One of the keys to happiness is being in the right career that you love. Poll enough people and you’ll discover that the people who are the happiest in life have a few things going for them. One of those things is that they are working in a career that is suited for them. Truck drivers are no different.

If you have a desire to be a truck driver, why not start right now? Associated Training Services offers truck driver training, and we have a few classes opening up soon.

Maybe you don’t want to be a truck driver. Perhaps you’d prefer to be a crane operator or a rigger. That’s fine. We have training classes for those occupations too.

The heavy equipment profession is one of the most lucrative non-degreed occupations in the world. It’s a highly specialized field that requires the proper training in safety and behind-the-wheel practical training in order to ensure that the workers let loose on the job site are qualified and certified for the job. Whether you desire to operate bulldozers, forklifts, cranes, dump trucks, or something in between, it all starts with training.

Now that the New Year is here, why not evaluate your career goals? Are you ready for a change? Do you think you’d enjoy the heavy equipment field? Then look into the training necessary to build a successful career as a heavy equipment operator.

You know you’re ready for your next career move. You’ve heard that heavy equipment jobs are opening left and right. They are! But what you aren’t sure about is where to start. Let me offer you five ways to get trained for the heavy equipment career you deserve and want. Here is to the future operators.

Here are five career training programs for future heavy equipment operators:

1. Crane training – In crane training, you’ll learn all about the various types of cranes and how to operate them. Each type of crane has its own unique features and ATS trains you on all of them. Learn more about heavy equipment crane training today.
2. Heavy equipment training – Technically, cranes are heavy equipment too. But when we say “heavy equipment,” we’re talking about a broader scope. This class will teach you all about scrapers, bulldozers, graders, backhoes, loaders, and a lot of other types of heavy equipment.
3. Rigging training – Riggers have a very important job on the work site. We’ll teach you how rigging fits in and show you how to safely carry out the duties and responsibilities of this important job.
4. Signalperson training – Signalpersons are the controllers of the work site traffic circle. We’ll show you how to maneuver vehicles using ground controls and how to do it safely according to OSHA standards.
5. Truck driver training – Truck drivers are integral to the work site. Heavy equipment must be transported from the construction company motor pool to the work site. No one is qualified to do that better than the CDL truck driver.

Now is the time to get your career in heavy equipment off the ground. Enroll in the training you need and start today.

Our focus and concentration are on training future truck drivers and heavy equipment operators in five key areas of professional vocational training.

Associated Training Services (ATS) has been instrumental in training heavy equipment operators and truck drivers all across America since 1996. Before that, we were affiliated with the Diesel Truck Driver Training School, which got its start in 1963.

1. Heavy equipment operations – From bulldozers and scrapers to cranes and other heavy construction equipment, ATS will train you in all areas of safe operations so that you can enter your career with huge momentum.
2. Crane operations – Crane operators are a special breed. ATS will train you and certify you to operate all kinds of cranes. When you graduate, you’ll be nationally certified to operate a crane on any work site.
3. Truck driving – Truck drivers are some of the highest paid equipment operators in the country. Once you get your CDL license, you can work local or long haul and know with confidence that you have been trained to handle any conditions.
4. Safety – Safety is one of the most important considerations for any construction crew. ATS is OSHA-compliant in all its training programs. We will teach you to operate every piece of equipment on the construction site safely and efficiently.
5. Construction trades – No matter what construction trade you wish to enter – from mining to oil rigging – ATS will train you to operate the equipment that is essential for your field choice.

Start your training today and enter your heavy equipment operation career with the right frame of mind.

The next ATS heavy equipment training class starts on Monday, September 30, 2013. The next truck driver training class is scheduled for Monday, September 23, 2013. Crane training begins on September 30, 2013. Sign up today!

We generally start new training classes every three weeks. All upcoming training classes will be at our facility in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

There’s still plenty of time to enroll, set up your financial aid, and make your living arrangements in Sun Prairie. If you are a military veteran, you could apply for one of several financial assistance options available to you. Even non-veterans can receive financial aid to get the career training they need.

ATS is considered an eligible training provider in 22 states. This is not a status to sneeze at. We’ve built a solid reputation as a career training provider that is well-recognized and appreciated all over the U.S.

In addition to financial aid, you could receive housing assistance and stay at our recommended hotel while taking your classes in Sun Prairie. The Water Tower Residence Inn is just minutes away from our training facility and within walking distance of all the living amenities you need – restaurants, grocery stores, even entertainment. The inn even has a game room and a color TV with cable in every room.

Most of our students graduate from our training programs and go on to rewarding careers in a wide variety of industries. It all starts with a simple commitment to yourself.

Associated Training Services is one of the oldest and largest trucking schools in the U.S. If you want to become a trucker – local or long haul – then you’ll need to be trained and certified. ATS can help you with that.

Here are six reasons you should choose ATS as your truck driving school:

1. Age – ATS is the oldest truck driving school in the nation. We have perfected the training model and put out some of the most successful truckers in the industry.
2. Size – We’re also the largest trucking school. We have more students, more instructors, and more room to maneuver your equipment on our training grounds. We’ve been doing it for so long that we continue to lead novice truckers into successful careers.
3. Quality – We’re not just stuck on quantity. How many students graduate from our training is not as important as the quality of training that we deliver. We focus on delivering the best truck driver training in the business.
4. Integrity – We go through a lot of trouble to stay true to our word.
5. Pride – We take pride in the ATS name, and we instill that pride in our students. When you graduate from ATS – whether you receive your CDL license, learn to operate a crane, or take our general heavy equipment training course – you can be proud that you were trained by the best.
6. Family-owned – ATS has been family owned since its inception. Started in 1959 by Robert Klabacka, ATS is now run and operated by his children. The current CEO and president is John Klabacka. We wouldn’t let each other down, and we’re not going to let you down.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training School is the oldest and largest training school in the nation, and we put out the best heavy equipment operators. Start your career with us.

CDL truck driving is one of the nation’s most enduring professions. If you think about it, virtually everything in your possession right now was on a truck at one time. Everything that is purchased at a point of sale must be manufactured and transported from the manufacturer to the retail outlet. That means that truckers are the backbone of society.

But don’t get a big head about it.

In order to be a valued member of the truck driving profession, you have to get trained and certified. The Class A CDL (commercial driver’s license) truck driver’s license is the most important credential you’ll ever earn.

The ATS CDL truck driver’s training is a good mix of classroom training and behind-the-wheel training.

Drivers who graduate from ATS training schools move on to very rewarding careers. Some become tankers. Others haul freight. We have former students in the mining industry, construction, transporting heavy equipment, delivering concrete and asphalt, and even driving dump trucks. No matter what profession you end up in, you can thank your ATS instructor for giving you the legs to get running. Your commercial driver’s license will become the most important thing in your wallet, and it will increase your pay too.

Start your career off with CDL truck driver training from the longest running school in the business.

Sometimes an employer needs specialized training for their employees. Associated Training Services is capable of providing that training on-site or at our location.

Since 1959, ATS has been training truck drivers and heavy machine operators on a variety of equipment. Our reputation is based on our long-standing success in delivering this training and meeting the needs of employers in the industry. We provide skills-oriented training for employers in the following areas:

• 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

Employer-specific specialized training can take place in a number of ways. Our training programs include training on backhoes, bulldozers, wheel loaders, excavators, scrapers, articulated dump trucks, motor graders, all-terrain forklifts, mobile hydraulic cranes, lattice boom cranes, articulated boom cranes, and commercial motor vehicles. We also provide CDL testing for employees who want to become truck drivers. This training can be rolled into your employer-specific specialized training curriculum.

In essence, ATS builds a curriculum around your employee’s needs. Our training initiatives are designed to improve their skill levels while meeting your needs as employer.

For more information about the ATS Employer-Specific Specialized Training package, visit our website.

Is money stopping you from changing careers? It is one of the main reasons that people stick out their current careers even though they hate every day they go to work. Money shouldn’t be an obstacle to a new career, and at Associated Training Services, we don’t believe it should stop you from seriously considering a career as a heavy equipment operator.

Training to become a heavy equipment operator is not free. There are training costs involved, and sometimes, ancillary costs such as travel and/or accommodation. We minimize these costs as much as possible, including the cost of local accommodation. By staying close to our training school, you will also save on travel costs.

You will still have an upfront cost that must be paid prior to your training commencing. We have tried to alleviate this problem by providing a financial assistance service. If you qualify for a career loan, for example, your training, and many of those ancillary costs are covered. As an alternative, you may be eligible for funding through various government programs, including those designed to help current and former military personnel and their families.

Money should not stop you from undertaking training to become a heavy equipment operator. If it has in the past, come and talk to us, or fill in our online application for financial assistance. If granted, you will have made that all-important first step to a new and challenging career as a heavy equipment operator. Our financial assistance service is also available to those looking to train to become truck drivers or crane operators.

The role of a heavy equipment operator has changed little over the years. They use their heavy equipment to move earth – in fact, in some circles, heavy equipment is referred to as either earth moving equipment or heavy earth moving equipment. Where there has been a change is in the requirements of some employers. It’s quite normal now to see employers asking for heavy equipment operators with CDL, a commercial drivers license. Employers are looking for operators who can truck the heavy equipment to a job site, unload, complete the task, then load up again and drive to the next job.

There are a number of reasons for the increase in demand for operators with a CDL. One is cost – why employ two people when one person can do both jobs. If employers hire both a truck driver and a heavy equipment operator, there is a risk that one will be sitting idle whilst waiting for the other to complete their role. One operator to do both jobs saves money – and in this day and age, that’s an important factor for any business. Another factor that has led to dual skill requirements is a lot simpler – there is a shortage of truck drivers and, in the past, employers have often struggled to find drivers to move heavy equipment.

Having complementary skills is also good for operators. It means they have several employment options. If it is quiet in the heavy equipment field, for example, during the winter months, then they can take on work as a truck driver as a fill-in until the demand for their skills returns – as it often does in the spring and summer.

For those considering entering the heavy equipment operating field, obtaining a CDL early can be a wise investment. Heavy equipment operator training only takes three weeks. If you are prepared to study at home, you can also gain a commercial drivers license with as little as three weeks of training. That’s a total of six weeks training to obtain dual skills that you will have for a lifetime and that you can use in a range of jobs. It certainly reduces the chances of long periods of unemployment.

Employers are often caught in a difficult situation when it comes to having employees who have been trained to a standard required in that particular workplace. Employers can opt to employ trainers themselves, however, this can be a lengthy and expensive process since trainers will need to develop training programs and organize testing processes that result in formally recognized qualifications. The alternative is to engage the services of a training company that trains in specialized equipment training.

The benefits of engaging a training company like Associated Training Services (ATS) are many. ATS already has a wide range of training programs developed. These can often be developed to suit your workplace. If not, our experienced staff can quickly develop a training program suited to your workplace. We have a long history of working with employers to deliver training designed specifically for their work environment and the equipment or work required. We deliver training in areas such as:

• Crane Operator Training, Testing and Certification,

• OSHA Compliant Rigging & Signal Person Training, Testing, and Qualification,

• Heavy Equipment Training, Testing and Qualification, and

• Class-A CDL Commercial Driver Training, Testing and Licensing.

It is important to have instructors who are certified and who utilize the latest training methods. We can deliver training on-site or in our training facilities. Contact us if you require specialized training for your workplace. We have fifty years of successful service to the industry and during that time has built a strong reputation for quality and delivering what the customer needs, not what we think you need. We work closely with industry, national accreditation organizations, and regulatory authorities to ensure our standards exceed those expected within the industry.