There are a great many ‘home renovators’ and amateur ‘garden designers’ in amongst us and over the years they have gathered together an array of skills. The question is, can they build on those skills for a heavy equipment career? It is important to understand that just about anyone can find a career in heavy equipment with the right training. Those that have been involved in the workplace, or home activities like those mentioned, bring with them a wealth of skills and knowledge.

There are pluses and minuses to this. Yes – there are minuses. Sometimes we need to untrain individuals of bad habits they may have picked up over time. This is done by training you in the right habits. Having said that, there are a great many benefits to be had by coming into heavy equipment with a few life and trade skills. These include:

Patience – having the patience to know that jobs need to be done in the correct order to achieve a result.

Tool knowledge – heavy equipment operators need a good knowledge of hand tools. Attachments may need changing, minor repairs, and perhaps even changing a tire – these all require the use of hand tools.

Safety awareness – workplace safety is a priority issue in today’s modern workplace. Having a basic understanding of workplace safety helps to rationalize any safety issues specific to heavy equipment operations.

There are many other skills that an individual develops in life that they can bring to a career in heavy equipment. You certainly don’t need to be a youngster to start training although being young at heart certainly helps. Heavy equipment careers are for everyone – all that is require is the desire.

Backhoes and excavators have very similar actions when it comes to digging out trenches. In fact, a backhoe is really an excavator that has been cut down in size and had a scoop added to the front. There are other design differences, of course, but the action of each is very similar. If that is the case, why would you choose a backhoe over an excavator, or vice-versa?

I said there were differences, and there are. Size is one difference that can be an important consideration. Backhoes are generally articulated through the middle which means they can be maneuvered in places that an excavator can’t get into.

There are other important differences. One of these is the fact that backhoes are multi-purpose built. The scoop or shovel at the front gives the backhoe the added bonus of being used as a front-end loader. If you need a trench dug and the material that has been taken out of the trench removed altogether, the backhoe is the best machine for the job. It can dig the trench then use the scoop to lift the piles of dirt/rock into a truck.

Excavators can do the same task using their digging bucket, however, this means the truck must spend the day alongside the excavator. These days, no-one can afford to have equipment just sitting around – that truck could be off doing other work. Bring in the backhoe, it can dig the trench then come back later and remove the waste in one work session.

Backhoes are one of the more interesting machines in the heavy equipment lineup. Requiring skills in excavation and loading, training across a broad cross-section of equipment is necessary. When seeking a heavy equipment training program, make sure it offers training on a variety of machines.

We are rapidly approaching that time of year when traffic on many of our roads stops to a crawl, or stops altogether. The cause? Snow! Bulldozer operators are often recruited to operate the snow plows used to clear roads. They are not the only operators called upon.

In some areas, trucks and/or farm tractors are fitted with a bulldozer type blades. They perform the same role as a bulldozer although not quite as effectively. Other areas use graders. These are particularly useful in areas where the snow has been compacted.

Technically speaking, a snow plow is the blade that is fitted to any vehicle. A rail car that has a blade fitted is also known as a snow plow. Rather than having heavy equipment experience, you require train driver training to operate these vehicles.

There are of course several specific purpose vehicles that have been built that also bear the name snow plow. When looking for employment as a snow plow operator, you need to clarify what type of snow plow is being used, otherwise you may find yourself operating unfamiliar vehicles with snow plow blades attached rather than specific snow plows.

Dedicated snow plows are very similar to bulldozers so a bulldozer operator will generally have a lot of the operational skills required to operate the machine. Using a grader on icy roads is very similar to using a grader on any other surface. Graders are popular since they can be set to very fine measurements shaving the road to within fractions of an inch of the sealed surface.

Looking to work as a snow plow operator? Start by undertaking a bulldozer or grader operator training program. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools offer heavy equipment training programs that deliver skills in a range of heavy equipment – just what you need if you want to work as a snow plow operator.

I am noticing a steady increase in the number of vacancies for motor grader operators these days. In fact, there is an overall increase in advertised vacancies for heavy equipment operators. I have seen several ads that read – operators required for roller, front end loader, mini excavator, street sweeper tractor (mower), motor grader, asphalt lay down machine, oil distributor and chip seal machine. Smack in the middle, hidden away was the motor grader.

The increase in demand for all heavy equipment operators is due in no part to the federal stimulus spending packages. Motor grader operators are in demand because a lot of that money is going into new roads – heavy users of motor graders.

In the past, many businesses could get away with using one or two operators across a range of equipment. They would use a bulldozer to clear the way, the motor grader to prepare the surface and a front end loader to remove the debris. At the moment, there is so much work on their books they need operators for each of these machines. They are going from two or three operators to five or six – a doubling of operator numbers.

For those who have wanted a career in heavy equipment, particularly as motor grader operators, now is the time to act. Employment numbers are forecast to rise over the the next 5-6 years and this increase in demand will start to put pressure on operator training schools. At present, you can enroll and start your training almost immediately. The same will not be true in the months to come. By this time next year, the demand may be such you will have to wait several months for the next training vacancy.

Act now and undertake your motor grader operator training. The demand is there for new operators – will you be one of them?

There are a lot of highly skilled workers who spend their days driving trucks for a living. A commercial drivers license opens up many opportunities and if heavy equipment skills are added the opportunities get even wider.

One of the jobs that many truck drivers undertake is the pick up and delivery of heavy equipment. Truck drivers normally arrive at the pick up point, wait for someone to load the heavy equipment onto the truck then transport it to its destination. Once again they may be forced to wait until someone arrives to unload the equipment.

It’s a straight forward enough job for the truck driver – apart from the waiting. It would be far more more convenient if the truck driver could arrive at the pickup point and load the heavy equipment onto his truck himself. Likewise, once he gets to the end of his journey, then unloading the heavy equipment and moving on to the next job.

It makes sense and many truck drivers do undertake heavy equipment training to augment their work. They also find themselves in big demand with employers recognizing the value of employing multi-skilled workers. Being multi-skilled, you do of course open the door to a great many employment opportunities, the chief of which is the transportation of heavy equipment.

If you have a commercial drivers license and you are looking to add skills to your repertoire – consider training to become a heavy equipment operator. There is work available across the nation as both heavy equipment operators and as truck drivers. There is also a lot of work available for those who can do both.

When it comes to heavy equipment and the construction industry, sometimes size is a problem, not a benefit – that’s where backhoes step up and complete the job. Backhoes can perform the same duties as most excavators. Of course, being somewhat smaller, they do take a little longer to complete a task, but when space is limited at least they can complete the task.

Backhoes and excavators are similar machinery when it comes to the tasks they can perform. Many of the attachments are similar as well. Although they can perform the same duties, these machines look nothing like each other.

Excavators generally run on tracks whilst backhoes run on wheels. Excavators have a large cab and engine room where backhoes are more like a tractor when it comes to the cab and engine room. Excavators and backhoes both use booms and buckets, the big difference being the size of bucket. Backhoes differ from excavators in that they also have a front-end loader style scoop at the front of the machine.

With those differences noted, the final straw is in their look and maneuverability. Backhoes tend to be long and narrow. Excavators tend to be in the short and squat category. It is the squat issue that makes their life harder when working in tight spaces. Backhoes can drive into smaller areas and still operate effectively.

Backhoes can be fun to operate. They are certainly one of the easier machines to learn to operate. Backhoe training as part of a general heavy equipment training program is the norm these days since it provides new operators with a wide variety of skills. If you think backhoes are toys when it comes to heavy equipment, think again. They are an essential part of any construction team.

Old hands will tell you that excavators in use today are far easier to operate compared to twenty years ago. Is it true? It is a question that is not as black and white as it first sounds. Yes, almost all heavy equipment is ‘easier’ to use compared to twenty years ago, but that is not the complete story.

Looking at the basic operations of heavy equipment, the technical improvements in areas such as hydraulics and electronics have certainly made the life of a heavy equipment operator easier. Machinery like motor graders, which used a steering wheel, required strength to operate. Power steering has changed all that – if the machinery has a steering wheel. Excavators were good workers but lack fine controls – most modern excavators now have that fine control. This means they can work to precise degrees of accuracy.

Of course, that is the standard day-to-day operation and yes, on that basis, modern excavators are easier to operate. However, modern excavators come with a range of attachments – the excavator is no longer just an excavator.

Attachments like a hammer turn the excavator into a large jack-hammer capable of breaking up hard material like rock or concrete slabs. Large claws can be attached and are used to pick up objects. Learning to operate these attachments takes a whole new set of skills – skills that operators of twenty years ago don’t possess.

A simple answer to the opening question would be to ask if today’s operators could operate the excavators of yesteryear and whether the operators from that era could operate today’s excavators. The answer – today’s operators probably could operate an excavator from twenty years ago. Unfortunately, the operators from twenty years could struggle with today’s equipment. Based on that response, you would have to conclude that today’s heavy equipment is technically more difficult to operate than those machines of twenty years ago.

Not only is the equipment more difficult, the training required to operate an excavator is more intense. This is one reason why it is important to undertake your training through a reputable heavy equipment training provider. If they are not accredited, be careful when handing over you money – you may not get what you are paying for.

Heavy equipment operators used to be tough old nuts. They had reputations for being hard talking, hard drinking and hard working people. I wonder what they would think of the latest equipment on the market? Not a lot I should think. Take the latest in motor graders. I said armchair comfort and I am not joking.

The latest offering from heavy equipment giants John Deere include seats with comfortable armrests (that makes it an armchair doesn’t it?). So what, you say – believe it or not, their G-series grader is controlled using armrest mounted finger-tip controls. It still has a steering wheel but you can steer using lever steering if that is your preference.

John Deere are not the only manufacturers. Caterpillar, a famous name in heavy equipment for decades, produce graders that do away with the steering wheel altogether and use joysticks instead. Those joysticks handle more than just the steering as well.

Fortunately for the old time grader operators, there are still traditional manufacturers around like Komatsu. They still produce motor graders with steering wheels, foot pedals and levers. With the new control systems proving to be popular it won’t be long before they follow Caterpillar and John Deere I am sure.

Are you ready to take on a career that is technically improving all the time? If you are then take on the challenge of a heavy equipment career by undertaking grader operator training. There are positions opening up all the time, particularly as older operators call it quits as new technology moves in. As they move out – you can be the one that moves in.

According to many former students, the singe factor affecting their employment options was their choice of training. Why? In most cases, that was the feedback from the employer. Heavy equipment training organizations develop a reputation. It is this reputation that employers look at when deciding who to hire – pick the wrong training organization, and you may find yourself unemployable.

This is not unique to heavy equipment training. Take a look at most professions and you will find some training providers who are highly regarded, and others who are looked upon poorly. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools has worked hard over the years developing a trust between those who hire operators and their training schools. Based on this trust, our graduates are looked upon quite favorably when it comes to applying for positions.

There are several factors that go into building a solid reputation. Time is important – we have only been in operation for forty years – do you think we may have learned a thing or two ourselves in that time? We have – we have learned what employers want.

The second factor is to deliver training that is industry accredited. This means that employers know that graduates will leave our training schools with a certain level of skills – the employer doesn’t have to guess what your skill level is.

The third factor – our actual training. When we say that someone has completed and passed their training – they have. Individuals cannot pay their money, turn up for the first and last days then expect to pass – you have to do the work to complete the course – there are no bought qualifications at ATS.

Employers know who they want to employ. Your choice of training will determine whether or not you meet their criteria. Add ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools to your list of possible training providers. Check us out and I think you will agree that undertaking heavy equipment training through us – is by far the right choice.

How would you like to spend a day outdoors digging trenches? Sound like fun? Okay, here you go, here’s a shovel, let me know when your done!

What, you’re back already? Doesn’t sound like fun? – oh well, let’s get a bigger bucket then. How about a bucket that holds half a ton of dirt? Now we are talking business – and that’s a small bucket when it comes to excavators. Have you ever wondered what it is like to spend a day inside the cab with an excavator operator. It may sound boring, but in reality, it’s quite fun.

You need to be up early. Excavator operators can be at work at 6am – sometimes earlier. Some, by the way, are just finishing work for the night at 6am. Like all heavy equipment operators, excavator operators start by giving their equipment a walk around inspection. This includes fluid levels in hydraulics, brakes, oil and of course fuel.

Often, the excavator is already at the work site so it is a case of reviewing the current job to see where you need to be on the day. Once the excavator is positioned and the right attachment is secured, the excavator operator does another walk around, this time including safety aspects. If everything is as it should be, it’s time to start the job.

Excavator operators could be working on a different job each day, or on the one job for a whole year – or anything in between. They may work an 8 hour day, or they could be working 10-12 hour days. It all depends on their contract and how quickly the work needs to be completed in.

Digging a trench, is not a case of just digging. It is precision work – the trench is being dug for a reason and generally goes from A to B. The operator needs to ensure the trench is the right depth, the right width, and of course, does meet with the point marked as B.

Once the job has been completed for the day it’s time to pack away your equipment. This includes another walk around check for any damage. Another check of fluid levels and, if the equipment is being left on the job, securing the vehicle to prevent any accidents or theft.

A day in the life of an excavator operator is like most jobs. You start work, you have a general procedure to follow which includes doing the work required, then packing up and going home. Of course, most jobs don’t include wrestling with a 20+ ton piece of heavy equipment. If you would like to wrestle with an excavator then consider heavy equipment training as a new career move. You could be in the excavators hot seat sooner than you may think.