In today’s busy world, undertaking training for a particular career is often not enough. Understandably, the first thing graduates from any training program want is employment – somewhere to prove their newfound skills, and somewhere where they can build upon those skills. There are many training providers that deliver training, some quite well, but then leave their graduates to fend for themselves once they have completed their training. Here at ATS we have a different philosophy. We are proud of our training so we are keen to showcase our graduates to the world – we want you working, and it’s a purely selfish motive – your success is our success.

Once you enter the workplace, you are a walking talking advertisement for our training. If you perform well, and we are sure you will, then our reputation will continue to grow, if that’s possible. After more than 40 years of successful service training truck drivers, heavy equipment operators and crane operators, our reputation is already well respected. But then, that too is to your advantage.

Employers have come to respect the level of training we provide, as an example, we have over 10,000 trucking companies in our database – I am sure we could find one ready to employ you if you choose a career as a truck driver. Our career services section is geared to doing as much as possible to helping you find a job. From week one, someone from career services will discuss with you possible employment options. We build a profile based on your needs and expectations and then provide you with a list of potential employers. We will also train you in some of the soft skills such as interview techniques required to find employment.

At ATS, we don’t believe in just training you and then sending you on your way. We have a dedicated career services section that will work with you to find that first job. From there, your career is in your hands.

If you’re looking for a job that is interesting, demanding, and often involves working with heavy equipment in tight spots, then consider a career as a heavy equipment operator in the field of landscape gardening. If there has been one boom area in the last five years, then it has to be landscape gardening and re-vegetation programs. It may seem a strange mix, heavy gas guzzling equipment working on environmental programs, but is shouldn’t be given the technology now available, and the type of work involved.

Businesses, whether they are factories or commercial office buildings, are all trying to find ways to become environmentally friendly. For many, it has been the conversion of empty space around their buildings into well manicured landscape gardens. This can take a lot of work, and this is where heavy equipment plays a vital role. Backhoes in particular can be particularly useful, breaking up the ground, removing excess unusable soil, then back filling with quality soil ready to grow plants. In recent years, smaller units like bobcats and skid steer loaders have also found their way into these roles, especially with smaller contractors.

In other areas, re-vegetation has become an important issue. The banks of rivers and streams, tracts of land where buildings once stood, and inner city precincts where land has been reclaimed are all the subject of re-vegetation. Heavy equipment is again often called in to remove sour soil and to replace this with topsoil that has been prepared for these areas. Removing sour soil also removes the non-native vegetation that has been growing in that area.

These are interesting careers as you often work closely with those heavily involved in environmental issues. They are also experts at land care and the types of vegetation best suited to different areas. You don’t necessarily need skills in landscaping or the environment to work in these fields. You do, however, should have the skills and some experience operating the equipment in use. Heavy equipment training can prepare you well for operating backhoes, bobcats, and skid steer loaders. Interested? Contact ATS for information on our next heavy equipment training program – there could be a career in the landscaping or environmental industry just waiting for someone like you.

Truck driving has been one of those careers that have remained relatively stable no matter what the economy is doing. There is one real fact about life – we need to eat, and because most of us know little about how to grow our own food, our supermarkets thrive. Truck drivers are the link between your supermarket and the producers of that food so the more we eat, the more truck drivers we need.

So how do you get a start as a truck driver? There are two basic requirements – a commercial drivers license (CDL) and truck driver training. In fact, you need the truck driver training to get a commercial drivers license. They are the basic requirements – however, both of those will never guarantee you a job since you lack the one component that most businesses require – experience. Of course, if you know someone who’s in the business, you maybe able to get them to help gain a foothold – you could always try.

What you may not know is that you already know someone who has the ear of the trucking industry. We do. We have a database of over 10,000 trucking companies from all around the nation. They know that we deliver thorough training and that graduates walk out of doors ready, willing, and very able to work in the transport industry. This is not a reputation that was built overnight, this is a reputation that has stood the test of almost 50 years – and that means we have sent a lot of drivers out into the workplace.

How do you get a start as a truck driver? Your first step is to call us to discuss your training options. From there we will do everything possible to get you licensed, and to then help you find that first job. Who are we? We’re Associated Training Services and we have have been training prospective truck drivers since 1963 – can we help you join that list of successful truck drivers?

Late last year the rules and regulations related to persons working in crane and derrick rigging or signaling positions were changed. While these are federal changes, there are state laws and regulations that must also meet or exceed these requirements. These regulations have been changed to try an prevent accidents, injuries, and deaths that have been prevalent in the industry over the years. According to the official website:

It is anticipated that this final standard will prevent 22 fatalities and 175 non-fatal injuries each year.

While that may not sound like a lot of deaths or injuries, the economic and social affects of those deaths and injuries can be huge – especially to the families involved. The final standard addresses issues such as the certification of crane and derrick operators and the qualification of those working in rigging or signaling. What is important to note is that it is an employer’s obligation to ensure that those working in these jobs are either certified or qualified, depending on the federal or state laws that apply.

For those working in the industry, or proposing to work in the industry, undertaking formal training in these areas is vital. While federal rules have set minimum standards, some states have exceeded those rules and put in place more stringent regulations so it advisable to seek the most comprehensive training available. You should certainly be looking for training programs that exceed the minimum requirement.

ATS Crane Operator Schools now offer OSHA Compliant Rigging & Signal Person training. Our standards are purposely set higher than the minimum to ensure that students receive comprehensive training that meets the requirements nationwide. If you are working in the industry, or are considering working in this industry, contact us for more information on this training program.

The field of heavy equipment operations is huge and the range of equipment in use extremely varied. You have excavators that are small enough to be transported on a small trailer towed behind a family car. You also have excavators that are so large they need to be dismantled to be moved any great distance – there is no tractor-trailer big enough, or strong enough, to move them. So how do you develop a long term career as a heavy equipment operator?

A career is not just a job. It is a field of work where you are constantly learning, and where there are opportunities for advancement. Heavy equipment certainly fits that bill, especially when it comes to learning. But then, that is what lies at the very foundation of a successful career – your initial training. This is where many prospective operators go wrong, they underestimate the value of that basic training. If you learn the right skills to begin with, you have a solid base to build upon.

That is the second part of a successful career, building on your basic skills. Having completed a heavy equipment training program, graduates are ready for entry level employment. Remember that phrase – entry level employment. You are not going to be employed in a position that requires a lot of experience – you just don’t have it, yet. Entry level employment does not mean you are left to do the more menial tasks – you will still be challenged, and that is how you will build your experience. As you answer each challenge, your employer will automatically offer you more challenging roles. Over time, you will have developed those basic skills into an advanced set of skills and will be in a position to call yourself an experienced heavy equipment operator.

Are there opportunities for advancement? As with all careers, there is always some advancement available. You could be placed in charge of a team of operators working on a project; you may also find yourself in a role teaching others. There is also the opportunity of one day owning your own heavy equipment. Of course, that is taking a career and turning it into a business.

Did you know that motor graders are frequently used as part of a demolition team? They are and they are expert at some of the jobs given to them. Motor graders have traditionally been used to finish road surfaces prior to the asphalt being applied.

Today, motor graders are used to peel off old asphalt when roads require rebuilding. They are also used on unsealed roads, particularly in late winter or early spring after snow and water damage. Motor graders can restore a road to a full use quickly, making short work of any potholes or rocks that have accumulated. But what interests us today is the work a grader can do on a demolition site.

In the past, scrapers would be called in to slowly peel away the foundations to level the ground. Today, a motor grader can be called in to do the job – and they can complete the work in half the time. Large construction companies are calling on motor graders to perform jobs that 20 years ago would have been impossible. Motor grader operators can now set their blades to such precise measurements, they can peel snow away from a road without harming the road’s surface.

To become a grader operator today, the real skill requirement is in being able to read site plans and then setting your motor graders blades to achieve the intended results. This takes knowledge of soil types, and often laser or even GPS technology. For those seeking a career that is varied, interesting, and full of technical wizardry, a career as a motor grader operator could be perfect. You can learn to be a motor grader operator in just three weeks by attending our heavy equipment operator training program.

Wherever you find natural disasters occurring, there is bound to be a huge clean-up to follow. Whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, or floods as we have seen in Brazil and Australia, the debris that’s left behind always needs to be carted away. That’s where dump trucks come into their own.

Dump trucks have a couple of features that make them ideal for use in these situations. They have deep dumpers that can hold a lot of material. They are, for their size, pretty nimble when it comes to maneuvering in awkward situations. More importantly, they can cart the debris away, and very quickly empty their load without the need for any more equipment. Just like a child’s dumper, the operator hits a lever and the dumper rises emptying the contents in a matter of minutes.

With dump trucks able to quickly take load after load away from any site – or bring material in when it comes to new construction, dump trucks and experienced operators are always in demand. Learning to operate a dump truck is not as difficult as it may seem. Training basically boils down to learning how to drive a truck well enough to pass the assessment for a commercial drivers license. While learning, you will gain experience in using the dumper component and how to maneuver your vehicle for quick and easy filling.

If you are considering a career as a dump truck driver, then you will need to find a training program that will help you to gain your CDL with ease. ATS has been training truck drivers for almost half a century – that’s a lot of experience and a lot of truck drivers plying their trade today. Employers have come to respect the training offered by ATS, giving graduates a distinct advantage when applying for vacancies. The truck driver training program offered by ATS can be completed in as little as three weeks – this means you could be working as a truck driver within a month of starting your training. Who knows? You may be called upon to help clean up after a natural disaster.

Most heavy equipment machinery in today’s workplace are multi-tasking vehicles. That is fairly obvious when it comes to machinery like backhoes, but they are not alone. Excavators play various roles in our society ranging from mining to river dredging, and a whole lot more in between. Traditionally, we probably view excavators as trench diggers since that is where we see them most often employed. However, digging trenches is only the tip of the iceberg.

Like backhoes, excavators have a wide range of tools (known as attachments) that can be used in place of the traditional shovel. These tools can do a range of jobs including breaking up slabs of concrete and rock, to drilling holes rather than digging them. In the mines, excavators can be huge machines with buckets the size of large cars. But then, if you think the buckets are big, you should see the size of the dump trucks they are filling.

Excavators are multi-tasking tools and because of this, experienced operators are always in demand. The only way to gain experience as an operator is by gaining entry level employment where you can continue to learn your craft. In today’s workplace, employers will only take on entry level workers if they have received training through a well established and recognized training school.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools conduct regular training programs for those looking at careers in heavy equipment. Training programs are delivered full time over three weeks with students who successfully graduate eligible for entry level employment. Are we well established and recognized? With over forty years experience in the training industry, I guess you could call us established. Are we recognized? We have a database full of employers who have employed our graduates – our employment success speaks for itself. If you’re looking for a career as an excavator operator, consider our heavy equipment operator training program – others have, with great success.

It really doesn’t matter where you live these days, bulldozers and experienced bulldozer operators are needed everywhere. A bulldozer really is an all-purpose vehicle when it comes to dealing with the effects of mother nature. Every time there is a major event, bulldozers and their operators are called in to clean up the mess. They also generally employed to try and avert future problems. Consider some of these situations:

Snow and blizzards – Clearing snow from roads is a primary concern for almost every city, whether it’s here in the States or in Europe. Snow plows, graders, loaders, and yes, bulldozers are all called in to help clear the way.

Hurricanes, tornadoes and fierce storms – All three of these events create havoc. Beaches are heavily eroded and need bulldozing back into some semblance of a decent beach. Homes are destroyed and require bulldozing in order for a new home to be built.

Fire – Like storms, fire does immense damage, especially to property. In almost all serious house fires, the home needs to be bulldozed to make way for a new home. Bulldozers are also used to help create firebreaks and fire trails before the fire season starts.

Floods – Events like those in Australia (where an area the size of Texas is now underwater) bring home the danger and devastation of something as simple as rain. Bulldozers are working now to build levees and large embankments in an effort to prevent further flood damage. All over the world, bulldozers work to build dams and levees in the hope they can control mother nature.

Many of those activities occur after the event. Of course, bulldozers work on more mundane projects like building our highways, clearing land for farms and housing, and in general construction. It’s no wonder that bulldozers are one of the most popular vehicles in a heavy equipment fleet. There is one thing that all experienced operators have today – and that’s a heavy equipment training course that helped them get a start in the industry. Without that training, employers won’t even consider you now. Are you interested in a career that offers a lot of variety – bulldozer operations has it all – and it’s in demand worldwide.

Today’s heavy equipment technology actually has more processing power than the first Apollo missions that went into space. The improvements to electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, transmissions, engines, along with the introduction of on board computer systems, lasers, and GPS have turned what was once a very heavy and hard-to-handle machine into an extremely powerful yet easy-to-operate piece of machinery.

Manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Kamatsu, John Deer, Volvo, and Case are all competing for markets where productivity is a primary issue. With today’s heavy equipment now capable of doing many tasks in half the time compared to 30-40 years ago, the push is on for even more improvements. When people talk about cutting edge technology, heavy equipment should be held up as a prime example. How easy have these machines become? You can operate many of the controls with a simple joy stick – it’s almost kids play.

Learning to operate heavy equipment has become the easy part. The difficult part has become learning how to read site maps, use the computer-aided technologies, and to understand soils – the latter really only coming with on-the-job experience. Safety issues are another area where good training has become paramount to a successful career in this industry.

We are reaching a stage where it is hard to know where improvements can now be made. There is new technology at work throughout heavy equipment, even to the point of making the latest machinery very ‘green’ friendly. Heavy equipment training using the latest machinery could put some operators at a disadvantage these days. There are still plenty of businesses using older equipment – those trained solely on modern computerized heavy equipment may struggle to operate some of those older machines. Still, we are moving on as a society and new technology is everywhere – even in heavy equipment.