With all the turmoil that has occurred in recent years, individuals are now looking around for careers that offer a little stability. Truck driving is one career that does have a degree of stability. Let’s face it, no matter how tough the economy is, we still need food; we still need to transport goods like farm produce, raw materials and finished goods to markets and retail outlets. To achieve that, we need competent truck drivers and the first step to a career as a truck driver is to obtain a commercial drivers license.

Like a standard car license, prospective truck drivers have to pass both a written and practical test before they are issued with their commercial drivers license. The best way to ensure a pass in these tests is by undertaking training from professionals with a proven track record. How does a proven track record of almost fifty years sound? To stay in business, and to maintain a good reputation for that period of time says plenty about Associated Training Services. There’s good reason for that too – check out what is offered in their commercial drivers license training:

• Hands on behind-the-wheel training including road driving and backing exercises;
• Pre-trip inspection training;
• Coupling and uncoupling;
• Department of Transportation rules;
• Safety and safe operation of equipment;
• CDL regulations

This comprehensive training program is undertaken over three weeks and prepares students well for their commercial drivers license. On completion of training and after gaining their CDL, students are ready for any entry level position in the trucking industry. Truck driving offers competitive rates of pay, good conditions, and a variety of work types including long distance, local and intrastate. Truck drivers could be driving tankers, flat bed trailers with heavy equipment, or small local delivery trucks. What is most important to note is that you have the choice.

Looking for a stable career? Consider truck driving.

A commercial drivers license (CDL) enables the holder to operate vehicles of a commercial nature. This includes trucks, tankers and buses. It is the class of license together with any endorsements that determines what size vehicle and what sort of goods the holder can transport. Generally speaking, the classes and endorsements are common across the nation even though each state manages their own licensing. This often means that, although you hold a particular license in one state, if you move to another state you will need to transfer your license to that new state.

Using Florida’s licensing system as an example, the classes of commercial drivers license fall into the following three categories:

• Class A: Trucks or a truck combination that has gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 lbs. or more, provided towed vehicle is more than 10,000 lbs.
• Class B: Straight trucks weighing 26,001 lbs. gross vehicle weight rating or more
• Class C: Vehicles transporting placardable amounts of hazardous materials, or vehicles designed to transport more than 15 persons including the driver with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 lbs.

Endorsements are additions, or special components to a license, that allow the operator to move certain goods. The Endorsement comes in the form of a letter; for example, an A class CDL with H endorsement. The endorsements are (for Florida):

• H. Any vehicle used to transport hazardous materials in placardable amounts.
• N. A tank vehicle designed to transport any liquid or gaseous material with designed capacity of 1,000 gallons or more.
• P. Any vehicle, public or private, designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver
• S. A commercial motor vehicle (requires CDL) used to transport pre-primary, primary or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home or to and from school-sponsored events. Does not include a bus used as a common carrier.
• T. Combination vehicles with double/triple trailers
• X. Any tank vehicle used to transport placardable amounts of hazardous material

To obtain a commercial drivers license, you will need to meet certain requirements such as age (18), pass an eye test and undertake (and pass) written and practical tests. There are also Federal requirements that need to be meet (for example, if you are wanting a H – hazardous materials – endorsement then you will need TSA finger print clearance) and a DOT physical examination.

ATS Truck Driver Schools can help prepare you for the tests that are required to obtain your commercial drivers license. This includes both in-class and behind-the-wheel training. Truck drivers are in high demand and although the process to obtain a CDL may seem protracted, it can be achieved quite quickly. A Class A commercial drivers license can certainly open the door to a whole new career.

A CDL is simply an acronym for a commercial drivers license yet we come across many job advertisements for heavy equipment operators that use terms like “possessing a CDL would be beneficial”. What the employer is looking for is a heavy equipment operator who has commercial drivers license so they can transport the equipment to the job. It’s a pity sometime that they didn’t just ask for a truck drivers license since the term CDL can be confusing.

Your commercial drivers license may well be labeled as a Class A CDL, or Class A commercial drivers license. They mean the same thing. State transport departments issue truck driving licenses so you will need to check on requirements in your state. Generally speaking, a Class A CDL entitles you to drive any vehicle apart from those that require special endorsements. Dangerous goods is one example of special endorsement. To gain a CDL, most states require the following:

• Possess or qualify for a non-commercial Class C driver license;
• Complete a Commercial Driver License Application;
• Provide proof of your full legal name, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your legal presence in the U.S., identity and date of birth, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your Social Security Number, each time you apply;
• Provide proof of your residence address in that state, each time you apply;
• Pass a CDL General Knowledge Test;
• Pass a CDL Combination Knowledge Test;
• Pass a behind-the-wheel Drive Test in a Class A commercial vehicle;
• Pass a Pre-Trip Inspection Test
• Present a valid DOT Medical Certificate with waivers or exemptions as required; and
• Pay the appropriate fees

Some states will differ slightly from this list so, again, check with the requirements in your state. How do you put yourself in a position to be able to successfully complete that list? Easy. Call us at ATS Truck Driving Schools. We are the leader in the nation in truck driver training, with 40 years experience in the business. We prepare you well for your tests with a thorough behind-the-wheel training schedule that includes tricky components like reversing maneuvers and negotiating highway traffic. You can complete the training and obtain your commercial drivers license (Class A CDL) in as little as three weeks.

It’s one thing to undertake training in heavy equipment, it’s another to land that first job. This is where our Career Services option comes into play and, being a free service, it’s there to be used. Having spent nigh on 40 years training people to work in heavy equipment, crane operations and truck driving, we know what employers are looking for in new recruits. Not only that, our Career Services department has developed a strong network of contacts within the various industries, contacts you can use to your advantage.

Our Career Services option starts with a personal interview with each student to determine which sector of industry they want to work in and which geographic location best suits their needs. We also provide a package that includes a list of possible employers based on that information. We do the hard work for them in collating those possible employers. This means each student can start targeting employers before they have even completed their training.

Our service doesn’t end there. During training, we also offer training in soft skills designed to help you land that ‘dream job’. These soft skills include interview techniques, application procedures and networking skills. The latter is one of the most important if you want a long career in the industry. It’s through networking that you gain a solid reputation and, if you become highly proficient, find employers knocking on your door rather you knocking on theirs.

Our Careers Services department also offers an online resource where graduates and employers can connect. We also provide a Jobs Leads Database that contains contact details for thousands of potential employers. If you put the complete Career Services package together then you have a highly efficient mechanism designed with one aim in mind – to help you land your first job in either heavy equipment, crane operations or truck driving. Looking for a career change? It’s all here waiting for you!

Are you a heavy equipment contractor? Do you employ heavy equipment operators? Have you considered encouraging your heavy equipment operators to gain a commercial drivers license? As a business owner, having employees that are multi-skilled makes a lot of sense and can, over time, save your business a lot of money.

The heavy equipment industry is a classic example of where multi-skilled employees can be a real boon. How many small jobs have you had over the past 12 months, is my next question. These are the jobs where you send out a piece of heavy equipment to do a job and then retrieve it at the end of the day, or at some stage during the day, with the job done. For most contractors, they load up the trailer and have it driven to the work-site then the tractor and trailer (sometimes only the tractor) return to base only to have to go back out at the end of the day.

This takes two employees, one for the tractor trailer and one to operate the heavy equipment. It also means a heavier use of fuel with an extra return trip added to the job. If your heavy equipment operators have their commercial drivers licenses, you can send them out with the tractor, trailer and equipment and they can return when the job has been completed. There is no waiting around, only a single employer required, and a significant saving in fuel – all costs that affect your bottom line.

In fact, the amount of money saved over a twelve month period could well truly cover the cost of training. As an employer, you could sponsor the training of your employees and still show an increase in profits at the end of the year. Training through Associated Training Services only takes three weeks – three weeks that could significantly boost your bottom line.

If you graduate through ATS as a heavy equipment operator, truck driver or crane operator then we offer a job placement assistance program to help you find your first job. Notice I said we help you find your first job. We don’t find the job for you although we do point you in the direction of any vacancies, obviously.

There is a reason why we don’t find jobs for our graduates. They are all individuals and everyone has a different goal, a different need and different social and family situations. It’s impossible to get inside someone’s head to determine what all of these are. If we found you a job, chances are, it would clash with one or more of those situations causing you to fail in your first job. We don’t want that and neither do you. Our job placement program helps to put you in touch with possible employers. You can then apply for and accept jobs that you know will fit in with your lifestyle.

Confidence is a second reason why we help you to find work. If you win a job in a new career because of your own endeavors then it becomes quite special. If someone hands you a job on a plate, it’s not special and means little – apart from the work. So, if someone asks if we will find them a job – the answer is no, we won’t, but our job placement service will certainly help them find a job for themselves.

We have a proud record here at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools for producing operators that are work ready. This means they are skilled in their heavy equipment of choice, have participated in workplace health and safety and have knowledge of basic daily maintenance procedure. If you’re an employer looking for skilled operators, contact us. If you’re looking for a career in heavy equipment, truck driving or crane operations, contact us to apply on line.

Driving trucks can be a job that takes you away from your family for two or three nights each week. Driving dump trucks generally means you’re home for dinner each night and you get to sleep in your own bed. It’s not the only benefit, but for many people, it’s an important benefit.

Other benefits include:

• good wage rates compared to other workers
• regular working hours
• job security
• variety in your work
• not physically demanding
• climate controlled cab
• skills that are recognized nationally
• excellent work conditions

Dump trucks play an important role in our construction industries. They help to remove tons of rubble, waste and unwanted dirt from construction sites. They do the reverse when it comes to road building, bringing in tons of gravel and road base that goes into laying the foundations of our roads and highways.

With those benefits and the type of work required, don’t think that dump truck training is difficult or that a career as a driver is hard to get into. The opposite is actually the case. You can develop the necessary skills in as little as three weeks – this means you can be working within a month of commencing training if everything falls into place.

There is always a strong demand for dump truck drivers, especially with construction gaining such a boost over the last 12 months. We have also got an aging workforce so many of the older drivers are now looking at retirement or careers where they can work part time. This has all produced a strong demand for new drivers. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools has been training truck drivers for over 25 years and we are recognized as one of the premier truck driver training schools in the country. If you want a career as a dump truck driver, contact us today to find out when our next training courses start.

Like the idea of driving trucks? If you answered yes then now is the time to get your commercial drivers license. The economy has well and truly turned the corner and shoppers’ confidence is returning in big numbers. This means more goods are being transported which leads to more trucks on the road which in turn leads to a greater demand for drivers.

Add to the mix the rapidly approaching Christmas period and you have a shopkeeper’s dream. For shopkeepers to stock their shelves and keep them stocked, we need a large fleet of commercial trucks traveling from factory to warehouse and from warehouse to shopfront. Over the past eighteen months shopkeepers dropped their stock inventories – now they are fast tracking the restocking.

The American economy rides on the back of our transport industry. Road freight may only be one component of that transport industry – it is a big component. Drivers operate long hours and on interstate runs, may be away from home for several days at a time. The upside is the freedom that driving a truck brings together with a reasonably good pay check.

Truck driving is not as easy as it seems. Sure, you sit behind the wheel for long hours. However, navigating through towns, around road construction sites and in heavy traffic takes a lot of skill. Even more skill is required as these drivers reverse those rigs into fairly small loading bays.

These skills and more are learned through commercial drivers license training. This training not only provides the skills, it prepares you to pass and receive your CDL ready to start work as a truck driver.

Driving a dump truck can be a hot and dusty job – although at this time of the year it could also be a cold, damp and muddy job. It’s not all hard work, however. There are times when the dump trucks and their drivers relax a little and have some fun. Christmas is one such occasion, especially when they help out Santa.

I am sure you have seen Christmas parades, or perhaps had Santa visit a workplace Christmas party that has been put together for the families. We don’t see them quite as often as we used to. Thirty or forty years ago every workplace had a family Christmas function of some description. The star of the function was always the arrival of Santa.

For many workplaces, Santa arrived in a dressed up dump truck. He still does today. The dump truck is cleaned out, lined with all the Christmas trappings that befits a Santa. A large chair is placed on a few pallets to give him some height, and the dump truck is ready for Santa.

It’s not just Christmas. There are many street parades each year that feature characters dressed up to please the children. They drive down the street on the back of a dump truck. For other characters, the back of a flat bed truck is used.

What shouldn’t surprise you is that despite all the fun and pageantry that accompanies these events, the dump truck driver’s responsibility still revolves around safety – probably more so given the number of children pressing in trying to get a closer look. It takes a lot of skill and concentration to drive a truck at such slow speeds, skills that have been picked up through dump truck driver training and through practical hands on experience. Of course, our kids don’t care – they just want to see Santa.

There are a lot of highly skilled workers who spend their days driving trucks for a living. A commercial drivers license opens up many opportunities and if heavy equipment skills are added the opportunities get even wider.

One of the jobs that many truck drivers undertake is the pick up and delivery of heavy equipment. Truck drivers normally arrive at the pick up point, wait for someone to load the heavy equipment onto the truck then transport it to its destination. Once again they may be forced to wait until someone arrives to unload the equipment.

It’s a straight forward enough job for the truck driver – apart from the waiting. It would be far more more convenient if the truck driver could arrive at the pickup point and load the heavy equipment onto his truck himself. Likewise, once he gets to the end of his journey, then unloading the heavy equipment and moving on to the next job.

It makes sense and many truck drivers do undertake heavy equipment training to augment their work. They also find themselves in big demand with employers recognizing the value of employing multi-skilled workers. Being multi-skilled, you do of course open the door to a great many employment opportunities, the chief of which is the transportation of heavy equipment.

If you have a commercial drivers license and you are looking to add skills to your repertoire – consider training to become a heavy equipment operator. There is work available across the nation as both heavy equipment operators and as truck drivers. There is also a lot of work available for those who can do both.