.

Safety Glasses

Glasses should be of the right kind, for instance, made specifically to fit over your ordinary glasses if you wear them. All glasses should conform to government safety standards.

Hard Hat

There are two things you need from your hard hat, that they conform to safety standards, and that they fit well. Fit is a personal thing, but make sure it’s comfortable to wear, it can become really annoying over a long period if it’s not.

Hearing protection

Again, make sure yours complies with regulations, and today many incorporate radio systems so that you can stay in contact with site supervisors.

High-Visibility Clothes

Having a high-visibility jacket is essential on most sites today, and it is something you shouldn’t ignore. It can be the difference maker and save you from disaster, especially on sites with multiple pieces of heavy equipment operating at the same time.

Finally, think about the rest of your clothing, you want to avoid anything particularly loose, as that has the potential to get caught in mechanisms, and make sure in the winter that you have appropriate warm clothing as needed. It may not always seem too cold, but after a day on-site it can creep up on you.

Whatever career you are looking at within the heavy machinery or trucking industry, whether crane operator, haul truck driver, or something else, the journey begins with high-quality training and national credentials. Here is where you hone your skills, in the classroom and on-site, to be able to operate in a safe, effective manner, enabling any student to build a successful career with in-demand skills.

However, there are a lot of choices when it comes to training, and finding the right course can be a little overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be though if you know what to look for. Quality tuition is a must, delivered by industry experts through engaging classroom content and practical, onsite experience that prepares students for all aspects of the job. It is this in-depth understanding of the job and its requirements, along with the practical experience that only hands-on instruction can provide, which gives students the confidence to take on the responsibilities and succeed in their chosen careers.

But having all of that skill and understanding is only of use if employers understand that you have them. In this competitive industry, having the right skills is essential to land that job, especially when first starting out.  That is why our training courses deliver nationally recognized credentials, from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).

Our crane operator examinations are all NCCCO certified, with both written and practical tests, and this combination of NCCER and NCCCO recognition provides a solid base of national recognition for our students. Not only does it guarantee the quality of instruction, but ensures that every student’s achievements and abilities are acknowledged countrywide, by employers, regulators, and others throughout their career. For any student looking to build a career as a crane operator, this should be an essential part of any course you look at.

They can be one of the larger pieces of heavy machinery on any site, but the tractor-scraper has managed to be one the least appreciated machines in the industry too. Designed to move large quantities of earth, and consists of a tractor and rear truck, which is a hopper that can be moved up and down as required, and features a sharp blade at the front. When lowered, the blade cuts into the earth and shaves off the top, pushing it into the hopper. When full, the hopper can be emptied at a drop-off point, usually through a hydraulic pusher that forces the collected earth out of the back.

While it may not attract as much attention as the huge dump trucks or the more interesting backhoes and so on, the scraper is an important element of any construction site, moving earth for construction work to begin. Scrapers come in many sizes, although even the smallest capacity would be considered a large piece of heavy equipment by anyone’s standards, and there are variations of the design too. Elevating scrapers use a conveyor belt system to transfer scraped earth into the bowl, or hopper, further back, making loading much simpler, and they are very popular on smaller projects.

From the smallest, 10-yard sizes to the huge mining scrapers, operators can find themselves in all kinds of construction projects, from roadworks or commercial construction projects to huge mining sites or even agricultural use, scrapers are found on all kinds of sites and endless different projects.

Until recently, scrapers seemed to be losing their appeal for construction firms, preferring the multi-tasking capabilities of other machines, however, by incorporating clever technology and features that aid accuracy, speed, and ease of use, modern scrapers from the likes of CAT and Terex are seeing a resurgence in their use. The latest scrapers, featuring computer-controlled unloading features and other operator assistance features, provide a more efficient, cost-controlled earthmoving solution that provides real moving power for construction needs.

However, there are limitations to the scraper’s talents, and you are unlikely to see them used on the smallest of sites, simply due to their size, while they also operate at their best when the distance between loading and unloading is kept to manageable distances. A scraper is not the solution for the long-distance movement of material. However, with the aid of modern technology and improved maneuverability, the scraper today provides efficient earthmoving for a variety of construction, including road and building works and even in agriculture.

For heavy machinery operators, modern scrapers are fantastic machines, with computer aids to help load and unload, and damped hydraulics to smooth the ride on even the harshest site, these machines are in demand and used on most major construction works, offering great career prospects.

It may have hosted the Super Bowl in 1982, but the Silverdome has definitely been on its own overtime the last few years. Since the Detroit Lions left in 2001, the Silverdome has been searching for a purpose, although a popular venue for concerts throughout its life, until the current ownership, the Triple Investment Group, finally decided the 130-acre site had the potential for development.

It was at that point that plans for demolition of the old site, whose record attendance of 93,173 came when it was host to WrestleMania III in 1987, were made and the project to redevelop the large site began. As one of the largest construction projects in the region, it has attracted a lot of interest within the industry, but until December, there was not a lot to see.

However, December was marked as the beginning of the demolition of the Silverdome itself, a significant challenge due to its size, but also one that has attracted a lot of interest, with members of the public more curious than ever due to the connection with the venue through their favored sports teams. Indeed, there was even a live video stream set up to let people watch the demolition itself.

However, when it came time to take the upper structure down, things did not go quite as planned. As thousands watched online and at the sire, the countdown came, the explosion occurred, and the Silverdome remained standing. While weakened, the upper part of the building was still intact, and since then investigation has shown wiring errors caused some explosives to remain undetonated, as the cause.

The stadium eventually gave in a couple of days later, when a new demolition with fresh charges successfully brought the old stadium down, and now the major work of the project begins. However, the initial failure attracted a lot of attention, not least from Detroit Lions fans, with many comparing the failure with the performances of their beloved team when they were performing inside that very stadium.

Now the major demolition is complete, large numbers of heavy machinery operators and other contractors are on site removing the debris and preparing the ground for the redevelopment. With such a large project, the machinery of all sizes is being used, and it represents one of the largest construction projects in progress in Detroit at the moment.

It’s that time of year again, to prepare for winter road work. Winter is here for most states or is fast approaching for others, the weather is getting colder and the possibility of snow is rising every day in many parts of the country. So, what does your state government do to prepare for the winter, especially in those places where mountains of snow need to be cleared every week?

They obviously need to collect the equipment and materials needed in central compounds, ready to be deployed, which means snowplows, trucks, and other heavy equipment of course, along with the materials they use. It can vary from state to state, depending on how severe the winter is expected to be, but in general, there are two treatments for roads to protect from ice and snow.

The first is for anti-icing, which is to stop ice buildup on the roads, to begin with. Here, they use a liquid solution to lower the temperature at that water freezes and stops snow and ice from sticking to the road and pavement surfaces. You may be used to salt being the anti-ice solution, but high winds can blow salt off the road before the snow turns up, or the way salt is applied leads to it bouncing everywhere, often way from the road surface, losing its effectiveness. Instead, the liquid solution, usually liquid brine, stays where it is sprayed, so less waste and it works better. In the very cold temperatures of some states, they use liquid magnesium chloride instead, which is more expensive but remains effective at much lower temperatures.

During a snowstorm, and afterward, the process used is de-icing, and here is where snowplows are used to clear the surface snow and ice, while further de-icing materials are used to loosen the grip of the snow and ice on the road surface, for this rock salt is an economical and effective material to use. This combination of de-icing material and the snowplows and dump trucks can usually clear roads fairly quickly and get people on the move again.

So, to prepare, states and counties assemble their liquid brine, rock salt, spray trucks, and snowplows in strategic locations around the road network, ready to be deployed as needed but to be effective, they really need to apply the anti-icing measures before the storm arrives. To do that, they use the highly accurate national weather service forecasts, helping them to see storms coming and then, as they move closer, to track in real time via satellite. This ensures the heavy machinery operators know when and where treatments need to be applied for the best results.

Next time the snow starts to fall, think about the work, machinery, and manpower that is behind the efforts to keep your roads clear. For machinery operators, whether that is a snowplow, or spray truck putting the de-icing or anti-icing treatment down, this is one contract where a job well done can make a difference to thousands of people the very next day.

As the last remnants of the holiday season are behind us, we begin to look forward to the new year and the opportunities available. But before we do, it’s time to look back at the gifts we got this year, and perhaps give some ideas to make sure that as a heavy machinery operator, you find a gift that puts a smile on your face.

There is any number of novelty t-shirts, mugs, and stickers you can find out there today that are perfect for the heavy machinery operator, with all kinds of message and so on. This year, we got a thermal mug in the office, a great addition and perfect for a day out on site. However, we all agree, the best gift anyone here has ever received is definitely a great pair of work boots. Not only do they keep you comfortable all day, they protect your feet and just make working that bit more enjoyable. Timberland, Irish Setter and Keen all make great boots that are comfortable all day and are built to last as well.

If you didn’t get that perfect set of boots this year, just remember to drop hints next time around, or if you are wondering what to buy a heavy machinery operator next birthday or holiday, now you know what to look out for. If you did get a great mug, t-shirt, or even that perfect pair of work boots, it’s time to put them to good use now as the new year gets underway.

It has been a great year for us here at ATS, and we just want to take this chance to thank every single person who took one of our courses over the last 12 months and helped make 2017 one to remember. For those who haven’t yet made that choice to train for a career in heavy machinery, we look forward to helping many of you find that new career or learn some extra skills during this new year through our comprehensive range of training courses.

We hope that all your dreams become reality over the next 12 months, and wish each and every one of you a happy and prosperous 2018.