As the winter chill sets in the number of job vacancies for heavy equipment operators often drops off just a little. Many operators find work in snow removal and road clearing whilst others look to the warmer states where construction continues – in fact, it often increases at this time of the year. This month’s jobs have been varied and included a visit by Schneider representative talking to and signing up new truck drivers. If you are looking for work as a truck driver, crane operator or heavy equipment operator, then take a moment each day to visit our jobs website. There you’ll find the latest offers by employers.

Heavy Equipment Operators
Decorah, IA
Employer taking job applications for heavy equipment operators for projects in IA and MN (also requires truck drivers with CDL-A).

Truck Drivers
Decorah, IA
Employer taking job applications for truck drivers with CDL-A for projects in IA and MN (also requires heavy equipment operators).

Equipment Operator Fuels
Pardeeville, WI
Alliant Energy is currently recruiting for an Equipment Operator. We are a publicly traded energy holding company with over 4,000 employees. Alliant Energy is committed to providing an inclusive work environment for all our employees and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In this challenging role you will operate fuel-handling equipment and performs related coal yard and plant tasks at a steam generating station.

Truck Driver
Madison, WI
Capitol Warehouse needs a tanker driver for mostly WI and surrounding state runs, home most nights.

Truck Drivers
Marshfield, WI
Roehl at Marshfield hiring CDL-A drivers for Dairy Tankers runs, WI and MN

Heavy Equipment Operators and Laborers
Nationwide Contracting – Oklahoma
Heavy Equipment Operators and Laborers Experience required. Must have valid D.L., be able to work ex­tended hours.

Heavy equipment operator careers are lucrative and in demand, and that demand is going to grow over the next five years. If you are interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver, or crane operator, then contact us for information on training programs that have been designed to get you into work, not just cover the basic skills.

One of the most common accidents on a construction site is where heavy equipment comes into contact with a worker. With backhoes and excavators, this can often be the bucket striking an individual as it is being swung around. Other accidents include running into workers, particularly when reversing, and crushing workers between the heavy equipment and a stationary object – often another vehicle, or the side of a building.

To avoid accidents, one of the skills an operator must learn is awareness, and that process should start with their heavy equipment training. Heavy equipment operators need to be able to see clearly around them, and when there are obstructions, to call on the help of other workers to guide them. This is common practice with crane operators. If a crane operator cannot see the load, they will use a rigger or signal person to guide them and warn them of any dangers. The same process is available to heavy equipment operators in situations where vision is impaired for any reason.

All vehicles (including ordinary passenger cars) have ‘blind spots’. These are areas close to, and often behind, the equipment that an operator cannot see. Modern heavy equipment technology does have reversing monitors in place, however, they are only of use when the vehicle is actually reversing. Heavy equipment often also utilizes a warning system when reversing, a system that provides an audible beeping to warn other workers about the heavy equipment’s presence.

Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility, and work colleagues do owe you a little respect as well. They are as much responsible for their actions around heavy equipment as the operator is. That being said, the heavy equipment operator is the person in control of the equipment, and they are in a position to stop or prevent an incident should someone impinge on their work area. Heavy equipment safety is vitally important – obviously from a human life perspective but also from a cost perspective. Accidents can bring a whole work site to a standstill until investigators have completed their investigation into the causes. Think safe, work safe, and you’ll protect yourself as well as your work colleagues.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools ranks heavy equipment safety highly and includes comprehensive training modules in workplace safety. When looking for a heavy equipment training school, be sure they rank workplace safety highly as well – employers will consider your application for employment.

Finding a heavy equipment job is easy with ATS. Just complete your training and you’ll have access to our jobs database. But we also go one step further by providing your with job leads. Here are this week’s job leads by ATS Heavy Equipment School:

1. PA, Wyalusing area. B and K Crane is hiring erane operators.
2. Oscar Winski is hiring heavy equipment operators in Lafayette, IN.
3. Equipment Operator III
   Pensacola, FL
   Full Salary Range (Hourly): Minimum $14.54; 1st Quartlie $16.72; Midpoint $18.91; 3rd Quartile $21.08; Maximum $23.27. You’ll be called to operate a wide variety of medium to heavy equipment.
4. Backhoe Operator
   United States
   One of America’s premier railroad engineering and construction enterprises. Atlas has successfully completed more than 2,200 contracts. Currently seeking new operators.
5. Equipment Operator
   Grand Forks, ND
   EOE/AA Employer. Qualified women and minorities encouraged to apply. Equipment Operators needed to operate a variety of equipment including backhoe, excavator, scraper, compacters, dozer, and loader. Travel may be required, if so, pay per diem will apply. Knowledge of medium and heavy motorized equipment operations required and good communication skills. Competitive pay plus great benefit package. Must possess a current drivers license.

Before you can get a heavy equipment job you must be qualified for the position. If you still haven’t completed your heavy equipment training, enroll online for the training you need to get the job of your dreams.

There are tons of jobs in heavy equipment available nationally and worldwide. Some are jobs as operators and others as general workers. Associated Training Services is a school specializing in the training of heavy equipment operators and more.
Here are some current jobs available in this field:

Job Title: Loader Operator
Location: Maple Valley, WA
Job Description: We have 2 positions available for loader operators.
Candidates must:
– Have at least 2 years of working experience as an operator or be certified from a recognized heavy equipment training program
– Have a valid, in-state driver’s license
– Be able to work with team members as well as alone
Job Overview: This operation position requires candidates to operate the machinery safely. Candidates must also be able to perform clean up and low maintenance on the equipment.

Job Title: Heavy Equipment Operator
Job Description: We are a train derailment company looking for qualified operators. Experience with backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, and other equipment is highly regarded. WE have open positions in IL, TX, IN, CA, and NE.
Candidates must have: A valid Class ACDL license, and a flexible schedule
This job includes: transporting, operating and maintenance of the heavy equipment machines that are used to clear railroads.
Payscale: Up to $50,000 with a chance to be promoted

Job Title: Heavy Equipment Operator at CHCS Construction
Job Location: Tyler, TX
Machines to work with include: graders, dozers, loaders, skid steers, backhoes, and more
Requirements: Minimum of 2 years of work experience or related schooling
Working with this construction team will require candidate to be a team player and to follow all safety precautions/ regulations.

As usual, we’ve some hot jobs for trained and qualified heavy equipment operators in various parts of the country. We hope the following heavy equipment jobs help you find gainful employment.

• Hugo, MN is hiring operators with class-A CDL. Most projects are within 70 miles of Minneapolis/St Paul.
• In Sun Prairie, WI, H.O. Wolding is doing a driver hiring presentation today.
• Schneider Transport is raising tuition reimbursement to $6,000.
• WI, If you live within 50 mi of Neenah and Swift, this company will pay you about .34/mile, 500 mi a day with 34hrs off at home base every week.

These heavy equipment jobs are available for trained and qualified operators. If you haven’t received your heavy equipment training yet, then find out how to get your CDL license or heavy equipment operator’s certificate so that you can work in your state. Requirements vary from state to state, but ATS Heavy Equipment Schools has an online training course that will meet most state requirements.

Learn more about online heavy equipment operator training from ATS Heavy Equipment Schools.

If you are in the market for a heavy equipment job, take a look at these job listings for this week:

• Neenah, WI Swift is hiring drivers at Diesel Driving School
• Cleveland, OH is hiring operators
• Cromwell, IN “DRIVE THIS TRUCK” is a fleet owner on with PRIME and they are hiring new drivers start at $600/wk
• Fargo, ND Industrial Builders hiring operators
• Green Bay, WI hiring drivers for Inter-Modal, Most runs are Illinois rounds
• Sapulpa, Ok needs heavy equipment operators
• Cleveland OH needs excavator operators to operate clams, grapples and magnets.

For more job listings for heavy equipment operators, check out our online heavy equipment job listing website. You’ll find professional heavy equipment operator jobs, crane operator jobs, and diesel truck driving jobs.

The days of focusing on one piece of heavy equipment as a career are quickly fading. Employers are constantly looking for heavy equipment operators who are multi-skilled, generally on heavy equipment, however, there are other associated skills that employers look for. A commercial drivers license is always handy to have since many employers prefer operators who can also drive trucks.

A look at this past weekend’s job opportunities is a good indication of what employers are looking for, although interestingly enough, this weekend is one of the few where a CDL didn’t appear in one or more job listings. Instead, we had employers that included the following:

• Must have hours on Trackhoe, Backhoe, Dozer and/or Grader;
• safe operation of various heavy equipment vehicles; and
• operates equipment including excavator, compactor, bulldozer, forklift and front end loader

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools offer training on a wide range of heavy equipment including:

• Backhoes
• Wheel Loaders
• Scrapers
• Excavators
• Bulldozers
• Road Graders
• Rock Trucks
• Skid Steers
• All-Terrain Forklifts

Once you have covered the basic training, you should look for opportunities where you can build up hours on a range of heavy equipment. You’ll become more confident on each unit, and over time, build up a range of skills that employers will find attractive.

When looking to change careers, it often pays to carefully study job advertisements in that niche. You will then know what employers are looking for and so prepare yourself for those requirements. Employers are still picky when it comes to heavy equipment operators – they know the type of worker they want, and they know which training establishments provide the best graduates – so deliver them what they are looking for. Over time, you’ll have the pick of the jobs.

Good heavy equipment operators are in short supply in some areas and this is forcing businesses to look at other options. In Canada they are taking their training programs into the high schools training 17- and 18-year-old students for a career as heavy equipment operators. For the youngsters, it’s a great program. The moment they leave school they are ready to start work earning good money, and as one student suggested:

This is a giant Tonka toy ….. This is my dream come true. I just love it.

There are numerous programs across the country that help unemployed and/or ex-military persons retrain as heavy equipment operators. Is there really that big a shortage of skilled heavy equipment operators? The construction industry is one that has aged over the last twenty years. Becoming a heavy equipment operator hasn’t been high on the agenda of young adults as they graduate from high school and college. With the lack of youth coming through, and a very high proportion of baby-boomers working in the industry, there is a prediction that operator numbers will plummet over the next ten years if we don’t recruit new operators to the industry.

Will moving into the schools help alleviate this problem? Every program that develops new entrants will help. However, the approach in Canada has been to only accept 15 students each year into their program. That is really only a drop in the ocean when we are going to need thousands over the next decade.

For those considering a career change, you could do worse than consider a career as a heavy equipment operator. The wages are good, and once experienced, there will be plenty of work available over the next ten to fifteen years. Don’t leave it to the kids; jump in now and grab your chance for a new career.

Are you well versed in a range of heavy equipment? If you are a professional heavy equipment operator then you do need to have more than one piece of equipment in your skills set. We are frequently getting job vacancies from employers, which have as a major requirement the ability to operate a range of heavy equipment. We are also getting vacancies that ask for heavy equipment operators who have a current commercial drivers license.

From a business owner’s perspective, it makes sense to employ individuals who can be utilized where the need is greatest. If a project is running behind schedule, they can move employees to that project to help move things along. If they don’t have multi-skilled operators, then their options are limited, short of engaging short term contractors at a higher cost.

As an operator, you are gaining two benefits from multi-skilling. You are opening up more employment opportunities as your skills set will appeal to that wider group of employers. From a workplace perspective, you are also giving yourself variety – your not stuck operating the one piece of equipment day-after-day. Employers also respect that philosophy – variety does help to keep employees on-the-ball.

For new operators, our suggestion is very simple – when undertaking your initial training, find a heavy equipment training organization that will train you on a variety of machinery. Once you enter the work place, look for an employer who will give you ongoing experience on that machinery. For existing operators, we suggest you review your current skills set, and if necessary, consider adding to new skills, especially a commercial drivers license. You’ll reap the benefits long term, and so will your future employers.

There is a misconception amongst many in the community that heavy equipment careers are fairly itinerant by nature. This is far from the truth. Sure, there are major construction companies that move from project to project, taking their equipment and their operators with them. However, the majority of work for heavy equipment operators is local, with most operators home for dinner each night.

As for being a career for young single males – the majority of workers in this industry are over 40 and married, most with children. You can dispel the male only component as well, there are a lot of women who are now working as heavy equipment operators, and enjoying every minute of it. In reality, anyone can become a heavy equipment operator; all it takes is desire and an aptitude for operating equipment.

When it comes to employment opportunities, local construction leads the way while municipal councils run a close second. Private contractors are also big employers, offering equipment and operators for lease to farmers, developers and, on occasion, environmental groups wanting sensitive areas cleared of non-native vegetation. Even large construction companies, with their somewhat itinerant workforce, need to employ local operators to fill gaps in their ranks.

This means that most operators own their home, and work from their home base. These workers take the daily commute to and from their workplaces like everyone else, just a little earlier than most. A heavy equipment career is certainly not restricted to young single males (although the industry would love to see more of them join the ranks). A short heavy equipment training program is all that most people require to start successful careers as operators.