Crane Operator Certification

What Type Of Crane Would You Like To Operate?

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.

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Looking For An Interesting Career? Check Out Mobile Crane Operations

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.

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Crane Operator Certifications For Old Hands

If you’ve worked as a crane operator in the past and you’re considering moving back into the profession, you will have to consider many of the changes that have occurred in recent years. One of the biggest changes is that, in most states, crane operators are now required to be certified to a set of national standards. Technology has also improved so you may even require some retraining in order to pass certification assessments.

Retraining is an easy three week program that covers everything required to complete your certification tests and to receive certification. While basic crane operations will always remain the same, there are some areas that have now been taken over by computers. A good example is load monitoring. This is an alarm system that warns the operator when the computers have discovered an issue with the load.

Certification is awarded to those operators who complete the NCCCO-based written and practical examinations. The NCCCO (National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators) crane operator certification is one of the most widely recognized crane operator certifications available. Without this certification, operators are not allowed inside the cab of a working crane.

Associated Training Services (ATS) is one of our nation’s largest and most respected crane schools. While training operators is our core business, we are also accredited to undertake the examinations set out by the NCCCO for crane operator certification. This provides students (or former operators) with a clear path from training through to certification and then employment (via our Career Services department).

If you’re a former crane operator looking to return to the profession, or a rank novice looking to start a career, ATS has the skill, experience, and accreditation to help you achieve those goals.

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Choosing The Right Crane Operator School

If you have a desire to become a crane operator, then your first step should be to research the best crane operator training schools. Crane operations go far beyond just pushing levers to raise and lower a cable with a load on it. There are safety aspects to be considered. You need to know how to stabilize your crane before you even start to lift, and you need to be able calculate the best way to move a load given its weight and the conditions.

There are many different ways to learn how to operate any equipment. You can have a friend teach you, or you can just teach yourself. However, you are really only learning how to push those levers. This means you may be able to operate a crane, but you’re definitely not a crane operator. In fact, you now require certification before you can step onto a crane and no employer will look at you without that certification.

When looking for a crane operator training school, look for those that have a long history of successfully training operators. You should also look for those that offer certification as a crane operator as well. The best crane operator training combines in-class and in-the-cab training that gives you both the skills and knowledge to work effectively as a crane operator.

Associated Training Services (ATS) has been in the business of training for over 40 years. They offer crane operator training and certification for both new entrants and old hands looking to refresh their skills (and gain certification). If you are looking for quality training to kick start your crane operator career, look no further – ATS have the experience and follow-up services that will give you every opportunity to not just obtain a certification, but to find employment as well.

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Do You Need Crane Operator Re-Certification?

Crane operators are now required to obtain certification in most states before being allowed onto a jobsite to operate a crane. Certification is a process that verifies an operator’s ability to operate a crane, and their knowledge of safety issues surrounding the setup and operation of a crane. Crane operator certification has been introduced to try and reduce the number of accidents that occur each year, some resulting in the loss of life.

ATS Crane Operator Training Schools has a variety of training and certification programs available for new operators, existing operators, and most importantly, operators looking to return to the profession after a sojourn in other fields. Those operators looking to return should be looking for training programs that can refresh their existing knowledge while bringing them up to date with the latest in technology and safety aspects. These operators will most likely not have undertaken any certification process in the past, and for those who have, they will need to consider re-certification prior to seeking employment.

In most states, employers will not even consider employment for operators who are not currently certified. ATS offers certification through the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), one of the most highly respected certifications in the industry. NCCCO certification meets all federal and state safety requirements and is achieved through a specific assessment process.

If you are considering returning to work as a crane operator, or have been working as a crane operator, then ATS can help you achieve your certification as a crane operator. If you require more information on crane operator certification, then check out our web pages on the subject.

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Specialized Crane Operator Training In All Areas

Crane operator training has become an important part of any workplace that employs cranes. Today, it is compulsory in most states to be certified as a crane operator before you can step foot anywhere near a crane. One of the problems with crane operator training is that one size does not fit all and there are many different types of crane in use today.

ATS Crane Operator Schools conduct regular training programs for those wanting to enter the mobile crane sector. For those employers looking for specialized operators, we offer training in:

  • Large Telescopic Boom Cranes (swing cab/rough terrain)
  • Small Telescopic Boom Cranes (fixed cab/boom truck)
  • Lattice Crane (Crawler or Truck)
  • Articulated (knuckleboom) Cranes

We also provide training in for OSHA Compliant Rigging & Signal Person and offer NCCCO Written & Practical Exams for those ready for certification. ATS is approved by the NCCCO as a test site for both the NCCCO written and NCCCO practical exams so we provide the complete pathway from training through to certification.

Whilst most of our training is undertaken at one of our campuses, we are happy to set up a training and testing room on your site if that is more convenient. This can be beneficial for those businesses that are located, or who are working in remote locations. Because we come to you, there is a less impact on your day-to-day business. Employees are also then trained on the equipment that will be using.

If you want more information on specialized crane operator training, feel free to call us on 800-678-8149.

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Crane Operator Careers – Getting Your Foot In The Door

The old saying “you have got to start at the bottom” is true for any career. For those that aspire to operating cranes atop new hi-rise constructions, you too will have to start at the bottom. At least, you will have to start at ground level. Getting your foot in the door is often the hardest part of any new career. When it comes to crane operator careers, one of the keys is your crane operator training.

Most states now have legislation in place that makes it mandatory for employers to only use certified crane operators in the work place. To gain certification, you need the appropriate training – training that prepares you for your certification assessment while also ensuring you have the skills required by employers. That, however, is just the first step.

Just because you are certified as a crane operator doesn’t mean employers are going to employ you. In most cases, employers want operators that are skilled and experienced – and that’s pretty tough on new graduates to the industry. There is one rider to that – employers are also looking for employees that will fit into their organization. ATS Crane Operator Schools has spent over 40 years training individuals for the work place. Over that time, we have also developed a good rapport with industry. We know what employers are looking for and we prepare our students ready to accept entry level employment.

Employers do look to training schools like ATS for entry level recruits. There are a lot of jobs that only require those base skills, so for employers, the rationale is quite simple – why pay extra for a skilled operator when a new recruit fresh from training school can do the job? That’s where the ATS Careers Services personnel enter the picture. They will try to match the requirements of employers with the skills and attributes of students graduating from one of our training schools. Our success rate is one that we are proud of.

If you are looking to start a career as a crane operator, we don’t just have the crane operator training and certification services available, we can help you get your foot in the door if you access our career services section. Interested? Contact ATS for more information on when and where our next training courses are scheduled.

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Specialized Crane Operator Training To Meet Legislative Requirements

Many states are now in the process of adopting legislation that makes it mandatory for all crane operators to have passed a certification assessment. For many employers, this may make life difficult. Their crane operators may be highly skilled and valuable assets to the organization, but without that certification, their value could be lost overnight. The simple solution, of course, is to have those operators assessed and certified.

That is a simple solution and many employers are now taking that route. For others, the solution is not so simple. Over the years employers have used employees in multiple roles. For example, a heavy machinery operator is trained to operate a crane, but only used when the need arises. Their main use to the business is a heavy equipment operator. These individuals will also need certifying before they can again operate a crane and, given their limited experience, may struggle to pass that assessment.

This is where ATS Crane Operator Schools is in a position to assist. We are able to deliver training and assessment, either at one of our training schools or in the workplace – depending on the needs of the employer. We can also provide specialist crane operator training in workplaces that have special needs. Our training covers a variety of cranes including fixed cab and swing cab mobile hydraulic cranes, crawler or truck mounted lattice boom cranes, and rigging. We can also travel where employees that require training, assessment and certification are located in remote places.

Skilled employees are valuable assets to any business – ensure your crane operators have been tested and certified so they remain of value to your business.

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Certification – Is It Really That Important?

Certification is slowly becoming an issue for many operators in the heavy equipment industry. This is particularly so of crane operators as more and more states adopt the concept of employers being only permitted to employ certified crane operators. From July this year, new standards will start to come in effect on a national level that will make it compulsory for all crane operators to be certified.

ATS Crane Operator Schools have been supporters of crane operator certification for several years now. We have been accredited to deliver both the training and the certification assessments, a situation which makes life far easier for those looking at a crane operator career. The process is fairly straightforward as well.

As a new student, you will spend three weeks of in-class and in-cab training. This is designed to give you the actual skills required to work effectively in the industry. At the same time, you will be given training in areas such as maintenance and the all-important safety aspects of crane operations. Crane safety is one of the driving forces behind the requirement for crane operators to become certified. In theory, if all operators are certified they should all have the same set of basic operational skills along with the same safety training knowledge. The end results should be a far safer workplace.

If you are looking at a career as a crane operator, check with your crane operator trainer regarding certification. If they don’t train to a national standard then they will not be preparing you for the inevitable certification process – this will see you spending a lot of money on training that could be useless. Select a training provider that not only provides training that is accredited, select a training provider that can prove both the crane operator training and the crane operator certification assessments. Your money will be well spent and you will have a qualification that will be accepted throughout the country – that’s invaluable.

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Crane Operator Certification To Become Mandatory Nationwide

If you are a crane operator and you haven’t been certified then now may be a good time to consider undergoing the crane operator certification assessment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) is introducing federal certification requirements for crane operators with the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) the organization charged with setting standards and issuing certificates. These standards are expected to be set in July although a start date is unknown at present.

Crane certification is already compulsory in some states and the effect in reducing workplace accidents involving cranes has been noticeable. This is one reason behind the extension of this requirement nationwide. For many students of ATS Crane Operator Schools, the news will be welcome since they have not only completed their training, they have also completed the requirements for certification.

Our crane operator training program is undertaken full time over three weeks. ATS Crane Operator Schools has also been accredited to deliver assessments that lead to certification. This means student can undertake crane operator training and undertake the certification process, all in the one location. Graduates can then enter the work place fully certified in accordance with regulations.

If you are considering undertaking a crane operator training program, make sure it is accredited and check to see whether or not the training body is also accredited to deliver assessments that lead to crane operator certification. In the near future it will be mandatory so receiving certification soon after training makes a lot of sense.

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