I had the opportunity to sit in the operator’s seat of a brand new mini-excavator today – and I must say, it was impressive. One of the first things to strike me was the size of the cab. It may be a mini-excavator, but there was plenty of room in the cab – even for a large person. The seat was quite comfortable – I could imagine sitting in it for hours on end working away at a trench or demolition job.

The most impressive part of the cab was the view – 360 degrees of unobstructed view. Now I know many heavy equipment operators would say they have that already, however, I am talking about a fully enclosed air-conditioned cab – not an open air cab. It was all glassed in with narrow corner frames that didn’t obstruct the view at all. Air conditioning was comfortable to work in, and the unit also heated for those cold winter days.

When it comes to controls, they are almost child-friendly. If anything, they may have been oversensitive, however, it only takes a little time to adjust to the fast response of these controls. When it came to actually digging, this mini-excavator had plenty of power, literally carving through dirt bucket load by bucket load.

You’re probably wanting to know what make of excavator I was sitting in, however, I’m not here to advertise that mini-excavator. Rather, I am pointing to how easy it is to use modern heavy equipment and how comfortable working life is. You don’t need to be built like a professional wrestler to handle these machines. In fact, a pro wrestler would probably have too much strength.

No, modern equipment relies more on the subtle touch than the brute force, and the office you’re going to be working from is almost luxurious compared to those from a decade or so ago. The view from the operator’s seat of modern heavy equipment is great – perhaps you’ll get the chance to experience it one day. It takes a couple of weeks of heavy equipment training to have you ready.

Years ago, being certified often meant being locked up in a mental institution. These days, certified is a term applied to those who receive recognition for their skills and abilities, often through the receipt of a certificate. Current work place regulations force employers to only hire crane operators who have been certified – that is, certified as competent to safely operate a crane.

If you attend formal crane operator training, then you should have direct access to the crane operator certification process. If you don’t, it may be wiser to seek training elsewhere. The ATS crane operator training program includes the option to undertake the certification processes at the conclusion of your training – and it all happens on our campus.

What does the certification process involve? It’s really very straightforward. You will be tested on your skills operating the crane, and tested on your knowledge of crane operations and workplace safety. Having just completed your training, this should all be fresh in mind and a piece of cake to complete. Once you satisfy all the requirements, you will receive certification, making you eligible to work as a crane operator – and your certification is recognized nationwide.

No one likes to sit for tests, however, with the right training and a little application to that training, crane operator certification tests are not something to fear. If you can complete your training satisfactorily, then you’ll breeze through these tests. Interested in becoming a certified crane operator? Come and talk to us – we can take you through the whole process – from initial training all the way through to certification. We’ll even help you find your first job as a crane operator.

Most people go into heavy equipment operator training programs with a set agenda. They may want to become bulldozer operators, or perhaps excavator operators. Some want to learn a range of equipment to make themselves more employable. For most people, life after training follows that agenda. There are, however, many other types of equipment in use, and the pathway to operating this equipment is often through the basic heavy equipment machinery.

So what equipment could you aspire to operate? This depends on the industry you want to enter. In road construction, there are wheeled rollers, heavy rollers and asphalt-laying machinery. In forestry, you could be operating specialist equipment that is used to handle fallen trees. There is a wide range of specialist equipment used in the mining industry, and even there you have a choice between above ground (open cut) and below ground mining. Other industries that make use of specialist equipment include ports (dockyards), general construction, and some manufacturing industries.

There is little in the way of specialist training for these fields, with employers often taking well-trained and experienced heavy equipment operators and providing on-the-job training on the machinery they use. In road construction, for example, it’s not unusual to start as a bulldozer operator or grader operator and to then progress onto other machinery within the company.

The path to this specialized equipment starts with quality heavy equipment operator training that is then backed up with experience in the workplace. In today’s workplace, one leads to another with employers preferring to hire new operators who have graduated from highly respected training schools. Heavy equipment operator training can open doors to more specialized equipment for those who are looking for something different.

The heavy equipment industry can be quite complex when it comes to different types of machinery. Take the humble excavator. This is a piece of machinery that has a bucket at the end of a boom used to dig holes. Or is it? The backhoe is an excavator that has been modified through the addition of a loader at one end – effectively, two machines in one. Different industries have specialized equipment which, whilst bearing the name excavator, look very different to the traditional excavator found digging trenches.

In the mining industry, there are bucket excavators where the name refers to a large wheel that has buckets attached. This machinery continually cuts through earth and rock, a little like a large grinder. A smaller version is sometimes used to dig trenches for underground services – this is known as a continuous excavator. The mining industry also uses an excavator that is similar to the traditional machine, however, it is much larger, and rather than digging holes, is used to scoop large amounts of ore to dump into huge trucks.

There are older excavators that use cables to control the boom and bucket. These are fairly slow workers, however, they are very reliable. Modern machinery achieves the same control using hydraulics. Hydraulics can be maintenance heavy as the equipment gets older – the slightest leak in a hydraulic line will weaken the machinery’s ability to work.

Traditional excavators have changed a lot over the years. The bucket is no longer fixed – it can be removed in minutes and range of different attachments installed – again, in minutes. These attachments can do anything from breaking up concrete to digging large post holes. Heavy equipment is not as simple as looking at a bulldozer, grader, loader or excavator – there are so many different versions of each equipment. Fortunately for new operators, it’s the more traditional equipment that they’ll be using. After completing heavy equipment training, and as you gain experience, you can look at some of the more specialized machinery.

Heavy equipment safety is no longer a matter to be dealt with trivially. It is now mandatory for all heavy equipment operators to have OSHA-approved training prior to commencing work as an operator. We certainly don’t make light of this area of training, ensuring that all graduates who leave our heavy equipment operator school have met those minimum safety standards.

Safety is all about getting the basics right. You’ll often hear two phrases repeated time and again, both in training and in the workplace. These are – “three points of contact” and “look UP.”

Three points of contact refers to movement on heavy equipment (and rigging). The three points of contact are your limbs – either two hands and a foot, or both feet and a hand. Those three points of contact reduce any risk of falling.

Looking UP is important for any equipment that uses height as part of its operations. Excavators, backhoes, loaders and cranes are examples of this type of equipment. It’s natural to look ahead, around you, and down, however, it’s not natural to look for danger from above. There have been a lot of accidents over the years caused by heavy equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines. In many cases, the outcome was deadly for the operator and some of those working around them.

These are just two of the basics that heavy equipment operators need to get right, from day one. Whilst it’s important to think safety, it’s also important to do some things automatically, and looking up and maintaining three points of contact fit into that category. When undertaking heavy equipment operator training, don’t pay lip service to the safety aspects – your life could depend on it.

What’s the hardest truck to drive? Long distance semi-trailer drivers spend long hours behind the wheel whilst a local dump truck drivers could be getting in and out of the cab a dozen or more times a day. Are bigger trucks, then, technically harder to drive? Again, there is not a simple answer to this question. In most cases, a larger truck does involve more skills, however, don’t elect for a small truck because it sounds easier – some smaller trucks are technically harder to drive.

Like all professions, each type of truck has its own idiosyncrasies and levels of difficulty. There are some trucks that have large gear boxes – sometimes as many as 16 gears. There are other trucks that have nothing more than a straight-forward gearbox and drive more like a large van. Each type of truck has its own skill requirements, so it’s almost impossible to state that one truck is more difficult to drive than another.

Trucks carry different types of loads. For example, tankers, which generally carry liquids, require special skills to handle the movement of that liquid in the tanker. Flat bed trailers are often used to transport heavy equipment, and most drivers are expected to load and unload that heavy equipment – a different set of skills altogether. Drivers who transport large loads need to be aware of low bridges whilst those that transport wider loads may require special escorts to clear the way ahead. They often drive late at night to avoid heavy traffic.

When undertaking truck driver training, you need to select a school that can prepare you for the type of truck you intend driving. In most cases, you are expected to undertake your practical driving test (for your commercial drivers license) in a vehicle similar to that you intend driving. There are many skills that are common to all trucks, and the road rules and regulations are very similar for each truck type. You select your career path then undertake truck driver training to suit that career path.

One of the benefits of a career as a heavy equipment operator is that your training and experience is recognized nationwide, unlike in some trades where your skills or qualifications could be localized. You could climb into the operator’s seat of a bulldozer then drive all the way around the nation – just keep off the roads and you’ll be fine.

Bulldozer operators, like many other heavy equipment operators, often work to the seasons. They’ll head north when it’s warm and dry in summer then head south as winter sets in and closes down construction. Some operators hang around and operate snow plows either in towns or in cities to keep roads clear, or on snow fields to carefully groom ski runs. Those operators who live and work in the south tend to be in a position to find work all year round since construction shut downs only occur in the worst of weather – hurricanes and tornadoes being both enemy and foe, closing down construction sites whilst creating havoc and more work.

If you undertake heavy equipment operator training through a recognized training school, then you’ll find that employers nationally will recognize your skills. Undertake training through a school that is not recognized and you’ll struggle to find work locally, let alone nationally.

One of the most popular machinery in heavy equipment is the bulldozer, mainly because of the demand for operators and the ease of use. Good bulldozer operators are judged by their ability to understand soil structures and how their machinery is going to handle each type of soil. This is gained through experience, and the wider your experience the more skilled you’ll become.

There are times when people become confused over the term ‘heavy equipment’. The confusion is often related to the size of the equipment when, in reality, size has little to do with it.

In the early days, this equipment was referred to as ‘heavy earth moving equipment’ – in other words, equipment that could move a lot of earth quickly. The comparison was made to a group of people doing the same job by hand. An excavator with quite a small bucket can still dig a hole much faster than any team of manual workers could. This equipment did the ‘heavy’ work, hence the term ‘heavy equipment’. Those who operate these machines where then referred to as heavy equipment operators.

If you want to operate machinery that is designed to move earth, then you need to undertake training to make you proficient in that machinery. These days, heavy equipment is fairly straightforward to use so it doesn’t take long to learn how to operate a range of machinery. This range could (and should) include road graders, loaders, bulldozers and excavators. It is also handy to learn how to operate a backhoe -essentially a combination of loader and excavator. Smaller equipment like a skid steer loader is still considered heavy equipment since its main role is to move earth quickly.

Heavy equipment operator training should be designed to cover three aspects. These are – the skills to operate that equipment; heavy equipment safety operations; and the all-round skills and knowledge that make you work ready. That latter may sound obvious, however, there are many training organizations that will train you to operate heavy equipment, however, they fail to provide training on aspects such as grade reading, soil identification, site layout management, laser levels or heavy equipment maintenance. These are areas that employers expect to see proficiency in when it comes to new recruits.

When looking at heavy equipment operator training, be sure to select a training program that is well rounded and which prepares you well for the workplace. If you don’t, you may struggle to build a successful career as a heavy equipment operator.

If you are looking for a career as a crane operator, then your first step is to decide on what type of crane you want to operate. Crane operations is a large field and includes those monstrous cranes that climb a building as it’s being constructed all the way down to small cranes, which sit on trucks that are used to off-load the cargo. The most popular crane in use is the mobile crane, however, that too comes in a wide range of sizes and configurations.

Don’t even contemplate walking into a highrise fixed crane. You need years of experience to win a job in one of those cranes, and given how few highrise cranes there are, competition for vacancies is fairly intense. Mobile cranes are the better option for novices – they are relatively easy to learn and there are often a lot of job vacancies for these operators. When considering a career as a mobile crane operator, you can look at:

• swing cab boom cranes
• rough terrain boom cranes
• fixed cab cranes
• fixed boom trucks
• lattice boom cranes
• articulated cranes (aka knuckleboom cranes)

To operate a crane, an operator must be certified to gain certification. You need to pass crane operator competency tests. The best way to prepare yourself for these tests is through crane operator training undertaken through a training school that runs a recognized crane operator training program.

ATS is well known throughout the industry as one of the leaders in crane operator training and certification. We are one of the largest and oldest training schools in the nation and deliver training programs that not only prepare students for their certification tests but prepare them for work as well – and there is a big difference. If you’re interested in a career as a crane operator, contact us for details on our up-and-coming crane operator training programs.

Sometimes it can be hard to watch the news on television each night, especially when there are disasters that dominate that news. We are used to the annual scourge of tornadoes and hurricanes, the occasional passenger plane that crashes, and highway pileups. The recent explosion at a fertilizer plant is another in the long line of disasters to strike in recent years, however, there was one scene that really stood out on news bulletins, and that was the line of trailers loaded with heavy equipment ready to go in and clean up.

There were bulldozers, loaders, excavators and backhoes, all ready to do their part to clean up the scene ready for possible rebuilding. There’s no doubt that excavators and backhoes are being cautiously used to remove rubble in an attempt to find those who are still reported missing. Whilst these disasters take the news, heavy equipment operators work in other areas such as firefighting and even in the military. You can join the military and become a fighting bulldozer operator. Yes, you’re a soldier, however, your main job is to operate a bulldozer building runways, bridges, or just clearing land for new buildings.

That’s just part of the diversity of heavy equipment operators, and whilst these jobs may be at the extreme edge, they are important and require highly skilled operators. The best platform for a career as a heavy equipment operator is through a thorough training program that includes plenty of in-the-seat training and well-designed classroom training that ensures you not only have the skills but you also have the knowledge – and that’s important in today’s world where safety and new technology are high on the agenda.

If you think that heavy equipment operations is boring, think again. It can be interesting, very challenging, and often fraught with danger. If you are looking for that sort of challenge in life, then be sure to undertake the right heavy equipment operator training. Then use that platform to gain as much experience as possible.