To become a heavy equipment operator, the proper training is required to safely and professionally operate the different kinds of heavy equipment and machinery that you will be using. Associated Training Services (ATS) has been providing high-quality training for individuals for decades. Just read our reviews. The company got its start in 1959 as the National Institute for Concrete Construction. Now a nationally recognized school, ATS has expanded its course offerings immensely.

Students compliment the program by saying, “The facilities and equipment are top-notch and well-maintained,” and “Great instructors and excellent facility for both classroom and hands-on (training).” During the past two decades, ATS has prepared hundreds of heavy equipment operators for success in the roles behind the wheel of various machines and heavy equipment. Students can learn how to operate cranes, digger derricks, directional drills, and different kinds of heavy equipment used in construction projects. The school still offers commercial truck driving training and offers a rigger/signalperson certification.

Specialized Training Programs

When there is specialized training needed, ATS can help employers and job applicants with that as well. With highly detailed training by instructors who have extensive experience in the field, students have classroom time as well as hands-on training. Students will get detailed information about the equipment they will be operating, and they will learn how to troubleshoot problems and address simple issues.

Former students give the school high ratings with most of them finding employment in their chosen field rather quickly after having completed their training program. Offering a challenging educational program, that is also fun and informative, ATS provides students with the knowledge they need to safely and effectively pursue a career as a heavy equipment operator. ATS has provided training for various roles in multiple industries, offering specialized training that meets the need of the company.

Reviews – ATS Thrives On Student Success

ATS is more than a school, the instructors and the administrators want to see students succeed and businesses thrive. The school’s goal is for the success of its students and the success of the businesses that employ those individuals they train. Offering a superior training program that exceeds the expectations of the students, ATS offers a variety of training programs for the operation of construction-related trucks, commercial motor vehicles, mobile cranes, heavy equipment, signaling, rigging, and directional drills. Watch or listen to our reviews.

At the company’s location in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where the company was established, there are more than 50 staff members. The school is comprised of 20 instructors and more than 50 pieces of heavy equipment, trucks, and mobile cranes. There are beginner-level training programs as well as employer-specified training programs available at the location in Sun Prairie and at remote locations across the country, including:

• NCCCO Crane Operator Training, Testing, and Certification
• NCCCO Rigger-1 & Signalperson 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
• Horizontal Directional Drills

Certification, Accreditation, and Associations

ATS is accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research and the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators. It is a certified training provider under the Workforce Development/Workforce Investment Act, offers a training program that is approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the use of veterans’ educational benefits and is licensed.

ATS is licensed and approved in Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The school is a registered contractor with ISNetworld, which supports more than 360 hiring clients in industries to manage more than 54,000 suppliers and contractors in 75 countries. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 4.8-star rating on Google, it is obvious that ATS offers a quality education that helps students excel in their careers.

Training, particularly heavy equipment training, can be an interesting exercise when it comes to promotion. You can spend millions on advertising and not see a major return on your investment. At the same time, it only takes one satisfied student to talk about their training and it can bring in a dozen new recruits to the industry.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, we prefer the latter. Satisfied students are what we aim for with every training class that comes through out training schools (and we have ten of those). It’s a simple rationale. If we provide you with effective quality training that helps you discover a new and lucrative career, you’re going to be happy. If you’re happy, chances are you will tell others and that, of course, keeps us in business.

It may sound almost brutally frank, but that is reality in today’s world. The reverse is also true. If our training is crap and leaves you out of pocket with no chances of ever working as a heavy equipment operator, you will soon sing our failures to the world at large – and that of course will lead to our downfall. So we have a vested interest in your success as a heavy equipment operator. How do we achieve that goal? It’s all fairly straight forward. This is what you can expect when you enroll in one of our training programs:

• Accredited training to national standards
• Hands on in-the-cab training
• Industry approved training in safety standards
• Post graduate job placement assistance

If you’re looking at a career in heavy equipment, check out our track record; listen to former students who now have successful careers in heavy equipment operation; and talk to one of our staff members about what training options are available now. Remember, your success is our success.

Our heavy equipment training schools strive to deliver training that is both industry relevant and at the same time compliant with national standards. To achieve this we designed our training programs inline with those established by the various national bodies. This enables us to seek accreditation for the delivery of this training. As a student at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, you know the training is industry approved and relevant to the work place. But how do you know?

The internet has brought a valuable resource to online shoppers in the form of product reviews. Recent research is showing that many online shoppers are first referring to product reviews before making a purchasing decision. I assume you are reading this post because you have some interest in the field of heavy equipment as a possible career choice. Our training is a product and many of our graduates have, over time, contacted us to leave very positive feedback about their time with us. Take Jim from Minnesota as an example. He writes in part:

…..My employment started one month after graduation and would have never been considered without the certification I received from ATS. The knowledge I received from their down-to-earth instructors has proven to be invaluable. Attending ATS has been the single most important event of my life….

In fact, we have interviewed many of our former students to gain some form of feedback related to our training programs. You can view these videos on our student feedback pages. Do we get negative feedback? After more than 25 years providing training to heavy equipment operators and truck drivers, of course we do – but it’s very rare and when we do we look closely at the issue to see what changes need to be made.

If you are considering a career as a heavy equipment operator, check on what sort of feedback is being left by former students – if any. Heavy equipment training schools are there to provide training for those seeking employment as heavy equipment operators – be sure your training organization is providing training that employers are looking for. Otherwise, you could be wasting your time and money. See what our former students have to say before making any firm decisions.