There is more to heavy equipment operation than just digging holes or shifting dirt. Sometimes you need to use your skills to get in and out of tricky situations.

The following video shows how a backhoe operator uses his skills and his equipment to cross a trench. This could have been a pipeline or small creek or similar and you can see from the video that the trench could have been much wider.

Many would look at this and say it is a gimmick or trick and that you don’t need these skills. It’s debatable, however, what it does show is someone who has mastered their machine. That is what is important.

Their mastery of heavy equipment will have started by learning the basics and building from there. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can provide you with the skills necessary to start a career as a heavy equipment operator. Can we teach you jump trenches, no, but we can teach you to get the job done efficiently.

Loaders are one of the more common types of heavy equipment found on construction sites. They are similar to a tractor with the bucket on the front with the engine at the back as a counter weight. Unlike excavators, most loaders are wheeled rather than tracked. There is more than one type of loader and some are capable of doing multiple jobs depending on the attachments used.

The loader described is often referred to as a front end loader. These are also known as bucket loaders or scoop loaders because they have a wide square bucket that tilts to capture the dirt or to dig out an area. The bucket is a removable attachment so you can also use it as a forklift or attach a clam shell type of bucket that opens to grab whatever you are working on in its jaws. Loaders of this type are also used for snow removal, dirt removal, farming, and on construction sites.

Other loaders include the little cousin of the front end loader, the skid loader. These come with wheels or tracks and are much smaller loader than front end loaders. One of the major differences between a front end loader and a skid loader is the positioning of the lift arms. On the skid loader they are behind the driver’s shoulders rather than forward of the cab.

Backhoe loader or more commonly referred to as simply backhoes combine two pieces of equipment into one. They have the traditional loader with the front end bucket. However, the rear of the vehicle has a hydraulic arm to which a bucket or ‘hoe’ is attached. The operators seat swivels so the operate can see what he or she is doing when operating the backhoe portion. When using the backhoe there are hydraulic stabilizers the operator can place on the ground in order to lift it off the ground and provide added traction and balance.

To operate any of these pieces of heavy equipment requires training. Basic training on a front end loader will provide most of the skills required to operate all variations. Some extra training may be required to operate a backhoe. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can provide all the training required to successfully heavy equipment like those described.

Heavy equipment operators have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. They are sitting behind the controls of equipment that is often valued at more than half a million dollars. The tires on these vehicles can be valued in the 10’s of thousands of dollars. And that is just the equipment.

Operators of heavy equipment are also responsible for preparing, and often finishing, the roads we drive on, the houses we live in and the buildings we work and play in. If these operators failed in the jobs then there it is possible the buildings would fall down around our ears. Fortunately, heavy equipment operators are well trained and inspection regimes are in place to ensure the job is done properly.

Whilst operating the equipment, operators also have a duty of care to their fellow workers, other equipment and of course other property and buildings. Heavy equipment can often have blind spots that the operator needs to be aware of and take into account whilst working.

The better trained a heavy equipment operator is, the less problems there are when it comes to safety, quality of work and machinery maintenance and life span. Owners of heavy equipment now recognize the need to employ workers who are trained and often work with training organizations to develop minimum training standards.

Training organizations such as ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools gain accreditation to deliver training to these standards. Employers then look to employ those who have been trained within ATS in the knowledge that those who have graduated can work to the minimum standards required.

Gain your training through ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools and you may find you get preferred in the employment application process to those who have not had formal training.

Once the excavator, backhoe or trench-digger have completed their task, it is time to call in the specialized pipe laying machines. These are relatively easy to operate when it comes to controls. Most units are comprised of a swing control and raising and lowering controls. Of course, like most heavy equipment, they have a drive control for movement.

Pipe laying machines do just that. They pick up pipes are lower them into the trench as precisely as possible. This process means that long lengths of pipe can be lowered and connected fairly quickly. They can be used for hard piping such as the cement piping used for sewerage, stormwater, or mains water. They can also be used to lay softer pipes used for telecommunications such as fiber optics.

Whilst the operation of a pipe layer is fairly straight forward. Many businesses in this field prefer operators that have a history of heavy equipment operation such as a bulldozer, backhoe or excavator. There is certainly a requirement to have the safety aspects of this training before starting work. Training for a pipe layer builds on the skills already acquired and can be done on the job.

To gain skills as a heavy equipment operator, you need training from a reliable accredited training organization such as ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools. At ATS you can be trained in the use of a variety of machines including bulldozers, graders, excavators and front end loaders. Check out the site for details on free online training, training dates and employment assistance.

Excavators are not always excavators. Sometimes, rather than digging holes everywhere like my pet lab, they are used to demolish everything in sight – again, just like my pet lab. All jokes aside, heavy equipment has always had a role to play in demolition work. When you consider how big some buildings are, you can see why. To do it by hand would take years.

These days, a few well placed explosive charges will have a building collapse inside itself. The heavy equipment then rolls in to complete the job. In the past, large cranes where brought it. Their job was to swing huge metal balls at the remaining walls and knock them down. It was slow and dangerous work. These days, excavators are used to pull down the wall.

The long reach excavator an excavator with an especially long boom arm, that is used to demolish buildings. It is designed to reach the upper stories of buildings that are being demolished and pull down the structure in a safe and controlled way.

To operate a long reach excavator requires the same basic skills as a standard excavator operator. These skills can be acquired through ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools. Check out our website for a location near you.

With winter rapdily approaching there are many towns and cities that will be looking to use snow plows of some shape to keep their streets clear of snow. To operate a snow plow you will need training in the use of heavy equipment.

Whilst snow plow work may be season, the skills gained in learning to use heavy equipment can also be in used in construction, mining and civil works, so they can always be put to use. Once winter returns you can again hit the streets to keep them clean.

There are many different types of snow plow used. They range from bulldozers on wheels to graders down to tractors that drag a plow behind them If the snow is particularly thick then the drag option may not be viable.

Learning to operate heavy equipment is not difficult if you have the right trainers and the right training program. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can provide you with effective and industry relevant training in a wide range of heavy equipment. Get the right training and perhaps you can spend your wintery days helping to keep the streets clear of snow.

We live in an age where most businesses try to maximize the returns on their investments. With heavy equipment, sometimes the best return on your investment is use the one machine – one operator philosophy. This philosophy includes a rider towards the operator – it the machine isn’t working, neither are you!

This philosophy places the onus of the machines well being fairly and squarely on the operator. Look after the heavy equipment, keep it maintained, don’t push it beyond it’s limits and ensure it has all the right fluids and the machine will run well between major servicing. If you don’t look after it, keep it clean, if you are rough and reckless in it’s operation, and fail to ensure it has all the right lubricants, it is going to be constantly in the repair shop. While it is, your at home not earning.

Is it fair. In the long run, yes. Most of the time you are working away from any supervision. There is no one there to watch you and you know it. If you are rough with the machine and it breaks down, it is your fault. It will cost your employer to not only get the heavy equipment repaired, they may have to source a replacement machine (and operator) to get the job done.

Treat the heavy equipment properly and it wont break down. That will keep you employed and get the job done. This is where good training comes in. Training that not only shows you how to operate the machinery, but also what to look for when you inspect the equipment and what danger signs to look for when operating the equipment.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools we recognize the need for comprehensive training that does more than just teach you which levers to pull and buttons to push. We train you in preventative maintenance, safety and of course how to operate the heavy equipment.

To become a heavy equipment operator does not necessarily require formal training through a training school. You can often be trained on the job and many years ago almost all operators were. These days however, there are a number of other factors that need to be considered.

The first and most important is the safety legislation that cover heavy equipment. If you are not trained to recognize safety situations and an accident occurs, you or your employer (or both) could be held responsible and sued, perhaps even facing criminal charges.

Some heavy equipment, for example trucks, require licenses to operate them. Not having a license again could lead to big fines or even criminal charges.

Operating heavy equipment is no longer a simple matter of moving knobs and levers. You are expected to know which attachements to use and how to fit them, how to do basic maintenance, and how to operate the new electronic devices such as GPS that comes with modern equipment.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools can deliver the most up-to-date training available so you are ready to jump into the operators seat and start you career knowing you are fully trained and capable of doing the job.

There are many individuals to whom a career as a heavy equipment operator sounds appealing. The big problem for many, or the fear, is that after training they wont find a job to use the skills learned. For these individuals, a job placement service may be just what they need to get started.

The job placement service developed at ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools has an excellent success rate with both employers and former students happy with the results. The school’s placement database contains thousands of employers who hire graduates on completion of training. In some cases, graduates are find employment before even completing their training.

Once you start your training the job placement service starts working with you helping you to locate potential employers. With thousands of employers in the database, finding the right one for you is not going to be all that difficult. In fact, you may have trouble selecting which employer you want to work for.

If you are employed through the job placement service they will continue to follow up to ensure that both you and the employer are satisfied and that the position is working well for you both. If employment is holding you back from undertaking training then speak to a representative from ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools to see what assistance is available to get your career started.

Most people look at an excavator as a trench digger, or perhaps as a piece of heavy equipment capable of digging holes. Excavators are actually very versatile pieces of equipment that can do a lot depending on the attachments that are available.

Excavators have been used in a wide variety of situations from demolition work through to brush cutting when operators use hydraulic attachments. Some of the task involving excavators include:

1. Digging of trenches, holes, foundations
2. Demolition
3. General grading/landscaping
4. Heavy lift, e.g. lifting and placing of pipes
5. River dredging
6. Mining, especially, but not only open-pit mining
7. Brush cutting with hydraulic attachments

Learning to operate an excavator is not difficult, however learning how to do the more specific tasks such as river dredging may require more intensive on the job training. However, if you don’t have the basic skills then learning some of the more advanced task could be very difficult.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools has a full range of heavy equipment training including excavators. Pay them a visit and see if becoming an excavator operator is a career for you.