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.

Truck driving careers offer a lot for employees who enjoy working in an environment where they are almost totally in control. The only outside influence on your career is the where, what and when – where you need to load and unload, what you are loading and unloading, and when the items need picking up and dropping off. It sounds like a lot, but you’re in control of the how and that is really is the major component of the job, especially when it comes to interstate truck driving.

Having a commercial drivers license opens the door to a wide range of truck driving jobs. When we say flexibility, we really mean it. You could be driving dump trucks, perhaps local delivery trucks, or flatbeds transporting heavy equipment, and that’s just for starters. Take a moment at some time and just watch the main roads. In most areas, you will see trucks of many different shapes and sizes delivering everything from water through petroleum and gas products; fresh food from farms through to manufactured foods; in fact, any item you can buy has a truck’s involvement somewhere. You can even see homes, or parts of homes, being trucked across the country.

It takes all of three weeks to train to become a truck driver. Gaining your commercial drivers license will depend on how quickly you can pass the local requirements for that license. When it comes to employment, like most industries, the hardest part is getting your foot through the door. If you are a competent driver then you find that the industry is fairly stable – even in poor economic climates (we still eat and drink and we still drive).

ATS Truck Driving Schools have a number of locations across the country. We have almost 50 years of continuous service teaching students in fields such as truck driving, crane operations and heavy equipment operations. With that experience, and strong reputation amongst employers for graduating quality drivers, the only thing holding you back from a truck driving career is you yourself.

If there is one career that will continue on for decades it is that of the garbage truck driver. These drivers operate what is essentially a modern day version of a dump truck. The major differences being that it is a semi-sealed unit, can compact the contents, and has special arms to raise and lower trash bins. What they do have in common with a standard dump truck is the need for a commercial drivers license (CDL).

Now here’s a question. Do you know how long it takes to train to become a truck driver? To gain your commercial drivers license you need to pass both a theoretical and practical test. When it comes to the theoretical side, that is learning the road rules associated with truck driving. Do you have a good memory? The practical test is a piece of cake if you have had the right training. ATS Truck Driver Schools can have you trained, with road experience, and ready for your CDL test in as little as three weeks.

That means you could be working as a truck driver a month after starting your truck driver training course. That’s a good turn around, especially when compared to most other careers. Truck drivers are always in demand. Let’s face it, no matter how bad the economy is, we still need to eat and we still manage to dispose of a lot of trash. That means truck drivers are involved in both the supply and removal of our daily needs.

If you’re considering a career change and truck driving is one of your career options, contact ATS Truck Driver Training Schools for more information. We have several campuses around the nation with training programs commencing at regular intervals. You can also find more information on our website.

There has been a trend over the years for heavy equipment operators to specialize in one piece of machinery. For example, a bulldozer operator will only ever operate bulldozers and excavator operators only operate excavators. This is fine to some extent, you do become an expert in that piece of machinery. However, when it comes to heavy equipment careers, you are also limiting your options.

On the opposite side are employers, and there is a growing trend among them to have employees that can multi-skill. One area that all operators should consider is adding a commercial drivers license to their skills list. This gives an employer the option of having the operator truck a heavy equipment to a site, operate the equipment to complete the job, then trucking the equipment back to the yard or onto the next job.

You can go beyond that, however. Being able to competently operate a loader, excavator and backhoe – all related machinery – makes you far more employable than someone who has limited themselves to just an excavator, for example. From an employer’s perspective, do they hire three different operators on reduced hours, or one operator full time whom they can move from machine to machine as jobs dictate? The answer’s fairly obvious.

There is nothing wrong with specializing when there is plenty of work around. However, as many operators will tell you, heavy equipment careers have peaks and troughs and it can be hard to survive when work drops away. Being multi-skilled means you will have far more options during these periods when compared to other operators. Heavy equipment careers are very competitive in today’s marketplace. Start by undertaking the best heavy equipment training you can find and then consider developing your skills in a range of equipment rather than just specializing in the one. While your at it, consider adding CDL training to your resume – you will be armed with a complete set of skills and it will make you highly competitive in the job market.

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.

There are always two ways to get things done – the easy way and the hard way. When looking to obtain your commercial drivers license, the same is true. The hard way – try to teach yourself, or be trained by a driver who has bad driving habits and isn’t up to date with the road rules, or the easy way – through a truck driver training school with 40 years experience training drivers. I know what my preference is – what’s yours?

Being trained by skilled truck driver trainers ensures you don’t pick up bad habits right from day one. Bad habits are one of the biggest problems in any occupation because once developed they are extremely hard to break. They say that it takes five days to develop a habit, and five weeks of conscious effort to break them. If you start with good habits, you will have a lifetime of good driving skills. Learning to drive a truck and then acquiring your commercial drivers license goes well beyond habits, however. You need good skills, particularly in some of the trickier aspects like reversing a tractor and trailer – it’s not as easy as it looks.

Highway driving, particularly in traffic, is another skill that needs to be developed. Some of these bigger rigs require a lot of road space to stop, even in an emergency. Learning these skills is essential if you are to have a long and happy career as a truck driver. Your commercial drivers license is simply a test (perhaps simple is the wrong word) that a well trained driver should pass with ease. It does come back to that basic truck driver training.

ATS Truck Driver Training Schools have the experience, the skilled trainers and the industry respect when it comes to producing well trained truck drivers. If you’re driving down the highway and you meet a truck coming the other way, who do you want behind the wheel of that truck, a well trained driver or one that has learned a lot of bad habits? I hope its an ATS trained driver!

One of the big changes that has taken place over the last twenty years has been in the number of women that have taken on truck driving as a career. When you think about a truck driver, most people imagine beer swilling, foul mouthed men in singlets and shorts – nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, many businesses now provide their truck drivers with a uniform of sorts, even if it’s just a monogrammed shirt.

Women entering the truck driving ranks has become easier over the years and most employers now don’t balk at hiring a woman driver. The reality is that today’s trucks don’t require brute strength; they have power steering and gear boxes that almost change up or down on their own. Truck drivers are rarely required to load or unload their cargo – that is left to specialized equipment like forklifts or overhead cranes.

Like all careers, the learning curve for women is no different to that of men. Truck driver training schools like ATS Truck Driving School can have a student ready to sit for their commercial drivers license in as little as three weeks. That is three weeks of solid behind the wheel training together with in class theoretical knowledge building.

If you are woman looking for a different type of career – why not consider taking on truck driving. The work is interesting, the pay good and the opportunities there. Women and truck driving have been a successful mix for many years now and you can be a part of it too.

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.

There has been a lot of talk recently about how the construction industry has held together despite the recession. In fact, the recession has probably helped it out considering all the money that has been thrown into thousands of programs around the country. The silent winners have been the truck drivers.

Truck driving is one of those skills and qualifications that a lot of people take for granted. Yet, without truck drivers, the heavy equipment required for these projects would still be sitting idle in the contractor’s yards. It’s not just the heavy equipment either. These projects require building materials and often need to have rock and debris removed before work can start.

Work as a truck driver covers a broad spectrum of jobs. You could be a heavy equipment hauler; perhaps a dump truck driver; or a truck delivering building materials. These are all jobs that are essential to any construction project thus making truck drivers valuable members of any construction team.

Learning to become a truck driver is not difficult. It only takes a few weeks and you have the skills required. The hardest component is passing the test to qualify for a commercial drivers license. Pass this test and you’re officially a truck driver. It is then up to you to decide in which area you want to specialize.

ATS has been teaching people to drive trucks for over 25 years. We have a great track record for delivering truck driver training that enables most students to qualify for their CDL at their first attempt. Are you a truck driver in the making? The nation’s heavy equipment needs people with good truck driving skills to move that equipment from job to job.

If you have ever thought about a truck driving career then now is certainly a good time to give it some more thought. Our economy is still shaky yet the demand for truck drivers is going up. Once our economy returns to some normality it is predicted we will be short of competent and experienced truck drivers. Gaining your commercial driver license now, and then getting what ever experience you can on a variety of different trucks will see you well set up for the boom.

Taking on a truck driving career is not that difficult. Three weeks of training through the ATS Truck Driving School will see you well prepared to take on the commercial drivers license test. Pass the test and you will receive your license. That’s it. Of course, the three weeks of truck driver training are fairly intense and cover behind the wheel areas such as:

• tractor-trailer reversing
• driving in traffic
• safe braking and braking distances

This is hands on training, not sitting in a class room being told how to do it, or sitting in the passenger seat watching someone else doing it. This is you do the driving; you learning the skills; and you gaining the experience. In fact, when it comes to training, it’s all about you succeeding. You see, we don’t consider ourselves successful until we see you being successful.

Our approach of the last 45 years of successful training is to focus on the needs of industry and to then provide industry with drivers that are ready to meet those needs. In short, we train you to be successful at truck driving because you gain the skills that employers are looking for. Are you ready to take part in the next boom in truck driving careers?