This week’s job listings show that, even in winter, crane operators remain in high demand. Heavy equipment job vacancies are still strong while truck driving opportunities come and go very quickly – there is, however, strong demand for truck drivers. Most of our job listings over the last couple of weeks have been for multiple positions, in many cases for new construction project. If you are interested in these or any other heavy equipment, crane operations, or truck driving jobs, then visit our job site for more information and all the current listings.

• Crane Operators – TX, Baytown
• Crane Operators – IA, Forest City
• Crane Operators – WI, Wauwatosa
• Crane Operator – PA, Hanover
• Crane Operators – Afghanistan and Kuwait
• Bulldozer Operators – TX, LA and MS
• Truck Drivers – ND, Williston
• Plant Operator – FL, Vero Beach
• Heavy Equipment Operator – CO, Denver
• Heavy Equipment Operator – Maryland

The trend is still for operators with a commercial drivers license, or with experience on a range of heavy equipment. If you’re looking to gain experience on road plant, then look for general heavy equipment vacancies with road construction companies. If you’re a good operator, they may give you the opportunity to gain experience on road plant that is currently in use. If you’re looking for a career as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver, or certified crane operator, then visit our training site for more information training opportunities.

That is what we are seeing more and more these days – job vacancies for heavy equipment operators with commercial drivers licenses. For many smaller employers, it can be hard to justify employing individuals who only have the one skill. Employers are now wanting the flexibility to move employees from job to job depending on the demand, and that’s impossible if their employees have limited skills.

Being mult-skilled is a must in many professions now, and heavy equipment operations is no different. It’s not just the CDL that matters either. Being able to operate a range of heavy equipment also helps, and today, that’s not difficult to achieve. Modern heavy equipment training methods don’t focus on a single piece of equipment. At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools, we offer heavy equipment training across a range of equipment including:

• Backhoes
• Wheel Loaders
• Scrapers
• Excavators
• Bulldozers
• Road Graders
• Rock Trucks
• Skid Steers
• All-Terrain Forklifts

Graduating operators are able to seek entry level employment where they can gain experience operating equipment in the field. If graduates can obtain employment in positions where a range of equipment is use, they can develop skills across the range, further enhancing their employment opportunities. By then adding a commercial drivers license, operators have the complete package to offer employers.

When it comes to sustaining a career in any profession, it’s important to understand what it is that employers are looking for. If you can deliver on that criteria, then your employment prospects increase dramatically. For new heavy equipment operators, adding a CDL as quickly as possible will not only help you find employment, you will quickly gain access to a range of heavy equipment, even if it is only loading/unloading and transporting that equipment. It’s a start that will help you develop a long term career as a heavy equipment operator.

Most people think of a bulldozer as a big heavy earth moving machine that spends its time pushing dirt around. While that is its primary function, bulldozers are actually quite versatile, especially if you step around back. What many people don’t realize is that a bulldozer can be fitted with tools at the rear; for example, single or multiple shank rippers. These are used, as the name suggests, to rip into the ground.

A bulldozer’s ripper has multiple uses, however, its primary use is to break open very hard ground. The ripper can also be used to tear up rock, concrete or sealed roads. The front dozer blades can then push through the material clearing the way for further work. Another attachment that is similar to a ripper can be added that helps to break apart tree stumps, a common activity when land is being cleared.

It’s also common for bulldozers to have scrapers, winches and even heavy weights added to the rear. The heavy weights provide more stability and traction when the equipment is used to push dirt in difficult situations. When learning to operate a bulldozer, you should become as familiar with the rear area and the attachments available as you are with the front. Bulldozer operators are often required to rip open hard packed surfaces before bulldozing the top layer away, a difficult task if you have only familiarized yourself with the front end.

Heavy equipment training provided by a well respected training organization will include some instruction on what the rear section of a bulldozer is used for. Bulldozers don’t just push dirt around. They do have other uses, and to be a good bulldozer operator you need to learn as much as possible about those alternatives.

One option open to heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, and crane operators, is to seek opportunities overseas. One job listing in our Saturday job listing series required 80 crane operators for work in either Afghanistan and Kuwait. In fact, wherever the U.S. has had a military presence, you’ll find work for capable operators and drivers. You can also find work in many African nations where aid is helping to build roads, schools, hospitals and dams.

Before looking for work overseas, you will need to complete an appropriate training program. Crane operators generally need to be certified; truck drivers will need their commercial drivers license; and heavy equipment operators will need to have completed an approved heavy equipment training program. It will also help your cause if you can get six-twelve months of experience here in the U.S. before applying for international positions.

There is a high demand for experienced heavy equipment operators overseas. The pay is good, and, depending on where you work and who you work for, there are hefty tax concessions on your income. The downside is that you are working in remote areas a long way from home. You may even find you are working in somewhat hostile conditions and in areas that are quite primitive compared to what you enjoy at home right now. In some places, something as simple as running water is non-existent.

U.S. crane and heavy equipment operators (and truck drivers) are preferred in many locations, particularly where U.S. contractors are involved. They prefer to employ from home, fly suitable recruits to their work locations, and to fly them home again once their contracts have been fulfilled. These operators and drivers are generally offered new contracts to return after a short period R and R at home, often with bonuses for renewing those contracts. It does take a special type of person to work overseas under trying conditions, however, many enjoy the experience and continue to return year after year.

If you have a yearning to work overseas in remote and primitive locations, then perhaps heavy equipment operations, truck driving, or crane operations is worth considering.

If you’re looking for work in the heavy equipment, crane operations or truck driving fields then you’ve come to the right place. This week we have no fewer than 13 job listings, and many of these are for multiple operators in multiple areas. Enough of the chatter, here are the latest job listings – don’t forget to visit our job site for more information and to get first hand the latest job listed.

Crane Operators – IA, Forest City
Employer is looking for operators who require long-term work in N-Central Iowa and S Minnesota. Only certified operators need apply.

Truck Drivers – ND, Williston
Employer is looking for truck drivers with Hazmat endorsement for oil field work

Roll-Off Drivers – WI, Waunakee

Truck Drivers – Washington, DC

Heavy Equipment Operators – Washington, DC

Crane Operators – WI, Wauwatosa
Employer requires several crane operators and crane mechanics.

Crane Operator – PA, Hanover

Bulldozer Operators – TX, LA and MS.
D5, D6, and D8 Dozer operators wanted

Truck Drivers – ND, Williston, ND
CDL-A drivers with tanker and hazmat endorsement.

Bulldozer Operators – TX, LA and soon MS
Employer requires more dozer operators for making forestry roads

Plant Operator – FL, Vero Beach
Employer requires plant operator who can operate variety of equipment

Heavy Equipment Operator – CO, Denver
Wanted! Heavy Equipment Operator in Public Works

Heavy Equipment Operator – Maryland
PRIMARY FUNCTION Operates backhoe operator, truck crane operator and Heavy truck driver.

OVERSEAS CRANE
80 Crane operators needed in Afghanistan and Kuwait. First $92,000 is tax free.

If you are considering a career in heavy equipment, crane operations or truck driving, then you are going to need quality training delivered by well respected experienced trainers. ATS delivers that training while also providing employment assistance to all graduates. If you need more information, contact us through our training website.

There is a misconception amongst many in the community that heavy equipment careers are fairly itinerant by nature. This is far from the truth. Sure, there are major construction companies that move from project to project, taking their equipment and their operators with them. However, the majority of work for heavy equipment operators is local, with most operators home for dinner each night.

As for being a career for young single males – the majority of workers in this industry are over 40 and married, most with children. You can dispel the male only component as well, there are a lot of women who are now working as heavy equipment operators, and enjoying every minute of it. In reality, anyone can become a heavy equipment operator; all it takes is desire and an aptitude for operating equipment.

When it comes to employment opportunities, local construction leads the way while municipal councils run a close second. Private contractors are also big employers, offering equipment and operators for lease to farmers, developers and, on occasion, environmental groups wanting sensitive areas cleared of non-native vegetation. Even large construction companies, with their somewhat itinerant workforce, need to employ local operators to fill gaps in their ranks.

This means that most operators own their home, and work from their home base. These workers take the daily commute to and from their workplaces like everyone else, just a little earlier than most. A heavy equipment career is certainly not restricted to young single males (although the industry would love to see more of them join the ranks). A short heavy equipment training program is all that most people require to start successful careers as operators.

Some people seem to have natural abilities when it comes to operating machinery while others take time to develop those abilities. When it comes to heavy equipment, you don’t necessarily need a wide range of skills before undertaking training, however, you do need to be the type of person who can quickly develop those abilities. So what abilities does a good heavy equipment operator require?

• Control – Heavy equipment operators are required to quickly and repeatedly adjust controls of their equipment, often to very precise positions, and these adjustments are often very small, yet may have a large impact on the finished work.
• Coordination – One of the most important abilities is that of coordination between hand, legs and eyes. Sometimes it’s not as easy as it looks, however, operators very quickly learn how to coordinate their limbs to control their equipment’s actions.
• Steadiness – This ability is required in conjunction with coordination and control. Keeping a hand or foot very steady on a control while moving other controls, or moving over rough terrain, can be difficult. Being able to make very minor adjustments (control) ensures you maintain the accuracy of the work your equipment is completing.
• Dexterity – This ability is used in conjunction with coordination, however, it often requires different limbs to be doing reverse operations; for example, one hand pushing forward while another pulls back.
• Reaction – Being able to react quickly is important, however, being able to react and make the right corrective movement is even more important, and sometimes, that movement may feel unnatural. This is a skill that can take time to learn, however, for safety reasons, it is one that should be developed as quickly as possible.

You can liken some of these abilities to those of a car driver. For example, being able to make fine adjustments to the steering as you drive at speed down the highway; the ability to change gear while breaking or accelerating in a vehicle with a manual gear box; and reversing with a trailer attached (this requires opposite movements to what comes naturally). Attending a heavy equipment training program that gives you in the seat operator practice on a range of heavy equipment will help you to develop these abilities quickly. Get them right, and that’s half the battle to becoming a great heavy equipment operator. Fortunately, with a good training regime, these abilities become second nature and you hardly ever need to consciously think about them – a bit like driving a car really.

Christmas can be a lot of fun for many people, especially children. Heavy equipment operators, crane operators and truck drivers often get in on the act as well, playing their roll in bringing joy to tens of thousands. Every town seems to have a Christmas parade of some description, and truck drivers are often busy driving floats, for the lucky few, driving the truck that has Santa in his festive seat. Backhoes are interesting additions to many parades, their peculiar shape offering a lot of opportunities for those with a little imagination.

Backhoes are those machines you see in construction sites that look a little like a scorpion ready to strike. The ‘hoe’ part of the vehicle can often be dressed for a variety of effects while the loader at the front makes a great ‘mouth’, especially with a few well painted teeth added. Being wheeled vehicles, they operate over roads with ease and they are generally not as loud as other heavy equipment.

Of course, truck drivers and backhoes are not the only heavy equipment to make it into a Christmas parade. Front loaders are also popular – last year we witnessed a front loader following Santa’s truck, with the loader proudly carrying all the gifts that were to be handed out to children. It was certainly a different role to that normally undertaken by its operator.

Heavy equipment operators are only selected to appear in parades if they are well experienced and have safe working histories. Heavy equipment is dangerous, and parades are very dangerous areas, especially where excitable children are present – and after all, that’s normally why we have parades, to amuse the children (or the child in us).

In order to participate in a parade like those we see at Christmas, heavy equipment operators need to good skills, the kind of skills that are developed after a good heavy equipment training program. We can’t promise you’ll ever appear in a parade, but we can promise to deliver the best heavy equipment training in the country, and that’s a good start.

As we get a little closer to the Christmas-New Year break, employers slow down their recruitment just a little. Fortunately, they don’t come to a complete stop. Contract deadlines still need to be met and workers in the heavy equipment industry frequently move on, either to warmer climates or to better paying jobs closer to home. This week’s vacancies are carryovers from last weekend where employers are still looking to fill vacancies.

Heavy Equipment Operators – Onawa, IA
A variety of positions for operators of loaders, backhoes, trackhoes and forklifts, just to name a few. If you have heavy equipment experience of any description, then this vacancy could be worth following up.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Milford, CT
Prefer an operator with demolition experience, particularly in the removal of asbestos.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Fairfax, VA
Several positions for operators of rubber tire loaders, track machines, backhoes, and road graders. Would prefer applicants who also hold a CDL with semi-tractor trailer truck experience.

Crane Operators – IA, Forest City

Heavy Equipment Operators – Mass

You can find more details on these positions through our job site. If you have heavy equipment experience and want to add a commercial drivers license, contact us. You can be ready to add a CDL to your resume in as little as two weeks through our truck driver training program.

We have discussed in the past the attributes required to become a good truck driver. However, sometimes it’s worth turning things around. Today, we’ll discuss whether truck driving is suitable for you – and it’s not suited to a wide range of people. So what does truck driving offer people who decide to take it up as a career?

Truck driving can be a demanding job. There are schedules that must be met, sometimes crucial schedules. Manufacturers now work to a system known as ‘just-in-time deliveries’. This is a situation where little stock is held for long periods; rather, they rely on stock (or parts or raw materials) arriving ‘just in time’ for processing. If those materials are held up, production grinds to a halt. Meeting schedules is one of the major factors that measure whether or not a truck driver is very good, or just hum-hum satisfactory, or plain unreliable (a short career there).

Obviously, driving skills are important. Where arriving according to schedule is important, it goes without saying that arriving safely is equally if not more important. A manufacturer may excuse a load that is half a day late, but they’ll never excuse a situation where a load doesn’t arrive at all because of poor driving skills.

Truck driving careers are not about long days and weeks away from home, and poor work conditions. Truck drivers now have good working conditions, are well paid, and choose the type of work they wish to do – local, intrastate or interstate. A truck driver’s hours are now regulated so it is illegal to drive for long hours at a time – you must take breaks and you must spend time out of your truck.

So what does a truck driving career demand of its drivers? Good driving skills, the ability to think and plan ahead so that you can avoid problems and arrive on time, and a dedication to looking after both your truck, the load you are carrying, and yourself. Really, they’re not too demanding – all you need is a good truck driver training school and your set to go.