What are some of the most common reasons for a person to choose a particular profession? Interest is normally the starting point; that’s why you study in particular areas as you go through high school and college. Other factors include stability, income, community standing and family expectations. The latter is one of the most common reasons, and one that have so many people making career changes in their mid to late twenties – they finally break away from those family expectations. Here are eight good reasons to consider training for a Class A commercial drivers license (CDL):

• Well paid – truck drivers are well paid in comparison to many other jobs.
• In Demand – trucks are the life blood of our economy. For this reason, good drivers are always in demand.
• Stable employment – because good drivers are in demand, employers are not going to let you go.
• There are drivers around that have spent 30-40 years working for one employer.
• Work location – you can elect to just drive locally or you can elect to drive the big interstate rigs. The choice is up to you.
• Flexibility – one of the forgotten components to holding a CDL is that you’re not restricted to driving trucks. The CDL may make you employable as a heavy equipment operator, for example, (if you’re trained) simply because your license means you can cart the equipment out to a job yourself.
• Training – it only takes three weeks to learn to drive a truck. Pass your test and you’re ready to start.
• Variety – you never know what you’re going to cart from one day to the next. You may also find you are driving to different locations every day.
• Freedom – the biggest bonus of them all when it comes to truck driving. There’s nothing like the freedom of the open road.

A commercial drivers license opens a door to a career that’s busy and never boring. There are few careers that offer as many options as truck driving does so if you’re interested, contact ATS, the nation’s most experienced truck driver training organization in the country.

Something must be afoot because every where I look I see dump trucks. They must be the busiest trucks in work as they scurry around taking their loads to wherever needed. There is so much in the way of road building and general construction going on at present that dump trucks don’t get a moments break. I know in some areas they are being worked 24 hours a day every day of the week (except perhaps Sundays).

Dump trucks are fairly versatile – think of any loose material such as sand, gravel, sawdust and rock and they can transport. The term dump truck is apt since, on arrival at their destination, they simply need to raise their dumper to empty the contents. However, don’t think of a dump truck driver’s job as lacking in skills; it’s far from it. While driving from point A to point B is a fairly straightforward truck driving job, dumping the load at the other end can be quite tricky.

Drivers may be required to back up close to the edge of a pit, or to drive their vehicle while slowly tipping the contents across a desired stretch of ground – think a stretch of road that needs gravel spread evenly along its length. To operate a dump truck you require a commercial drivers license. You will need to complete testing by your local truck licensing authority – this includes a driving test to assess your skills. The best way to achieve a successful driving test is to undertake truck driver training through a recognized truck driver training organization.

ATS Truck Driver Training Schools have almost fifty years experience training the nation’s truck drivers. Whether it’s a big rig or a humble water truck, we have the experience and the expertise to produce quality drivers not only ready to pass their driving tests, but ready to tackle the world as professional truck drivers.

Obtaining a commercial drivers license (CDL) opens the door to a wide variety of truck driving careers. That one license covers drivers for many different types of trucks ranging from the humble dump truck to the large interstate rigs you see on the highways. Truck driving careers range from local deliveries to working on long haul interstate trucks, even cross country trucks. You can also find truck drivers crossing borders between the US and Canada and the US and Mexico.

Truck driving work includes driving:

• tankers filled with anything from milk to fuel oil
• mining trucks filled with mineral bearing ore
• flatbeds loaded with heavy equipment
• dump trucks filled with sand or gravel
• trucks transporting general freight

Of course, that list only touches the surface. Every single product, including water, gets delivered by truck at some point in its journey to your home – you could also add the building materials that went into building your home. The only food items that aren’t affected by a truck in some way is what you grow yourself.

There is more to learning to drive a truck than just sitting in the driver’s seat. To complete the CDL test requirements you will need knowledge of Department of Transportation rules, safety and safe operation of equipment, and CDL regulations. You will also need more than just basic driving skills. You will need to demonstrate your ability to drive safely in public, reverse (not an easy task when driving articulated vehicles), and couple and uncouple your vehicle.

Training is important and should be undertaken by competent and qualified truck driving instructors. It also helps if you undertake your training through an organization that has a history of great performance and is well respected in the industry. ATS Truck Driver Training Schools fulfills all of those attributes – and you can complete your training is as little as three weeks. Truck driver training – it opens up a world full of opportunities.

Dump trucks come in all shapes and sizes and are generally found around construction sites. When thinking about a dump truck, the image generated is generally of a large vehicle with a deep tray on the back that can be tipped to empty the load. The tipping action gives rise to the use of the word ‘dump’ in the truck’s name. However, they are not the only vehicles used – there is one vehicle that is very important in construction, especially when it comes to road building, and that is the water truck.

Water trucks, while different in shape and size to dump trucks, are no different when it comes to operating skills. Dump truck drivers need to learn how to ‘dump on the go’ – this is the process of tipping back the tray then driving down the road as the contents are spread behind them. Water trucks, whilst not tipping, are required to operate at a steady pace as they ‘water’ the road. Why water the road?

There are several reasons why water is used on new road constructions – or general construction for that matter. One is very simple – dust control. Wet ground does not kick up dust. The second use of water, particularly in road construction, is the damping, holding and lubricating effect it has on certain soils. By wetting the area before running a heavy roller over it, the soil compacts better thus providing for much harder and more stable surface to lay the finishing surface too.

Because the skills used to operate a water truck are similar to those used by dump trucks, experienced drivers can often move between the two vehicles. You will need a commercial drivers license to operate either vehicle and this will require training. Dump truck driver training covers both vehicles and should prepare students for their commercial drivers license tests. Look for a truck driver training program that includes plenty of hands on driving experience, especially in areas such as reversing and driving in traffic. Dump trucks may be the backbone of most construction sites, but water trucks ensure they are as dust free as possible.

If you have a commercial drivers license but you’ve become a little jaded with truck driving, why don’t you consider adding a mobile crane operators certification to your repertoire. Mobile crane operators combine truck driver skills and crane operator skills to become in demand operators that can be called upon to do a wide range of tasks.

Mobile cranes fill a void between the need for a fixed long term crane, and small lifting machines like excavators and fork lift trucks. Mobile cranes can lift very heavy objects yet have the mobility to move from job to job at a moment’s notice. Fixed cranes can take weeks to dismantle and reassemble in another location while excavators and fork lifts often don’t have the lifting capacity required for large objects.

You can find mobile cranes working in a wide range of jobs. In construction sites, they may well be called in to help raise and/or lower a fixed cranes components. Mobile cranes are also used to raise or lower large objects like air conditioning units and other machinery. You could also find mobile cranes at the scene of road accidents, particularly where large trucks and tankers have overturned.

Having your commercial drivers license is a good start for a career as a mobile crane operator. Don’t worry if you don’t have one; that can soon be arranged. Receiving quality crane operator training is essential for a number of reasons. The first is that quality training is the only way to give your self the best chance of successfully completing the requirements for certification as mobile crane operator. This is a requirement in most states now. The second reason is just as important – training organizations have reputations so you want to ensure you receive your training through a well recognized training company.

If you think a career as a mobile crane operator is a good fit for you then contact us at ATS Crane Operator Training Schools to learn more about our next crane operator training program.

Excavators are a popular option when it comes to heavy equipment careers. They look more complex than they really are, a fact you can see for yourself if you attend one of our free workshops. These workshops have a range of heavy equipment on display – you can even climb into the cabs and check them out for yourself – and while you’re there, participate in one of our training modules, all at no cost.

Why attend a workshop? You can:

• see the campus, the classrooms and the general environment;
• meet some of our training instructors;
• talk to some of our current students;
• discuss training and payment options with our admissions counselors;
• experience real training firsthand;
• gain a head start on actual training by fully completing a training module;
• gain firsthand experience on the machinery;
• find out if this is something you really want to do – before spending any money.

They are important considerations, especially the last. Each of the previous points lead to that final conclusion. By walking around the campus, talking to other students, and getting a real feel for the environment, you will quickly come to understand whether or not you will ‘fit in’. By attending a training module you will gain an understanding of what is involved in learning to operate heavy equipment, excavators included.

Firsthand experience is invaluable, and when it’s offered for free, even more so. Heavy equipment is an exciting field to get into and with the amount of construction being undertaken at present, there is no shortage of work. Employment opportunities for the future are probably better than most other industries.

If you have been considering a career as an excavator operator, or in any other field of heavy equipment, check out our complete schedule of free heavy equipment workshops. While you’re at it, check out our free CDL workshops as well.

The economy is starting to improve and, as it does, we are becoming freer with our dollars and starting to spend. While the economy in general benefits, customers spending more through retailers means more work for truck drivers. As a result, truck driving careers are starting to rebound and over the next 12-18 months, the demand for experienced drivers is going to increase.

Truck driving has been a popular career in the past and for good reasons too. The job pays reasonably well and you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder all the time. In fact, once you’re in the driver’s seat, you’re effectively the boss. Add to this, fairly good work conditions – let’s face it, modern trucks are air-conditioned, come fitted with CD/radios and, often, two-way radios. Power steering and much easier to handle gear boxes and clutches makes driving almost a breeze. The hardest part of a truck driving career is probably obtaining your commercial drivers license or CDL.

Of course, if you’re smart you’ll undertake training through a well recognized truck driver training school. If they are well recognized then they obviously have a good reputation for training drivers to industry standards, and for achieving high pass rates when it comes to undertaking the commercial drivers license assessments. The most important part of any truck driver training program is the hands-on training you receive. Reversing maneuvers, driving in traffic and general driving skills are all important if you want to pass your license tests, and if you want to be a successful truck driver.

If you’re looking at truck driver training options – give ATS Truck Driver Training Schools a call – or send us an email. Our training program can prepare you for a commercial drivers license test in as little as three weeks and when it comes to reputations – we have one of the best in the business.

A CDL is simply an acronym for a commercial drivers license yet we come across many job advertisements for heavy equipment operators that use terms like “possessing a CDL would be beneficial”. What the employer is looking for is a heavy equipment operator who has commercial drivers license so they can transport the equipment to the job. It’s a pity sometime that they didn’t just ask for a truck drivers license since the term CDL can be confusing.

Your commercial drivers license may well be labeled as a Class A CDL, or Class A commercial drivers license. They mean the same thing. State transport departments issue truck driving licenses so you will need to check on requirements in your state. Generally speaking, a Class A CDL entitles you to drive any vehicle apart from those that require special endorsements. Dangerous goods is one example of special endorsement. To gain a CDL, most states require the following:

• Possess or qualify for a non-commercial Class C driver license;
• Complete a Commercial Driver License Application;
• Provide proof of your full legal name, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your legal presence in the U.S., identity and date of birth, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your Social Security Number, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your residence address in that state, each time you apply;
• Pass a CDL General Knowledge Test;
• Pass a CDL Combination Knowledge Test;
• Pass a behind-the-wheel Drive Test in a Class A commercial vehicle;
• Pass a Pre-Trip Inspection Test
• Present a valid DOT Medical Certificate with waivers or exemptions as required; and
• Pay the appropriate fees

Some states will differ slightly from this list so, again, check with the requirements in your state. How do you put yourself in a position to be able to successfully complete that list? Easy. Call us at ATS Truck Driving Schools. We are the leader in the nation in truck driver training, with 40 years experience in the business. We prepare you well for your tests with a thorough behind-the-wheel training schedule that includes tricky components like reversing maneuvers and negotiating highway traffic. You can complete the training and obtain your commercial drivers license (Class A CDL) in as little as three weeks.

If I had a crystal ball that could see into the future there is one thing I know I will see – tougher heavy equipment safety requirements. In fact, I can see a day when all operators will require certification of some type. We have it in the form of licenses for truck drivers for decades; from July, it seems that all crane operators will need certification with the NCCCO one of the preferred certification bodies; and with recent workplace accidents, including the mine explosion this week, it will only get tougher for general heavy equipment operators.

You may look at the Montcoal mine explosion and wonder why that will impact on heavy equipment safety. It won’t directly – but it will impact on all workplaces over time. Workplace safety is becoming a fairly large issue so whenever there is a major incident, all workplace practices come under scrutiny. If there is a workplace incident that involves heavy equipment in the near future, it too will suddenly come under the microscope.

Workplace safety is important and for heavy equipment this has been recognized by including safety training in all accredited training programs. In fact, a heavy equipment training program cannot now become accredited unless there are safety training components included. The subject is not one we take lightly at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. Our heavy equipment training programs are all accredited to national standards.

If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator then do make sure your training includes workplace safety components. If in doubt, contact us here at ATS, we will happily supply you with information related to our accredited training programs and the heavy equipment safety standards included in that training.

A commercial drivers license is like having a license for a lifetime career – so long as you keep renewing it. The next time you are out on the road, check out the truck drivers around you. If you are observant you will notice a couple of things. The drivers range in age from early twenties right through the late fifties and early sixties (at least, they look it). They also come from a variety of backgrounds and, if you’re lucky, you may even catch sight of the rare (but growing in numbers) female truck driver.

Trucks of today are a little like our modern cars. They come with power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, cd/radios, you name it. They have the latest in modern conveniences. Check inside a big rig and you will see a mini-apartment complete with bed, television, refrigeration and microwave oven.

Of course, those are the modern trucks. There are still plenty of the older style trucks around but very few of the old dinosaurs that require muscles the size of Hulk Hogan’s to steer – thankfully. You can gain your commercial truck drivers license at virtually any age (so long as you meet the various state driving requirements) and gain employment in trucks ranging from the smaller local delivery trucks up to the large interstate transporters.

Believe it or not, it all starts with a basic three week training program that prepares you for your commercial drivers license (CDL) testing. ATS has a truck driving school that has over 40 years experience in the field of truck driver training. Our course prepares students for the CDL test using both in class and behind the wheel training. Important maneuvers like reversing and driving in traffic are also well practiced. Looking for a lifelong career opportunity? Consider obtaining your commercial drivers license – it only takes three weeks yet it opens up a lifetime of opportunities.