Truck drivers and heavy equipment operators are still in high demand, even as winter sets in. Winter storms won’t stop the trucks getting through, and for heavy equipment operators, storms often mean more work. Many heavy equipment operators spend their winter months clearing snow so there’s plenty of work available. This month’s job vacancies include:

Heavy Equipment Operators
United States
Job applications are being accepted for Heavy Equipment Operators.

Heavy Equipment Operators
LA, KS and TX
Employer is hiring Heavy Equipment Operators for work in several states.

Truck Drivers
WI, MN and NY
CDL-A drivers, Tanker and Hazmat, required. Want to be home at night? Start pay in WI .51, MN .43, and NY .49

Truck Drivers
Madison, WI
Local delivery drivers required for building products. Local driving means you’re home each night.

Heavy Equipment Operators
Decorah, IA
Applications are being accepted from heavy equipment operators for IA and MN projects

Truck Drivers
WI, MN, IA, IN
Employer is hiring CDL-A driver with mileage pay in the .40?s

Truck Drivers
Decorah, IA
Applications being accepted from truck drivers for IA and MN projects.

You can find more information on current job vacancies on our jobs website. If you’re looking for an interesting career, then you’ll be hard pressed to find one that is as varied as that of a truck driver or heavy equipment operator. You can find more information on how to start a career as a heavy equipment operator on our training website.

There have been a lot of changes made to heavy equipment over the last 50 years. At the same time, the actual work that heavy equipment does has remained very much the same. A bulldozer is still nothing more than a tractor with a large blade at the front designed to push dirt. There is a similarity to modern cars – they still take us from A to B, however, there have been big changes made to motors and to the interiors of cars. Heavy equipment is no different.

Modern heavy equipment is being made to be more environmentally friendly. Lower emissions, better fuel economy, and much improved hydraulic systems have made modern equipment easier to operate, and very efficient. There have been big changes inside the operators cab as well. Many are sealed from the outside environment and rely on airconditioning to maintain a comfortable work space. It has also meant that computer technology’s reliability has improved – there’s no dust, dirt and high humidity entering the cab to create problems.

Some of the biggest improvements can be found in the controls that now face an operator. They look very similar to those of 50 years ago, and their use is very much the same. The new technology comes in the form of electronics. This makes the controls very touch sensitive, however, in the hands of an experienced operator, able to perform fine movements. There is one regular contest held each year that tests an operator’s skills in this area – they have to pick up an egg using the bucket of a backhoe – that does take a lot of skill.

Heavy equipment operators now work in a comfortable environment with finely tuned controls. This makes the job a little more demanding in that fine motor skills are required, however, this has made working as a heavy equipment operator much more enjoyable – the operator is at one with their equipment, unlike the past where they spend all day wrestling their equipment. For equipment owners, efficiencies are much improved, as is reliability. If there is a downside, it comes in the form of more complex maintenance, and a higher cost when it comes to breakdowns – but then, good operators try to prevent breakdowns by regularly checking their equipment and undertaking basic maintenance regularly. Like all areas of industry, technology is having a big impact on heavy equipment operations.

Workplace safety has become such a huge issue in some places that one could almost be forgiven for assuming a degree of paranoia. This is especially true of government bodies who are constantly coming out with new regulations for workplaces. When it comes to heavy equipment operations, awareness is really one of the central issues. Like driving a car, heavy equipment operators need to be constantly on the look out for problems created by others, not necessarily themselves. This could be someone walking in front (or behind) your equipment or someone driving or operating other vehicles or machinery around you.

There is a bit of a paradox that can develop over time for heavy equipment operators. As an operator becomes highly skilled at operating their equipment, it requires less direct attention. For example, an experienced operator never needs to look at their controls – they know instinctively which lever or pedal they operating. You would think that this would enable an operator to spend more time focusing on what their equipment is doing, and what others are doing around them. Sometimes, the opposite is true – the operator wanders into a daydream-like state, operating their equipment on auto pilot – car drivers often experience this, often driving from A to B and not remembering anything about the trip.

So whilst awareness is an important issue, it is only going to be effective if you can remain focused on what you are doing and not letting your mind wander. Much of this will stem from your heavy equipment training. Operators who are trained to constantly monitor their equipment and the environment around them are generally much safer. This focus on the task is a habit that must be learned then developed in the workplace.

When undertaking heavy equipment training, check to see if your training organization has an effective safety component in their training rather than a token safety module that really doesn’t develop good habits. Develop those habits during training and you’ll be starting your career off on the right foot.

Truck driving can be a lucrative career, especially if you can land a job that pays well by the mile. One of this week’s job vacancies is for truck drivers and it pays in excess of 40 cents per mile – that equates to $40 per 100 miles and at average speeds of 45-50 mph on the highway, around $20 per hour. Truck drivers who put in 50 hours a week at this rate would earn in excess of $50,000 per year. That’s a fairly good return for a career that only requires five weeks truck driver training to get started. This week’s jobs include:

Truck Drivers
Madison, WI
Local delivery drivers required for building products. Local driving means you’re home each night.

Heavy Equipment Operators
Decorah, IA
Applications are being accepted from heavy equipment operators for IA and MN projects

Truck Drivers
WI, MN, IA, IN
Employer is hiring CDL-A driver with mileage pay in the .40’s

Truck Drivers
Decorah, IA
Applications being accepted from truck drivers for IA and MN projects.

Visit our dedicated jobs website for more information on these and other job vacancies as they are being accepted. If you require more information on how to start a career in heavy equipment, crane operations or truck driving, fell free to visit our training website.

One of the more important jobs on a construction site is that of the rigger. A rigger does a lot of work that reduces the risk of injury to others working on that construction site. Riggers also work closely with crane operators to ensure the safe movement of materials by that crane. Because safety has become an important issue in all workplaces, steps were taken to ensure that all riggers meet a minimum standard of training and knowledge. To comply with these regulations, riggers are now required to complete a training program, or at least demonstrate their skills and knowledge and to be issued with a compliance card that verifies their skills and knowledge.

That is the very minimum requirement. Some employers look for a wider range of skills and knowledge, preferring to employ those who have become certified riggers. Certification is a longer, more in depth training program and is often the minimum requirement for those in positions of authority.

The ATS OSHA rigger training programs are designed to meet these minimum standards. You can either go through the certification program or opt for the shorter compliance card program, depending on your requirements. For employers, group training has many cost benefits, especially if undertaken in the workplace. Downtime is reduced, and all employees receive the same training – and that includes any modifications that may be required to suit your workplace.

If your employees do not meet the minimum requirements under OSHA regulations, then you can be fined. If someone is hurt or killed in a workplace incident and your workers don’t meet these regulations, then the cost could be much higher than a simple fine.

When considering any career change, it’s important to look at the bigger picture, and this includes employers. If you’re looking to enter the field of heavy equipment operations, one key element is job vacancy – what, exactly, is an employer looking for? It may sound very simplistic, and it is in terms of social skills – for example, reliability. However, you need to look a little closer.

If you look back over the job vacancies that have been posted on these pages each Saturday, and on our jobs website, there is one characteristic that should stand out – employers are looking for heavy equipment operators. They are not looking for bulldozer operators or road grader operators – they are asking for multi-skilled operators. Sometimes they will list the range of equipment that an operator could be required to operate, however, it stills boils down to a requirement for a multi-skilled operator.

That doesn’t mean you cannot specialize in one piece of heavy equipment. It does mean that opportunities may be limited if you do specialize. Sometimes, the key to specialization relies in the old-fashioned ‘foot in door’ theory. Get a job with an employer who is looking for multi-skilled heavy equipment operators, then work your way into becoming their main bulldozer operator, or grader operator (or whichever equipment you want to specialize in).

Like all careers, undertaking training that meets the needs of employers is the first step to success. Being willing to meet those needs in the short term will help to further your career. Once you have the experience and reputation, you can then start to dictate the direction of your career. Your first step is to find a heavy equipment operator training program that exposes you to a wide range of heavy equipment. The wider the range, the better your chances of a successful career.

As the winter chill sets in the number of job vacancies for heavy equipment operators often drops off just a little. Many operators find work in snow removal and road clearing whilst others look to the warmer states where construction continues – in fact, it often increases at this time of the year. This month’s jobs have been varied and included a visit by Schneider representative talking to and signing up new truck drivers. If you are looking for work as a truck driver, crane operator or heavy equipment operator, then take a moment each day to visit our jobs website. There you’ll find the latest offers by employers.

Heavy Equipment Operators
Decorah, IA
Employer taking job applications for heavy equipment operators for projects in IA and MN (also requires truck drivers with CDL-A).

Truck Drivers
Decorah, IA
Employer taking job applications for truck drivers with CDL-A for projects in IA and MN (also requires heavy equipment operators).

Equipment Operator Fuels
Pardeeville, WI
Alliant Energy is currently recruiting for an Equipment Operator. We are a publicly traded energy holding company with over 4,000 employees. Alliant Energy is committed to providing an inclusive work environment for all our employees and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In this challenging role you will operate fuel-handling equipment and performs related coal yard and plant tasks at a steam generating station.

Truck Driver
Madison, WI
Capitol Warehouse needs a tanker driver for mostly WI and surrounding state runs, home most nights.

Truck Drivers
Marshfield, WI
Roehl at Marshfield hiring CDL-A drivers for Dairy Tankers runs, WI and MN

Heavy Equipment Operators and Laborers
Nationwide Contracting – Oklahoma
Heavy Equipment Operators and Laborers Experience required. Must have valid D.L., be able to work ex­tended hours.

Heavy equipment operator careers are lucrative and in demand, and that demand is going to grow over the next five years. If you are interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver, or crane operator, then contact us for information on training programs that have been designed to get you into work, not just cover the basic skills.

No pun intended here when I say a commercial drivers license can take you a long way. Obviously, behind the wheel of a truck, you can go a ‘long way’. However, that’s not my meaning in today’s post. Rather, a commercial drivers license can be the start of a long career that has a wide range of opportunities. There are many truck drivers who are still in the industry, yet they are no longer ‘truck drivers’.

Almost every trucking company in the country was started by a truck driver. These are drivers who saw opportunities to buy their own trucks, and over time add more trucks to their fleet. Eventually they have so many trucks that, rather than driving for a living, they need to spend their time managing the fleet – and the work contracts that keeps the cash flowing in.

Owning your own business is not everyone’s dream of course, and there are other opportunities to be found in the industry. Large trucking companies rely on a team of individuals who plan loads and routes and who then allocate these loads to drivers. Logistics requires a lot of skill, and former truck drivers often excel in this area of transportation. Truck driving can also open the door to further training in fields such as mechanics and engineering.

It only takes a few weeks of truck driver training to gain the skills necessary to gain a commercial drivers license (CDL). With a CDL in hand, you can commence work as a truck driver gaining experience, perhaps seeing the country, and certainly gaining new friends – not to mention the skills and lucrative income. From there, you can control your future using your experience and skills to gain entry to many other transport-related careers. A CDL will take you a long way – both on the highway and in life.

One of the most common accidents on a construction site is where heavy equipment comes into contact with a worker. With backhoes and excavators, this can often be the bucket striking an individual as it is being swung around. Other accidents include running into workers, particularly when reversing, and crushing workers between the heavy equipment and a stationary object – often another vehicle, or the side of a building.

To avoid accidents, one of the skills an operator must learn is awareness, and that process should start with their heavy equipment training. Heavy equipment operators need to be able to see clearly around them, and when there are obstructions, to call on the help of other workers to guide them. This is common practice with crane operators. If a crane operator cannot see the load, they will use a rigger or signal person to guide them and warn them of any dangers. The same process is available to heavy equipment operators in situations where vision is impaired for any reason.

All vehicles (including ordinary passenger cars) have ‘blind spots’. These are areas close to, and often behind, the equipment that an operator cannot see. Modern heavy equipment technology does have reversing monitors in place, however, they are only of use when the vehicle is actually reversing. Heavy equipment often also utilizes a warning system when reversing, a system that provides an audible beeping to warn other workers about the heavy equipment’s presence.

Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility, and work colleagues do owe you a little respect as well. They are as much responsible for their actions around heavy equipment as the operator is. That being said, the heavy equipment operator is the person in control of the equipment, and they are in a position to stop or prevent an incident should someone impinge on their work area. Heavy equipment safety is vitally important – obviously from a human life perspective but also from a cost perspective. Accidents can bring a whole work site to a standstill until investigators have completed their investigation into the causes. Think safe, work safe, and you’ll protect yourself as well as your work colleagues.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools ranks heavy equipment safety highly and includes comprehensive training modules in workplace safety. When looking for a heavy equipment training school, be sure they rank workplace safety highly as well – employers will consider your application for employment.

In an era where job uncertainty remains a big factor, having a skill that is still in demand is like pure gold. Truck driving, crane operations and heavy equipment operations are three skill areas that remain strong despite the economy. Whilst legislators around the nation are looking to cut expenditure wherever possible, services such as schools, hospitals, roads and bridges still remain as priorities. More importantly, there are some sectors of the economy, particularly mining, that are growing, and their need for these skilled workers is growing – sometimes outstripping supply. The jobs that have come into our jobs website this month include:

Equipment Operator Fuels
Pardeeville, WI
Alliant Energy is currently recruiting for an Equipment Operator. We are a publicly traded energy holding company with over 4,000 employees. Alliant Energy is committed to providing an inclusive work environment for all our employees and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In this challenging role you will operate fuel-handling equipment and performs related coal yard and plant tasks at a steam generating station.

Truck Driver
Madison, WI
Capitol Warehouse needs a tanker driver for mostly WI and surrounding state runs, home most nights.

Truck Drivers
Sun Prarie, WI
Schneider will be hiring CDL-A drivers at DDS on 01/15/2013 at 4PM

Truck Drivers
Marshfield, WI
Roehl at Marshfield hiring CDL-A drivers for Dairy Tankers runs, WI and MN

Heavy Equipment Operators and Laborers
Nationwide Contracting – Oklahoma
Heavy Equipment Operators and Laborers Experience required. Must have valid D.L., be able to work ex­tended hours.

If you are looking for a career that has strong demand despite the ills of the economy, consider heavy equipment operations, truck driving and/or crane operations. Our training website has details on training programs that will prepare you for the workplace – and a career that is well paid and always in demand.