If you’ve been contemplating heavy equipment training, truck driver training, or crane operator training and you’re wondering how you’re going to pay for the training, then you might look into financial aid or financial options to help you pay for it. The important thing is that you get your career off the ground seamlessly and without obstacles.

When it comes to financial aid for career training, there are different levels of assistance you may qualify for.

• There are quite a few state and federal grants, which amounts to free money that you don’t have to pay back.
• You might also qualify for an educational scholarship.
• If all else fails, you can take out a career loan.

Concerning grants, you could qualify for several types of grants from a variety of organizations. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is a federal program enacted by President Bill Clinton while in office. It is designed to provide funding for educational purposes for people pursuing certain types of careers.

Other financial assistance programs include:

• Department of Workforce Development
• Trade Adjustment Act (TAA)
• Displaced Workers
• Displaced Farmers
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Tribal Education (BIA
• Veterans Benefits (VA)

Don’t let lack of education funds hold you up on your career plans. If you need money for training, seek out financial aid from one of the programs for which you might qualify.

Construction sites are full of heavy equipment, each with its own set of tools and purposes. A scraper is a good machine to have around for moving dirt, sand, gravel, ice, and other natural and unnatural materials out of the way when you need to clear an area. Want to learn how to operate a scraper?

When a backhoe or bulldozer won’t do, call in the scraper!

The issue for construction site managers is having someone on the work site who is qualified to operate a scraper. You need at least one person who is dedicated to the scraper and qualified to operate it under any conditions. When you have such a person on your construction crew, you’ll feel a lot more at ease no matter what challenges you may face.

When you take heavy equipment training from a committed company like Associated Training Services, you’ll be fully qualified to operate a scraper and plenty of other heavy equipment.

Of course, there are different types of scrapers. There are self-propelled scrapers, wheel tractor-scrapers, trailed scrapers, and more. The more of these machines you know how to operate, the more secure your job will be on the construction site.

Learn To Operate A Scraper

Why not enroll today in Associated Training Services’ heavy equipment school and learn how to operate a scraper the right way.

Crane operators are some of the most important employees on a construction site. If you are a certified crane operator, you can expect to get some of the best and most sought-after assignments, even ones that are high-paid even by construction industry standards.

Here is a simple three-step process for becoming a paid crane operator in today’s heavy equipment industry:

1. Enroll in a heavy equipment or crane operator course – The first step to becoming a well-paid crane operator is to get trained. Enrolling in a certified crane operator’s school is the best and most sure way to get trained for operating the latest types of cranes used on the work site today.
2. Get your certification – After training, you’ll have to pass the certification exam. Associated Training Services prepares you for the exam, and students take the crane certification exam before they graduate.
3. Start interviewing – After getting trained and certified in crane operation, you can confidently start looking for your first job. Associated Training Services has a job placement department whose mission it is to assist graduating students with getting their first job assignment.

You can start your journey toward becoming a certified crane operator right now. Enroll in crane training and you can be employed as a crane operator in just a few short weeks.

Since 1959, Associated Training Services (ATS) has been training heavy equipment operators to maneuver and drive equipment on roads and construction sites. We’ve been quite successful. Many of our students have gone on to rewarding careers, which is why we do it.

The ATS founder, Robert Klabacka, wanted to build a family business that helps people. In the family, he is known for many wise words, including:

Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work another day in your life.

Robert Klabacka

He proved that by his own life.

ATS has trained people to be crane operators, bulldozer operators, dump truck drivers, riggers and signalpersons, and general heavy equipment operators. With several different training programs, we offer flexibility and affordability. We can even come to your work site and train your employees as a group.

Our specialized training includes mobile crane operations, truck driving, and rigging/signalperson training.

With quality, integrity, and pride, we will take on the task of training one person or a thousand.

Why ATS elected to do employer-specific specialized training because we saw the need in the marketplace – long before anyone else did. Employers need qualified heavy equipment operators who can move between types of equipment with ease and with safety their top priority. So we compiled our years of knowledge and experience on the various heavy equipment and put them all into a specialized training service that works.

When you want the absolute best training possible, pick the pioneers who practically created the industry. We understand heavy equipment training.

Crane certifications make the heavy equipment industry safer and more professional. By ensuring that workers who step foot onto the work site are trained, qualified, and certified, all of us can know with certainty that the heavy equipment industry is better for it. So who certifies crane operators?

But who is responsible for those certifications?

The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) is the organization that certifies qualified crane operators to ensure that workplace safety is a top priority all over the country.

Associated Training Services (ATS) fully endorses the NCCCO standards, and we hire only instructors who are certified by the NCCCO. When you are trained by a training school that recognizes and adheres to the national standards set forth by the industry itself, you can be sure that you will get the best training by the best instructors.

ATS instructors are not just certified. They are experienced professionals. In many cases, they have years of experience as crane operators themselves and many have served as safety officers and managers.

If you are ready to start your career as a certified crane operator, sign up for the ATS crane operator training. Check our class schedule to see when our next training class begins. You will be trained by the best in the business to be the best in the business.

Associated Training Services would like to wish all truck drivers, their families, ATS students and their families, and all future truck drivers a Happy New Year. We’re getting started on the right foot. Are you?

We encourage you to check out our training schedule for the coming months and choose a time and place that is right for you.

This coming Monday (January 6, 2014), we will start a new truck driver training course in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Three weeks later, on January 27, 2014, we’ll start another one. You can get a free brochure for our upcoming training classes and be in the know so that you don’t miss any.

Now is the time to set your career goals for the year – and beyond. No matter what kind of equipment you want to train on, ATS can help you get trained and certified.

Our training programs include:

• Commercial truck driving
• Crane operator training
• OSHA-certified rigger/signalperson training
• Heavy equipment training

Whether you want to operate a bulldozer, a forklift, or a backhoe (or all of the above), Associated Training Services can help you get the training and the certification you need to get your first job in heavy equipment. Our job services department assists all graduates with landing their first jobs. Our graduates also go on to have the best careers.

So go ahead. Pick your training and join in.

One of the keys to happiness is being in the right career that you love. Poll enough people and you’ll discover that the people who are the happiest in life have a few things going for them. One of those things is that they are working in a career that is suited for them. Truck drivers are no different.

If you have a desire to be a truck driver, why not start right now? Associated Training Services offers truck driver training, and we have a few classes opening up soon.

Maybe you don’t want to be a truck driver. Perhaps you’d prefer to be a crane operator or a rigger. That’s fine. We have training classes for those occupations too.

The heavy equipment profession is one of the most lucrative non-degreed occupations in the world. It’s a highly specialized field that requires the proper training in safety and behind-the-wheel practical training in order to ensure that the workers let loose on the job site are qualified and certified for the job. Whether you desire to operate bulldozers, forklifts, cranes, dump trucks, or something in between, it all starts with training.

Now that the New Year is here, why not evaluate your career goals? Are you ready for a change? Do you think you’d enjoy the heavy equipment field? Then look into the training necessary to build a successful career as a heavy equipment operator.

The best way to get started in the heavy equipment industry is to attend a training school and get trained and certified. There are specific types of equipment that require specific types of certifications, such as the crane. And then there is specialized training like rigging/signalperson training. And you can get a commercial drivers license, which will put you at the forefront of the construction work site.

One thing is for sure: Heavy equipment operators who are trained and certified are much more valuable than those who aren’t.

If you’ve dreamed of operating a crane, a bulldozer, or a dump truck on the construction site, then now is your chance. Sign up for heavy equipment training and after the first of the year you’ll be set and ready to go. Four weeks of training is all you need to be ready to start your career.

So what types of heavy equipment can you train on? Here’s a short list:

• All types of cranes
• Dump trucks and other commercial trucks
• Bulldozers
• Backhoes
• Skid steer loaders
• Front end loaders
• Graders and scrapers
• Excavators
• Wheel loaders
• All-terrain forklifts
• And many more

Virtually any type of heavy equipment you’ll find on a construction site can be operated by new and veteran equipment operators. If there’s a need for it, you can be trained on it. Once fully trained and certified, you can start looking for a job.

Why scrapers are useful heavy equipment to have on a construction site. In many ways, they are more beneficial than bulldozers. A bulldozer has a blade that is useful for pushing dirt or snow for short distances. The problem is, once the blade has pushed its limit, then you’re done. You have to push it to the side and start over. Scrapers don’t have that limitation.

Scrapers have a blade for pushing. On that note, they have something in common with dozers. But where they have the advantage is being able to pick up the load they push and dumping it into a dump truck-like compartment for hauling. Because of this extra capacity, the scraper can push more dirt in a shorter period of time and haul it off to a dumping site. Having one scraper on the construction site eliminates at least two pieces of heavy equipment but more than likely three.

Without a scraper, you’d have to bulldoze the dirt then pick it up with a backhoe and dump it into a dump truck for hauling. You can do all of that with one scraper.

Keep in mind, however, that a scraper does not have a bucket. It has a blade that forces the dirt into the wagon part of the machine. Once the wagon is full, you drive it to the dumping location.

If you want to set yourself apart on the construction site, learn how to operate a scraper. You’ll be a valuable member of the team with a marketable and valuable skill.

Now is the time to think about what you want to do with your career in the coming year. December is often a time of reflection for many people. Truck drivers are no different. Think about this past year and what you want out of the coming year to kick the New Year off right.

If you are thinking about becoming a truck driver, there is no time better than now.

Truck drivers are in high demand and are paid very well. If you have specific skills related to the truck driving profession, then you’ll earn top dollar. These include the ability to load and unload cargo, the freedom to work long haul, and the skills necessary to perform specialized truck driving services such as carrying hazardous materials and running dual trailers. If you own your own rig, you can make big bucks there too.

The question every truck driver must answer – beginner and veteran alike – is this: What do I want for the future?

Answer that question professionally and personally and you’ll be able to chart your course to the next career progression. If you haven’t kick-started your truck driving career yet, you can start right now. Enroll in a truck driving course at the beginning of the year. Then you’ll be poised to have a great profession the rest of your life.