When you see a mobile crane operator doing amazing things like precisely placing a steel beam, you actually see teamwork. Without riggers, spotters, and signalers that crane operator would be working blind. The team that a mobile crane operator is a part of is a group of highly trained specialists. That’s why ATS offers a variety of specialties in our Mobile Crane Operator Certification Training:

• NCCCO Certification including preparation & testing
• Fixed and Swing Cab Mobile Hydraulic Cranes
• Lattice Boom Cranes
• Articulated Boom (knuckleboom) Cranes
• Rigging / Signalperson Training and Certification

It isn’t just classroom lectures, either, because in order to know what to do on this team you have to get in-the-seat training. Set-up, load dynamics, lift planning, rigging, and signaling are explained and then they are done. Doing it gives every team member the experience that helps them remember the lessons on the job.

The NCCCO certification is nationally recognized as a mark of excellence. A team made up of this level of professionalism is a team that earns top wages for a job well done. Each member of the team knows what to do, from the rigger who safely attaches the load to the crane and guides it to the spotter who watches for hazards like power lines.

The crane operator keeps an eye on both to get up-to-the-second information about the process. These extra eyes keep everyone safe in a dangerous work environment. Signals are used to communicate clearly despite the noise of the machinery.

Associated Training Services provides the training that each team member needs to do the job well. The Mobile Crane Operator Certification Training you get at ATS equips you with a career in this lucrative field.

If you want to work in the heavy equipment industry, there should be no obstacles holding you back. There are plenty of jobs going around, and with the Baby Boomers retiring, plenty more positions will be opening up for the Millennial generation. You’ll be first in line if you have the proper training and motivation.

Here’s how to land a heavy equipment job in five easy steps:

1. Attend a heavy equipment training school and receive all the necessary training on each piece of equipment you are likely to encounter on the job site.
2. Get the certification that you need to be fully qualified to work in the heavy equipment industry within your state. This might include specialized certifications like mobile crane operations, rigger/signalperson, and a CDL truck driver license.
3. Prepare a resume
4. Learn effective interviewing, networking, and other “soft” job search skills. Associated Training Services (ATS) will assign a career counselor to you to help you hone these skills so that you have a leg up in the interviewing process once you start looking for a job.
5. Search for the best heavy equipment job opportunities in your area. Total Resources Network can be an invaluable resource as you search for heavy equipment jobs where you live.

ATS has been training heavy equipment operators since 1963. We started with diesel truck drivers and expanded to other types of heavy equipment starting in 1996. We have become the most recognized heavy equipment training school in the United States with the very best instructors in the business. And we have special deals for veterans.

One of the highest paid categories of heavy equipment operation is the crane operator, and a rigger is an essential partner in the operator’s mission. Because this is such an important job on a site, most states and insurance companies will require certifications for both positions. ATS is fully qualified to provide the training programs and certifications you need to hold both of these key spots on a work crew.

Our program can prepare and test you on both written and practical NCCCO exams; the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators and the recognized gold standard in the field. You can get experience operating swing and fixed cab, lattice and articulated boom mobile hydraulic cranes along with a good foundation in the safety regulations.

Choose The Programs You Need

There are five different types of NCCCO training offered at ATS:

• Mobile Crane Operations 1 — beginning level
• Mobile Crane Operations 2 — secondary level
• NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Prep/Test — only for experienced operators & offered through a business
• NCCCO Rigger/Signalperson Certification — a vital position for the safety of everyone
• Specialized Crane Operator Programs — we work with you to provide the specific training needed

Every one of these programs has had hundreds of graduates over the years, and those graduates have gone on to provide valuable service by expertly performing their job. Employers trust the training that you get at ATS and the proof of your competence in passing the NCCCO exams means you are a valued employee.

If you are interested in becoming a mobile crane operator or rigger/signalperson, the most important thing on your resume is an NCCCO certification because it verifies your professional status.

The life of a crane operator can be a dangerous one. It becomes more so for those working at the top of new buildings in the city. Yesterday’s collision between a helicopter and crane in London is a good example – although thankfully not one that happens regularly. Mobile crane operators can be grateful for one thing – they have their feet firmly planted on the ground, and it would take a very low flying helicopter to cause them any problems. In fact, mobile crane operators are more at risk of colliding with overhead power lines than anything else.

Mobile crane operators lead a fairly interesting life. Because they are mobile, they are able to travel very quickly between jobs. A mobile crane is nothing more than a specially built truck that has a crane mounted at the rear. The truck is driven like any other truck following normal truck driving road rules. The crane has its own operating cab – in effect, an operator is skilled as both a truck driver and crane operator, and that often includes the requirement for a commercial drivers license.

There will be times when a mobile crane operator is required to work at the one site for days or weeks at a time. At other times, they may well find themselves at two or more different sites each day, with each site requiring completely different jobs. Variety is certainly a big factor in the life of a mobile crane operator.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools provides training in both mobile crane operations and truck driving. Our training will prepare you for certification as a crane operator and complete the requirements to be issued a commercial drivers license. If you’re interested in a job that has a lot of variety requiring multiple skills, then mobile crane operations not only provide those also a career that is well paid and always in demand.

If you have a commercial drivers license, then you’re well on the way to becoming a mobile crane operator, or at least adding that option to your truck driving repertoire. Operating a mobile crane has three very distinct components: driving, stabilizing, and lifting. Driving is done in a traditional truck drivers cab and this is why you need that all important commercial drivers license. From there, you will need specific training to complete the next two tasks.

As the name suggests, stabilizing is ensuring your mobile crane is stable and won’t move during the crane’s operations. Just as importantly, being able to return the mobile crane to a driving state is also important. Stabilizing a crane is normally done from outside the crane using feet that lift the whole unit so the wheels clear the ground – this ensures a level base and no rolling.

Crane operations are done from a separate cab that is attached to the crane. This has standard crane controls for lifting and lowering the cable, raising and lowering the boom, and swinging the cab from side to side. While that sounds easy, crane operations can be quite involved. The operator needs to assess the weight of the object to be lifted, the lifting conditions (for example, wind), and the destination of the object to be lifted. That assessment will determine how the lift will be undertaken.

Upon completion of the crane’s work, the crane operator will also need to learn how to return the crane to a safe position for transport to the next location. Mobile crane operations are well suited to those who enjoy variety and who like to use their brain to solve problems. If you have a commercial drivers license, all you need is three weeks of mobile crane operator training to complete the requirements.

There is often a mistaken belief that crane operator training (and heavy equipment training in general) requires some prior knowledge of machinery and perhaps some prior experience. As I said – this is a mistaken belief. Training for cranes and heavy equipment is often better suited to those that come into the industry with little or no knowledge of the machinery since they don’t bring with them bad habits or misconceptions. If you are totally unskilled – you may find that crane operator training is the perfect choice.

Mobile crane operator training will necessitate learning to drive a large vehicle so some driving knowledge and experience is required. Training to become a crane operator takes around three weeks with almost all students ready to sit their certification tests after that period. Training involves learning about cranes, how to set them up ready for use and, of course, how to safely and efficiently operate them.

That knowledge is acquired through your training, not through any prior experience. In many cases, students that have had prior experience, or some basic training delivered by friends or family, need to go through a re-learning process because of bad habits or poor techniques they have acquired. Being totally unskilled means you come in as a raw recruit and, if you are mentally ready, able to learn the basics quite quickly.

Good crane operators are always in demand and they can attract decent pay checks each week. Having the right base training is essential if you want to build a career as a crane operator and here at ATS Crane Operator Schools we not only deliver quality training, we deliver training to standards that the industry recognizes. Most of our students are able to find gainful employment soon after completing their training, employment that enables them to further develop their skills.

If you are totally unskilled, don’t let that stop you from becoming skilled. Crane operator training, or heavy equipment training in general, is an option that you can seriously consider – and a rewarding career you can seriously consider entering. Contact us for more information if you’re ready to become a skilled and sougt after operator of cranes or heavy equipment – we have schools across the country just waiting to give you those skills.