It is always wise to undertake training in such a way that you exit the training program with skills that make you employable whilst also providing as broad a base as possible. Crane operator training is a good example. You can train on just one type of crane, and you will become quite skilled in that crane’s operations, however, you will then be limited somewhat to that type of crane when it comes to employment options.

Being able to train on a range of cranes means you will have a wider skills base to take through to employment. This obviously increases your employment options. If you have a particular type of crane you want to operate, that’s fine, however, gaining skills and an employment history in crane operations should be your primary concern. Being selective is a luxury that comes with that history and experience.

ATS have a range of cranes that you can be trained to operate. This range includes:

swing cab boom cranes,
rough terrain boom cranes,
fixed cab cranes,
fixed boom trucks,
lattice boom cranes, and
articulated cranes.

Some of these cranes are fairly similar in looks and operations so it makes sense to gain some understanding of their individual traits. I’ve mentioned employment options, and it’s worth repeating – the wider the range of skills you have, the more job options you’ll have.

With ATS crane operator training, you also have the option to undertake NCCCO certification, a requirement to operate any crane in the workplace. With a wide range of machinery to learn on, NCCCO certification on offer, and long history of successful training under our belt, ATS becomes one of the best training options for anyone looking for a career in crane operations.

You may think that big cities are done with construction, however, in truth, big cities arguably have the biggest concentration of construction projects. In fact, you could argue that big cities spend as much time in destruction as they do in construction, especially those cities that are fairly old. Because there is a lot of construction (and destruction) work being carried out in large cities, the demand for heavy equipment operators is quite large.

I know there are many people who live in large cities who have brushed aside thoughts of a career in heavy equipment operations simply because they feel there is little to offer in their city. Cities are continually evolving, and the larger the city the more it evolves. Schools become too small and need to be demolished to make way for larger schools. The same can be said for hospitals, apartment blocks, office buildings and shopping malls.

This means there is a constant need for construction workers in cities, and this includes heavy equipment operators, crane operators and truck drivers, particularly dump truck drivers. If you live in a city and don’t feel there’s the need for heavy equipment operators, check the employment section of your city newspaper. You can also drop into our heavy equipment operator training school and talk to someone from our career services section – you’ll be surprised with how much work there really is in some big cities.

Careers in heavy equipment operations are very rewarding, especially those that involve the demolition of old buildings and the construction of new buildings. The pay rates are good, especially when you consider you only require three weeks of heavy equipment operator training. If you live in a big city, don’t brush aside a career in heavy equipment operations. Rather, take a closer look.

Operating heavy equipment is the dream of many children, yet there is only a small percentage of the adult workforce who actually go to the trouble of training to become an operator. It was a satisfying play toy as a child, and for many, it’s a very satisfying career – the dreams of their childhood being fully realized. Whilst the thought of training may seem daunting, it shouldn’t. It doesn’t take months to learn to be a heavy equipment operator – it takes weeks, and only a few of them as well.

So what can you expect from a career as a heavy equipment operator apart from realizing your dreams? Operators nominate the following as some of the key benefits:

• Secure employment – even when times are tough, heavy equipment operators remain in demand, especially when governments decide to boost the economy by building roads and bridges. Of course, when times are good, the construction industry booms and so there’s never enough heavy equipment operators to go around.
• Great salary and benefits – compared to many other professions, heavy equipment operators are very well paid, and they receive a wide range of benefits, including pension schemes, health and disability insurance, and ongoing training.
• Sense of achievement – there’s nothing more satisfying than to drive on a road, cross a bridge, or travel past a building that you have helped construct.
• Not physically demanding – and this has opened the door to operators from all walks of life, including women. You don’t have to be a rough and tough male to work as a heavy equipment operator, even those with slight builds succeed.
• Short training period – it only takes three weeks to learn the skills and knowledge to start a career as a heavy equipment operator. Compare that time period and the benefits already listed to many other careers and heavy equipment operations comes out on top.

If you’re looking for a career that’s challenging, exciting and well paid, then talk to one of the experts at Associated Training Services (ATS). They can help you take the first steps to achieving that goal, and once you have taken those steps, continue to help you until you are working happily as a heavy equipment operator.

There was a time when boys grew up playing with trucks and girls grew up playing with dolls. These days, boys and girls play with trucks (and probably dolls) and for some, it’s hard to take that child out of them when they grow up. You can find men and women working together as dump truck drivers on a lot of construction sites, and to watch them, you’d think they were still in their childhood.

So what makes dump truck driving popular? Apart from childhood memories, dump trucks offer a lot. The money is good and the work is regular. In fact, dump trucks are often the last piece of machinery to come to a stop due to weather or the completion of a project. Regular work means regular income, and that’s a must for those who take the owner-driver route.

Dump truck driving involves both team work and individual work. As a team, you need to work with heavy equipment operators so they can fill your dumper quickly and efficiently. In other situations, you will need to work with a team when dumping material, especially when bringing in material used for projects such as roads.

As an individual, you are the master of your vehicle, often buzzing around the place, loading here, unloading there – it’s never a dull moment. There are special skills involved with dump truck driving, team work being one of them, and driving another. You will also need to learn how to use the dumping mechanism, especially when it comes to slow dumping of material over a distance.

Since dump trucks are generally required to drive on public roads, a commercial drivers license will be needed before you can seek employment. We offer professional dump truck driver training along with a career service that can help you find your first job.

We take a very different approach to heavy equipment training – we target our training and efforts into helping people start a career as heavy equipment operators. This means training our students in the skills that employers are looking for, not just the very basics. Our focus is also on helping students get into the workplace as operators as quickly as possible.

How do we achieve this? Our training packages include access to our career services department. They will meet with each student early on in their training to help them develop a job placement plan. This includes assistance with resumes, job applications and interview preparation. We also provide access to a database that has thousands of employers listed. This makes finding suitable employers in your region an easy task.

Our assistance doesn’t stop there. We have a dedicated jobs website that frequently lists job vacancies. These vacancies are provided by employers – a sure sign that employers trust our training and the quality of our graduates. As a graduate, you can add your resume to the database; this makes it easier for employers to find you.

If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, then your focus should be on your career. Your training is just one of the steps required to develop that career, the other being experience in the work place. When looking for a heavy equipment training school, be sure to select one that has job placement as the focus, not simple basic training.

Obtaining a Commercial Drivers License is not difficult. Many people can obtain their license inside of four weeks; for most people, a six to seven week period is the norm. If you have the time at home, you can get a hold of your state’s Commercial Drivers License handbook and study it cover to cover before taking your written tests. This can help to reduce the time period a little. For most people, the following are the general steps required, although you don’t necessarily need to complete them in this order.

1 – Check the requirements for a Commercial Drivers License in your state and determine if you are eligible.
2 – Find a truck driver training school that offers a complete service. This should include obtaining your permit, both classroom and hands-on training, assistance (including access to a truck) to complete the skills test, and assistance in obtaining employment post training.
3 – Learn the rules and regulations related to truck driving and any endorsements that you may seek for your drivers license.
4 – Obtain a truck driving permit. This is obtained after passing the knowledge tests in your state and allows you drive a truck (under supervision) on public roads.
5 – Undertake skills-based training to learn how to drive a truck. This should include reversing, public road driving (in traffic), and associated skills such as pre-trip inspections and coupling/un-coupling of trailers.
6 – Complete the skills component required to obtain a Commercial Drivers License.
7 – Undertake a medical assessment that confirms you are medically fit to drive a truck. This will include eye tests and a review of your current and previous health status.
8 – Receive your Commercial Drivers License – congratulations if you make it this far, you should now be ready for employment as a truck driver.

Naturally, there will be forms that need to be completed for some of these steps. A good quality truck driver training school will help you through every one of those steps, ensuring the process is as easy and as quick as possible. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools, we do as much as possible for you, including helping you to find employment once you have your Commercial Drivers License.

If you’re a construction worker and you feel you are stuck in rut, now could be a good time to get out of that rut by moving sidewise into a career as a heavy equipment operator. The future for operators is strong – in fact, there is real risk that operators will be in short supply in years to come. Changing careers is always risky, however, you are staying in construction, and your current skills will always be there should the need arise.

Many employers will appreciate your dual skills. They can employ you as a heavy equipment operator knowing they can use you in other areas should the need arise. If you’re currently employed, your employer may well find that additional skills such as heavy equipment operations are a bonus.

Heavy equipment operators earn a good deal more than general construction laborers. Training is a short three weeks to gain the basic skills, skills sufficient to get you into the workplace as an entry level operator. Undertaking your training through a recognized heavy equipment operator training organization is a must if you want your new skills recognized.

Don’t let costs hold you back. Financing is available, and the terms are very reasonable. Your current employer may welcome your new skills; if not, our career services department can help you locate a job that will give you the experience required to build your career. Get out of the rut and become a well-paid skilled construction worker in the field of heavy equipment operations. You won’t regret the change once you’re settled in.

The last ten years have been tough for many employment sectors as one financial crisis after another struck the world. Our own economy suffered, and for a long time, private sector investment in new buildings came to a virtual standstill. If it wasn’t for the huge investment in public infrastructure by state and federal governments, the construction industry would also have ground to a halt. That investment could prove to be a wise one in the long run – for one thing, it kept construction industry workers employed and in the industry.

As summer rolls in, the national economy looks to be strengthening to the point that private sector investment in now starting to find its way into construction. The construction industry workforce has remained strong although there are still shortages in many areas, one being heavy equipment operators. This is good news for those looking to undertake heavy equipment operator training and looking for work. With both public and private dollars being spent on construction, the demand will continue to grow, at least until the government funded projects come to an end.

It won’t just be for this summer either. Long term job prospects are even stronger with demand for new workers increasing due to the age of many of our current operators – in short, they are baby boomers who are ready to enter retirement. As the economy grows, private sector investment in new shopping malls, new factories and new office complexes will increase, and this too will create a demand for more heavy equipment operators.

Now is a good time to consider a career as a heavy equipment operator. Three weeks of training will have you work ready, just in time for the summer. Finding your first job won’t be that difficult, especially if you have the assistance of our career services personnel – they know who’s looking to hire, and more importantly, they know how to prepare you for the application and interview processes. Heavy equipment operators are well paid and work in situations that can be challenging yet at the same time enjoyable.

It doesn’t matter what type of heavy equipment you operate, every new job is bound to introduce to machinery that you haven’t operated before. I am not talking about different types of heavy equipment. I am comparing like with like – for example, if you generally drive bulldozers, then you will often find that you’re working a completely different make or model that you have become used to. You may also find that your employer has replaced an old piece of heavy equipment with a newer model, and whilst in both of these situations the controls may be similar, they won’t be exactly the same. So how do you handle the transition from one model to another? These guidelines may help.

• Read – read the manual before you even start the engine, particularly start-up and shut-down procedures, safety features and new features such as GPS and computerized processes.
• View – sit in the operator’s seat and take note of the view, in particular any blind spots or impediments to a clear view of the work area around you. You should also make note of the placement of dials and other visual feedback equipment.
• Time – give yourself a little time to get the feel for the new equipment. Don’t rush the process. Pay particular attention to the controls and how they react.

Whilst you may be well trained in heavy equipment operations, every machine – even the exact same make and model – will react differently and take a little while to adjust to. Take that time to readjust and you’ll cope with ease.

One of the frustrations that confront millions of people around the nation is the cost of training to either start a career, or to change careers. Training isn’t free unless you can hook into a government sponsored training program. In some rare situations, employers will sponsor those undertaking training, however, that often comes at a price, for example, agreeing to pay for the training if they don’t employ you, or agreeing to pay for the training if you leave your job before a certain time period has elapsed. So how do you undertake training for a career when money is tight?

There are a number of solutions. Some people are eligible for government funding, especially those who have served in the military. You could save – however, that is difficult these days. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools tries to remove some of the financial hurdles that face many people. We have several financial assistance processes that prospective students can access, all offering the opportunity to train now.

It is also helpful to undertake a cost-benefit analysis. Training to become a heavy equipment operator can be completed in as little as three weeks. This means you could be working in your new career in weeks, not months or years. Heavy equipment operators earn a good income, especially as you gain experience. This increase in income will pay for your training quite quickly making the cost of your training a good investment – certainly higher than the interest rates currently on offer for savings.

Cost should never be a barrier to a new career so we do everything possible to help remove that barrier. If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator (or as a crane operator or truck driver), then talk to us. We may be able to help you find solutions that could have you training in next to no time – and with our career service assistance, into a new job.