The ever changing world of heavy equipment operators can be an exciting ride. The industry is constantly changing with innovative technologies and better equipment that requires new training. Many engineering and construction companies will need their employees to be trained on these new machines and technologies. This specialized training can be performed by a quality heavy equipment training school.

This specialized training can be set up to teach employees exactly what the firm desires. If the company will be changing focus from building houses to building roads, the specialized training curriculum can concentrate on the heavy equipment used by road crews. This training will teach the employees how to properly and safely use the equipment that may be new to them. Specialized training can also be used to train employees on a new piece of equipment that has been purchased. For example, if a company buys an articulating crane and none of the crew has ever used one. Specialized training can be set up to get the crew trained and back on the work site quickly.

Specialized training is a great way to train a crew or a part of a crew quickly, so they are not away from the work site for a long period of time. It also enables the company with the ability to focus the training on their specific needs. Lastly, it allows the construction company or engineering company time to build and not have to focus on creating the training program from scratch. The heavy equipment training school has performed this training in the past and can perform the specialized training quickly and much more cost effectively.

There are times when standard training is not specific enough to cover certain tasks in a workplace. While heavy equipment operators can normally acquire the skills required to succeed through a broad-based heavy equipment training program, there are some industries that have very specialized roles for their heavy equipment. Normally, the only way to acquire these specialized skills is through a specialized or custom-designed training program.

Customized training starts with a customized training program. Most training organizations use training programs that have been designed off site so their training staff have little, if any, experience in designing a customized training program. To design a program that is specific to a particular workplace, a training program designer will need to inspect the workplace, define the skills required to perform the work, and to then design a training program that delivers those skills.

While that may sound easy, in practice it isn’t. Designing a custom training program also needs to take into account factors such as:

• Time – How long will the training take?
• Prerequisites – What skills should a trainee already possess?
• Equipment – The equipment required to learn these skills.
• Location – The best place to learn – at the workplace or at the trainer’s campus?
• Cost – When developing a custom training program, the end cost must cover the training school’s cost whilst remaining affordable for the employer.

That is a tightly woven set of requirements that must be considered while designing the training itself. Associated Training Services has a long history in delivering specialized training including training for:

• NCCCO Crane Operator Training, Testing and Certification
• OSHA Compliant Rigging; Signal Person Training, Testing and Qualification
• NCCER Heavy Equipment Training, Testing and Qualification
• Class-A CDL Commercial Driver Training, Testing and Licensing

If you require specialized training for your work crew, contact ATS for an expert assessment of your training options.

The introduction of new equipment and new technology can often bring operational difficulties. This is particularly true for heavy equipment like bulldozers, excavators, and graders. The introduction of GPS is one such technology that was discussed in yesterday’s post. Other technologies include the introduction of computer systems, particularly those that help to monitor and optimize hydraulic fluids.

Many businesses are able to take up training offers made by the manufacturers of these machines. Others are either not in a position to take up any offers, find them too expensive, or, in many cases, are simply not offered any training – they are just handed instruction booklets.

Associated Training Services has a specialized division – ATS Specialized Training – that offers specialized training to businesses across the nation. Your employees can be trained at either one of ATS’s training schools or at the employee’s workplace. Training is designed to meet the particular needs of the business taking into account the type of equipment used and the type of work undertaken by that equipment.

Employees can also be assessed using nationally accredited assessment criteria. These criteria have been set by organizations such as the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), OSHA, and MSHA. For crane operators, they can be assessed using NCCCO criteria to become certified crane operators. This is a compulsory requirement in some states.

Specialized heavy equipment training is not for every employer. However, when undertaken as a workgroup, it can increase productivity and decrease accidents and downtime. Contact us at 1.800.678.8120 or through our website for more information on specialized heavy equipment training.

Cranes are not all built the same. In fact some cranes are built for a specific purpose and a good example would the shipping container cranes you see at many of our major ports. These cranes are purpose built and can take a shipping container from a ship and place it onto the back of trailer ready for transport across land.

Other industries such as manufacturing, mining, construction and the timber often use purpose built or modified cranes to complete tasks that are unique to that industry. In some rare cases, the modification or attachment used can become popular and used by others in that industry.

Specializes machinery often requires specialized training. However, to gain certification an operator is required to complete a written and practical assessment to a set of standards. Specialized training has to be designed around the certification requirements as well as the employers needs.

To facilitate this, ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools employ crane operation instructors who travel to remote locations for crane training, testing, and certification. These specialized crane operator training programs can be customized to meet the employer’s time and cost requirements.

Training is designed to meet the needs of the employer which means the operator is working working productively a lot sooner. Although the training is specific to the equipment in use, the training also includes certification components. The visiting trainers are able to deliver the training and supervise the assessments. If you require specialized crane operator training then contact one of our representatives for more information.