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.

Developing a career as a successful and sought-after grader operator is a long term project. When I say long term, you are looking at two-plus years to reach a standard where employers will come to you seeking your services. In the meanwhile, you are the one that will be chasing employers looking for work. That’s not a problem since that is the situation with most careers - still, it’s nice to have employers chasing you instead. So what do you need to do to become a sought-after grader operator?

There are several key areas that you need to consider. Naturally, the first is that of grader operator training. You need to be trained by experts in the field, experts that will teach you good habits rather than bad, and experts that can give you a thorough grounding in how to maintain and operate a motor grader in a variety of situations.

The second area that requires consideration is that of experience and skills development. This may require a variety of employers over a period time, depending on what each employer has to offer. What you are looking to do is to develop your skills across a wide variety of terrains and working conditions until you become highly proficient in each.

Finally, there are those personal traits that round out an operator’s attractiveness. Personal traits such as leadership, attention to detail, teamwork, flexibility, and above all else, reliability, are key to your future success. Let’s face it, you could be the world’s best grader operator, but if you’re unreliable, what good are you to anyone? The same could be said for an individual who can’t work as part of a team - their skills count for nothing in the finish.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools can provide the skills foundation required to gain a start in the industry. We can even provide assistance to gain that start. Whether or not you succeed of course will then depend on whether or not you’re prepared to learn and whether or not you have those personality traits that employers are looking for. If you have those traits and are willing to continue learning everyday you’re at work then career as a grader operator could be yours. Contact us now and take that first step to becoming a much sought-after grader operator - and by the way, the paycheck’s pretty good too.

If you are looking for a reliable career as a heavy equipment operator then backhoes are one of the better choices. Being versatile equipment, there is generally always a demand for competent operators. The key word there of course was competent, often measured by experience across a wide range of projects and activities.

For most new operators, lack of experience is the one area that will count against them when looking for employment. On the plus side, if a new operator has received training through a well recognized training provider then employers will consider their application more seriously. Getting your foot through the door is the hard part - once you achieve it, you then need to learn as much as you can on the job.

In years gone by, a prospective operator could basically learn from their parent, or the operator from down the road. Training was unstructured and most new recruits to the industry brought with them the bad habits of their trainers. In today’s world, heavy equipment training needs to be structured and with such strict safety guidelines in place on worksites, there is no room for bad habits.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools have been training backhoe operators for decades. The training program offers instruction on a variety of equipment, including loaders and excavators, equipment closely associated with backhoes. Our training record speaks for itself and over the years has built a solid reputation with employers and those involved within the industry.

If you are seeking a reliable career as a heavy equipment operator, rather than limiting yourself to one piece of equipment like a backhoe, look at who is providing the training. Heavy equipment as an option is fairly reliable, but only for those who have had good training and developed a record as competent and reliable operators - that’s where ATS can get you started.

Having the will to work in a particular field is not enough these days. In fact, having all the skills along with that will is often not enough. Employers are becoming picky and when it comes to heavy equipment that has hefty price tags attached, they are even pickier. Employers need to have confidence in the workers they recruit and, in most cases, look for experienced operators with a track record. For novices, the experience is missing and with it the track record. This is where a good career services section comes to the fore.

There are two important issues connected to career services assistance. Since you don’t have a proven track record, employers look at the track record of the training organization. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools, for example, have a proven track record that has been developed over decades. Not years - decades. Employers have come to trust the quality of operators that graduate from these schools. So the track record for the training provider is there. The second issue is the track record of the people behind the career services section. Do they have a track record of providing the right people for that employer? Again, ATS has that track record.

What is important to you, if you are considering a career in heavy equipment, is whether or not you can get a job in the industry fairly quickly. Let’s be honest here - there are no guarantees. However, when you have a training provider with a proven track record and career services with a proven track record, you are well ahead of most others who are also trying to enter the industry.

I said there are no guarantees, and there aren’t. However, the career services section at ATS will work with you from day one to ensure you have every opportunity to secure a job. Whether it’s a good resume, interview skills or access to a database full of potential employers, ATS provides it all. If you need help launching your career in heavy equipment, contact ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools for the latest information on heavy equipment training, crane operator training and truck driver training.

Three heavy equipment vehicles that can often be seen working together are loaders, bulldozers and dump trucks. They do make for a perfect team with the bulldozer’s sheer grunt giving it the ability to move a lot of dirt around fairly quickly. Loaders then transfer those piles of dirt to dump trucks to be carted away. You will often see bulldozers, loaders and dump trucks working together in areas such as pre-construction of buildings and roads.

Bulldozers do one thing - they move dirt and they do it well. With plenty of grunt in the engine, and a good strong blade at the front, they can carve out a new road or building site fairly quickly. It is interesting to watch the bulldozer take an area of land that is lightly vegetated and transform it into a flat clean area of land ready for whatever project is intended. The only sign of the bulldozer’s presence being the piles of dirt and rubble scattered around the edges of the site.

Bring in the loader and those piles of dirt and rubble are soon gone, all transferred to waiting dump trucks for removal. Loaders don’t rely on brute forward strength. Their power revolves around their ability to quickly maneuver around a site and to lift large loads, particularly overhead and into dump trucks. Where bulldozers rely on tracks for mobility, loaders are generally wheeled and often articulated, giving them even more mobility.

Dump trucks complete the picture. With open top bodies, they can be quickly and easily filled with dirt and rubble. Being trucks, they can take that load to any destination, including driving on the open roads. Dump trucks get their name from the action of dumping, or tipping the body upwards to ‘dump’ out their load.

These three vehicles work independently yet each relies on the other to complete its job. For those looking at a career in heavy equipment, standard training at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools introduces students to all three vehicles (and many others). If you are looking for hands on training that prepares you for the workforce, check out your heavy equipment training options - perhaps a career as a dump truck driver, bulldozer operator or loader operator is right for you.

Distance learning has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the education and training sector so its no surprise to see the nation’s leading heavy equipment training supplier offering distance training. For those looking at a career change and considering heavy equipment, it could be one of the smartest moves they make - starting their training in their own home at their own pace while maintaining their current employment. That’s what makes distance training so popular - you can keep working while developing new skills.

But how does it work - surely a career as a heavy equipment operator requires hands on in-the-cab operational experience? Yes, it does. However, heavy equipment training also involves a series of in-class lessons as well. Heavy equipment distance learning breaks your training into stages as follows:

1. Enroll in heavy equipment distance training program
2. Complete each of the three distance training modules
3. Attend resident training program for hands-on training
4. Find employment and start working as a heavy equipment operator

Furthermore, the costs associated with your distance learning program are then credited towards the costs of your residential training program. This helps to spread the costs of the training over a period of time. Buy for the distance training program now then buy the residential training component at a later date when you’re ready to start.

Can you really learn by undertaking a heavy equipment distance training program? Just look at some of the topics covered in the modules:

• Module One
• Introduction to the Trade
• Heavy Equipment Safety
• Identification of Heavy Equipment
• Basic Operational Techniques
• Module Two
• Introduction to Earthmoving
• Excavation Math
• Civil Blueprint Reading
• Module Three
• Advanced Operational Techniques
• Finishing and Grading
• Soils

As I said, that was only a short list of some of the topics covered. You will also be introduced to a range of heavy equipment that includes: backhoes, wheel loaders, dump trucks, bulldozers, scrapers, excavators, motor graders. Again, that is just a shortened list. If you’re interested in starting a heavy equipment career then consider heavy equipment distance training - it makes switching careers so much easier.

Distance training is not just restricted to heavy equipment. If you are considering a career as a crane operator, there is a distance training package to suit your needs as well.

Mobile crane operator training is a must if you expect to develop a career as a crane operator. It is now compulsory in almost all states to be certified as a crane operator before you can even touch a crane, let alone operate one. To gain certification, you need quality training that is designed with both the workplace and certification process in mind. This is where ATS leads the way. We are recognized as being one of the leading providers of crane operator training in the country.

Working as a crane operator is not just about pushing a pulling levers to raise, lower or move a boom. Safety requirements are essential and this includes setting up the crane prior to use, day-to-day maintenance, traveling with a crane (especially mobile cranes), and of course the safe use of a crane. Other areas of importance include environmental factors like understanding how weather, particularly wind, can affect the operations of a crane.

If you intend on entering the workplace as a crane operator then you need to ensure your training meets industry requirements. The workplace has expectations of operators, particularly new operators that have been certified. Undertaking your training through a provider that is trusted by industry also helps when trying to find employment opportunities. If your training has been provided by ATS then employers know that you have been well trained, and that your certification has been well earned.

The workplace is competitive and while crane operators may be in demand right now, employers are still going to be selective. You can give yourself a real competitive advantage by looking for training providers that deliver the very best in training outcomes. ATS prides itself on being one of those training providers - reason enough alone to select us for your training.

Excavators - they were once considered to be great at digging holes in the ground, particularly trenches for pipes. These days, excavators can be found in a variety of workplaces and digging trenches has become just one of many tasks they can perform. One of the best places to see the variety of jobs an excavator can perform is on a demolition site.

Demolition jobs have to be every big kid’s dream job. While we like building things, just watch your kids - they take great pleasure in pulling them down again only to start all over. Demolition work, however, is not a kid’s job. In fact, it’s a serious job that requires precision and care with safety of paramount importance. Excavators often play a major role in demolition jobs because of the variety of tasks they can perform.

Attachments are what allows an excavator to be versatile and while pulling down walls is a major part of their job, using attachments such as claws and jackhammers means the excavator can move and break up large sections of a building. It can be an interesting experience just watching an excavator rip up a concrete building block - they can certainly make short work of the task.

You will find excavators at work in a variety of jobs. The mining industry relies on them as does construction. They can be used for river and creek dredging or widening, forestry and, using smaller versions, landscape gardening. To become an excavator operator is not as difficult as some believe. Three weeks of heavy equipment training will prepare most students for entry level employment opportunities. On the job training using a variety of attachments will soon see proficient operators offered more challenging roles such as demolition work.

If you’re interested in a career as an excavator operator, contact ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools for more information on course dates, financial assistance and post-training career services. The opportunities are there for those ready to take them.

The economy is starting to improve and, as it does, we are becoming freer with our dollars and starting to spend. While the economy in general benefits, customers spending more through retailers means more work for truck drivers. As a result, truck driving careers are starting to rebound and over the next 12-18 months, the demand for experienced drivers is going to increase.

Truck driving has been a popular career in the past and for good reasons too. The job pays reasonably well and you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder all the time. In fact, once you’re in the driver’s seat, you’re effectively the boss. Add to this, fairly good work conditions - let’s face it, modern trucks are air-conditioned, come fitted with CD/radios and, often, two-way radios. Power steering and much easier to handle gear boxes and clutches makes driving almost a breeze. The hardest part of a truck driving career is probably obtaining your commercial drivers license or CDL.

Of course, if you’re smart you’ll undertake training through a well recognized truck driver training school. If they are well recognized then they obviously have a good reputation for training drivers to industry standards, and for achieving high pass rates when it comes to undertaking the commercial drivers license assessments. The most important part of any truck driver training program is the hands-on training you receive. Reversing maneuvers, driving in traffic and general driving skills are all important if you want to pass your license tests, and if you want to be a successful truck driver.

If you’re looking at truck driver training options - give ATS Truck Driver Training Schools a call - or send us an email. Our training program can prepare you for a commercial drivers license test in as little as three weeks and when it comes to reputations - we have one of the best in the business.

When talking to those who dream of a heavy equipment career, it can be hard work trying to get them to think realistically. As with most careers, you can’t expect to start at the top - after all, if you start at the top, the only direction you can go is down. Operating a large excavator or bulldozer is not out of the question, but you do have to get the basics right first and to then work your way to more responsible roles.

If you are considering a career in heavy equipment, start by thinking like an employer - who are you going to employ and what sort of jobs are you going to give them? Novices are obviously going to get the more mundane easy jobs. The harder task will go to those that have experience. Just remember, those experienced operators once started at the bottom, as you will. How they applied themselves to the various tasks then reflected in the types of jobs they were asked to do - the more they applied themselves and learned about their roles, the more difficult the tasks.

So starting with the basics then becomes important. Heavy equipment training that exposes students to a range of equipment and a range of tasks is the best start. Hands on training is obviously the best way to learn. Standing behind someone and watching them may teach you how to use the controls, but it doesn’t give you a ‘feel’ for the equipment. There is so much more to learn by actually sitting in the operator’s seat. Your hands and feet play an important role in ‘feeling’ what the equipment is doing - for example, is it straining, is it hitting rock, and what about the many other situations?

This is what is often termed ‘instinctive’ control of your equipment. Your body feels what is happening and acts almost before your brain clicks into gear. The more hands on experience you gain, the more control you will have over your equipment. ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools have been training prospective heavy equipment operators for decades. We can’t teach you ‘instinct’ - you develop that over time. We can, however, teach you to become highly proficient operators, ready to start in the work place and ready to gain that ‘instinct’ in the workplace. Your heavy equipment career starts by getting those basic skills right - and that’s where we can help you.