Backhoes were once the machinery of choice when it came to ‘light’ excavations. These are jobs like shallow trenches, foundations for houses and landscape gardening. Backhoes were smaller, lighter and more flexible than other heavy equipment – they could go in, get the job done and be out again in next to no time. This preference is now being challenged by excavators – albeit mini-excavators.

Where a mini-excavator does lose popularity is in the area of flexibility and the fact that mini-excavators still rely on tracks rather than wheels. However, some mini-excavators are smaller than the smallest backhoes so flexibility doesn’t enter the equation – that just leaves those tracks.

Backhoes have a real advantage having wheels rather than tracks – they can drive quite quickly on public roads. Excavators, with their tracks, are still slow in comparison. However, despite some of these negatives, mini-excavators are gaining in popularity and it is at the expense of backhoes.

With this trend, what should you specialize in, backhoes or excavators? I’ll let you in on a little secret – you can do both. Backhoes, excavators and loaders all complement each other when it comes to skills. Yes, each piece of equipment is operated differently. However, sometimes those differences are not that great. With a backhoe, you have the combined skills of an excavator and a loader.

To gain these skills you need to complete a heavy equipment training program such as that offered by ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. Our training program will provide you with experience on a range of heavy equipment including backhoes, excavators and loaders. Our training programs are nationally recognized, which means your skills upon graduation will be recognized nationally. Excavators may be trying to take over from backhoes but they will never do it – if they do, you will have all the skills necessary to operate either one – and a loader as well.

Excavator operators need a keen sense of placement in their environment since the job itself takes them and their excavator right to the edge – literally. If you look closely at this image, another couple of feet and the excavator would be in the trench rather than creating it. Knowing where you are and, just as importantly, knowing what is happening under you are crucial when it comes to safety.

Depending on the soil type, any excavation has the potential for the edges to collapse. As an operator, you should be ‘feeling’ the ground under you as you work. For experienced operators, it becomes second nature. It’s a little like ‘feeling’ the road through the steering wheel when driving a car without even thinking about it. Excavator operators do exactly the same except instead of road it’s the area around their machine.

It is hard to teach people how to interpret sensations that are felt through the hands, feet and seat of the pants. What we can do is provide training time in the operator’s seat. Being able to ‘feel’ the ground really comes from experience. The more time you have in an operator’s seat, the more attuned you will become with the machine and your environment. However, without the right basic training, the only thing you’re likely to become attuned to is sitting in the bottom of that trench.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, we strongly believe in using a two-pronged attack when it comes to heavy equipment training. Safety and other issues are generally taught in a classroom situation. Learning to operate an excavator, for example, is done by sitting in the operator seat and doing the work yourself. Of course, we guide you and provide instruction on which levers, pedals and buttons to use, but you get a feel for how the machine works by doing the operating yourself.

Do you like living on the edge? Become an excavator operator and do it almost every day.

A report released yesterday is claiming that the economic stimulus package has already created over 600,000 jobs. With an increase in public works spending still to come to fruition, and the flow on effect from increased construction, the outlook for grader operators is positive. For those looking for a career as a grader operator, now is the time to seek out grader operator training.

Graders are one of the key pieces of heavy equipment when it comes to new roads and for leveling out new housing estates. Their ability to manicure the surface to such precise angles, slopes and thicknesses means that work in these areas can be completed quickly when compared to other heavy equipment.

Training to become a grader operator is not that demanding. It takes three weeks to complete both the theory and the hands on practical training. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools provide students with late model equipment in which to train – and the training really is hands-on. None of this standing behind an instructor and watching them operate the equipment.

The demand for grader operators is on the increase. Spring and summer will see this demand grow even faster. ATS can provide assistance when it comes to financing your training. We can also provide assistance when it comes to finding your first job placement. All it takes is a little dedicated time over a three week period and you’ll be ready to start a career as a grader operator. Our graders part of your future – if so, contact us now for details on our next heavy equipment training program.

If you’re looking at a heavy equipment career you have a number of options available to you. These include the area you may wish to specialize in and how you can enter that area of choice. Despite, or perhaps because of, the recent economic downturn, heavy equipment operators are in demand and some employers feel that this spring and summer will see shortages of suitably skilled people in many heavy equipment areas. How do you get your start then?

You have a number of options and they all start with training. If you’re not professionally trained to operate heavy equipment these days, most employers won’t look at you. There are plenty of training options available. We suggest you select only those training organizations that are accredited to deliver nationally recognized training. This means any credentials you receive should be recognized nationwide.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools are one option. You can start by undertaking our free online training program, or you can contact us for information about course details. We can even post out information on training programs available. We have training centers in almost a dozen locations – there is sure to be one reasonably close to you.

If you wish to specialize in one particular piece of equipment, you can. Our training covers a range of machinery depending, the range will depend on which of our training facilities you attend. It is often a wiser move to wait until you have completed your training before deciding on which piece of heavy equipment you want to specialize in. In our experience, students soon develop a natural affinity with one or more pieces of equipment and that is then where they tend to specialize. Heavy equipment careers – they are in demand and the demand is growing. Contact us for more information on heavy equipment training choices.

If you’re a little tired of your current career (and many people change careers three or four times during their life) then a career as a backhoe operator may be the perfect choice. Backhoes offer a diverse range of tasks, sometime using the hoe and at other times using the loader. That is the one appeal to many people, the backhoe is more than one piece of equipment.

Add a couple of dozen different attachments and the backhoe becomes a jack (and master) of many tasks. Backhoes don’t just dig trenches, they are capable of much more, including drilling, jack hammering and loading or unloading trucks. They have become a common piece of equipment on construction sites and are becoming popular tools when it comes to landscaping.

The real beauty in selecting a career as a backhoe operator is that the training is fairly straight forward. Take three weeks out of your life and you will be trained and ready to start work. You will have a wealth of new knowledge and the skills required to operate a loader, excavator and, of course, a backhoe since that combines the skills of the previous two.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have been training people to operate heavy equipment for over 25 years. They have the experience to know what employers are looking for when seeking to employ new backhoe operators. Because of the experience, employers rate ATS highly when it comes to the quality of the training and the quality of the students that graduate from each training program. If you are tired of your current career and considering a change – consider a change to a career as a backhoe operator.

Loaders get called in to do a variety of jobs including helping to clear snow. Once again, there are areas around the nation that are reporting record levels of snow. It is seems odd that whilst record snow and freezing conditions are also being reported in Europe, political leaders have meetings to discuss global warming. The global warming going on right now is in people’s lounge rooms as they try to keep the cold out. At least modern loader operators get to work in heated cabs.

Heavy snow often sees a call go out to all heavy equipment operators to help clear fallen snow. At times, the snow can be too deep or packed for traditional snow plow equipment. This is where loaders are able to help. They can scoop up buckets full of snow and deposit it all in areas where they will do no harm. It can still be a slow and dangerous job, however. With icy conditions loaders can struggle to find a grip to dig out thick snow.

It is situations like this that test the knowledge, skill and experience of loader operators. Those that started their careers with a good sound training program generally do better over time when it comes to developing new skills and becoming proficient operators. It stands to reason, of course. If your knowledge base is weak to start with, you have no substantial skills to build upon.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have a long and hard earned reputation for producing graduates that are well training and ready to commence work. Employers know that graduates from ATS are reliable and well trained so they will often select an ATS application over all others based simply on this knowledge. If your future career is as a loader operator, contact us at ATS to see when our next training course commences.

With the holiday season emptying a lot of wallets (and bank accounts), paying for a heavy equipment training program may seem beyond your means right now. It doesn’t have to be since there are financial aid options available designed to get you into a new career as soon as possible. All it takes is a commitment from you to want to succeed and the rest is certainly achievable.

Financial aid can come in many forms. There are a range of government programs available that you may be eligible for. 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 financial aid through any of those programs then you may find that you are eligible for one of the many loan options that are available. Your own local financial institution may have student loan facilities available. It costs nothing to ask and the process through a local financial institution is often fast and painless.

Failing that, you can fill in our online financing application form. We have relationships with national financing institutions and we will endeavor to obtain finance on your behalf. USA Finance is another option for students looking for student loans. Generally speaking, you will need to make a down payment when you commence training with the balance paid off as agreed in your loan contract.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools will assist you in every way possible to find suitable financing for your training. Our success is built on your success and your success is built on the quality of our training and the services we provide. If you are looking for financial aid for heavy equipment training, contact us to see what is available and what options you have.

Like all heavy equipment operators, backhoe operators have to perform daily maintenance tasks. These tasks are designed to ensure the equipment stays on the job for as many hours as possible. Not only that, if done properly, daily maintenance tasks help to speed up the down time that is required when the backhoe goes into the workshop for major maintenance problems.

Most people assume that a daily maintenance program only involves checking fluid levels. Whilst this is an important part of any maintenance program, backhoe operators need to go beyond that. Checking buckets and scoops for damage, ensuring there is no build up of dirt or mud on any of the moving components, and checking tires for foreign objects all form part of this daily schedule. Of course, checking is only part of the role. Doing something is the real maintenance component.

Tires are a good example. You check the tires and see there is a piece of metal wedged in. What do you do – make a note in your log book, or remove the metal. Common sense suggests you remove the metal and that is what the backhoe operator should do. Many work sites insist on log books and there is a good reason for this as well. Regular workshop maintenance programs are generally undertaken based on hours of operation. Keeping a regular log book shows at a glance how many hours have accumulated since the last service, and how many hours are left before the next service.

Maintenance should be a part of any standard heavy equipment training program. Whether you operate backhoes or any other type of heavy equipment, undertaking a daily maintenance routine means your equipment will stay on the job longer and you will help to extend the life of the backhoe.

If I was to pick one season that was best for commencing a heavy equipment career it would probably be winter. Demand for heavy equipment operators is at its peak during spring and summer. In the Fall, demand starts to drop off a little as projects begin to wrap up for the winter months. Winter, of course, can be reasonably quiet when it comes to demand. But then, you are not looking for employment yet – you are looking for training.

Therefore, the best time to start a career as a heavy equipment operator is during the winter months. During this period you can undertake your training and, if possible, follow it up gaining hands on experience. It may be just pushing snow around a heavy equipment yard – but it is still experience. Once winter has come and gone and construction companies are starting to gear up again, you will be training and experienced and ready to start the ‘real’ work.

Timing is important. If you start the process now, you could probably have everything in place to start training around mid-January. If you undertook your training through ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, you would complete your heavy equipment training in early to mid-February (depending on when you commenced). A couple of weeks of experience with a willing employer and come March, when employers start to look for operators, you’re there ready and waiting.

Changing careers always takes a lot of thought and a lot of forward planning. In winter, things are generally quiet so this is the perfect time to go through that planning process. Get your timing right and you will be ready for that heavy equipment career just as employers start looking for operators.

Is a job placement service worth considering when looking for work? Undertaking a heavy equipment training program is a sensible move considering the employment outlook for the next two years. However, if you are moving into the heavy equipment field from a totally unrelated field, you may be wondering where to look and how to secure that first job. If your training provider includes a job placement service then it is well worth considering as an aid to gaining that first job.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have a free job placement service that is available to all students who attend one of their schools. From the moment you commence your training you can access the service and receive help identifying potential employers and in developing application material.

Job placement services that are attached to recognized training schools are ideally placed since they often communicate with and work with employers when delivering training programs. ATS, for example, has been delivering training for several decades. Over that time we have developed strong relationships with many employers. We know what skills they are looking for and what sort of people they prefer to employ.

Everyone is settling down to a peaceful Christmas period. This may be the perfect time to reflect on your current career and determine if you are going in the direction you want. If not, consider a career change and whilst doing that, consider a challenging yet exciting career as a heavy equipment operator. Undertake your training through ATS and our job placement service will help you find that first job.