If you’re a heavy equipment operator then you may be starting to notice that employers are now preferring to employ operators that have their commercial drivers license. In today’s tight markets, employers are looking to cut costs and if they can have operators that can also take their equipment out to a work site then they have saved the cost of a dedicated truck driver. This is especially true of business owners that only have a handful of equipment in use at any one time. A dedicated truck driver would most likely sit idle for several hours a day, and that’s wasted money in today’s economic climate.

For heavy equipment operators, it makes sense. Armed with the right training and a CDL, you can truck your equipment to a work site, perform the tasks required, then truck your equipment onto the next job. There is no waiting around for a truck to arrive and transport your equipment - you are in complete control of your work space. For businesses, as we mentioned, the cost factor is of utmost importance.

If you are a heavy equipment operator looking to add a commercial drivers license to your range of skills, you only require three weeks of truck driver training and to then pass the necessary tests to be licensed. That three weeks is a sound investment in your future as it not only provides you with a skill and license that employers are looking for, it also opens the door for further employment options such as dump truck driving or general truck driving.

Employers are looking to employ individuals who can offer a range of skills. This makes those employees versatile and available for work where and when needed. Are you versatile? Do you have a range of skills that make you more valuable than the next operator? That could be the key to increasing your employment opportunities - and your value to employers.

The traditional role of an excavator was to dig trenches. There have been times when all an operator did was dig mile after mile of trenches - sometimes deep, sometimes shallow. The laying of pipes around the nation has been important for our development. Whether it’s waste water, fresh drinking water, or services such as power, gas, or cable TV - without an excavator to dig the trenches we would still be struggling along using man power.

Today, while excavators can be found in diverse roles such as mining, forestry and dredging, their expertise still lies with digging trenches. The modern excavator is very different from those of 20-30 years ago. Today, they use lasers and GPS to help guide them; the operator sits in air-conditioned comfort, often with a cd player and two way radio for communication. Excavators can now dig trenches to within the finest of measurements, and in a quarter of the time of the older equipment.

While the work may have become easier, that shouldn’t undervalue the skills of the operators. Yes, you can be trained and work ready in as little as three weeks, but your training doesn’t end there. Like most heavy equipment, once you have completed your basic heavy equipment training, you are ready for a life time of on-the-job training with every situation holding some sort of lesson.

As our population ages, the real problem in the future may well be a shortage of skilled operators. If you have considered a career in the heavy equipment industry, who not look a little closer at excavators. Operators are amongst the best paid heavy equipment operators and there is rarely any shortage of work available.

Adults often start their working life in careers that are not of their choosing. Our parents and those around us have a heavy influence on career decisions when we are young, and by the time we hit forty we are feeling a little out of sorts with our position in life. Statistics show that most Americans go through several career changes with the predominent age being between 35 and 40. Heavy equipment careers are well worth considering if you’re in this group and you may even find that employers prefer you to much younger new recruits.

Mature aged workers have several advantages over youth. They are more stable in their life, often having homes with mortgages and children at school. Compare this with younger workers who are often single with no children and no real commitments. This allows them the freedom to move around at will, picking jobs in areas that suit them. The more mature worker is also much more likely to remain in a job for longer periods.

Mature aged students often find that heavy equipment training is easier to handle as well. There is nothing like ‘life’ to teach one lessons when it comes to safety and the proper handling of equipment. Younger students often hold no fears and, while not necessarily acting recklessly, don’t always have the same appreciation of safety and proper workplace practices.

If you are in the mature aged category and going through a career crisis, consider heavy equipment training. You can be trained and ready for entry level employment in as little as three weeks. The opportunities are there, the pay is good and working conditions are well suited to those who enjoy a little freedom and working outdoors.

When it comes to big boy toys, bulldozers still lead the way. Not to appear sexist, they are also one of the most popular choices for female operators as well. There are many reasons for their popularity, the chief one being the amount of machinery in use around the country. They are not only the most popular when it comes to new operators entering the industry, they are the most frequently used unit of heavy equipment.

One of the benefits for new operators is the broad use of bulldozers. They are used in agriculture, especially when it comes to land clearing and dam building; in road construction, often as the first tool to clear the way; and in general construction, again to clear the way for housing, commercial and industrial developments. Bulldozers, or modified versions of a bulldozer, can also be found within industry with grain handling being one example. Snow plows are often modified bulldozers as well and generally require bulldozer operator skills.

Because there is such a broad range of opportunities available to bulldozer operators, it can be fairly easy to obtain sustainable long term employment. Wages and work condition are good with most operators finding employment within easy traveling distance of their homes. Training to become a bulldozer operator can be completed in as little as three weeks with students ready for entry level positions on graduation.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have a long tradition of providing quality operators to industry. ATS regularly consults with industry to ensure that our heavy equipment training is up to date and that students do graduate with the skills required to succeed. If you are interested in a career as a bulldozer operator, or any other unit of heavy equipment, contact ATS for details on our next training program. We have training centers in many parts of the nation with courses commencing on a regular basis.

GPS is everywhere now - from use in the average car for navigation to arm bands in our children to check on their location, you name anything that moves and I’ll show you a GPS device that can be attached. When it comes to heavy equipment, GPS devices have been in use for several years as a security measure - should a piece of equipment be stolen, the GPS unit will quickly help police identify its location. More sophisticated GPS units are also used in heavy equipment like graders to increase productivity and safety.

Using a computer system attached to a GPS 3D unit, the blade of a grader can be set to extremely fine settings. These settings ensure that each pass of the grader is done to exact measurements, thus cutting the time taken to grade a particular area. In the past, it may have taken three or four passes to complete a job to a surveyor’s satisfaction. A GPS system (known as GPS Machine Control) connected to a computer also means the grader can constantly adjust the height and angle of the blade on the fly, as required, and to exact measurements.

For grader operators, short courses on how to use GPS in their equipment can help to promote them to specialist operator level. This can make them more employable than those with just the basic grader operator skill set, particularly with employers that have added this technology to their equipment. While graders are one of the major users of GPS, bulldozers, loaders and excavators are also having GPS based equipment added. If you’re an operator in these areas then undertaking a GPS training program may be beneficial in the long run as well.

If you are an operator of heavy equipment and you understand the long term benefits of GPS Machine Control equipped machinery then contact ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools to find out where and when our GPS training programs are being conducted. It’s the way of the future and those that train now will be the leaders in their field.

Starting out in a new career is one of the hardest things that anyone can do. Heavy equipment careers are rewarding and after just three weeks of training, you are ready for work. The problem is, getting that first start. This is where professional career services can make an important difference - they can help you open doors to gain that first job.

Heavy equipment vacancies are often competitive so employers can often take their time to select the right recruit for their organization. There are many areas that employers look at including experience, personal traits, and the applicants training. If the applicant has been trained by highly reputable training provider, then there is a good chance they will gain preference over an experienced operator. There are a number of reasons behind this, the chief one being that a new well trained operator often has the latest skills and has not yet developed poor operating habits.

More importantly for those entering training, career service providers know which employers are more likely to give a novice a start. As student in a heavy equipment training course, they can provide advice as to which employers you should be targeting and how best to approach them. Some employers are old fashioned and would prefer to see you face to face. Others prefer the application letter and resume. It’s these little things that can often give you the edge when seeking employment for the first time.

Associated Training Schools has a long history of assisting graduates into employment. We have developed networks with hundreds of employers who hire novice crane operators, truck drivers and a wide range of heavy equipment operators. With this in mind, career services should be one area that factors highly when considering a change in career and even more so when considering a training provider.

Many states are now in the process of adopting legislation that makes it mandatory for all crane operators to have passed a certification assessment. For many employers, this may make life difficult. Their crane operators may be highly skilled and valuable assets to the organization, but without that certification, their value could be lost overnight. The simple solution, of course, is to have those operators assessed and certified.

That is a simple solution and many employers are now taking that route. For others, the solution is not so simple. Over the years employers have used employees in multiple roles. For example, a heavy machinery operator is trained to operate a crane, but only used when the need arises. Their main use to the business is a heavy equipment operator. These individuals will also need certifying before they can again operate a crane and, given their limited experience, may struggle to pass that assessment.

This is where ATS Crane Operator Schools is in a position to assist. We are able to deliver training and assessment, either at one of our training schools or in the workplace - depending on the needs of the employer. We can also provide specialist crane operator training in workplaces that have special needs. Our training covers a variety of cranes including fixed cab and swing cab mobile hydraulic cranes, crawler or truck mounted lattice boom cranes, and rigging. We can also travel where employees that require training, assessment and certification are located in remote places.

Skilled employees are valuable assets to any business - ensure your crane operators have been tested and certified so they remain of value to your business.

Mention the word free and people stop and look - then wonder what the catch is. It’s a part of human nature. Here’s something novel, however: a free heavy equipment training class that has no catch.

That’s right, no obligation to buy, no buy-first-then-receive-something-free deal - this is totally free.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools understands that starting a new career can be a daunting prospect. You can pay for your training then find that either you’re not really suited to this kind of work or that operating equipment is not what you thought it would be. With that in mind, before even making a final decision about a new career you can attend a lesson and find out all there is to know about heavy equipment.

Most training facilities have open days. However, they are designed to showcase what they do. We want to take that one step further and highlight what you can do. This includes completing a module from our training program. In fact, some of the benefits of attending our free training classes include:

• Viewing the campus and classrooms
• Meeting our instructors, some of our current students and our admissions counselors
• Experiencing real training first hand
• Getting on the machines and seeing them up close and personal
• Earning a $500 scholarship

Your free training includes:

• An actual ATS training module (Introduction to Heavy Equipment)
• Detailed information on the components, uses, and basic operation of many different machines
• Equipment demonstration and opportunity to get on machinery
• Access to machinery such as Backhoes, Loaders, Skid Steers, Dump Trucks, Bulldozers, Excavators, Motor Graders, Cranes and more.

If you are interested in attending a free heavy equipment training class and assessing its value, we have free heavy equipment classes running at the following locations:

• Sun Prairie, WI
• Columbus, OH
• Brentwood, NH
• Lecanto, FL

We are also offering free CDL classes at the following locations:

• Sun Prairie, WI
• Green Bay, WI
• Milwaukee, WI
• Columbus, OH
• Wills Point, TX

For more information about our free heavy equipment classes, visit our website and apply online, or call our customer service staff at: (800) 383-7364. Numbers and start dates are limited so check the website for more details. It’s not often you get a chance to have free access to training prior to making a career decision. If you have the slightest interest in heavy equipment and heavy equipment careers, grab the opportunity while you can.

We live in unfortunate times where world peace is constantly under threat. We have brave men and women serving in various places around the world and many, on return, require re-training before they can find well paid employment. Some of those returning are doing so with injuries that prevent them from returning to previous careers. To help those from the military that are trying to rebuild their lives, ATS Heavy Equipment Schools offers training that has been approved for Veterans Educational Benefits.

There are a range of benefits available for current and ex-military personnel. Some of these benefits also extend to the spouses and children of veterans - this enables them too to undertake heavy equipment training as well. Funding for veterans is available through the GI Bill. For current service personnel, there is funding available through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). This is available for eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard.

Guard and Reserve Members may also be eligible for funding to train as heavy equipment operators through schemes such as the GI Bill, the Tuition Assistance Program, and through various state military education benefits schemes. Vocational training is important for those that have been injured and this too is available.

A career in the field of heavy equipment operations can be ideal for those who have served in active duty areas. Military personnel are used to working outdoors, often in hot and dry (and sometimes wet and muddy) conditions. When it comes to remuneration, a heavy equipment operators’ weekly paycheck is competitive, especially when compared to careers that take months or even years to train for. If you’re a current or former member of the military, and you’re considering re-training in heavy equipment, you may be eligible for funding that can help to pay for your training. Contact us at ATS for more information or visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/gi_bill_info/how_to_apply.htm to determine eligibility requirements.

There has been a trend over the years for heavy equipment operators to specialize in one piece of machinery. For example, a bulldozer operator will only ever operate bulldozers and excavator operators only operate excavators. This is fine to some extent, you do become an expert in that piece of machinery. However, when it comes to heavy equipment careers, you are also limiting your options.

On the opposite side are employers, and there is a growing trend among them to have employees that can multi-skill. One area that all operators should consider is adding a commercial drivers license to their skills list. This gives an employer the option of having the operator truck a heavy equipment to a site, operate the equipment to complete the job, then trucking the equipment back to the yard or onto the next job.

You can go beyond that, however. Being able to competently operate a loader, excavator and backhoe - all related machinery - makes you far more employable than someone who has limited themselves to just an excavator, for example. From an employer’s perspective, do they hire three different operators on reduced hours, or one operator full time whom they can move from machine to machine as jobs dictate? The answer’s fairly obvious.

There is nothing wrong with specializing when there is plenty of work around. However, as many operators will tell you, heavy equipment careers have peaks and troughs and it can be hard to survive when work drops away. Being multi-skilled means you will have far more options during these periods when compared to other operators. Heavy equipment careers are very competitive in today’s marketplace. Start by undertaking the best heavy equipment training you can find and then consider developing your skills in a range of equipment rather than just specializing in the one. While your at it, consider adding CDL training to your resume - you will be armed with a complete set of skills and it will make you highly competitive in the job market.