Ever wonder how a road is made flat when cruising through a hilly area? Or, ask yourself why we do not generally see large puddles on the highway? The answer to both of these questions is the road or motor grader and a well trained road grader operator. This piece of equipment can be used in the maintenance of unpaved roads, but its main purpose is roadwork and flattening a path. It smoothes the roadway prior to asphalt being poured, and it can be used to put a slight slope on highways to ensure the water runs off the road eliminating puddles that can result in cars hydroplaning.

Although not as well known as the bulldozer and dump truck, the road grader is an essential piece of the roadwork operations. As a result, being trained to operate one in a hands-on training environment is crucial to maneuvering these huge pieces of machinery effectively and safely. A good heavy equipment operator course will include training on road / motor graders to ensure capable operators are heading out to the worksites.

Ensuring the heavy equipment training program that is chosen includes many different pieces of equipment of the utmost importance. This is true because employers will not only look at the equipment that has been trained on, but also, they will look at the quality of the school that did the training. Employers want only the best trained workers who will be the most effective and safety conscious people on their site. Road graders may not be the most glamorous of the heavy equipment machines, but they are a very important one for road crews. Quality trained road grader operators are always in high demand, as roads are constantly being built and or maintained.

Many skills that are learned in the military are the same skills that are needed in many non-military industries. This is especially true when it comes to the world of construction, engineering and heavy equipment. The discipline and drive instilled in veterans are needed in this industry now more than ever, and with just a few weeks of training, veterans can go from the battle field to the construction site earning great wages in this pride-filled industry.

This industry, much like the military, is a results driven industry that will be a great fit for veterans of multiple military disciplines. There are many jobs in the military that lead directly to jobs in the heavy equipment and construction related fields, so the veteran can easily transfer this knowledge to become certified in multiple disciplines. Many choose to start with heavy equipment operator training and then move on to crane training or even rigger and signal person training. All of these classes are short and can get the veteran out on the work site quickly earning an excellent income.

There are also many other military professions that, although not directly related to construction, can make a smooth transition into this industry. After all, tank drivers can easily transfer their skills into driving a bulldozer. Many other drivers and operators of military vehicles and machinery can find rewarding careers in the heavy equipment fields, an easy transition.

The life of a soldier is one of constant training, which makes a veteran a great fit in the construction industry. This is an industry where a great deal of importance is put on training, mainly for safety, but also to ensure the job is done correctly the first time. Heavy equipment training truly is a great fit for veterans of any discipline.

Once a worker has completed the Heavy Equipment Operator training, he will often head right out to his new career at an engineering or construction company. The new skills that have been taught will begin to become second nature with the experience gained in the field. At this time, a worker will either decide that he or she is happy working as a heavy equipment operator, or that he is looking for something more from his career. There are many paths that can be taken at this point, but one route that can be chosen in this decision making process is to move into crane operations.

Crane operators require some additional training and skills above the requirements for a heavy equipment operator to safely operate these mammoth machines. To be able to operate a crane on a work site, the passing of a certification test is required. With these additional requirements comes more responsibility regarding safety and effective work practices, but with these additional requirements also comes additional pay for the crane operator. In many workers’ eyes, this additional crane operator training is well worth the time spent to ensure a higher salary at the end of the day.

Crane operator training can be a huge investment in any worker’s future. In about a month, a heavy equipment operator can be trained and certified to operate a crane and advance his career. Crane operators are in high demand right now due to the “baby boomer” generation reaching retirement age. Now is a great time for heavy equipment operators to get the crane operator training under their belts. What better time than now to advance a career?

Children often dream of operating heavy equipment and building bridges or skyscrapers. When they grow up, some of them will continue with this dream, and actually need to be trained to reach their goals. In the real world, bulldozer training is essential to the safety and proper use of a bulldozer on any construction site.

Bulldozer training is an important requirement that helps in the reduction of jobsite errors and safety related accidents. It is training that is essential for the heavy equipment operator to become familiar with this massive and quite dangerous piece of machinery. This training gives the operator the required knowledge that he will need to operate a bulldozer in a safe and effective manner to get the job done safely. The operator of such a machine has a huge amount of responsibility regarding the work site and the workers that he is supporting. Safety is everyone’s responsibility on the job site, but the heavy equipment operator has the ultimate responsibility; he is operating a piece of equipment that could easily maim or kill a coworker or himself.

Safety is obviously a huge piece of the training but being able to properly get the job done is also an important aspect of bulldozer training. A bulldozer operator must be able to effectively perform his duties whether it is slot dozing, leveling or boxing out; it is essential that he can operate the bulldozer to its utmost. Often, many laborers are dependent on the bulldozer operator completing his job prior to them performing theirs. The job site can actually shut down if the bulldozer operator is not efficient at his duties. Accurate training on the critical aspects of the proper operation will ensure smooth processes on the work site.

Safety and efficient operation are important factors in just about any job that comes to mind, but when it comes to heavy equipment operation and bulldozer operation the importance of these factors is exponentially magnified. Exceptional training is the key to ensure the safest and most effective methods are learned prior to hitting the job site.

A career as a heavy equipment operator can be interesting. After all, you are often in control of a real beast, a piece of machinery that can move a lot of dirt in a single action, perhaps even topple smaller buildings. Like all careers, heavy equipment operators do have more mundane aspects of their job. Some of these include:

• inspecting their equipment for potential problems
• undertaking minor repairs and maintenance tasks
• maintaining a record of repairs and maintenance tasks
• checking to see if there is sufficient fuel on site to complete a day’s work
• locating underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work
• maintaining records of materials or equipment used
• pushing other equipment (or vehicles) when extra traction or assistance is required
• reading plans or diagrams to establish work requirements
• liaising with clients on work progress
• preparing or helping to prepare cost estimates for jobs
• liaising with other members of a work team to coordinate activities

Everyone of those tasks are important to the successful completion of a job. In most cases, these tasks take minimal time; for example, heavy equipment operators can perform visual inspections of their equipment rather quickly once they get into a routine. Heavy equipment operators also learn to feel the health of their equipment through their hands and feet in much the same way a car driver can ‘feel’ if there is something amiss with their vehicle.

Whilst many consider the actual work on the ground to be the most important, getting one of those tasks listed above wrong could undo all the good work done on the ground. Imagine digging up a major gas pipe, for example – not good news for anyone, least of all the heavy equipment operator. Simple tasks like liaising with fellow team members can help to ensure a job is completed on time with no mishap. Heavy equipment training does touch on many of these tasks, however, most of them are easy to pick up, especially on the job.

It takes more than just skills and knowledge to be an effective heavy equipment operator. Like most workplaces, you also need the right attitude. This is particularly true when it comes to heavy equipment safety. We can train new operators in all the correct safety procedures; what we cannot do is change an operator’s attitude. That is an issue that a graduate needs to consider themselves.

So what do we mean by ‘attitude’? Heavy equipment safety means following rules and guidelines. As an operator, you have a choice – you can follow those rules, or try to take shortcuts. Worse still, you can consider those rules silly or unnecessary, and totally ignore them. That attitude will result in accidents, and operators with that attitude will have very short careers – if they survive any accidents.

Over the years, heavy equipment accidents have resulted in deaths and serious injuries. The Department Of Labor established OSHA to put in place safety guidelines for every employment place in the U.S. Employers (and employees) are obliged to follow these guidelines and for those who refuse or become neglectful, there are hefty fines. National bodies have been established to help put in place minimum training guidelines and this includes heavy equipment.

Heavy equipment training programs now need to include heavy equipment safety components. This ensures that everyone entering the industry has the same heavy equipment safety training. By standardizing this area of training, graduates are immediately employable nationwide since those safety standards are national, and not just restricted to the one state.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have earned a reputation for delivery training that is first class. This training provides in-class components that relate directly to safety along with in-the-seat operator training that helps to reinforce those safety aspects. Heavy equipment safety is important to everyone on a work site. Heavy equipment machinery is very dangerous in untrained hands so we make every sure every graduate works in a safe and happy environment.

Heavy equipment careers can be demanding, yet quite rewarding. For some people, operating graders, bulldozers or excavators is not challenging or interesting enough – they crave becoming an operator of specialized equipment like that used in mining, logging and road building.

One of the more popular targets is road plant equipment. This includes:

• paving equipment,
• concrete curbing equipment,
• asphalt finishers,
• milling machines,
• chipspreaders,
• roadwideners,
• vibratory compactors, and
• rubber tired rollers

And that is just a short list. In most cases, operators for these machines are recruited from the heavy equipment operator ranks within a company. If heavy equipment operators show an interest in any of these machines, they are often allowed short training periods to learn how to operate them. If they are proficient, they are eventually employed to operate the equipment full time.

The key to getting those opportunities is your initial heavy equipment training. Employers now expect their employees to complete their basic heavy equipment training through a well recognized training school. They also expect operators to have a solid understanding of heavy equipment, and to be work ready when hired.

Your second step is to then find employment with a company that uses the type of specialized equipment you are interested in. You will need to start at the bottom, and it could take several years before you catch the eyes of those who recruit operators – once you do, it’s simply a matter of transferring some of those skills to your new equipment. Specialized heavy equipment often pays well, however, it can be a very competitive area in which to gain a start. Once you do, you’ll find the employment rewarding and challenging.

If you’re into winter sports, particularly those involving snow, then a career as a heavy equipment operator may allow you to work and play in the snow resorts. Snow is a curse in many areas across the country. Towns and cities employ heavy equipment operators to clear streets using snow plows, de-icing equipment, and salt spreaders. Away from the town and cities, snow is considered a blessing – it brings in income in the form of tourists.

Snow resorts have similar problems to towns and cities – the roads need to be cleared to allow tourists in, and that’s certainly a job for heavy equipment operators. Operators are often up at dawn to clear roads, but when the job is done their time is theirs, and if they are into snow sports they join the tourists to hit the snow fields.

Clearing roads is only one job. There are others. Grooming ski runs using specialized equipment is another job that is well suited to heavy equipment operators. The task is a mix of bulldozing and grading, the idea being to have fresh well groomed areas for skiers and other snow based activities. What resort owners are looking for are picture postcard trails since that is what they advertise, and they don’t want to let paying customers down.

If you enjoy winter sports and you have a leaning towards heavy equipment operations, then why not blend the two? While the work is considered seasonal, there are some areas where work is available for eight or nine months of the year. The pay is good, and well managed, you can take three or four months off to prepare for the following season – or you can take on summer tasks that include repairing roads damaged by snow and preparing construction sites for new resorts or resort upgrades. If you’re interested in a career that mixes work and play, then your first step is to undertake heavy equipment training.

This week’s job listings show that, even in winter, crane operators remain in high demand. Heavy equipment job vacancies are still strong while truck driving opportunities come and go very quickly – there is, however, strong demand for truck drivers. Most of our job listings over the last couple of weeks have been for multiple positions, in many cases for new construction project. If you are interested in these or any other heavy equipment, crane operations, or truck driving jobs, then visit our job site for more information and all the current listings.

• Crane Operators – TX, Baytown
• Crane Operators – IA, Forest City
• Crane Operators – WI, Wauwatosa
• Crane Operator – PA, Hanover
• Crane Operators – Afghanistan and Kuwait
• Bulldozer Operators – TX, LA and MS
• Truck Drivers – ND, Williston
• Plant Operator – FL, Vero Beach
• Heavy Equipment Operator – CO, Denver
• Heavy Equipment Operator – Maryland

The trend is still for operators with a commercial drivers license, or with experience on a range of heavy equipment. If you’re looking to gain experience on road plant, then look for general heavy equipment vacancies with road construction companies. If you’re a good operator, they may give you the opportunity to gain experience on road plant that is currently in use. If you’re looking for a career as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver, or certified crane operator, then visit our training site for more information training opportunities.

That is what we are seeing more and more these days – job vacancies for heavy equipment operators with commercial drivers licenses. For many smaller employers, it can be hard to justify employing individuals who only have the one skill. Employers are now wanting the flexibility to move employees from job to job depending on the demand, and that’s impossible if their employees have limited skills.

Being mult-skilled is a must in many professions now, and heavy equipment operations is no different. It’s not just the CDL that matters either. Being able to operate a range of heavy equipment also helps, and today, that’s not difficult to achieve. Modern heavy equipment training methods don’t focus on a single piece of equipment. At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools, we offer heavy equipment training across a range of equipment including:

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

Graduating operators are able to seek entry level employment where they can gain experience operating equipment in the field. If graduates can obtain employment in positions where a range of equipment is use, they can develop skills across the range, further enhancing their employment opportunities. By then adding a commercial drivers license, operators have the complete package to offer employers.

When it comes to sustaining a career in any profession, it’s important to understand what it is that employers are looking for. If you can deliver on that criteria, then your employment prospects increase dramatically. For new heavy equipment operators, adding a CDL as quickly as possible will not only help you find employment, you will quickly gain access to a range of heavy equipment, even if it is only loading/unloading and transporting that equipment. It’s a start that will help you develop a long term career as a heavy equipment operator.