Bulldozers are large lumbering machines. In fact, they look fairly awkward traveling on large tracks rather than wheels. Despite all that, they are amongst the most powerful of heavy equipment when it comes to sheer strength. They can also be one of the easiest pieces of heavy equipment to use – if you get the right training to begin with.

When it comes to complexity, bulldozers don’t know the meaning of the word. One of the hardest parts to learning to operate a bulldozer is often the steering, get that right and the rest gets easier. In some ways, it’s not the operation of a bulldozer that is difficult, it is the knowledge of the terrain your on, what sort of soil structure it is, how easy it is to move and whether or not its likely to have hidden objects like rocks and tree stumps.

Much of this knowledge can be picked up in a classroom, but much of it needs to be on the job experience. We can tell you about sticky clay surfaces, but its not until you actually experience it that you come to understand the effect it has on a machine like a bulldozer. Every soil type can react differently – learn that and you will become a master.

In the meantime, before looking to become a master bulldozer operator, start from the beginning with a bulldozer training program that provides a good solid foundation of knowledge. That is where ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools can serve you well. As one of the nation’s top heavy equipment training companies, we know what employers want in new recruits and we know how to provide them with graduates that meet their needs. We also know what students want when it comes to training, and those needs are met as well. Become a master bulldozer operator by gaining the best possible basic training – you’ll never regret it.

Should you multi skill and become a backhoe operator? I guess I don’t have to remind everyone of the economy and the struggles that everyone has been through – if you didn’t see, feel or hear about it then you probably weren’t on the planet at the time. Times have been tough and many small businesses have been feeling the pinch – even in heavy equipment. As we start to shake off the problems of the past two/three years, businesses are starting to spend again, but very cautiously.

When it comes to heavy equipment purchases, prudence is the order of the day and cost reduction the number one factor. One of the easiest ways to cut costs is by using equipment that is versatile. The more versatile a unit of heavy equipment is, the more income that equipment can generate. I know, boring details on how to run a business – however, it does impact on all of us.

When it comes to heavy equipment, why buy a loader and an excavator when a backhoe can do the same work – in one unit. The only down side to buying a backhoe is that it can only be in one place at any one time – but it can certainly undertake a wide range of tasks while in that one place. During the recession, the last unit of heavy equipment to be mothballed was the backhoe. The first unit to be purchased was also a backhoe and, at present, the highest demand for operators is for backhoe operators.

Since it takes the skills of both a loader operator and an excavator operator, it makes sense to multi skill and take on the role of a backhoe operator. The path to multi skilling is made easier when a heavy equipment training program actually covers a wide range of equipment When the economy evens out, you can specialize in excavators, or loaders, or perhaps stay with backhoes, it’s your choice.

Graders – they’re weird looking beasts yet they perform a role that is vital to the success of any road building program. If you were to closely examine a grader its design would probably confound you. They are long and narrow and at times their front wheel bend at such an angle you would swear they were about to snap off. The design of a grader, like most heavy equipment, is one built from need.

Before graders, roads were built by hand with hundreds of laborers working long hours in the hot blazing sun to lay roads that were not quite level, but for their time, good enough. If you wanted a smoother or flatter finish to the road, you brought in heavy rollers like the old fashioned steam rollers. Now, although rollers are still used, they perform a different role.

The advent of graders has meant that work gangs are no longer needed in such high numbers. In fact, these days most workers on road crews are qualified in some field – we certainly don’t need the scores of laborers we once did. The role of a grader is fairly straightforward although the job itself is certainly not ‘straightforward’. The grader ‘grades’ the surface. In other words it carves and shapes the road much like a knife cutting through butter. The very slight slope that all roads have owes itself to the precise skills of a grader operator – skills that can be developed in as short as three weeks yet take a lifetime to really master.

You can start that journey to becoming a master grader operator by completing a three week heavy equipment training program that provides you with the skills to operate equipment like graders. If you’re ready for the journey, we are ready to help you through those first few weeks – you just need to take those first few steps.

When looking for work as a loader operator you will be surprised at how many different terms are used for these machines. Some terms are regional specific, most are manufacturing specific, yet there is a certain amount of logic behind each name. Some of the names you may come across include:

• Wheel Loader – as the name suggests, this equipment is driven on wheels rather than tracks like a bulldozer. This is one of the more generic terms used for loaders.
• Front-End Loader – this is another generic term for a loader.
• Skip Loader – these are smaller vehicles, often smaller than a standard car. The arms that control the shovel come forward from behind rather than from the front.
• Skid Steer Loaders – these vehicles are also much smaller. They are generally driven on tracks rather than wheels and get their name from the steering method. Each track is driven independently so stopping or slowing one will cause the vehicle to skid in a certain direction.
• Backhoe Loader – this is a combination of front loader and rear excavator tool. For many businesses, these are popular since you get two tools for the price of one.
• Shovel – an old term that is not used very often. This term describes the bucket or scoop used to move material.

There are many other terms used to describe loaders. What they have in common is a bucket, shovel or scoop in the front that is used to move items, generally dirt, from one point to another. Most have sufficient reach to enable the loading of dump trucks. What they also have in common is the need for basic training on heavy equipment. Basic heavy equipment training programs provide the skills required to operate a loader. These training programs also provide knowledge on factors such as safety and maintenance, essential in today’s job market.

It doesn’t matter what name you give them. Loaders all over do similar tasks, just on a different scale. If life as a busy loader operator appeals to you – contact us for more information on training programs and training schools closest to you.

We have mentioned in the past that excavators are for more useful than just digging trenches. Large excavators can do a number of jobs including an involvement in mining. Smaller excavators are also useful for many different jobs. In the last week there has been a lot of activity around the world involving excavators – some of the news isn’t what you see or want to be involved with while others are a sight to see.

One area that excavators are used in is rescue operations. Despite their size and power, excavators can be quite gentle when used with experienced hands. There have been two situations recently, one in Taiwan involving a landslide and another from the sub-continent also involving a landslide. In both cases, people were trapped in trains or vehicles under tons of dirt, mud and rock. Excavators were called in to quickly remove the debris so rescuers could get in.

Closer to home, excavators were hard at work, in the middle of night, demolishing a large bridge in Portage last weekend. You can see the photos of the excavators at work here. That would have a sight to see, in the middle of the night, in pouring rain, a pair of excavators virtually eating their way through this large overpass bridge – the whole area lit by large flood lights.

Of course, it takes a considerable level of skill to complete these jobs but I can guarantee one thing – the operators involved in these tasks all started with some sort of basic training. Heavy equipment training is the core to being a successful excavator operator. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools we design our training in such a way that you leave us with the skills and knowledge required to start work immediately. If you’re ready for work, we’re ready to provide you with the skills.

Retraining for a new career is becoming harder as many organizations that provide this funding start to run short. The Federal government has injected more funds into some of these budgets, however, this has really only scratched the surface. Many people currently in long term training may soon find their financial aid suspended. One of the benefits of short career courses is that the course is over and done with quickly.

Associated Training Services runs a number of career training programs including heavy equipment, truck driving and crane operator training. These training programs generally run over three weeks – in theory, you could be in the work force three weeks after starting your training. Of course, some of these training programs require licensing (truck driver CDL for example) so that start would be delayed. The point, however, is that you are not committed to six/nine/twelve months of training – training often without an income.

Because you can be back into the workforce quickly, there are a number of financial aid possibilities that could be accessed to cover your training costs. These include traditional career loans. While many people may balk at going into debt to cover the cost of training, the prospect of returning to work quickly with a good pay packet should allay some of those fears.

If financial difficulties are preventing you from making a career change, contact us at Associated Training Services. We have a number of financial aid options that we can take you through that can help to pay for some or all of your heavy equipment training.

Perhaps it’s true – you can’t have beauty and brains! I know some people would argue with me when I say that road graders are not exactly the prettiest of machines – I guess it is all in the eyes of the beholder. Pretty or not, road graders are becoming one of the most intelligent units of the heavy equipment family.

GPS and laser leveling are just two areas of technology that road graders incorporate. Some motor graders are now coming off production lines with complete computer systems. These systems constantly monitor areas like the angle and height of the blade and use GPS and laser leveling to constant fine tune these settings. This means a road grader can complete a job with less passes and that means less time. Compared to road graders of 20-30 years ago, today’s models can complete jobs in almost half the time of the older models.

For new operators coming through, it doesn’t mean that life gets easier – if anything, it gets a little harder – at least during the early stages. New operators need to learn skills involving GPS, laser and computer systems. Heavy equipment training has come a long way in recent years in order to meet this new technology. This is perhaps one area where ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools excel – we stay up to date with all the latest technology and deliver training to students that is relevant to today’s equipment, not equipment that was relevant 30 years ago.

Road grader operators are always in demand. Whether it is helping to build new roads in the summer or helping to clear snow laden roads in the winter, there is always a call for operators. If you’re interested in a career as a road grader operator, contact us today to discuss your training options and to find a training school close you.

When it comes to running a business, particularly a heavy equipment business, there is no such thing as ‘spare time’. If equipment is not earning money, it is most likely costing money and no business can afford that. This is one of the reasons that loaders and backhoes are so popular – they are versatile enough to put to a lot of different tasks. Backhoes can do much of the work of both loaders and excavators, but what of a loader, what can it do?

Loaders are more versatile than some people would imagine. The next time you’re out and about, you should keep your eyes open for heavy equipment to see what sort of jobs they are doing. For loaders, they have been known to attach mowing equipment to cut grass over large areas. On construction sites, loaders are often used to ferry heavy items, particularly if they need to be lifted a few feet into position. Why call a crane in for one job when a loader is there and available?

There are many tasks that a loader can perform, it’s really the skills of the operator that determine many of its limitations. Skilled loader operators are always in demand. For an operator, while cutting grass on the side of a highway may not sound interesting, it does require skills that are very different to, say, loading a dump truck with debris. The alternative jobs that can often be asked of a loader operator provide variety and remove some of the monotony of the job.

Loader operators are always in demand. If you are looking for a change in career, enjoy working outside and find operating heavy equipment like loaders appealing then contact us at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools for more information on heavy equipment training.

Sometimes we downplay the role of excavators and their work digging trenches. After all, digging trenches doesn’t really sound interesting. Mining, demolition and other jobs can sound far more interesting; however, there is no denying the important role that excavators play in servicing our nation. Today, when a new housing estate is being built, most of the services to each home are there because of the work of an excavator.

Waste water leaving the home; fresh water, electricity and telephone going in to the home; they are all provided using below ground connections. Those below ground connections are there because of the expert work undertaken by excavator operators. If you think about it, digging trenches is more than just digging a hole. The trench needs to be accurately dug so that all connections meet where the plans indicate. If they don’t, repairers will have problems in years to come, locating the pipes when required.

Trenches for waste water, fresh water and electricity (and often gas) are normally dug at different levels. Working as an excavator operator means you need to work as part of a team, be able to read and follow plans, and be able to operate with precision. This requires skills and experience. However, all excavators start somewhere and that is where heavy equipment training plays its role.

By undertaking a professional heavy equipment training program you develop a set of basic skills that enable you to work as an excavator operator. Over time, you will develop skills in certain tasks to the point you could be called an expert. This may well be digging trenches and helping to deliver services to our new homes. Excavator operators – without them our housing would develop at a snail’s pace!

A story this week from the Orange County Register is a timely reminder that even bulldozers face situations that are dangerous and require skilled operators. Bulldozers are often thought of as muscle machines that just get in and get a job done. They are strong and its their strength that is relied upon to complete jobs quickly, but this news story adds a high level of caution.

There are houses around the Anaheim Hills area that are threatening to slide down the hill and onto a busy freeway. As a home owner, I guess the last thing you want is to find your home on the freeway and the living room now the fast lane. Houses were bought, residents moved out and now it’s time for the bulldozers to move in and demolish them.

Being subject to landslides, heavy earth moving will be tricky. They may only be knocking down the homes, but that is not a simple task under these conditions. Bulldozer operators will need to be vigilant, not just in watching the ground around them, but also in ‘feeling’ the ground as they slowly pull these buildings down. These skills cannot be taught; they can only be gained through experience. However, if you read this blog often enough, one philosophy we always promote is that of your skills base. If you don’t have a good grounding in operating heavy equipment, you will never truly become a proficient operator.

A good skills base is a little like a building and its foundations. Weak foundations and the building will eventually fall. Good strong foundations and the building will be around for a long time. You can develop a good skills foundation by ensuring your heavy equipment training is delivered by accredited training organizations. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is accredited and delivers training that has been accredited to national standards. If you are looking to become a bulldozer operator, contact us now to start developing your skills foundations.