November and December can often be quiet times when it comes to employment opportunities in the heavy equipment field. In northern areas, construction grinds to a halt as weather makes life difficult, however, many of these jobs are replaced by winter work operating snow plows and other winter-related equipment. Construction work in the south doesn’t grind to a halt although vacancies are often snapped up quickly by those from northern areas who follow the sun. That doesn’t mean there are no jobs on offer – on the contrary, we have already had the following opportunities listed on our job site in November:

Heavy Equipment Operator – GA
An employer is looking for a Certified Heavy Equipment Operator for GA Power project.

Heavy Equipment Operator – TX
If you’re looking for challenging work, then this Texas-based outfit is looking for heavy equipment operators.

Lattice Crane Operators – Radford, IA
Employer looking for certified lattice crane operators

Paving Equipment Operator – Miami, FL
Miami is a popular winter destination so enjoy the sun working for a Paving Company operating graders, dozers, and pavers.

If you are looking for a career in heavy equipment operations, don’t be put off by the winter chill. There are often jobs appearing, especially in areas that haven’t been affected by heavy snow and ice. Our heavy equipment operator schools offer training all year round.

We are proud of the reputation we have gained over almost half a century. That reputation doesn’t just stop at training people to become truck drivers, crane operators or heavy equipment operators. We have developed a reputation for working with industry to provide job ready drivers and operators – graduates who are ready to hit the ground running. We have also developed a reputation for working proactively with students and graduates to turn their training into an actual career.

Bragging? No, just stating facts. It’s hard work starting a new career. Just making that life changing decision is hard enough. Then you have to finance your training, then work your way through that training, all under a cloud of doubt – how long will it be before I can actually start work? That’s where our career services department earns its keep. No one can ever guarantee you a job – we’re trainers, not contractors who employ operators. However, we can work closely with you to find and secure that first job.

Our career services personnel have several aces up their sleeves. The first, contacts with thousands of employers. The second, and most important, is knowledge of what employers are looking for in new recruits, and how employers want to be approached. Some appreciate cold calling, others resent it. Our reputation is such that employers come to us with job vacancies – you can see some of those jobs listed here each Saturday, or you can take a short cut and go straight to our job site.

Having a dream to operate a bulldozer, grader or loader is really quite common. Turning that dream into reality is not that easy. Our career services department work with every student helping them to do just that, secure that first job and to turn that dream into a reality – and that’s why we have the reputation we’re proud of – our graduates succeed.

This week’s job listings continue the trend for heavy equipment operators who are multi-skilled. Being skilled in operating a range of heavy equipment is standard in today’s workplace. However, employers are also looking for heavy equipment operators who have a commercial drivers license, and/or who can work at general laboring jobs around a constructions site. Here are a few of this week’s job listings.

Multi-Skilled Equipment Operator – Alaska
The Multi-Skilled Operator is responsible for operating light and heavy equipment and demonstrates a broad-based knowledge and experience with construction and maintenance facilities and equipment.

Heavy Equipment Operator – GA
CCCO Certified Heavy Equipment Operator for GA Power project. Functions: Major responsibilities and target accomplishments expected of the position including the typical problems encountered in carrying out the responsibilities, which include service, install, repair and inspect machinery, and heavy equipment in Refinery to keep them in good working order.

Heavy Equipment Operator – TX
Offers challenging assignments on some of the world’s largest and most complex projects.

Lattice Crane Operators – Radford, IA
Crane operators required to operate lattice cranes

Dozer Operators – Lufkin, TX
Experienced bulldozer operators required

Paving Equipment Operator – Miami, FL
Operators of construction equipment for local Paving Company to include grader, dozer, paver with ability to lead a small paving crew.

If you’re looking for a career that is constantly in demand, then consider heavy equipment. The work pays well, is challenging and very diverse and it only takes three weeks of heavy equipment training to become work ready. When it comes to employment opportunities, you only have to visit our job site to see there is always work available.

Heavy equipment operators are no different to many other workplaces in that OSHA safety requirements are enforced. This includes mandatory safety training relevant to the equipment being used, the work being done, and the site where the work is being done. Heavy equipment operators working on suspected hazardous waste sites will, for example, require HAZWOPER training. If you are working on a construction site, you may need specific construction induction training.

The concept of OSHA safety training is, as the name suggests, to ensure that employers provide safe working conditions, and that employees follow the right safety procedures. When your first start heavy equipment operator training, you will notice there is a heavy emphasis on safety. There’s a good reason for this – heavy equipment is very dangerous if used inappropriately.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools, we include safety as an important component of a student’s training. Our training meets many of the OSHA and industry standards for certification compliance leaving employees to provide any further job specific training. Competent graduates from our heavy equipment training program are well received by employers because of the safety training already completed.

For those considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, it is important to understand who is responsible for safety in the workplace. If you’re not sure – it’s the employer, so when you apply for a vacancy and you have already completed many of the training requirements, your application is looked on very favorably – the employer only needs to fill in the blanks. Safety training is an expensive process so employers want to minimize their costs. When looking for heavy equipment training, be sure their is a strong safety component – it will help you get that first job.

So there’s no future in heavy equipment operations. Tell that to our employers who have listed these jobs with us this week. There doesn’t appear to be a shortage of jobs, just a shortage of operators. If you’re looking for work as a heavy equipment operator, then check out the following.

Heavy Equipment Operator / Construction Helper – Burlington, VT

Experienced heavy equipment operator needed.
Operator needs to have experience operating an excavator.
Experienced construction helper needed for same commercial project – must be an all around helper.

Construction Operator – Natchitoches, LA
#### Entry Level Position ####

This is an entry level position responsible for basic construction and maintenance activities of a natural gas utility system.
They may operate heavy and/or specialized equipment.
Minimum requirements include a high school diploma or equivalent,
Valid driver’s license,
The ability to work in an outdoor environment and lifting up to 60 lbs.

Equipment Operator-Transportation – Midland, TX

Performs manual and unskilled labor of more than ordinary difficulty, which often involves the use of acquired skills.
Will operates several types of light and heavy equipment.
Does related work and training as required.
Operates motorized equipment used in the construction and maintenance of streets and alleys.
Assists in loading and unloading transported equipment.

Equipment Operator / Sr. Equipment Operator – Waynesburg, PA

Operates various types of equipment and tools used in pipeline and facilities construction.
Performs repairs and maintenance of equipment as required.
Loads and unloads material and equipment from trucks as required.
Perform pipeline operator responsibilities as required.
Required to participate in on-call rotation.
Ability and willingness to travel.
Willingness to work in all weather conditions.
CDL license recommended

Equipment Operator – Battle Mountain, NV

Semi-skilled employees who operate at least one piece of heavy equipment such as loaders, scrapers, excavators and rubber-tired dozers.
Employees who can work under minimal supervision in environments where the primary objective is safe production.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Saint Augustine, FL

Providing environmental services including waste collection, recycling and disposal of waste from homes and businesses.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Mexia, TX

Operates heavy equipment at a transfer station, recyclery and/or landfill for the purpose of transferring, spreading, covering, loading and/or compacting waste or soil in a productive and safe manner.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Polkton, NC

Solid waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling to approximately 2 million commercial, industrial and residential customers in 30 states.

Heavy Equipment Operator II – Joseph City, AZ

Heavy Equipment Operators are responsible for the safe operation of various heavy equipment vehicles that perform the spreading and compaction of construction and demolition, commercial and residential waste disposed of at the post collection facilities.
Occasionally, items up to 50 lb. must be lifted while performing the daily routine in all weather conditions.
Daily Equipment Inspections (DEI) are required.

Operators – Huntsville, AL

Employer is hiring Trackhoe, Dozer, Track Loader, Pan operators and CDL drivers

Operator – Dallas, TX

front loader operator required

If you are looking for a new career, then heavy equipment is one are where employers are always looking for skilled and well trained operators. The shortage is such that they even advertise positions that suited to entry level (new) operators. It only takes three weeks of heavy equipment operator training to gain those entry level skills. Once you have completed your training, you can view these and many other vacancies on our Job Site.

Are you a new migrant to the U.S.? More importantly, do you have residency status or a Green Card? If so, you can start your new life with a new career as a heavy equipment operator. What you will need is a reasonable understanding of the English language in order to understand directions and safety measures.

What new migrants will find is that heavy equipment is one area that doesn’t discriminate against any individual. The bottom line for gaining employment is whether or not you can do the job – if you can, then you’re application will be treated equally – and this includes women in the heavy equipment work force. The key to a successful career is the heavy equipment training you receive. Having a good foundation of skills will set you on the road to success.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools follows the same social philosophy – everyone deserves a chance to see if heavy equipment is a career best suited to them so we don’t discriminate. If you are able to complete both the classroom and practical training, then we will accept your application and enroll you in one of our classes.

Heavy equipment training is a three week training program that provides basic skills and knowledge of a range of machinery including excavators, bulldozers, graders, loaders and backhoes to name a few. Students also receive training in all safety components related to heavy equipment and construction along with a range of classroom lessons on topics such as reading and understanding site plans. If you’re a new migrant who’s looking for a new career, consider heavy equipment operations – it’s one field that doesn’t discriminate.

When looking at recent job vacancies for heavy equipment operators, one can’t help noticing that employers are looking for operators who can operate a wide range of equipment. It’s impossible to be trained on every piece of equipment in use; for example, how do you learn to operate a snow plow in the middle of summer? I guess you could go to Alaska.

In fact, no one expects operators to have had basic training on every piece of equipment. Rather, being trained to operate the basic equipment in use is what is important. You need to learn how to dig a trench (excavators, backhoes), how to move dirt (bulldozer, grader), and how to load trucks (loaders, backhoes). More importantly, and this is the real key to a successful career as a heavy equipment operator, to build confidence in your ability to handle that basic machinery.

Why? Almost every piece of heavy equipment in use is simply an offspring of one of those units. Back to the snow plow – it’s really a cross between a loader, grader and bulldozer (depending on the type of snow plow). If you have confidence operating that machinery, it’s a piece of cake hopping into another piece of machinery and becoming proficient in its use. You will most likely require a quick how-to on that new machinery, however, since the levers, pedals and controls are similar, you will pick it up quickly.

The moral here is simple. When undertaking heavy equipment training, don’t go to a training school where you are trained on only one piece of equipment. Attend a heavy equipment training school where you’ll be trained on a variety of heavy equipment. Your aim is to become a confident as possible on as many machines as possible. This will set you up for that successful career as a heavy equipment operator.

Assuming you want to learn to operate heavy equipment, I’ll ask a silly question. Why?

I said it was a silly question, since most people learn to operate heavy equipment so that they can find a career working on that equipment. Fairly logical, I know. However, there are many people who graduate from heavy equipment operator schools and find themselves in a vacuum. Where are the jobs? How do they apply for them? Who are the best employers? Brand new skills, raring to go, yet no place to put those skills to good use.

Whatever you do, don’t put those newfound skills to waste. In fact, here’s a suggestion, when researching a heavy equipment training school, check on their career services department. Some schools don’t even have a career services section, so eliminate them immediately. Career services form that vital link between a graduating student and that all important first job.

I won’t get your hopes up too high – we will not guarantee finding you a job. After all, you may be a complete rat bag who totally unsuited to heavy equipment operations. Hopefully we can weed you out before you graduate. Whilst undertaking your training, we will work with you to find the most suitable employers for you to approach. This will depend on where you want to work and the type of work you want to do. We will also work with you to ensure your resume and application letters are up to standard.

Students and graduates from ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools also have access to a our job site. This site is used by employers to list job vacancies when they arise. Students can also post their resumes for potential employers to check over. Every Saturday we list (on this site) some of the latest jobs available for heavy equipment operators (and truck drivers and crane operators). That’s a lot of help over and above your training – we do everything possible to ensure your new skills are not going to waste.

We often talk about grader operators and the need for accuracy in the work they do, however, they are not the only operators that need to work with accuracy. In fact, almost every piece of heavy equipment has a role that requires accuracy. Excavator operators are often under more pressure than most other operators; but then, they are venturing into delicate territory.

There has been a real push over the last decade to bury services. When you consider those services, there is electricity, gas, telephone, cable TV, and the latest – fiber optic cable. One false move by an operator and you have a gas leak, or the operator is being zapped by thousands of volts. Even worse, everyone loses power, or loses their internet connections and telephone. For the excavator operator, they only need to be out by an inch, and there’s problems.

Fortunately, most excavator operators are well trained so we rarely hear of incidents – and when we do, they are often big incidents. The key to working to precise measurements comes from the original training. Part of that training often includes learning to read site plans. It also includes heavy equipment safety training. In the past, the operator’s mantra was always ‘look up first’ – this was in reference to overhead power cables. Now, it also applies to ‘look below’.

It doesn’t matter what type of heavy equipment you are operating, safety is always going to be an issue. For some operators, such as excavator and backhoe operators, digging in areas where underground services are located is always going to be a tricky and delicate operation. When working under pressure in these situations, a cool head on the shoulders of a well-trained operator will always win through. Can you handle that pressure? Do you have a cool head? If so, have you considered a career as a heavy equipment operator?

As winter approaches, many feel that work for heavy equipment operators would start to dry up. While winter may stall some construction projects, however, there’s still plenty of alternative work available. This weekend’s job listings are varied, however, they do once again highlight the need for multi-skilled workers, especially the combination of a commercial drivers license and heavy equipment operator experience. If any of these jobs interest you, visit our job site for more details.

• Excavation Operator – Missoula, MT
  Looking for an experienced heavy equipment operator. This is a full-time position Monday to Friday starting 8am and finishing around 5pm. Applicants must have a drivers license, however, preference will be given to someone with a commercial drivers license. The position also involves manual laboring as well as equipment operation.
• Transload Operator – East Chicago, IN
  Seeking a dedicated, hard working, career-minded individual for our dry and liquid-bulk transload facility in East Chicago, IN. The ideal candidate must be detail oriented, able to work outdoors year round in all conditions.
• Light Equipment Operator – Ludlow, MA
  Looking for light equipment operator. This is a permanent, full-time position, 40 hours per week. It involves the operation of various trucks, heavy equipment and manual operation duties.
• Skidsteer operators – Huntsville, AL
• Truck drivers – Huntsville, AL
  Employer is hiring drivers with experience in tri-axle dumps. Also hiring Ready mix trucks drivers.

Don’t let anyone tell you there’s no work for heavy equipment operators or truck drivers. There is, and there always will be. If you’re interested in a career driving trucks, or operating heavy equipment, then your first step is to seek out training. Associated Training Services has a long and proud history of training truck drivers and heavy equipment operators, and you could be one of our next graduates to start a great career.