There are a lot of workplaces that require operators of heavy equipment and cranes to have specific skills to that industry, or to a specific job. The same can be said for those employing truck drivers, riggers or signal persons. For some businesses, they are moving into areas that are relatively new, having secured contracts they have tended for.

Being able to train your employees to do specific tasks with heavy equipment can be time consuming, and not very cost effective if you do it yourself. Associated Training Services (ATS) have been delivering customized training in areas such as heavy equipment operations, crane operations, truck driving (including CDL training) and rigger/signal person for almost half a century.

We are able to walk into a workplace, assess the training needs of that workplace, then deliver cost-effective training based on those needs. Where appropriate, ATS can undertake assessments of those individuals to ensure they receive the right documentation – for example, certification of crane operators.

ATS work with employers to ensure the training outcomes meet all the demands that operating their equipment may deliver, including safety aspects of their equipment. Training can be delivered at the workplace or in one of our facilities. Workplace training is often effective because the operators are learning using the equipment they are going to be operating.

Is it cost effective? In the majority of cases, most definitely. By engaging a professional training organization like ATS, your employees receive quality training that is focused on the employer’s needs. Skilled trainers are able to identify weaknesses quickly and to work those showing a weakness to ensure maximum productivity with lower down time due to accident or poor performance.

If you’re an employer with specific training needs when it comes to heavy equipment – cranes, truck driving or rigging/signal persons – then contact ATS for a no-obligation discussion on how we can assist you to obtain the best out of your employees.

There are some in the community who consider dump truck driving to be less skillful than most other truck driving jobs. There’s no doubt that dump truck driving requires slightly different skills, but those skills are important and make dump truck driving just as skillful as any other truck driving job.

To a certain extent, dump truck drivers have a greater responsibility. They do a lot of their driving in and around towns and cities. Their loads are constantly changing and it’s the driver’s role to ensure that none of that load ever lands on the road, or on other vehicles. Considering how many miles a dump truck driver has to do each day, making tight turns, and constantly stopping depending on traffic flow and traffic lights, ensuring that no part of their load causes any problems is a demanding skill in itself.

A dump truck driver also needs to learn how to operate the dumper, the most important part of a dump truck’s existence. In many situations, operating the dumper is easy – just reverse up to where you want the load dumped, and switch the dumping action on. In other situations, the process is made a little harder as the truck needs to be moving to gradually spread the load as it is dumping – that is another skill that most truck drivers never acquire – unless they want to become dump truck drivers.

Dump truck drivers require training like any other truck driver. To drive on open roads, they generally also require a commercial drivers license. Dump truck drivers are not second rate truck drivers. They are first rate truck drivers that require special skills to successfully operate their vehicle – but then, so too does a big rig driver, a tanker driver, or any other form of truck driver. Interested in becoming a dump truck driver? Contact us for more information on dump truck driver training.

Gender equity in employment has long been a challenge for women. I recently noticed an article on the topic of gender equity in truck driving, and some of the content could be equally applied to heavy equipment and crane operator careers.

Two statements really stood out. The first referred to the fact that a truck doesn’t know whether it’s a man or woman driving it – neither does heavy equipment machinery or cranes. The second statement was even more important, and to the point.

“recruiting ads looking for professional drivers you will often see the starting pay right in the ad. There’s no asterisk that says, “This pay rate is for men only.” Not only is that illegal, it would be foolish for a carrier to differentiate pay when the level of service is not dependent on the gender of the person behind the wheel. ”source

Again, this is very true of both heavy equipment and cranes. In fact, in today’s workforce, there are a lot of women working in all three areas. It’s not unusual to see a woman behind the controls of a bulldozer – in fact, from a distance, I’d challenge most people to tell me if was a male or female behind the controls.

Gender equality does exist in the field of heavy equipment. If you were to ask why there weren’t more female operators, the answer would be easy – they are not coming through and undertaking the heavy equipment training. It is no longer a man’s domain. As a career, the door is open to all who can pass the minimum requirements – and that really relates to training, including safety training, health, minimum age restraints set by the state, and the ability to communicate effectively in English. Meet those criteria, and you can train to operate heavy equipment, drive trucks, and operate a crane.

There is more to finding a job than just looking in a newspaper. If you are undertaking any career training, then the search for employment can be that little bit harder since you have no prior experience in the industry. More importantly, you have no prior experience at looking for work in that industry. A personal career counselor can often make a real difference in helping you gain that first start – if you have one available, that is.

Career counselors are our cornerstone at Associated Training Schools. They provide that vital link between the school, the student, and employers. More importantly, because they have experience working with industry, they know exactly how a graduate should approach employers. Having access to a personal career counselor can help you develop an approach – either by mail, telephone, or in person – that employers find acceptable.

Our career services department has links to thousands of potential employers across the nation. As a student or graduate, you have access to this information through our employer database. You also have access to our jobs website where employers can leave job vacancies, and where graduates can leave copies of their resume for potential employers to read.

The one area that no one can place a value on is that of experience. Our career services personnel have a wealth of experience when it comes to helping graduates from our heavy equipment training, crane operator training, and truck driver training programs find employment. Our reputation as a quality training provider in these areas has been built on the success of our graduates in finding and building great careers in their chosen work area.

If you’re considering a career in heavy equipment, crane operations, or as a truck driver, you can rest assured in the knowledge that our career services personnel will work with you to find that first job. If they aren’t helping you, it’s probably because you did your training through someone else.

As the economy slowly starts to gather pace, consumers start to relax and spend money. The more that is spent, the faster that economy recovers and the better off everyone is. Transport is one sector that really gets a huge lift when the economy improves. It’s a simple equation: more spending requires more goods which then requires more trucks and more truck drivers. If you want to take advantage of this increase in demand for truck drivers, your first step is to acquire a commercial drivers license.

The easiest path to a commercial drivers license is through an accredited and well-reputed truck driver training school. A good truck driver training school will train students in a variety of areas. More importantly, that training will involve plenty of behind-the-wheel driving – the only way that anyone can really gain experience and confidence when driving a truck.

While the emphasis in any truck driver training school is to teach people how to drive, there must also be training in truck driver safety issues, road rules and Department of Transport rules. An individual must pass tests based on these areas before they can be granted their commercial drivers license. Learning to drive is one thing, but learning the theoretical side of truck driving is another – yet in the bigger picture, those theoretical skills are the ones that will prove to be most important to your career.

If you are considering a career as a truck driver, make sure the training you get is comprehensive and includes all of those main factors. You will find that a good truck driver training program is the easiest path to a commercial drivers license and then a good career.

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.

For most people, their work is a daily grind. Their jobs are relatively safe but the work often boring. For others, their careers may swing in boom and bust cycles. It’s hard to accuse truck driving of being either of those.

Is a truck driver’s job boring? It can be a little monotonous if you’re out on the highway – it’s just mile after mile of black ribbon. Truck drivers get used to it and they do find ways to amuse themselves. When it comes to driving in the city, or any major town, then the job is definitely not boring. Just avoiding other drivers can be a challenge, especially with some of the crazy drivers on our roads – they really do test the skills and patience of most truck drivers.

What about boom and bust? Truck driving is like most businesses, so the boom and bust cycles do have an affect. However, we all still eat and we all still want the basics like clothing, fuel, and furniture. Trucks are the one element that is common to all of those areas -in fact, trucks are generally involved with every product either from farm-gate to home or from port to the home. Of course, these products may go through several other sets of hand first – and every movement involves a truck.

Truck driving as a career is challenging, is often on a boom cycle more than a bust cycle, and pays very well. As a career, you can choose between local, intrastate, or interstate driving, and the range of truck sizes and configurations are huge. If you fancy yourself as a truck driver, then your first step is to source truck driver training to help you get your commercial drivers license – and that’s where we can help.

A trick question to start today’s post. How long does it take to gain a commercial drivers license (CDL)? Now I know the title says you can gain one within a month, however, the real answer is even simpler – it takes as long as you need to pass the relevant commercial drivers license tests. If you have never driven a truck before, then it could take you years to gain a truck license. Of course, you can cut that back considerably by learning how to drive a truck.

ATS CDL Schools offer three week full-time training programs that cover all the essential requirements for passing your commercial drivers license tests. This includes road rules and truck driver safety, CDL regulations including topics such as log books, along with pre-trip inspections and coupling and un-coupling techniques.

In the cab is where you will learn to actually drive – and you’ll be the one driving, not an instruction with you alongside to watch. Learning to drive a truck is far different than learning to drive a car. A fully laden truck can take up to 200 yards to come to a stop, and that’s in an emergency. Reversing is different to a car, however, if you have had experience reversing with a car and trailer then you have a good start.

Truck driving is a career that has you constantly out on the roads mixing it with the general public. Truck safety is paramount for a number of reasons – obviously no one want to see any loss of life, and trucking companies don’t want to lose trucks or their important loads. This is why truck safety is such an important issue.

If you attend ATS CDL Schools, you can complete your CDL training in three weeks and be ready to pass those all important CDL tests. Pass them and you’ll be the proud owner of a truck drivers license and ready to work in the industry. Now, how quickly can you arrange to sit those CDL tests?

We often talk about working as a truck driver, and to do so, obtaining a commercial drivers license, also known as CDL. But what exactly is a CDL? As the name suggests, it is a drivers license that is required by those who wish to driver commercial vehicles. I know that sounds a little lame – however, it’s the definition of a commercial vehicle that should be of interest.

A commercial drivers license is generally available in three classes – A, B, and C. The Class A Commercial Drivers License allows the holder to drive any size truck. A commercial drivers license is obtained by passing a written test related to road rules, highway safety, and the different parts of a truck, and by passing a series of driving maneuvers in a vehicle similar in size to the one you intend operating. The Class B CDL has size restrictions while a Class C is for vehicles that are not covered by the A or B classes. In some cases, CDL holders are required to obtain special endorsements. These endorsements require a driver to pass further written tests, however, if successful, will allow them to operate vehicles related to that endorsement. Endorsements cover passenger buses, hazardous materials, and for double or triple semi-trailers.

Now that you know what a CDL is, and what vehicles are covered, the question related to why you should obtain one is almost self explanatory. If you want to work as a truck driver, for example, then you will need to obtain a CDL. If you want to drive interstate double semi-trailers, then you will need the endorsement related to double semis (T endorsement). Unless you have experience driving large trucks, know the road rules as they apply to trucks, and can describe the various parts of a truck, you are going to require truck driver training prior to attempting the required tests. Truck driver training – now that’s an area we can definitely help you with.

A sad fact in today’s employment market is that employers are always looking for ways to cut costs. That can work to your advantage if you are prepared to take a few extra steps. Combining several related skills can make an individual a far more attractive employment option compared to someone with only the one skill. If you were to combine heavy equipment operations with a commercial drivers license, you are in effect opening options up for your employer.

An example of this a small business that only has a handful of equipment. They may have been asked to perform a task that will only take an hour or two to complete. Rather than sending out the heavy equipment with an operator and a truck with a driver, an operator with a CDL can take the equipment out, complete the job, and bring the equipment back (or on to the next job), thus saving the employer from paying for two people for the one job.

We live in an era where companies are forever competing with each other for work. This is often done via quotation or tendering process. If an employer knows he can reduce employee costs, then they can submit a lower tender or quote, and increase their chances of securing the work. The more work they can acquire, the bigger they will grow, and the more machinery and operators they will require.

ATS conducts both heavy equipment training programs and truck driver training programs. It is quite easy to complete one training program and to then move on to the second so that, within six weeks or so, you will have graduated from both training programs with skill sets that will make you far more employable. Provide employers with that complete package, and you will be surprised at how much easier it is to build a sustainable career.