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 Compliance comes through in several areas ranging from following road rules, even though they may seem outdated, to following requirements set down by the Department of Transport.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willing to comply with the various rules that trucking companies place on their employees, even if they too seem to be outdated.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.

If you’re looking for a career that has plenty of variety, doesn’t keep you stuck in the one place all the time, and pays well, then a career as a mobile crane operator could be just the answer. As the name implies, a mobile crane operator is mobile. They are constantly on the move doing tasks as and where required. You could spend a week on a construct site moving heavy construction material, and the next week out on a pipe line helping to put pipes into place.

Mobile crane operators can also spend their days hopping from task to task. You could be helping to lift a roof air conditioner into place in the morning and helping to pull a car out of a river in the afternoon. If you can think of a task where a crane could make the job easier, then a mobile crane will most likely be involved.

Like most heavy equipment, mobile cranes come in a range of sizes. There are the small babies that are often used around construction sites and where pipe laying requires their services, and there are huge mobile cranes that are large enough to lift an overturned tanker back onto its wheels. Mobile crane operators are required to hold a commercial drivers license and to be certified as a crane operator.

Crane operator training can be completed in as little as three weeks. During that three week training period, students will learn how to safely set up their crane, operate their crane, and to prepare their crane for travel. Safety is a key component for any crane operator training and is one of the driving forces behind the requirement for certification. A career as a mobile crane operator is varied and well paid, and the demand is there for new drivers.

This is a true story that was related to me recently involving a middle aged man who had grown up on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’. He could barely read or write and had spent much of his adult life either unemployed or working as an unskilled laborer. He would have remained unskilled as well if it hadn’t been for the efforts of one employer.

I won’t go into names. I don’t want to embarrass anyone, but this employer noticed one thing about this man – he was fascinated by trucks and could name every truck model used on a work site. That employer took the time to teach this man how to read and how to write – not as well as many of us, but well enough to learn the road rules and to pass a test to gain a driving license.

Once he had his driving license, he starting working on gaining a commercial drivers license. It took several attempts before he could even get his permit, but once he had that there was no stopping him. So what is he doing now? Those events happened almost ten years ago. That man, who was once illiterate and really going nowhere in his life, is now one of the best truck drivers working for this construction company – and yes, he’s still working for that same company. He’s now married and with a couple of youngsters, something he had never dreamed could happen to him.

I know many would argue that it’s not the commercial drivers license that changed his life, however, I would beg to differ. Learning to read and write certainly changed his life, however, fulfilling that dream of driving a truck is what really had the biggest impact. It made him self confidant and able to stand up tall and proud. We can’t promise that something as simple as a commercial drivers license can change your life, but if you think your current career is going nowhere, then perhaps it’s time to change.

It doesn’t take long to obtain a commercial drivers license and once you have one, there is plenty of work just waiting for the right driver – perhaps a new career could change your life as well.

There are some in the community who consider dump truck driving to be less skillful than most other truck driving jobs. There’s no doubt that dump truck driving requires slightly different skills, but those skills are important and make dump truck driving just as skillful as any other truck driving job.

To a certain extent, dump truck drivers have a greater responsibility. They do a lot of their driving in and around towns and cities. Their loads are constantly changing and it’s the driver’s role to ensure that none of that load ever lands on the road, or on other vehicles. Considering how many miles a dump truck driver has to do each day, making tight turns, and constantly stopping depending on traffic flow and traffic lights, ensuring that no part of their load causes any problems is a demanding skill in itself.

A dump truck driver also needs to learn how to operate the dumper, the most important part of a dump truck’s existence. In many situations, operating the dumper is easy – just reverse up to where you want the load dumped, and switch the dumping action on. In other situations, the process is made a little harder as the truck needs to be moving to gradually spread the load as it is dumping – that is another skill that most truck drivers never acquire – unless they want to become dump truck drivers.

Dump truck drivers require training like any other truck driver. To drive on open roads, they generally also require a commercial drivers license. Dump truck drivers are not second rate truck drivers. They are first rate truck drivers that require special skills to successfully operate their vehicle – but then, so too does a big rig driver, a tanker driver, or any other form of truck driver. Interested in becoming a dump truck driver? Contact us for more information on dump truck driver training.

If you have a commercial drivers license, then you’re well on the way to becoming a mobile crane operator, or at least adding that option to your truck driving repertoire. Operating a mobile crane has three very distinct components: driving, stabilizing, and lifting. Driving is done in a traditional truck drivers cab and this is why you need that all important commercial drivers license. From there, you will need specific training to complete the next two tasks.

As the name suggests, stabilizing is ensuring your mobile crane is stable and won’t move during the crane’s operations. Just as importantly, being able to return the mobile crane to a driving state is also important. Stabilizing a crane is normally done from outside the crane using feet that lift the whole unit so the wheels clear the ground – this ensures a level base and no rolling.

Crane operations are done from a separate cab that is attached to the crane. This has standard crane controls for lifting and lowering the cable, raising and lowering the boom, and swinging the cab from side to side. While that sounds easy, crane operations can be quite involved. The operator needs to assess the weight of the object to be lifted, the lifting conditions (for example, wind), and the destination of the object to be lifted. That assessment will determine how the lift will be undertaken.

Upon completion of the crane’s work, the crane operator will also need to learn how to return the crane to a safe position for transport to the next location. Mobile crane operations are well suited to those who enjoy variety and who like to use their brain to solve problems. If you have a commercial drivers license, all you need is three weeks of mobile crane operator training to complete the requirements.

Tower cranes can be huge and, in most cases, cannot be moved under their own power. In fact, almost all tower cranes are nothing more than giant Meccano sets with each crane put together on site. Anything up to a dozen flatbed trailers are used to bring in all the parts, all carefully laid out and ready for assembling. Who does the grunt work? Mobile Cranes.

It has to be one of the most interesting jobs on a work site. Slowly lifting each piece of a giant Meccano set into place while riggers and engineers slowly build that tower crane. Of course, when the job is done, it will require another mobile crane to come in and slowly take the tower crane apart again. With some large construction sites taking up to 12 months (and longer) to complete, operators and workers rely on that tower crane to be perfectly put together.

That is only one role of a mobile crane, and a challenging one at that. Wherever there are heavy objects that require lifting, you’re likely to find a mobile crane. Mobile cranes range in size from fairly small vehicles to large vehicles that equal or exceed the length of many semi-trailer rigs. Because of their size, mobile crane operators are also required to hold a commercial drivers license (CDL).

Mobile crane operator training can be undertaken over three weeks. This will provide operators with the skills and knowledge for entry-level work as mobile crane operators. In today’s workforce, crane operators are also required to undertake a certification process that demonstrates their knowledge of cranes, particularly when it comes to safety knowledge and the safe operation of a crane. If building tower cranes from giant pieces of Meccano appeals to you, consider undertaking crane operator training – the pay’s good and the work is always challenging.

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.

There have been interesting images from around the world this week. In the UK and Europe, heavy snow has closed roads, airports, and even main highways. In Australia, heavy rain has flooded thousands of acres closing highways and railways. In recent months there have been images from China of highways blocked with traffic traveling at speeds measured in feet per hour. The one image that stands out from those three regions has been the rows of trucks all brought to a standstill. We are fortunate here. In most states, the highways remain open and the traffic flows smoothly, especially the trucks.

What the world has in common is that their economies are very much based on their ability to transport goods from one area to another. We are no different in that regard so that makes the role of a truck driver fairly important. In our modern society, if the trucks didn’t get the food through, we would all starve since most of us have no idea how to grow our own food. In the major cities, there’s hardly a square foot of ground suitable for growing food as it is.

Truck drivers can be undervalued by society, however, truck drivers do know how important their roles are so they endeavor to do everything possible to get their loads delivered. It takes a lot of skill to handle a large truck when roads are icy or wet, skill that starts with good quality truck driver training followed up by hours of in-the-drivers seat experience. ATS are one of the nation’s leaders when it comes to truck driver training. We highly respected within the trucking community. Our graduates, once they obtain their commercial drivers licenses, are well considered when applying for truck driving vacancies.

If truck driving is a career that appeals to you, then contact us here at ATS. We can discuss your truck driver training options, including where you can undertake your training, and when the next training courses commence. It doesn’t matter the weather, ATS truck drivers keep on moving.

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.

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.