If there is one piece of heavy equipment that revels in the wintry conditions, it has to be the skid steer loader. Being light weight (yet still considered heavy equipment), they can scoot around on top of the ice and snow with little difficulty. Every home needs one at this time of year since they make such light work of clearing driveways of ice and snow.

It’s not just the ice and snow where they come in handy. Clearing up debris on building sites, working with landscapers to turn empty spaces into wonderful gardens and doing general duties in and around construction yards is all in a day’s work for these little beasts. It’s amusing to see a skid steer loader carrying a large wheel to a dozer when they need replacing.

Working a skid steer loader is a lot of fun. If you don’t mind being seen operating one of these little muscle machines (and you shouldn’t), then they can be the perfect job for those that have a bright sense of humor. The work is never boring, the action can be fast although safety is still a primary issue, and the variety of work on offer never ending. You just never know what sort of task you are going to be asked to do next.

What sort of training do you need to operate a skid steer loader? Any heavy equipment training program that offers a variety of equipment to train on is a good start. Training on a normal loader certainly helps. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools can provide that variety in your training including hands on experience in equipment like loaders and excavators. If you like the idea of zipping around on a skid steer loader – contact us now to find out when our next heavy equipment training program commences.

It seems that in some parts of the country there are plenty of trucks but few truck drivers to drive them. Truck driving as a career choice has been waning in recent years and this is leading to shortages of skilled drivers. There are many reasons for the loss in popularity – one reason being touted is our education system.

For once, the education system is being blamed for doing too good a job. Our youth are staying at school longer with more and more attending college each year. With college degrees behind them, truck driving is the last thing on their minds. While our youth may not find driving a truck interesting, there are many in the 25-45 year age groups that are considering career changes. While our education system is pumping well educated individuals, it hasn’t made life any better. There are many now who are turning their backs on their degrees and looking for jobs that offer more in the way of interest.

Truck driving certainly has a lot to offer. It pays reasonably well, offers plenty of variety, and is a skill that can be picked up quite quickly. At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, we offer a combined hands on and in class truck driver training program that can have you driving a truck in as little as three weeks. Once you complete your training, it’s simply a matter of obtaining your commercial drivers license and you’re ready for the road. Don’t worry, we train you in everything necessary to obtain that license. If you’re considering a career change – consider truck driving – it’s a choice you won’t regret.

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 graduate through ATS as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver or crane operator then we offer a job placement assistance program to help you find your first job. Notice I said we help you find your first job. We don’t find the job for you although we do point you in the direction of any vacancies, obviously.

There is a reason why we don’t find jobs for our graduates. They are all individuals and everyone has a different goal, a different need and different social and family situations. It’s impossible to get inside someone’s head to determine what all of these are. If we found you a job, chances are, it would clash with one or more of those situations causing you to fail in your first job. We don’t want that and neither do you. Our job placement program helps to put you in touch with possible employers. You can then apply for and accept jobs that you know will fit in with your lifestyle.

Confidence is a second reason why we help you to find work. If you win a job in a new career because of your own endeavors then it becomes quite special. If someone hands you a job on a plate, it’s not special and means little – apart from the work. So, if someone asks if we will find them a job – the answer is no, we won’t, but our job placement service will certainly help them find a job for themselves.

We have a proud record here at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools for producing operators that are work ready. This means they are skilled in their heavy equipment of choice, have participated in workplace health and safety and have knowledge of basic daily maintenance procedure. If you’re an employer looking for skilled operators, contact us. If you’re looking for a career in heavy equipment, truck driving or crane operations, contact us to apply on line.

Bulldozers, they really are one of the muscle machines when it comes to construction and land clearing. Their job is not to dig so much as to carve and push huge quantities of dirt. These days though, a bulldozer is also built to include a touch of finesse to its work. Watch a bulldozer spreading gravel or road base; they come pretty close to achieving what the older road graders used to achieve.

Modern bulldozers have all sorts of mod cons. Some come equipped with GPS, others with laser, many with both. Computer systems are becoming the norm in new heavy equipment and bulldozers haven’t been spared the technology. At this rate, it won’t be long and you will need control room training rather bulldozer operator training.

Maybe it won’t quite get to that point. I still think that knowing what the dirt is doing is half the job. A machine will never be able to replicate fully what we can do with our hands and eyes. Even so, bulldozer training is becoming more involved all the time. The need for training on fairly modern equipment is also becoming important. I know of some training firms that are using equipment that is 20-30 years old – they should be in museums rather than on training grounds.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have a proud record of providing industry with skilled bulldozer operators – operators that are ready to work the day they finish their training. Not only are our operators highly skilled, they have a good working knowledge of technology and how it affects their day to day operations. If you have ever considered a career as a bulldozer operator, now is a great time to act. Complete your training now and be ready for an expected jump in demand as winter ends and spring sees the start of hundreds of construction projects. Contact ATS for more information on bulldozer operator training.

Excavators have become popular equipment on demolition sites, especially those that come equipped with long reach arms. By using the longer reach, an operator can pull down walls and clear rubble while keeping the cab (and the operator) safely out of harms way. Excavators also come with a variety of attachments available, attachments that can make the demolition of a building over and done with in quick time.

Working on a demolition site can be quite different to working on a construction site. Often, explosives have been used to implode the building. This means that walls and other strength areas will be much weaker and susceptible to collapsing at any time. Excavator operators have to maneuver carefully through these areas so the building can be demolished in an ordered and orderly fashion.

Operating an excavator involves a high level of concentration. It also requires a basic set of heavy equipment operator skills – skills that can be further developed over time to a point where working on a demolition site is standard for the operator’s abilities.

Gaining the basic knowledge and skills to operate an excavator isn’t really difficult. In as little as three short weeks, ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools can have you trained and ready to start work as a trained heavy equipment operator – even on an excavator. As for the demolition team, it may take a little more experience before you can start demolishing – but it certainly sounds like a lot of fun. Every job has it’s up side, for excavators, it has to be the role of demolishing old buildings.

If there is one occupation that remains in demand even through hard times, it has to be that of a truck driver. Obtaining a commercial drivers license (CDL) is one of the things that I recommend for all, particularly those wanting to get into the building, mining or forestry industries. Having that one license adds that versatility to your career that many employers are seeking.

I have often mentioned the success that many heavy equipment operators have if they also have a CDL. It runs true through many industries. You may be working as a lowly warehouse person, but having that CDL and the skill of driving a truck means you can be called upon when necessary, even if it’s just to move a truck out of the loading dock so another can take its place.

Truck drivers are always in demand. It does depend on whether or not you specialize, of course. Sometimes it’s the big rig or interstate drivers that are in demand and sometimes it’s local haulers, those that deliver within a town, or to nearby towns. The increase in funding to the construction industry last year saw a large jump in demand for heavy equipment operators. What went largely unnoticed was the jump in demand for truck drivers capable of hauling heavy equipment. Think about it! If there is an increase in demand for heavy equipment, that equipment needs to be moved and if there is a lot of movement going on, there will need to be a lot of drivers around.

We have been training truck drivers for over 25 years. The truck driver training program at ATS prepares students to sit the commercial driver’s license test (theory and practical tests) by delivering both in class and behind the wheel training. If a CDL can give your career a little boost, contact us today for details on our truck driver training programs.

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.

If you watch enough television or go to the movies, you are bound to have seen airplane flight simulators, but what about grader operators and other heavy equipment? They are around in various stages of technical design. Some are reasonably good, some are just plain terrible. What they all lack is the fresh air and the dirt under your feet. Sure, I could get a simulator, throw a bucket of dirt on the floor and put on the air conditioner, but it still isn’t the same.

Nothing will ever beat actually getting into a grader and working it over real dirt. Simulators can copy the effects quite well, but they are, well, simulations. The real thing brings with it real time problems, real rocks, and real people working around you. Simulations can take the reality out of the learning and turn it into a game.

Here at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools we are proud to use real graders with real dirt. You learn to operate a grader with your hands on the controls, not you looking over an instructor’s shoulder as they do it all. You get to walk in the dirt and assess what type of soil it is, how hard packed it is, and how best to approach the job. Simulators can only go so far; you cannot bend down, pick up the dirt and look at it in a simulator.

If you’re interested in a career as a grader operator, or as an operator of heavy equipment in general, contact us at ATS and we will be happy to discuss what training options are available for you – using a real grader, not a simulator.

Are you considering a heavy equipment career but not sure about what the future holds, or what to do next? Perhaps we can help. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools is one of the oldest schools in the country with over 25 years experience training people for careers including truck driving, crane operations and, of course, heavy equipment. It seems logical that if you have questions then you ask those with the experience.

You have several options. The first option is to visit our primary web site and view the video on heavy equipment training. This may answer some of the questions you may have concerning a career as a heavy equipment operator. While you’re there, request one of our brochures – this will provide you with an overview of our training schools and what training options are available to you.

You may also want to check out our free online heavy equipment training program. This training program will provide you with an introduction to heavy equipment and the various equipment that comes under this classification. Once you have completed your online training, take a moment to sit back and reflect on it. Does a heavy equipment career still hold its appeal. If so, contact us and we can answer any further questions and provide advice on when and where our training programs commence.

A heavy equipment career is a challenging, interesting and rewarding career. You rarely find heavy equipment operators that are bored or dissatisfied with their work. The training you receive through ATS is to a national level, which means your skills are transportable around the country. Interested in a heavy equipment career? Why wait? Ask us and we can get your new career in motion almost immediately.