There are many areas across the east coast that rarely feel the brunt of tropical storms, at least not to the extent of storms like hurricane Irene. We are still seeing images of the damage caused by the storm’s progress, and some areas are only now starting to surface from the flooding. For heavy equipment operators, while Irene may be long gone, what has been left behind should be a cause for concern.

Storms upset the landscape – we have all seen the images. Heavy equipment operators are often working in these storm-damaged areas, and danger can come from the least expected areas. High winds, a lot of water, and weakened root systems can see trees topple over with no warning at all. If it’s not the tree, then it’s weakened limbs that can come crashing down. Building sites are generally checked after a storm before workers are allowed in, but in previous years, those checks have been found wanting, and workers have been injured from falling debris, or building materials that have been moved.

The onus is still on an operator to check their environment, and to take all reasonable precautions. If you’re operating a bulldozer in a timbered area, you need to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Excavator operators are another group that should be aware of their surroundings. You would imagine an old established suburb would be safe, but if there are trees around, and there has been a storm, then loose branches are still a danger. When I say loose branches, I am not talking about twigs – I am talking about large branches ten to fifteen feet long and two or three feet in diameter – that’s large enough to cause serious injury.

Heavy equipment training spends a lot of time looking at heavy equipment safety. Common sense is an important component of safety, as is awareness. If you know a storm has been through an area, then take extra care when you first start work, you never know what sort of damage has been caused by that storm.

It is becoming more apparent every week that employers are focusing more on multi-skilled heavy equipment operators. We have often promoted the benefits of adding new skills to your employment options, and the jobs listing from this past weekend certainly give credence to our stance. What is worth noting is the range of skills that employers are looking for.

There are many operators who tend to focus on just one piece of heavy equipment. Bulldozers have long been a favored option followed by excavators and loaders. Employers are now looking for individuals who can operate all three, and more. They are also showing a preference for heavy equipment operators who can also drive a tractor-trailer – obviously, that requires a commercial drivers license. One addition that stood from the jobs listing over the weekend was for an operator who could do all of the above, and also operate a crane. That requires training and certification as a crane operator.

Fortunately, you don’t need to dash out and undertake training across the board. If you are new to the industry, then selecting one area of training and completing that successfully is your first goal. Your second goal is to obtain employment and to gain as much experience on the job as possible. If you select heavy equipment as your preferred area, then be sure to seek employment where you will have exposure to a range of equipment, not just the one type.

For those already employed within the industry, undertaking further training will help boost your employment opportunities. If you are a heavy equipment operator, adding crane operator training and certification could cover two areas – operating a mobile crane, and obtaining a commercial drivers license (often required to drive a crane on the open roads). If you are a truck driver, consider adding a crane operators qualification, or heavy equipment training, to your skills list. As you can see from these heavy equipment jobs, employers are looking for multi skilled operators – and they will continue to do so for a long time.

We are back again with another list of jobs for heavy equipment operators, truck drivers and crane operators. One trend that is noticeable this weekend is the requirement for operators that are multi-skilled across a range of machinery. One job prefers someone with heavy equipment, truck driving and crane operator experience. In fact, let’s start with that job.

• How does an hourly Rate of $31.00 sound? There is a vacancy for a heavy equipment operator who can drive a truck. The role is to support work crews and plant operations. Involves Non-Continuous Multi-Shift Saturday and/or Sundays. See our job-site for more details.
• Heavy equipment operators wanted: Another employer requires 3 heavy equipment operators to help with natural gas pipeline construction. Overtime, weekend, and away-from-home work is sometimes required.
• How multi-skilled are you? This position reports directly to the equipment foreman. The heavy equipment operator operates all equipment on the job site including, but not limited to backhoes, dozers, tractor-trailers, front-end loaders, and snow blowers. The heavy equipment operator must pass the written and practical examination for and safely operate a tractor-trailer, front-end loader, dozer, snow blower and backhoe.
• Pennsylvania – an employer is hiring operators for various positions throughout the state.
• Willis, TX. dozer operators required who are able to grade to site with GPS.
• Chippewa Falls, WI. heavy equipment operators required by a leading employer

A point to note with these job listings is that many of them are for operators, meaning of course, more than one. If you’re looking for heavy equipment, truck driving or crane operator job, then check out our job site. If you are considering a career as an operator, then don’t let anyone tell you there are no jobs. There are jobs, you just need to be trained in order to start your career, and we can help through out heavy equipment training school.

How many careers can you think of that only require three weeks of training? Add to this a couple of extra days to go through the certification process and your career is ready to be launched. That’s all it takes to become a certified crane operator, and yes, certification is now a requirement in the workplace.

While cranes do look to be complex, their operations are fairly straightforward. A lot of your training time is spent developing knowledge in the area of safety, and assessing both the work location and the load. The actual crane operation is fairly easy to learn. When it comes to certification, this is centered around safety, and an operator’s ability to safely set up and operate a crane.

It’s strange how, in a fast-paced society, we look at short training programs and wonder whether or not they produce the goods. When it comes to crane operator training, it does produce the goods and we have tens of thousands of former students who have successfully completed their training. Those graduates have gone on to operate a wide variety of cranes in a number of different industries, and their success is based on their desire to learn, and our ability to deliver the right training.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools has a long history of training individuals for employment in the heavy equipment industry, truck driving, and crane operations. We continue to work with the major stakeholders in these industries to ensure the training we deliver produces operators that are immediately employable following their graduation. For crane operators, that training is over three weeks. Nationally recognized certification assessments can be completed following your graduation and a certificate issued upon your successful completion of those assessments.

Crane operators are always in demand. If you are interested in a career as a crane operator, be sure your crane operator training is comprehensive, delivers the right skills for industry, and prepares you well for those important assessments. If everything comes together well, you’ll be employable as a crane operator in less than four weeks – forget those six or twelve month training programs for a new career.

It seems that every year we report on wildfires somewhere across the country. More importantly, we report on the bulldozers and bulldozer operators that fight bravely alongside firefighters. The current fires in Texas are another example of bulldozers and bulldozer operators being called on to help fight fires. Other states are sending bulldozers and their operators to help out, providing a little relief for operators already in action, and being put to work in areas that are not already covered by bulldozers.

Bulldozers play an important role in brush fires, and we must include before, during and after in that role. In quiet times, bulldozer operators can often be found carving firebreaks and fire access trails throughout the nation. Turn on the television and you’ll see bulldozers helping to fight fires in a variety of ways – either clearing vegetation and other flammable material, or helping to cover smouldering material with dirt. The hardest work often comes after a serious fire when bulldozers are called in to to level homes that have been destroyed by fire – it can be tough leveling what was once someone’s home.

It takes a lot of skill and a lot of faith in your equipment to fight a wildfire. Equipment failure, or a wrong turn, can see you suddenly in the midst of burning inferno. Bulldozer operators that fight fires are generally those that are well skilled and who have had years of experience. The only way to gain that experience is by having a sound training platform to build on. That is one of the primary concerns of ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. Our graduates leave our heavy equipment training schools with a good grounding in a range of equipment, with all graduates ready to build on those skills in the workplace.

While few operators are called upon to fight wildfires, having the skills and experience to do so is invaluable. If you have desire to become a bulldozer operator, or to operate heavy equipment in general, then be sure the training you receive provides that good platform to build on.

Who says there are no jobs for heavy equipment operators, crane operators or truck drivers? We seem to have a flood of jobs this week for operators and drivers so if you’re looking for a change of job, or perhaps looking to kick start your career, check these out.

• Livermore, CA – Hydraulic crane operators wanted by leading employer. They also have excavating projects in CA.
• Looking for surface mine excavation work? One company has work in sand and gravel sites in the central, western and southern states.
• Bismarck, Fargo, ND – hiring CDL-A drivers to remove sand from Bismarck. They also require ready mix drivers for Fargo/Moorehead.
• A major total services contractor is looking for operators nationwide – don’t miss this opportunity!
• Dozer operator is required in Huntsville, AL. Are you willing to move, or are you already close by?
• Horizontal drill operators are wanted in Madison, TN.
• Dozer operators are wanted by major employer throughout Texas.
• Roscoe, IL – local Ready Mix drivers with their CDL-A.

This is just a taste of some of the jobs that come through our hands every week. You’ll find these and more heavy equipment and truck driving jobs through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools.

As a nation, we depend on the transport system to survive. Many people hate those trucks that travel along our highways, yet we would soon run into difficulties if they were suddenly banned. Trucks transport food, produce, and those every day requirements in life. Even fuel used in heating and to operate our vehicles require trucks for transport. Love them or hate them – we need them, and the drivers as well. The question is, do you have what it takes to become a truck driver?

Anyone can gain a commercial drivers license (CDL). All it takes is a truck driver training course and the ability to pass the tests associated with that license. However, having a CDL doesn’t make you a truck driver – it just gives you the legal right to drive trucks. While driving skills are obviously important, a truck driver needs attributes that often exceed those required in other occupations. Do you possess these attributes?

• Patience – Truck drivers need loads of patience. You know how busy roads can become, and you know there are a lot of crazy drivers around. Truck drivers need patience to navigate through traffic jams and away from crazy car drivers. Truck drivers also need patience when dealing with officials, both law enforcement and Department of Transport. Getting loud and abusive to either is never going to be a good career move.
• Reliability – Businesses that employ truck drivers need to rely on the reliability of those drivers. Reliability is required in several areas including turning up for work on time, getting your load delivered on time, and maintaining important areas of the job such as log books, paperwork, and the truck itself.
• Compliant – Most truck drivers hate documents such as a log book, yet it is an important part of truck driver’s working day. Compliance comes through in several areas ranging from following road rules, even though they may seem outdated, to following requirements set down by the Department of Transport. You must also be willing to comply with the various rules that trucking companies place on their employees, even if they too seem to be outdated. That doesn’t mean you cannot seek to have any of these rules (road, DOT, and employer) changed – you just need to comply with them until they are changed.

If you are reliable, have plenty of patience, and you’re willing to follow the rules, then you’d most likely make a great truck driver. All you need now is the training and the commercial drivers license. If you’re ready, then so are we. Call us to find out when our next truck driver training program starts.

There’s nothing like a natural disaster to alter the balance in industry. When it comes to heavy equipment, the clean up following a natural disaster can really test the industry. Who has the greatest need – the road crew that is busy trying to finish a highway before winter sets in, or those who have suffered a lot of damage caused by the disaster? Irene is having a similar effect with heavy equipment operators, and often their equipment as well, putting their hands up to help with the clean-up.

What we do know is that the ranks of experienced heavy equipment operators is already dropping and events such as Irene can create vacuums of skilled operators in other areas. The industry is constantly on the lookout for new operators, particularly those with skills across a range of machinery. If you have a commercial drivers license, your value to employers is further enhanced.

Many will claim a lack of employment opportunities for heavy equipment operators – the truth is far from it. Heavy equipment operators are always in demand and there are times when that demand is heavier in different parts of the country. There will probably not be a shortage of heavy equipment operators down the east coast right now, but there will be elsewhere as operators are drawn to the east coast.

One of the interesting aspects of a heavy equipment career is that it is well suited to those who like to move around a little. The demand fluctuates around the country depending on the time of the year, any natural events such as fire, storm and earthquake, and state and federal government road and bridge building programs. If you have the wander bug and would like a career that may well support it, then consider a career as a heavy equipment operator – it could take you around the world.

Mention the word heavy equipment operator and most people think of a big barreled hairy chest male, probably wearing a hard hat and a singlet. Soft skills – there’s nothing soft about a heavy equipment operator. Right? These days, that image is far from the truth – in fact, there are many women operating heavy equipment, but soft skills have nothing to do with being soft. Soft skills are those areas relating to how you interact with others.

In the workplace, soft skills include how you frame job applications and resumes, how you conduct yourself during interviews, how you work as part of a team and your interaction in that team, and can even include leadership skills. Do heavy equipment operators need these skills? If you’re new to the industry then they certainly won’t hurt. An old-but-still-relevant report from the University of Minnesota puts it quite clearly when it comes to work in general:

While jobs in today’s economy require that employees be able to solve problems, use technology, and be proficient in reading, writing, math, and speaking skills, it is the soft skills that seem to make the difference in whether or not an employer hires and keeps someone on the job (Bremer & Madzar, 1995; Rentner, 2001)

Research over the years has demonstrated that soft skills can improve job seeking success rates by anything up to 85%, which is understandable given the emphasis placed on training people how to apply for job vacancies to their best advantage. When it comes heavy equipment training, the core training is on operating heavy equipment and heavy equipment safety, however, if a training organization also offers soft skills training, don’t snub that training – it could make the difference between a successful heavy equipment career, and being on the wrong end of job application reject letters.

We’ve got quite a few heavy equipment job listings for you this week. We hope you’ll find something you can dig your teeth into.

• A reputable foliage company is looking for drivers. A presentation will be held at ATS in Sun Prairie, WI. For more details, call 800-383-7364.
• A presentation will also be given in Sun Prairie, WI for job offers by a national transportation company. Call 800-383-7364 for details.
• Dump truck drivers needed in Hartford, WI.
• Employers are looking for local drivers in Kansas.
• A company in Hammond, IN are hiring heavy equipment and crane operators.
• Want to learn manual and computerized grading. If you live in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, you now have a great heavy equipment opportunity.
• A company in Waukesha, WI is looking for heavy equipment operators.
• If you are a boom truck operator with a CDL-A license, you have an opportunity to deliver and set trusses in Mill Hall, PA. You can be home every day.
• If you are an excavator operator who knows how to operate drill attachments or want to learn, you can apply in Dallas, TX.
• A dairy farm in Kewaskum, WI is looking for CDL-A drivers to make deliveries in Southeastern Wisconsin.
• Contact ATS for a driving opportunity in Sun Prairie, WI. Call 800-383-7364.
• Another CDL opportunity is available through ATS in Sun Prairie, WI. Call 800-383-7364.
• A petroleum services company in Williston, ND is seeking CDL-A drivers to deliver equipment to oil fields. Hourly pay with lots of work.
• A railroad services company is hiring book truck operators in Madison, WI.
• There are also overseas opportunities in Australia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, Russia, China, New Zealand, and Scotland. These include a broad range of opportunities.
• A national home improvement chain is seeking delivery drivers in three locations: Delavan, WI; Franklin, WI; and Browndeer, WI. Be home every night with benefits.

Find more heavy equipment and truck driving jobs through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools.