In one sense, it sort of sounds like a heavy equipment operator does just one thing: operate a big machine. But there’s a lot more to heavy equipment operation than being at the controls of a bulldozer or anything like it. In order to be a good operator, you need to be able to do things like this:

• Grade Reading — because the way the ground is now is not the way it should be when you are finished
• Soil Identification — because dirt does not act the same all the time
• Site Layout — because your machine might not fit where you thought it would
• Laser Levels — because it’s easy to get cockeyed
• Safety Procedures — because you work with other people and everybody wants to go home tonight
• Heavy Equipment Maintenance — because your machine isn’t magic

Heavy Equipment Operator Training has to include far more than simply learning to work the machine because your goal is a career, not a ride. All the extra stuff that is part of earthmoving and excavation is included in the studies at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School because it’s part of the job. You’ll learn how to work with a crew on different types of equipment and different types of job sites because the real heavy equipment jobs are in new places all the time.

When you are operating heavy equipment, usually the job site is changing as you work. You can’t assume things will be the same way they were yesterday and you have to be able to assess what’s happening now. We do our best to get you prepared for the real world of heavy equipment and a fulfilling career.

This week there’s a big assortment of jobs being listed, from local truck drivers (one averages $60,000!) and other types of CDL jobs to heavy equipment and crane operators. It’s always interesting to see which areas of the country are looking for drivers and operators, isn’t it? If you get your training at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School, you get all the advantage of decades worth of experience and you’ll be prepared for the right job when it comes along.

Janesville, WI — hiring local CDL truck drivers

Ashland, WI — hiring local truck drivers

Marshfield, WI — hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers

Deforest, WI — hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers and heavy equipment operators

Amherst, WI — hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers

Omaha, NE — hiring heavy equipment operators

Aurora, TX — hiring crane operators

Elkhorn, WI — hiring truck drivers for food delivery. Drivers avg $60,000

Once you graduate from ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School, there’s a lifetime promise of employment assistance and access to the Total Resources Network, a professional job site that brings together everyone interested in the long-term sustainability of the vital skilled trades industries. There’s a database that’s constantly being updated with potential connections and more…all available to ATS graduates.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, fire, flood, and more, are all disasters that leave piles of wreckage in their wake. No matter what the disaster is, it usually takes a heavy equipment operator to clean it up successfully. But doing this important service is a dangerous task for those who go into the chaos to bring order and restore normal life. Disaster recovery workers are exposed to many hazards on this kind of job site.

OSHA has an excellent resource for disaster recovery workers who are operating heavy equipment in their Hurricane eMatrix guide. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with what happens in cleanup because the rules can change drastically. All the normal work site procedures may no longer be in place because this kind of work site is unpredictable. As recovery workers slowly bring restoration safety measures are established, but the first guys into the scene have to be able to respond to whatever they find.

The more experienced a heavy equipment operator is, the better that operator can do the job in disaster recovery since the site is the only thing that’s unfamiliar. All kinds of machinery is used in cleanup, and the need for experienced operators is always there. If you think you are interested in helping after the next disaster, the best way to prepare is by getting good at your job and familiar with the OSHA guidelines. That way you are ready to go.

Training is the foundation for your experience in operating heavy equipment. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School provides that training with expert, professional standards that include time in the classroom and time in the seat of many kinds of heavy equipment. You get the certification and the training to start a career as a heavy equipment operator anywhere, even a disaster site.

Every successful career as a heavy equipment operator, or a truck driver, or a crane operator started with getting trained. The quality of that training is the foundation you build your career upon, so it’s important to choose the best training school you can find and start training as soon as possible.

Of course, we think Associated Training Services offers the best training around, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Do your research, look at the accreditation and certifications a training school holds and see if that school qualifies as a training provider for state and federal funding programs. Check out all the licenses and paperwork so you know what we are talking about when we say that employers respect the level of training our graduates to attain and look for those graduates when it comes time to fill a position.

Then, when you are ready to start training, look at the Training Classes Schedule and choose the training you are interested in taking; heavy equipment, truck, or crane. The calendar will give you the dates of this year’s training sessions, and they start every three weeks so you can start when you want to. We do it this way so there’s no waiting list because once you know you need the training to get the job, you need to start that training as soon as you can.

It’s easy to apply online and get started. There are some personal questions to answer because we don’t want to waste your time if your health or driving record or other histories will keep you from being considered for employment once you graduate. If you have questions for us about the process, we will be glad to answer them. The only thing you have to do is decide to start.

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Associated Training Services and ATS Specialized recognized early on those employers who hire truck drivers and heavy equipment operators have specialized needs. Not all construction companies and heavy equipment employers are the same. Some have very specific needs that cannot be addressed by the open market.

That’s why we introduced our employer-specific training courses.

With our employer-specific training, we’ll come to your work site (or you can come to our facilities – but it’s often more efficient for us to come to you) and train your employees on the equipment you need them to know how to operate. This is a great training option when you have several employees who need the same type of training.

The alternative is, you pay for transportation for all of your employees to come to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, pay for their lodging while they are here, and then pay for the training. It’s much less expensive to let us come to you.

You can get the training you need for all of your employees much cheaper.

We provide training for a group of employees on essentially any heavy equipment you may use on your work sites. We’ll provide training for qualification and for certification on crane operations, rigging, signalperson, truck driving, and all the standard heavy equipment. Our training classes are OSHA-compliant and we guarantee your satisfaction. Employees will receive certification from a nationally accredited training school.

Learn more about our employee-specific on-site training options today.

Most people go into heavy equipment operator training programs with a set agenda. They may want to become bulldozer operators, or perhaps excavator operators. Some want to learn a range of equipment to make themselves more employable. For most people, life after training follows that agenda. There are, however, many other types of equipment in use, and the pathway to operating this equipment is often through the basic heavy equipment machinery.

So what equipment could you aspire to operate? This depends on the industry you want to enter. In road construction, there are wheeled rollers, heavy rollers and asphalt-laying machinery. In forestry, you could be operating specialist equipment that is used to handle fallen trees. There is a wide range of specialist equipment used in the mining industry, and even there you have a choice between above ground (open cut) and below ground mining. Other industries that make use of specialist equipment include ports (dockyards), general construction, and some manufacturing industries.

There is little in the way of specialist training for these fields, with employers often taking well-trained and experienced heavy equipment operators and providing on-the-job training on the machinery they use. In road construction, for example, it’s not unusual to start as a bulldozer operator or grader operator and to then progress onto other machinery within the company.

The path to this specialized equipment starts with quality heavy equipment operator training that is then backed up with experience in the workplace. In today’s workplace, one leads to another with employers preferring to hire new operators who have graduated from highly respected training schools. Heavy equipment operator training can open doors to more specialized equipment for those who are looking for something different.

It’s becoming more apparent each month that we as a nation are slowly climbing out of the economic doldrums that have caused so much grief over the last five years. Construction is one industry that generally leads recovery so it’s no surprise to see a steady demand for construction workers, and that includes by heavy equipment and crane operators. Truck driving jobs are always going to be there – we have to eat and there are few people who can grow their own food. So where are the jobs?

We have a website dedicated to employment for heavy equipment operators, truck drivers, and crane operators. It’s interesting to see where the jobs are each month. More interesting is that these locations have had multiple job vacancies.

Heavy Equipment Operators

Truck Drivers

Crane Operators

If you are looking for employment in these fields, then you should be checking our job site every couple of days. New jobs are coming in on a regular basis, and in most cases, they are from employers who are looking for more than one operator or driver. If you’re interested in a career as a truck driver, heavy equipment operator, or crane operator, then talk to us about your training options. You can complete a career change in as little as three weeks if your heart’s really in it.

Like all training facilities, ATS has students who share their feedback on their experience during their training. At Associated Training Services, we have a very high success rate within our graduates. We offer career services to assist graduates in finding a career and this helps a ton. Here are just a couple of the stories that have been shared by past students of ATS:

‘I found myself getting laid off from a dead end job just a few years into my working career. I was not sure what to do and one of my friends mentioned he was looing into becoming a heavy equipment operator. He explained what the industry entailed and I was immediately interested. I researched training schools and ATS looked the best online. I contacted the school and got more information. Before I knew it, I was on campus and training to work in heavy equipment. I am almost done with the course and very satisfied with what I have learned. I have begun looking at open jobs and there are alot. I am hoping to find a good position locally and when I do, I have ATS to thank for my success.’
-Andres F.

‘I have been a crane operator for years but with the changing regulations, I had to get my certifications updated. I was not sure which school to go to. ATS had more to offer than any other school and after reading about it, I saw no reason to look furthur. They helped me get everything I needed up to date. I am now qorking for the same company but with a promotion, a raise and an education to add to my resume. I definitely made a good choice in ATS.’
– Gary H.

As you can tell, ATS has more to offer than other schools like it. With several programs, career assistance and more- there is no better choice. Contact ATS today to enroll.

Do you need a history of heavy equipment operations to become a qualified crane operator? As a matter of fact – no. You can come from any walk of life and undertake a crane operator training course. To a certain extent, students that undertake training with no prior experience in heavy equipment can be easier to train. To begin with, there are no bad habits to erase. Of course, prior knowledge of the equipment can make life easier for the student since they are not being confronted with completely new terminology.

In short, however, as stated, anyone from any walk of life can undertake training to become a crane operator. Your success really is going to be measured by the commitment you give to the training course along with the skills and commitment that a crane operator trainer gives to you. Women have successfully made the transition from home duties to crane operations, middle aged former office workers have made the transition as have college students that found academic life not to their liking.

ATS Crane Operator Schools works on the principle of training students to work readiness. This means incorporating both in the cab, around the equipment and in the class room activities. The main emphasis of course is hands on in-the-cab operations – the more supervised practice you can acquire, the more skilled you will become. Having a rounded training program that includes operations, basic maintenance and safety components readies a student for the work place.

If you have never been near heavy equipment before, don’t let that stop you from becoming a crane operator. The most important skill or attribute that you can bring to any training program is an open mind and readiness to learn. If you have that then you’re ready to take on crane operator training.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools are one of America’s oldest heavy equipment training schools, having had forty years of experience. Although we are one of the oldest, it doesn’t mean our heavy equipment is and our range is not limited to a bulldozer or two. Depending on which school you attend you could have access to:

• backhoes
• wheel loaders
• scrapers
• excavators
• bulldozers
• road graders
• rock trucks
• Skid Steers
• All-Terrain Forklifts

Our training programs run for three weeks and are designed to provide the fundamental operating skills required to work using this equipment. By offering a broad range of equipment, students leave our schools in a position to apply for available work opportunities. Along with operational skills, students are also trained in:

• grade reading
• laser levels
• soils
• safety
• site layouts
• heavy equipment maintenance

Knowledge of these areas is essential in today’s heavy equipment operator if they are to enjoy a successful career in the industry. Heavy equipment operations is a career that is built on experience. As we have mentioned in the past, that experience needs a good solid foundation and that is where ATS excels – we help you lay those foundations. Over time, with hands on experience in the work place, you will find your reputation growing as a skilled operator and, with it, the demand for your services.

The demand for heavy equipment operators is constant. As a skilled operator you will find your services always in demand – and as a bonus, the pay checks that most experienced operators take home is well above many other career options. If you need more information on heavy equipment training, feel free to contact us at any time.