Here’s a question to test your memory. Have you ever seen a woman operating a bulldozer?

I guess the majority of people would say “no” to that question. However, let me follow up with a second question. Have you ever really looked at a bulldozer operator?

Most people are fascinated by the bulldozer. The operator is almost unnoticeable. If you have looked a little closer, you may have been surprised since there are a lot of women now operating bulldozers.

It’s not just bulldozers. Women are training to operate heavy equipment in increasing numbers since it a job that relies more on skill and hand-eye coordination than it does strength. Once you put on work clothes, hard hat and gloves, the gender of the person in the operator’s seat is almost impossible to determine. Just as importantly, if you check any of the job ads for bulldozer operators (or heavy equipment operators in general), there is never a reference to gender. The selection criteria is, ultimately, very simple – can you do the job?

Heavy equipment operations is one industry in which new recruits are welcome. Industry in general acknowledges the need for new operators, especially when you consider the average age of operators is now quite high, and many of those operators will be looking at retirement in the next five or so years. Factor in the increase in road and bridge construction and the need for new operators is becoming urgent in some regions.

It’s interesting to note that the percentage of jobs listed in our Saturday jobs guide heavily favors heavy equipment operators. Not only that, they heavily favor operators who can operate a wide range of heavy equipment. If you’re interested in becoming a bulldozer operator, start by attending a heavy equipment training school that doesn’t discriminate, and which offers training on a wide range of heavy equipment. Whether your male or female, all that matters is being capable of doing the job, and that starts with quality training.

Have you been looking for employment opportunities in the fields of crane operations, truck driving, or heavy equipment operations? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Each week we feature some of the best jobs that have been listed by employees on our job site, and there have certainly been plenty of them. Jobs that have been listed over the last couple of weeks include:

Highway Equipment Operator – Clinton, KY
Equipment Operator II – Tampa, FL
Finish Grader Operator – Polk County – Bartow, FL
Heavy Equipment Operator II – Walker, LA
Heavy Equipment Operator – Rhinebeck, NY
Heavy Equipment Operator/Yard Associate – Benton Harbor, MI
Heavy Equipment Operator – Laney, M.T.
Heavy Equipment Operator – Milpitas, CA
Operator – South Charleston, WV
Motor Vehicle Operator – Gatlinburg, TN
Equipment Operator/Truck Driver – Leesburg, VA
Heavy Equipment Operator – Dallas, TX
Equipment Operator – Portsmouth, VA
Heavy Equipment Operator – Sulphur, KY
Backhoe operators with CDL-A – Bryan, TX
Crane Operator – Baltimore, MD
Spray Rig operators with CDL-A and hazmat – Campbell, NE

If you have been considering a career change, don’t let anyone tell you there are no jobs in heavy equipment operations. As you can see from that list, there are plenty of jobs for heavy equipment operators spread all around the nation. Your first step is to seek out heavy equipment training, and who better to ask than those that specialize in both training and helping graduates find work?

It is interesting to note one of the jobs that we listed on Saturday and its reference to winter work. While heavy equipment operators traditionally work in the field of construction, they are not limited to construction. Mining and agriculture rely on heavy equipment while in winter, state and country authorities rely on heavy equipment operators to keep roads open. What caught my eye from Saturday’s job listings was the following:

Operate dump truck with snow plow and salt spreader working snow and ice. Learn to operate with supervision frontend loader while loading trucks with materials & load salt during winter months.

Most snow plow operators come from heavy equipment backgrounds, commonly (but not limited to), bulldozer and grader operators. Salt is no different than dirt and sand in the way it is handled. It requires a front end loader to load it into trucks or salt spreaders, however, where it does differ is in its corrosive effect, so cleaning equipment regularly becomes important.

Heavy equipment careers are now year round careers. Operators can often find alternative work in the northern states helping to keep roads clear. Others find that their career is a perfect excuse to escape the winter chill as they work on projects in the warmer southern regions. Some operators even gain the ultimate escape by finding employment overseas – and yes, U.S. trained operators are well regarded and sought after internationally.

If you are interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator, don’t let the thought of winter unemployment deter you – there will be work, and the best time to gain experience is now. We can have you trained and work ready in as little as three weeks – well before the winter chill arrives.

What sets some heavy equipment training schools apart from others? In a nutshell, some care about the future of their graduates while others only care about the future of their bank balances. To be blunt, training schools have to make a profit in order to survive – but that’s business. Along the way, you can be profit focused, or customer focused, and history tells us that the most successful businesses are those that focus on the customer – and that’s the student when it comes to training.

Associated Training Schools have been training truck drivers, heavy equipment operators, and crane operators for almost fifty years. One of the reasons we have been successful is the focus we place on the students’ future. We aim to make training as accessible as possible. In that regard, we offer assistance with financing your training and assistance with accommodation while undertaking your training. Our training is designed to be as complete as possible including both classroom-based tuition, and hands-on in-the-seat training – you get to do the operating, not watching someone else do it.

While our focus is on training you to a standard that makes you employable, we are also working with you to help you find that first job. It is not unusual for students to have their first job already arranged, before they have even graduated – they leave our training school and walk straight into their first job. Our career services section has thousands of employers they can refer graduates to, and online job site where employers post job vacancies (you can also check this blog on Saturday’s for some of the latest opportunities).

By focusing your successful long term future, we are also achieving our long term aims. Those aims include staying in business and employing some of the best training staff available – but then, that is also helping you achieve your dreams. If you are looking for heavy equipment training, crane operator training, or truck driver training, then make sure your training company is interested in your long term future, and not just the size of your wallet.

Who said there were no jobs for heavy equipment operators. We have enough jobs to satisfy everyone; at least, it seems that way. If you’re looking for work as a heavy equipment operator, crane operator, or truck driver, then check out what we have listed today. If there’s nothing there to really suit you, then check out other vacancies listed on our job site.

Finish Grader Operator – Polk County – Bartow, FL
Employer is looking for operators that have the physical, developmental, and mental ability to operate construction and maintenance equipment used primarily for finish grading operations.

Heavy Equipment Operator II – Walker, LA
This is a year-round position that involves the safe operation of various heavy equipment vehicles that perform the collection, transportation, and disposal of commercial and residential waste. Occasionally, items up to 75 lb. must be lifted while performing the daily routine in all weather conditions. Some shift, night, weekend, holiday work or overtime may be required. Daily vehicle inspection is required as is the completion of daily logs and reports.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Rhinebeck, NY
Experienced. Must be able to run various types of equipment. Competitive Salary, Medical Benefits, 401K. Daylight Shift.

Heavy Equipment Operator/Yard Associate – Benton Harbor, MI
This position is responsible for sorting different grades of material on delivery in the yard or in a specific department. They will have direct contact with all the customers. They will weigh, sort, upgrade and package materials. Operate computer, machinery and small equipment Actively participates and displays behaviors of the company values.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Laney, M.T.

Heavy Equipment Operator – Milpitas, CA
The purpose of the job is to operate heavy equipment safely, productively and efficiently. This job could require pushing, compacting, grading, loading or hauling waste or dirt and could require working alone or teaming with other Heavy equipment.

Operator – South Charleston, WV – ### Entry Level ###
Perfect for new graduates. Entry Level Operator (Operator-B) position requires the ability to transfer chemicals, perform physical activities, operate various types of equipment, utilize effective written and oral communication and complete all required training.

Motor Vehicle Operator – Gatlinburg, TN

Equipment Operator/Truck Driver – Leesburg, VA
Seeking qualified applicants for an Equipment Operator/Truck Driver position. Hiring Range: $27,656-$38,511

Heavy Equipment Operator – Dallas, TX
Work with Dozers, Backhoe, Trackhoes, and conducting excavation.

Equipment Operator – Portsmouth, VA

Heavy Equipment Operator – Sulphur, KY
Operate 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.

Backhoe operators with CDL-A – Bryan, TX

Crane Operator – Baltimore, MD
Immediate need for multiple experienced NCCCO crane operators for permanent employment. Crane operator should have experience operating in a construction environment, preferably in an industrial or civil setting. These positions are located on the East Coast, so must be open to relocation.

Spray Rig operators with CDL-A and hazmat – Campbell, NE

There are employment options for heavy equipment operators, crane operators and truck drivers right across the nation. If you’re interested in a career in any of these field, then contact us for more information about training to become skilled in these areas.

Heavy equipment is a field that involves a wide range of equipment. To be successful, operators need experience on more than one type of machine. With some equipment, the types of operations are very similar, it’s just the type of equipment that is different. The easiest machinery to see this in the backhoe and the loader and excavator.

It has often been said that if you can operate a backhoe successfully, you will have no trouble operating a loader or an excavator. In truth, each of these machines is decidedly different. However, they have enough similarities that if you were trained in each you would have no trouble swapping between them at a moment’s notice.

To say that a backhoe works in the same manner as an excavator is not quite right. Sure, knowledge of dirt and the way it reacts when working with either machine is the same, and the process of digging a trench is very similar. Backhoes are generally wheeled vehicles while excavators are normally driven on tracks (also known as continuous tracks or caterpillar tracks). Maneuvering each is very different, and often stabilizing is also different.

Loaders, too, are different compared to backhoes. While the process of moving dirt is very similar, loaders are often articulated while backhoes are normally one solid unit. Articulated requires different driving skills and maneuvering can be tricky if you haven’t had any experience.

While loaders and excavators are different than backhoes, the actual work involved is often very similar. Some employers prefer to use backhoes whilst other prefer two separate machines. What is important is to have heavy equipment training that exposes you to, and gives you, in-the-seat practice in all three machinery types. That will prepare you for a career where you can operate any one of those machines with confidence, and with skill.

While everyone is bemoaning the lack of employment opportunities across the nation, we are seeing a steady stream of employment opportunities for heavy equipment operators and truck drivers roll in. Check the latest jobs below; in particular, vacancies in our training school for instructors.

Garnivillo, IA – heavy equipment operators wanted for the surface mine work. If you want to get into the lucrative mining industry, this could be the perfect opportunity.

Cincinnati, OH – vacancies exist for several heavy equipment operators. The hourly rate is $31 for equipment operator III to operate trucks, and heavy equipment to support work crews and the overall plant operations requiring the use of heavy equipment.

Ruffs Dale, PA – three heavy equipment operators required to help with natural gas pipeline construction. Overtime, weekend, and away from home work is sometimes required. Applicants must be able to read, write, and follow directions. Experience a must. Applicants must be able to pass a pre-employment drug test and will be subject to random testing. We offer a competitive pay and benefit package.

Willis, TX – bulldozer operators required who are able to grade to site with GPS.

Chippewa Falls, WI – heavy equipment operators required for blacktop and roadways·

Sun Prairie, WI – Associated Training Services – yes, we are hiring Heavy Equipment instructors with 3+yrs in the construction trades. You can apply at www.work4ats.com and pass your experience, skills and knowledge on to the next generation of heavy equipment operators.

You can find more details on these jobs on our job site. Employment demand for heavy equipment operators, crane operators and truck drivers remains steady despite the impact of the economy (perhaps because of it in some areas). If you are considering a career change, there’s no better time than the present, and we can help you transition into a new career by providing quality heavy equipment training, and access to a wide range of employment opportunities.

There are times when standard training to operate heavy equipment doesn’t satisfy the needs of a particular job. What is required is specific training that has been customized to meet the needs of the work required. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools have decades of experience training individuals to operate heavy equipment, and this includes designing specific training programs to meet an employer’s needs.

Cost is always an important factor when it comes to training a work crew. As an employer, you can hire a dedicated trainer and they can either design the training program you need, or buy an off-the-shelf training program and modify it to fit your needs. This can be an expensive option, especially if you have a small group of employees, and there is no ongoing need for that heavy equipment trainer.

A less expensive option is to talk to us at ATS. We can discuss your specific heavy equipment operator needs, design a training program that trains operators to meet those needs, then deliver the training. More importantly, that training plan doesn’t end up in the trash once we have completed your training. That training plan is always available should your employers ever need refresher, or if you engage new employees who require specific training.

While standard heavy equipment training programs do provide a solid grounding in heavy equipment operations, there are a wide range of workplaces where the training needs to be more specific. If you are an employer about to take on a new contract, and you feel your employees need specific skills to meet that contract, talk to us – we customize your heavy equipment training, we’re flexible when it comes to delivery of training (your site or ours – which days), and our training is backed by a solid reputation earned through decades of quality training.

There are many areas across the east coast that rarely feel the brunt of tropical storms, at least not to the extent of storms like hurricane Irene. We are still seeing images of the damage caused by the storm’s progress, and some areas are only now starting to surface from the flooding. For heavy equipment operators, while Irene may be long gone, what has been left behind should be a cause for concern.

Storms upset the landscape – we have all seen the images. Heavy equipment operators are often working in these storm-damaged areas, and danger can come from the least expected areas. High winds, a lot of water, and weakened root systems can see trees topple over with no warning at all. If it’s not the tree, then it’s weakened limbs that can come crashing down. Building sites are generally checked after a storm before workers are allowed in, but in previous years, those checks have been found wanting, and workers have been injured from falling debris, or building materials that have been moved.

The onus is still on an operator to check their environment, and to take all reasonable precautions. If you’re operating a bulldozer in a timbered area, you need to be constantly aware of your surroundings. Excavator operators are another group that should be aware of their surroundings. You would imagine an old established suburb would be safe, but if there are trees around, and there has been a storm, then loose branches are still a danger. When I say loose branches, I am not talking about twigs – I am talking about large branches ten to fifteen feet long and two or three feet in diameter – that’s large enough to cause serious injury.

Heavy equipment training spends a lot of time looking at heavy equipment safety. Common sense is an important component of safety, as is awareness. If you know a storm has been through an area, then take extra care when you first start work, you never know what sort of damage has been caused by that storm.

It is becoming more apparent every week that employers are focusing more on multi-skilled heavy equipment operators. We have often promoted the benefits of adding new skills to your employment options, and the jobs listing from this past weekend certainly give credence to our stance. What is worth noting is the range of skills that employers are looking for.

There are many operators who tend to focus on just one piece of heavy equipment. Bulldozers have long been a favored option followed by excavators and loaders. Employers are now looking for individuals who can operate all three, and more. They are also showing a preference for heavy equipment operators who can also drive a tractor-trailer – obviously, that requires a commercial drivers license. One addition that stood from the jobs listing over the weekend was for an operator who could do all of the above, and also operate a crane. That requires training and certification as a crane operator.

Fortunately, you don’t need to dash out and undertake training across the board. If you are new to the industry, then selecting one area of training and completing that successfully is your first goal. Your second goal is to obtain employment and to gain as much experience on the job as possible. If you select heavy equipment as your preferred area, then be sure to seek employment where you will have exposure to a range of equipment, not just the one type.

For those already employed within the industry, undertaking further training will help boost your employment opportunities. If you are a heavy equipment operator, adding crane operator training and certification could cover two areas – operating a mobile crane, and obtaining a commercial drivers license (often required to drive a crane on the open roads). If you are a truck driver, consider adding a crane operators qualification, or heavy equipment training, to your skills list. As you can see from these heavy equipment jobs, employers are looking for multi skilled operators – and they will continue to do so for a long time.