Are you interested in a career as a crane operator? You will need to decide on the type of crane you want to operate since they come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and configurations. The two most common basic crane types are the mobile cranes and the fixed cranes. Some fixed cranes require assembly and dis-assembly before and after use. Mobile cranes can be driven to a work site and be readied for action quite quickly.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training Schools, we offer training in several different types of crane including:

• Fixed and Swing Cab Mobile Hydraulic Cranes,
• Lattice Boom (Crawler or Truck) Cranes, and
• Articulated Boom (Knuckleboom) Cranes

For an individual interested in becoming a crane operator, the training is only half of the story. You will also need to become certified before an employer can place you into a cab. This makes the training an important half (of the story) since you will need to pass tests to become certified. It also helps if your training provider is also accredited to undertake the assessments required to gain certification.

ATS is one of the oldest and biggest crane operator training organizations in the country. We have developed training programs that are accepted nationally and we are accredited to deliver practical and theory assessments for certification by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).

Employers recognize the quality of our training and the validity of our certification process, often coming to us when looking for new operators. If you are interested in a well paid career as a crane operator, then seek out the best training possible – it will set you up for a long and very successful career.

There’s more to becoming a mobile crane operator than just learning to pull levers. Mobile cranes, whilst not overly complex, do rely on a crane operator’s ability to assess the job before starting. That assessment includes the terrain, the load, and the environment. The latter is particularly important as it includes factors such as wind direction and strength, and any obstacles such as overhead utility lines.

When it comes to the load, size really does matter. Mobile cranes range in size from baby 5 ton vehicles up to quite large 120+ ton vehicles. The size represents the maximum weight a crane can handle, however, this is one of the areas where a crane operator’s skill and knowledge is important. A 60-ton crane, for example, can lift up to 60 tons – under perfect conditions. Add wind, particularly gusting wind, and/or an uneven terrain, and that vehicle’s safe maximum lifting capacity could be reduced by 50% or more.

This is why new crane operators require good quality training, and why all crane operators must be certified before being permitted to operate a crane. Crane operator training will provide the necessary skills and knowledge to work safely as a crane operator. Certification tests an operator’s skill and knowledge only allowing competent operators through to the workplace.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools deliver high quality training to students looking for a career as a crane operator. Training is provided by NCCER qualified trainers and includes training for fixed cab and swing cab mobile hydraulic cranes, lattice boom cranes, and articulated boom (knuckleboom) cranes. On completion of a students training, we are accredited by NCCCO as a test site for both the NCCCO written and NCCCO practical exams. This means you can receive your training and your certification through the one training organization.

You wouldn’t normally associate heavy equipment with the film and television industry, yet they do appear frequently on camera. What many people don’t realize is that cranes, particularly mobile cranes, are a common tool used behind the camera. For many directors, mobile cranes are used in preference to a wide range of specialist tools that are available.

Mobile cranes are a useful tool for quickly moving scenery, props and even whole buildings when required. Mobile cranes are also used to mount fixed cameras – the director is able to locate a camera exactly where required given the light and other factors present. A smaller version of a mobile crane is mounted on rails. This allows camera operators to smoothly follow the action, being raised and lowered as required.

The skills required to operate these cranes are no different to those required in general industry. It does take a well trained and experienced operator who has well developed skills to follow the precise directions of a film or TV director. The biggest difference is that, in general industry, a crane operator has all the time in the world to complete a task. In the film and television industry, a director expects a crane operator to act quickly, and to get it right first time, every time.

If you’re for a career with a difference, then perhaps a career as a crane operator in the film and television awaits. You will need to undertake mobile crane operator training first, and you will need to develop those skills through a general industry job. However, once you have honed your skills, you can apply for specialist positions within the film and TV industry – every operator has to start somewhere, they just need those fine skills.

Whilst some consider a career operating cranes as boring, mobile crane operators would certainly argue otherwise. Being mobile, they spend time on the road traveling from job to job, and for the very large cranes, that can be hundreds of miles. Not only do mobile crane operators travel around a lot, they are also doing very different work all the time.

Every job has its boring aspect. Raising and lowering pipes into a trench is not exactly a test of ones skills. However, tomorrow, you could be helping to pull a car out of a river, and that may well test you out. If you can think of a task where a crane could be required to offer assistance, then you almost guarantee a mobile crane is the tool of choice.

One of the most interesting jobs that has caught our eyes in recent years is the case of the grossly overweight woman who needed to be transported to a hospital. There was no way an ambulance stretcher could get her down a staircase, and there was no way she could walk down, so a crane was called in to help workers first, make the window opening much larger, and secondly, to help lower her to the ground.

Mobile crane operators do have interesting careers. They are well paid, and there is always plenty of demand for well trained operators. Crane operator training can be completed in as little as three weeks, and once you have passed your crane operator certification assessments, you are ready to start your first job. If you’re interested in a career as a crane operator, then contact us at Associated Training Schools – it’s the first step to a great career as a mobile crane operator.

There is a certain fascination with working as a crane operator. Everyone wants to reach the lofty heights of a highrise crane operator, and I do mean lofty heights. Some of those cranes “walk” their way up the building as it grows below them. The problem is, while it may seem to be an exciting career, there’s a certain monotony to the job. You spend the whole day lifting the same objects, often to the same place – there’s not a lot of variation of challenges in these positions. At least, until it’s time to move your crane.

One of the advantages that mobile crane operators have is variety. Because their crane is mobile, it can be sent around the region at a moments notice, and the range of jobs performed is endless. Think of a task where a heavy object requires a lift, and a mobile crane will most likely be called in (unless it’s a high rise building of course).

Mobile crane operators require several skills. They need to be truck drivers, since their crane is effectively mounted on a truck – this also requires a commercial drivers license. Mobile crane operators may also require rigging skills in order to set up their crane ready for use. Of course, they also require crane operating skills in order to do the actual task. Add to that record keeping skills that their employer requires to bill clients, and time management skills in order to complete tasks on time, and you have a highly skilled operator.

Training to become a mobile crane operator is not taxing and can be completed in as little as three weeks. Mobile crane operators are always in demand and they can attract good wages, especially those with plenty of experience. If you want a job that isn’t boring, is well paid, and can often offer challenging situations, consider a career as a mobile crane operator.

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.

Are crane operators well paid? According to the Wall Street Journal they are. At least, some crane operators in New York City are. The report suggested that some crane operators in the city were earning up to $500,000 each year in wages and benefits. And no, that’s not a misprint; they are collecting a half million each year.

Of course, the majority of crane operators are on far less than that – probably more like 10%, but $50,000 a year is still nothing to sneeze at. If you make it to a high rise crane operator’s position, your wage will be significantly more. Still, statistics show that crane operators in general are amongst the highest paid workers on construction sites.

If you consider the responsibility that sits in the hands of a crane operator, then you can understand why they are well paid. If you look at mobile crane operators, they still have a lot of responsibility in their hands. Their job can be dangerous, especially to others, and as such need to be very competent, very reliable, and very safe in the way they work.

Because of those demands on crane operators, it is hard to get reliable and skilled workers into the profession. This is one of the reasons why they draw larger paychecks than most others – employers have to offer better wages, benefits, and conditions to attract those good operators.

It takes several years experience before you can attract those higher paychecks, and that experience needs to demonstrate your reliability and skill. The only way you can ever hope to build a good long term career as a crane operator is by having a good skill foundation to begin with, and that requires quality crane operator training through a well respected training organization.

Undertake training today to become a crane operator, and who knows, in ten years time you could be operating one of those high rise cranes and taking home paychecks that most of us can only dream about.

Crane operator training programs are not the same. Some providers offer basic training and leave it at that, others offer services that go beyond just basic training. Careers as crane operators can be well paid and the work interesting, varied and often challenging. To gain the best possible chance at securing a stable career, you need all the assistance possible – certainly more than just basic training.

So what can you expect from ATS Crane Operator Schools when it comes to crane operator training? A lot! We certainly strive to offer more than just ‘basic training’. Our aim is to provide you with all the assistance necessary to complete your training, gain certification and secure worthwhile employment. We achieve this through a number of processes. These include:

• Online Applications
• Financial Assistance
• Housing Assistance
• In-The-Seat Training
• NCCCO Test & Certification
• Nationwide Career / Employment Services

This complete package makes life much easier for you. You can apply online (including a financial assistance application), receive both in-the-seat training and classroom training, undertake certification as a crane operator and then receive assistance to help you find employment. This is one of the reasons why we are one of the leaders in crane operator training.

That is an impressive list of assistance but it counts for nothing if the training isn’t up to scratch. The fact that graduates not only complete the certification assessments with ease but also gain employment soon after graduating speaks volumes. ATS Crane Operator Training Schools have also worked hard to achieve recognition from within industry for the quality of graduates entering the workforce. If you are interested in a career as a crane operator, be sure to compare all the training programs on offer. They are not all the same!