If you are looking for a heavy equipment career that is always busy, there’s no getting past loaders. They are often the busiest heavy equipment on a construction site due to their versatility. The term loader these days is a misnomer since they are capable of more than just loading material into dump trucks.

Loaders are generally carriers. Their main role is to load material onto a dump truck, however, they are also used to carry equipment and building materials around a construction site and they can often be seen helping to break up old concrete slabs. In fact, loaders are one piece of heavy equipment that is frequently found on both construction and demotion sites.

Training to become a loader operator is not as difficult as many seem to think. Heavy equipment training that provides operators with skills suitable for entry level employment can be completed in as little as three weeks. Like most skill-based occupations, you continue to learn while on the job – an experience that will last forever as there is always something new to learn.

One of the great aspects of loader operations (like all heavy equipment) is how open it is to everyone. It doesn’t matter your gender, age (over 18) or background – you can train and work as a heavy equipment operator, loader operators included. These days, you don’t have to be built like a weight lifter to operate heavy equipment either – with power steering and touch sensitive controls, a baby could virtually drive them.

If you’re interested in becoming a loader operator, or in learning information on a variety of heavy equipment options, contact ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. We have courses starting all the time in a variety of locations around the country.

Career changes can take a big investment. You have to sacrifice your time and, of course, your money. Time? It only takes three weeks to complete a heavy equipment training course. That leaves the money and there are several components to consider here. First, of course, is the cost of the training program. The second cost that must also be considered is the loss of the income while training. They both go hand in hand and should be considered together when deciding on a heavy equipment training course. The upside, as I have already mentioned, is that it’s only for three weeks.

Funding the training cost is the biggest hurdle for many prospective students. There are several options available ranging from career loans to government funded programs. If you are out of work then it could be well worth investigating some of the government funded programs available. Some of these programs include:

• Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
• Department of Workforce Development
• Trade Adjustment Act (TAA)
• Displaced Workers
• Displaced Farmers
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Tribal Education (BIA)
• Veteran’s Benefits (VA)

If you are not eligible for any of the government funded programs then career loans are your next option. You can apply through one of your local financial institutions, or you can fill out an application through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. One of the benefits of a career loan is that they can be used to pay for your training, accommodation while attending training, and your general day-to-day expenses.

Funding your way through a heavy equipment training course can be difficult. However, there are one or two points well worth considering. First, your training is only over a three week period so you don’t need to find funds to cover a long training program. The second point to consider relates to the first – since you are only at training for three weeks, this means you could potentially be in the workplace in four or five weeks, earning a living, and repaying a career loan before the ink has dried on the contract. Find the funding, a career in heavy equipment operations awaits!

If Barack Obama gets his way then heavy equipment careers are likely to see some stability over the next six years. In fact, there is a good chance that we will once again see a shortage of skilled operators in the industry. The President is a proposing a $50 billion program that will see 150,000 miles of roads, 4,000 miles of railways and 150 miles of airport runways affected by some form of construction or maintenance program. That’s a lot of dollars and a lot miles to work on – even if it is spread out over six years.

For heavy equipment operators, or those looking to enter the industry, the news is most welcome. Even if you’re not directly affected by these types of programs, you will feel the spin-off effects. Operators will come from all areas looking to participate in these programs. This will leave a shortage of operators in many areas, particularly regional areas. Operators not directly involved will then be in a position to fill local vacancies caused by these programs.

If you are looking at heavy equipment as a possible career option, I suggest you keep your eyes on what is happening in Washington. Better yet, act now and complete your training before any of these programs are set in concrete. If you wait too long, you will be trying to start a career at the same time as many others – having a head start could see you in the box seat once demand starts to increase.

The traditional role of an excavator was to dig trenches. There have been times when all an operator did was dig mile after mile of trenches – sometimes deep, sometimes shallow. The laying of pipes around the nation has been important for our development. Whether it’s waste water, fresh drinking water, or services such as power, gas, or cable TV – without an excavator to dig the trenches we would still be struggling along using man power.

Today, while excavators can be found in diverse roles such as mining, forestry and dredging, their expertise still lies with digging trenches. The modern excavator is very different from those of 20-30 years ago. Today, they use lasers and GPS to help guide them; the operator sits in air-conditioned comfort, often with a cd player and two way radio for communication. Excavators can now dig trenches to within the finest of measurements, and in a quarter of the time of the older equipment.

While the work may have become easier, that shouldn’t undervalue the skills of the operators. Yes, you can be trained and work ready in as little as three weeks, but your training doesn’t end there. Like most heavy equipment, once you have completed your basic heavy equipment training, you are ready for a life time of on-the-job training with every situation holding some sort of lesson.

As our population ages, the real problem in the future may well be a shortage of skilled operators. If you have considered a career in the heavy equipment industry, who not look a little closer at excavators. Operators are amongst the best paid heavy equipment operators and there is rarely any shortage of work available.

Adults often start their working life in careers that are not of their choosing. Our parents and those around us have a heavy influence on career decisions when we are young, and by the time we hit forty we are feeling a little out of sorts with our position in life. Statistics show that most Americans go through several career changes with the predominent age being between 35 and 40. Heavy equipment careers are well worth considering if you’re in this group and you may even find that employers prefer you to much younger new recruits.

Mature aged workers have several advantages over youth. They are more stable in their life, often having homes with mortgages and children at school. Compare this with younger workers who are often single with no children and no real commitments. This allows them the freedom to move around at will, picking jobs in areas that suit them. The more mature worker is also much more likely to remain in a job for longer periods.

Mature aged students often find that heavy equipment training is easier to handle as well. There is nothing like ‘life’ to teach one lessons when it comes to safety and the proper handling of equipment. Younger students often hold no fears and, while not necessarily acting recklessly, don’t always have the same appreciation of safety and proper workplace practices.

If you are in the mature aged category and going through a career crisis, consider heavy equipment training. You can be trained and ready for entry level employment in as little as three weeks. The opportunities are there, the pay is good and working conditions are well suited to those who enjoy a little freedom and working outdoors.

When it comes to big boy toys, bulldozers still lead the way. Not to appear sexist, they are also one of the most popular choices for female operators as well. There are many reasons for their popularity, the chief one being the amount of machinery in use around the country. They are not only the most popular when it comes to new operators entering the industry, they are the most frequently used unit of heavy equipment.

One of the benefits for new operators is the broad use of bulldozers. They are used in agriculture, especially when it comes to land clearing and dam building; in road construction, often as the first tool to clear the way; and in general construction, again to clear the way for housing, commercial and industrial developments. Bulldozers, or modified versions of a bulldozer, can also be found within industry with grain handling being one example. Snow plows are often modified bulldozers as well and generally require bulldozer operator skills.

Because there is such a broad range of opportunities available to bulldozer operators, it can be fairly easy to obtain sustainable long term employment. Wages and work condition are good with most operators finding employment within easy traveling distance of their homes. Training to become a bulldozer operator can be completed in as little as three weeks with students ready for entry level positions on graduation.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have a long tradition of providing quality operators to industry. ATS regularly consults with industry to ensure that our heavy equipment training is up to date and that students do graduate with the skills required to succeed. If you are interested in a career as a bulldozer operator, or any other unit of heavy equipment, contact ATS for details on our next training program. We have training centers in many parts of the nation with courses commencing on a regular basis.

GPS is everywhere now – from use in the average car for navigation to arm bands in our children to check on their location, you name anything that moves and I’ll show you a GPS device that can be attached. When it comes to heavy equipment, GPS devices have been in use for several years as a security measure – should a piece of equipment be stolen, the GPS unit will quickly help police identify its location. More sophisticated GPS units are also used in heavy equipment like graders to increase productivity and safety.

Using a computer system attached to a GPS 3D unit, the blade of a grader can be set to extremely fine settings. These settings ensure that each pass of the grader is done to exact measurements, thus cutting the time taken to grade a particular area. In the past, it may have taken three or four passes to complete a job to a surveyor’s satisfaction. A GPS system (known as GPS Machine Control) connected to a computer also means the grader can constantly adjust the height and angle of the blade on the fly, as required, and to exact measurements.

For grader operators, short courses on how to use GPS in their equipment can help to promote them to specialist operator level. This can make them more employable than those with just the basic grader operator skill set, particularly with employers that have added this technology to their equipment. While graders are one of the major users of GPS, bulldozers, loaders and excavators are also having GPS based equipment added. If you’re an operator in these areas then undertaking a GPS training program may be beneficial in the long run as well.

If you are an operator of heavy equipment and you understand the long term benefits of GPS Machine Control equipped machinery then contact ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools to find out where and when our GPS training programs are being conducted. It’s the way of the future and those that train now will be the leaders in their field.

Starting out in a new career is one of the hardest things that anyone can do. Heavy equipment careers are rewarding and after just three weeks of training, you are ready for work. The problem is, getting that first start. This is where professional career services can make an important difference – they can help you open doors to gain that first job.

Heavy equipment vacancies are often competitive so employers can often take their time to select the right recruit for their organization. There are many areas that employers look at including experience, personal traits, and the applicants training. If the applicant has been trained by highly reputable training provider, then there is a good chance they will gain preference over an experienced operator. There are a number of reasons behind this, the chief one being that a new well trained operator often has the latest skills and has not yet developed poor operating habits.

More importantly for those entering training, career service providers know which employers are more likely to give a novice a start. As student in a heavy equipment training course, they can provide advice as to which employers you should be targeting and how best to approach them. Some employers are old fashioned and would prefer to see you face to face. Others prefer the application letter and resume. It’s these little things that can often give you the edge when seeking employment for the first time.

Associated Training Schools has a long history of assisting graduates into employment. We have developed networks with hundreds of employers who hire novice crane operators, truck drivers and a wide range of heavy equipment operators. With this in mind, career services should be one area that factors highly when considering a change in career and even more so when considering a training provider.

We live in unfortunate times where world peace is constantly under threat. We have brave men and women serving in various places around the world and many, on return, require re-training before they can find well paid employment. Some of those returning are doing so with injuries that prevent them from returning to previous careers. To help those from the military that are trying to rebuild their lives, ATS Heavy Equipment Schools offers training that has been approved for Veterans Educational Benefits.

There are a range of benefits available for current and ex-military personnel. Some of these benefits also extend to the spouses and children of veterans – this enables them too to undertake heavy equipment training as well. Funding for veterans is available through the GI Bill. For current service personnel, there is funding available through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). This is available for eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard.

Guard and Reserve Members may also be eligible for funding to train as heavy equipment operators through schemes such as the GI Bill, the Tuition Assistance Program, and through various state military education benefits schemes. Vocational training is important for those that have been injured and this too is available.

A career in the field of heavy equipment operations can be ideal for those who have served in active duty areas. Military personnel are used to working outdoors, often in hot and dry (and sometimes wet and muddy) conditions. When it comes to remuneration, a heavy equipment operators’ weekly paycheck is competitive, especially when compared to careers that take months or even years to train for. If you’re a current or former member of the military, and you’re considering re-training in heavy equipment, you may be eligible for funding that can help to pay for your training. Contact us at ATS for more information or visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/gi_bill_info/how_to_apply.htm to determine eligibility requirements.

There has been a trend over the years for heavy equipment operators to specialize in one piece of machinery. For example, a bulldozer operator will only ever operate bulldozers and excavator operators only operate excavators. This is fine to some extent, you do become an expert in that piece of machinery. However, when it comes to heavy equipment careers, you are also limiting your options.

On the opposite side are employers, and there is a growing trend among them to have employees that can multi-skill. One area that all operators should consider is adding a commercial drivers license to their skills list. This gives an employer the option of having the operator truck a heavy equipment to a site, operate the equipment to complete the job, then trucking the equipment back to the yard or onto the next job.

You can go beyond that, however. Being able to competently operate a loader, excavator and backhoe – all related machinery – makes you far more employable than someone who has limited themselves to just an excavator, for example. From an employer’s perspective, do they hire three different operators on reduced hours, or one operator full time whom they can move from machine to machine as jobs dictate? The answer’s fairly obvious.

There is nothing wrong with specializing when there is plenty of work around. However, as many operators will tell you, heavy equipment careers have peaks and troughs and it can be hard to survive when work drops away. Being multi-skilled means you will have far more options during these periods when compared to other operators. Heavy equipment careers are very competitive in today’s marketplace. Start by undertaking the best heavy equipment training you can find and then consider developing your skills in a range of equipment rather than just specializing in the one. While your at it, consider adding CDL training to your resume – you will be armed with a complete set of skills and it will make you highly competitive in the job market.