Women have been in heavy equipment for a long time, particularly when it comes to working on the land, in landscaping, and in family earth moving businesses. They have also been involved in careers such as truck driving, careers that have long been considered male bastions. Modern bulldozers, although large heavy machines, are no different to driving a car once you gain the required skills. Funnily enough, it is the general public that consider these careers to be male bastions. Employers and coworkers think nothing of working alongside a woman in most of these areas.

The only thing holding a woman back from working as a heavy equipment operator is the woman herself. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have been training women in these skills for many years, and they have moved on to very successful careers. Bulldozers have been a popular choice for women, probably more so than most other forms of heavy equipment.

Training to become a bulldozer operator can be completed in as little as three weeks. In fact, one of the benefits of a career as a heavy equipment operator is that it is age, gender and background neutral. Being skills based, the training focus is on learning how to operate the equipment. That is not to say there is no classroom-based training; safety, for example, is an important part of any heavy equipment training and some of this training needs to be theoretical.

Careers in the heavy equipment environment have become open in recent years with emphasis more on one’s ability to do the job rather than gender (or age for that matter). If you’re interested in become a bulldozer operator, or an operator of any form of heavy equipment, whether your male of female, young or old, or from any background, contact ATS for details on our heavy equipment training programs. There could be a whole new career just waiting for you.

If you like variety in your career then backhoes are the answer when it comes to careers in heavy equipment. Loaders, while doing a range of jobs, really rely on the one instrument, a shovel. Excavators, while having a range of attachments that make the job more interesting, rely on a bucket. Bulldozer and graders rely on blades to get a job done. Backhoes, on the other hand, are multi-function machines.

For starters, backhoes have a bucket at one end and a shovel at the other so they perform the roles of both a loader and an excavator. Like an excavator, the backhoe also has a wide range of attachments that can perform a variety of tasks. Gaining backhoe skills also sets up an operator with the option of operating loaders or excavators as well should the need (or demand) arise.

In today’s workplace, being able to operate a range of equipment makes you a valuable addition to any workplace. Backhoes provide that career option. You could find yourself working on a housing project this week, a road building project next week, and a demotion project the following week. And that is just a taste of the types of work available.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools makes the task a little easier for you as well. Our heavy equipment training programs cover a range of equipment including loader, excavators and backhoes along with the traditional bulldozers and graders. If you’re looking for a career that has variety then consider a career as a heavy equipment operator, particularly a backhoe operator.

When it comes to starting a new career, trust is one of the most important influences in the decision making process. Heavy equipment careers are no different. Those considering a career change have to trust in themselves and their abilities to take on and cope with a career change; trust in the marketplace and its ability to support them; and trust in the training they require to make the transition. Let’s analyze each of those individually.

Trust In One’s Own Abilities

Career changes can be scary. They can also be spur of the moment decisions where an individual faces a moment of dissatisfaction with their current career. Doubt is actually a good trait to have in these situations since it brings with it caution. A career as a heavy equipment operator can be a huge step for some, often taking them from safe and secure desk jobs to the wide outdoors. If you have any doubts as to whether or not a heavy equipment career is right for you, take the easy path. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools offers a free online heavy equipment training program that you can access from home. Once you have completed that training program, you will have a much better indication as to whether or not a career as a heavy equipment operator is right for you.

Trust In The Heavy Equipment Industry

Let me start by stating that no industry is safe from the turmoil of world and national economics and that any career change is going to be a gamble. Your current career could boom over the next ten years, or crash and burn. Likewise, heavy equipment requirements could boom, or it could also crash. No one knows. However, what has been evident over the years is that construction is the one area in industry that always leads the nation to recovery. We can see that with the current economic climate where billions of dollars have been thrown at infrastructure. This has created a large demand for heavy equipment and heavy equipment operators. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools incorporates a careers services department that has one aim, to help every graduate find employment. You can at least gain a start in the industry once you complete your training.

Trust In A Heavy Equipment Training Organization

Now we come to crux of any career change. You’re ready, you’re convinced the industry can sustain a long career, so where do you go to get your training? ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is one of the nation’s oldest training schools with campuses spread around the nation. Heavy equipment training programs commence on a regular basis with training based on national standards. With strong industry recognition, anyone considering a career as a heavy equipment operator need look no further.

The bottom line is fairly straightforward. The market for heavy equipment operators is strong and there are very competent heavy equipment training organizations available. So, are you ready to consider a change in careers? If you are, a heavy equipment career is yours for the asking – so ask.

Excavators are one of the core vehicles that most heavy equipment training programs cover. There is a reason for this. Many of the skills, terms used and processes extend across the complete range of heavy equipment. By learning these components, you will have the beginnings of a solid foundation in heavy equipment operations.

For most people, an excavator is nothing more than a trench digger. This may well be a major component of an excavator operator’s working life, but it is certainly not the only component. Excavators are also used in material handling, demolition, general grading and landscaping, heavy lifting (for example, the lifting and placing of pipes), river dredging and mining, just to name a few. When it comes to trenches, the skills required go far beyond just digging a hole (or trench). Excavator operators need a rounded knowledge of how to dig, service and back fill a trench; how to load material onto trucks; and related skills such as benching and sloping.

So, while an excavator may be used primarily for digging trenches, those skills can be transferred to other vehicles. For example, the principles of demolition, general grading and landscaping can be applied to most heavy equipment. Skills such as backfilling, benching and sloping can also be applied to most heavy equipment vehicles used in construction.

If you are interested in finding out more about excavators, their role in construction, and how to become an excavator operator, contact the nation’s leading supplier of well trained heavy equipment operators. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools operate training schools in a number of locations around the nation with heavy equipment training programs commencing on a regular basis. Excavator operators are well paid compared to many other careers and the opportunities are there for new operators to join the workforce.

Road graders have long been a bastion of male dominance. While women have found their way into truck driving and bulldozer operations, they haven’t shown much interest in graders. That, however, seems to be changing quite quickly. In fact, women are looking at all forms of heavy equipment now and the technical challenge of graders is becoming appealing.

Are employers ready to take on female grader operators? It appears so. Of course, equal opportunity is playing a big role, but skills are still the determining factor. These days it doesn’t matter who you are or what your background is, if you can demonstrate the skills required then you have an equal chance of landing that job. Modern machinery is one of the biggest factors in helping nontraditional workers enter the heavy equipment field.

Today’s heavy equipment relies less on the strength of the operator and more on their ability to coordinate their feet and hands. Power steering, for example, has made the operation of this equipment fingertip easy. Controls on many units of heavy equipment are similar to joysticks found with computer gaming machines – just a little heavier and more intuitive.

A sure sign that industry is more accepting of women in their ranks is to look at some of the heavy equipment training schools. In the past, you may have found one or two women attending these schools each year. Now you can often find one or two attending each time a course is conducted. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools doesn’t discriminate in any fashion. If you have what it takes to become a grader operator, or any other unit of heavy equipment, then we are there ready to train you and to help you gain a start in your new career.

While operating a grader is not quite child’s play, it’s certainly achievable for most adults no matter what gender or background. If you want to find out more about heavy equipment careers, contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss your training options.

Summer is here and for some parts of the country it heralds the arrival of the fire season. It seems inevitable that every year some part of the country will burst into flames. Right now, there are bulldozers at work preparing the way for these fires. They build fire breaks, try to remove as much of the ground litter as possible and generally clear areas that could be highly combustible.

Their work is invaluable and could help to reduce the destruction caused by some of these summer fire storms. Unfortunately, the bulldozer’s role doesn’t finish there. In many cases, once a fire storm has ripped through an area, it is those same bulldozer operators that are called in to clean up the damage caused by these fires. This often involves clearing away what were once people’s homes.

Although it may sound like an easy job, working to reduce the amount of fuel on the floor takes an experienced and skilled bulldozer operator. Many of these areas are protected so the operator needs to work in such a way that ground fuel is reduced with the minimum amount of damage to the environment. These are skills that are developed over time and rely on the operator receiving good training at the start of their career.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are leaders in the field when it comes to training new recruits to the industry. The school’s reputation amongst contractors is good with many contractors sourcing their new employees direct from any one of the schools. While you cannot expect to be out creating firebreaks immediately after graduation, work is available in a variety of areas, work that will provide the experience and skills required to undertake that type of employment in the future.

Are you considering a career as a heavy equipment operator – more specifically, a bulldozer operator? If so, contact us to determine which school is closest to you and when the next heavy equipment training course commences.

Self employment is a popular path for many people involved in the heavy equipment industry and the machinery of choice are backhoes. There is a good reason for this, of course. Backhoes are versatile and can be used in a wide range of earth moving jobs. If an operator can acquire a backhoe and a set of attachments at a reasonable price, there is plenty of work available.

The downside to self employment is that backhoe operators need to become business savvy. Operators need to advertise their services, be savvy enough to know how long a job will take, how much they should charge and what sort of competition there is in their area. They also need to be aware of what sort of reputation, prices and availability that competition enjoys. For example, an operator with a good reputation may be able to charge more since their equipment is heavily booked. On the other hand, you may have a good reputation and be heavily booked so you can afford to set your prices a little higher than the competition. This is where business sense comes into play.

Like all careers, there is a starting point and for backhoes that entails training, experience and acquiring the funds to purchase your equipment. You will never gain any tangible experience unless you undertake a recognized training program. Employers are not going to risk their reputation, or their equipment, on graduates who don’t come from a recognized training program.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are well recognized within the industry for providing well trained and ready to work heavy equipment graduates. Graduates from ATS find little difficulty in finding secure employment if they display the right attitudes during their training and through their job seeking processes.

It takes time. In fact, it may well take several years before you are ready to become a self employed backhoe operator. The opportunities are there for those that are willing to learn everything there is to know about operating backhoes and the associated attachments. Just remember, if you want to become self employed as a backhoe operator, it all starts with a recognized heavy equipment training program – from there, the sky’s the limit.

With worse than expected employment figures out in recent weeks, you may be wondering if heavy equipment careers are still viable long term options. Long term of course is always a great unknown. However, history teaches us much when it comes to trends for long term careers. In the short term, the demand for heavy equipment operators is still steady. So what does history teach us?

Historically, construction has led economies back to recovery. Whether it has been roads, infrastructure or home building, these activities have helped to spark the economy. Construction has several effects on an economy. The first effect is felt through the pay packets of construction workers. The more in work, the more money that flows into the economy and this lifts demand. The second effect is what could be described as the snowball effect. As demand for products rise, more trucks, more production workers and more retail workers are required – this of course leads to more income in the nation and more demand again. The final effect is seen through the demand for raw materials and equipment – this also has a snowballing effect.

So what does this have to do with heavy equipment careers? We have already seen how the government reacts to an economic crisis – they throw as much money as possible into stimulating the economy and where do they throw this money? Construction. We are in the midst of one of the biggest national infrastructure building programs in decades. This has lead to an increase in demand for heavy equipment operators in the short term.

Long term? That is a harder question. However, there is one more fact that needs to be considered. The baby boomers are reaching retirement age and this is going to leave a huge hole in many industries – the construction industry included. The birth rate has dropped remarkably in the years from 1960-2000. This means there will be almost twice as many people retiring from work as those going into employment. A heavy equipment career offers no promises, but then, no career does. However, the situation in our society at present leads one to think that all employment sectors will face labor shortages in the future.

For younger people entering the work force, heavy equipment training will provide them with lifelong skills. While ever we need roads, homes, schools, hospitals or any other building, heavy equipment operators will be needed.

Paying for heavy equipment training can often be a stumbling block for many individuals. There are a number of payment options and in some cases, government assistance may be available to pay for some or all of your training. For veterans and serving armed services members, the GI Bill may offer you assistance in this area.

What assistance is available to you will vary and will depend on your personal circumstances and the reasons for training. For example, if you were injured while on active duty and now need re-training to enter the workforce, you may find there is extra assistance available. You may also be eligible for assistance if you are a dependent of an eligible veteran or service member.

Heavy equipment training is the perfect option for many returning service personnel. You are working outdoors operating equipment that you are totally in control of. At the same time you are working as part of a team and having to follow set plans to complete a job. If you’re worried about income, careers as heavy equipment operators are generally well paid and once you gain experience, continually in demand.

If you are a veteran, an active service member, or a dependent of either of those, and you’re considering a career as a heavy equipment operator then consider applying for financial aid to pay for your training. You can apply for that aid through this link, or talk to us at ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools – it could be the start of a new career.

In an age where everyone is becoming environmentally conscious, moves are afoot to reclaim land and return it to its former natural glory. While bulldozers may have been a part of the original stripping of the land, they are now an integral part of the teams trying to re-vegetate these areas. Little has changed for the bulldozer. They still go in and strip the land bare again – only this time, rather than farming, building or open spaces, that stripped land is being planted out with vegetation that is native to that area.

I say little has changed for the bulldozer and to a point that is correct. However, for a re-vegetation program to be effective, all of the old unwanted vegetation has to be removed – roots and all. The area often needs working several times to ensure that no viable seeds remain that will contaminate the natural vegetation. Bulldozer operators are also required to sculpt the land so that it can become a natural area again.

Heavy equipment in general is now playing a huge role in environmental issues. In fact, new heavy equipment coming in to the marketplace are themselves environmentally friendly. They comply with low emissions and some of this equipment is also running on alternative fuels, bulldozers included.

If you want to be a part of the new greening movement, yet have a hankering to operate heavy equipment like bulldozers, the two are no longer incompatible. In fact, as we move forward into the future the two will become closely allied. You can do both – you just need to undertake the best heavy equipment training around and to then find the right employers.