Working with an agency to find a training program that qualifies for funding doesn’t have to be frustrating. Even if your counselor has never heard of Associated Training Services, we have worked with so many agencies and agency counseling services that we are pretty sure we can answer all the labor market questions yours can come up with.

We can provide information about heavy equipment operator job descriptions, the outlook for employment in a particular industry, what the wages normally will be and the earning potential for that occupation. Other occupational details like working conditions and more are often part of an agency’s list of questions when they contact us. We can provide all these things:

• history of ATS (Associated Training Services)
• training program descriptions
• career service assistance details
• Eligible Training Provider statuses
• anything else they need to know

Which Agenc Does ATS Work With?

Agencies ATS has worked with and will continue to work with include:

Agency List

• Government employment offices
• Departments of workforce development
• Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
• Dislocated worker retraining programs
• Trade Readjustment Act (TAA)
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
• State Departments of Veterans Affairs
• Federal Veterans Administration
• Other agencies that help people find employment

In addition to working with these agencies, because ATS is an Eligible Training Provider there is funding available. Many of the agencies who contact us are doing so because they want to make sure that the training they recommend will be eligible for the funding programs they work with.

If you are working with an agency, ATS will be able to help by providing all the information that is needed to get you started on a good career in heavy equipment.

There’s a good reason why Associated Training Services deliberately gets our students on several different kinds of heavy equipment during training. We’ve seen that your ability to operate one kind of big machine doesn’t necessarily mean you can jump on another and know how to use it safely.

Since most heavy equipment operators will be on a job with several types of equipment, there’s always a chance you could be asked to run something you don’t usually operate. If you have at least been exposed to it during training, you’ll have a better idea of how to do it. During training, you’ll be on many different machines:

• Backhoes
• Scrapers
• Bulldozers
• Graders
• Skid Steer Loaders
• Wheel Loaders
• Excavators
• Off-Road Haul Trucks
• Front End Loaders
• All-Terrain Forklifts

Each one has a different function and operates with slightly different controls because of that function. This isn’t like going from a sedan to an SUV, and the stakes are much higher. The more familiar you are with different machinery, the more valuable you are as an employee because you can be trusted with incredibly expensive equipment.

There’s another reason why we expose students to different types of heavy equipment during training; you get an idea of what you like and don’t like to run. If you know for sure that you love using a backhoe but hate using a forklift, that’s good to know before applying for a job that requires you to be the main forklift operator.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School has been putting people and machines together successfully for a long time — all kinds of people, and all kinds of heavy equipment.

When you are trying to figure out where to get training, it’s a good idea to look at the philosophy, experience, and goals that the school offers. Associated Training Services has a clear explanation of those very things called “The ATS Advantage,” and there are good reasons why this advantage is valuable.

Philosophy Explains Why ATS Exists

Quality, Integrity, and Pride were the keywords chosen as our motto over twenty years ago by company president John Klabacka. Each one of these words holds a meaning that expands beyond the letters to the idea behind them.

Quality is the high standard of excellence in every aspect of ATS, from the equipment and instructors to the services and facilities. We choose the best in order to train the best.

Integrity is the honest, strong moral character that is the foundation for choices made at ATS. We choose to act with integrity both professionally and personally because we know how essential integrity is to success.

Pride is the result of doing a good job. Being responsible for behavior, putting effort into improvement, and seeing things change is the source of our pride.

Experience Explains How ATS Got Where We Are

The National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) develops and publishes standardized construction and maintenance curricula, safety programs, management education, and more. The NCCER certification is the gold standard for employees in the industry — and ATS is recognized as a participating organization in the curriculum textbooks published by NCCER.

We’ve been doing this long enough to work through the rough spots and create a complete package of housing, financing, and training that doesn’t stop at graduation because we also offer lifetime employment assistance to graduates.

Value ATS and Where It’s Going

Our students are also our customers, and the primary goal of ATS is to produce satisfied customers. With the offer of lifetime employment assistance, you know that we are looking at the long haul. Since we are going for the long term goal of safe, high quality, enjoyable learning experiences that result in lifetime careers, we regularly evaluate the job we are doing to make sure we are on the right route.

Every successful career as a heavy equipment operator, or a truck driver, or a crane operator started with getting trained. The quality of that training is the foundation you build your career upon, so it’s important to choose the best training school you can find and start training as soon as possible.

Of course, we think Associated Training Services offers the best training around, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Do your research, look at the accreditation and certifications a training school holds and see if that school qualifies as a training provider for state and federal funding programs. Check out all the licenses and paperwork so you know what we are talking about when we say that employers respect the level of training our graduates to attain and look for those graduates when it comes time to fill a position.

Then, when you are ready to start training, look at the Training Classes Schedule and choose the training you are interested in taking; heavy equipment, truck, or crane. The calendar will give you the dates of this year’s training sessions, and they start every three weeks so you can start when you want to. We do it this way so there’s no waiting list because once you know you need the training to get the job, you need to start that training as soon as you can.

It’s easy to apply online and get started. There are some personal questions to answer because we don’t want to waste your time if your health or driving record or other histories will keep you from being considered for employment once you graduate. If you have questions for us about the process, we will be glad to answer them. The only thing you have to do is decide to start.

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Since 1959, Associated Training Services (ATS) has been training heavy equipment operators to maneuver and drive equipment on roads and construction sites. We’ve been quite successful. Many of our students have gone on to rewarding careers, which is why we do it.

The ATS founder, Robert Klabacka, wanted to build a family business that helps people. In the family, he is known for many wise words, including:

Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work another day in your life.

Robert Klabacka

He proved that by his own life.

ATS has trained people to be crane operators, bulldozer operators, dump truck drivers, riggers and signalpersons, and general heavy equipment operators. With several different training programs, we offer flexibility and affordability. We can even come to your work site and train your employees as a group.

Our specialized training includes mobile crane operations, truck driving, and rigging/signalperson training.

With quality, integrity, and pride, we will take on the task of training one person or a thousand.

Why ATS elected to do employer-specific specialized training because we saw the need in the marketplace – long before anyone else did. Employers need qualified heavy equipment operators who can move between types of equipment with ease and with safety their top priority. So we compiled our years of knowledge and experience on the various heavy equipment and put them all into a specialized training service that works.

When you want the absolute best training possible, pick the pioneers who practically created the industry. We understand heavy equipment training.

The best way to get started in the heavy equipment industry is to attend a training school and get trained and certified. There are specific types of equipment that require specific types of certifications, such as the crane. And then there is specialized training like rigging/signalperson training. And you can get a commercial drivers license, which will put you at the forefront of the construction work site.

One thing is for sure: Heavy equipment operators who are trained and certified are much more valuable than those who aren’t.

If you’ve dreamed of operating a crane, a bulldozer, or a dump truck on the construction site, then now is your chance. Sign up for heavy equipment training and after the first of the year you’ll be set and ready to go. Four weeks of training is all you need to be ready to start your career.

So what types of heavy equipment can you train on? Here’s a short list:

• All types of cranes
• Dump trucks and other commercial trucks
• Bulldozers
• Backhoes
• Skid steer loaders
• Front end loaders
• Graders and scrapers
• Excavators
• Wheel loaders
• All-terrain forklifts
• And many more

Virtually any type of heavy equipment you’ll find on a construction site can be operated by new and veteran equipment operators. If there’s a need for it, you can be trained on it. Once fully trained and certified, you can start looking for a job.

Robert Klabacka, in 1963, had a vision and followed it. He founded the Diesel Truck Driver Training School in 1963 near Madison, Wisconsin.

In 1996, Associated Training Services was born out of the same values that inspired the truck driving school. Those values are Quality, Integrity, and Pride.

This is not just some empty phrase or a string of words thrown together. Robert believed in them and so do we.

For years, the Klabacka family has been committed to providing quality truck driving and heavy equipment training for individuals wishing to seek a career in the backbone services of the country. There isn’t a thing all across America that hasn’t been touched by a truck driver or heavy equipment operator. Roads, bridges, stores, high rises, virtually every bit of infrastructure in the land at some point had to be transported or moved by an industry worker. Our job is to train them for their careers, and we do that well.

It takes integrity to maintain a business like ours. We believe in treating people right. If we help others succeed, then we’ll succeed. We believe it and we live it.

On these two pillars stands the element of pride. We don’t just have family pride. We also have professional pride. We believe in the power of people at a fundamental level. We believe that if you give people the tools to succeed, then they’ll outpace your expectations. Our students have proven it time and time again.

When you enroll in ATS, you aren’t just starting a career. You’re also joining a family. And that’s something to be proud of.

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.

Associated Training Services has some of the best students in the world. They are not only committed to the training they signed up for, but they are committed to being great heavy equipment operators. We have thousands of students all across the country who have graduated from one of our training classes and moved on to great careers in the industry of their choice.

Check out some of our testimonials and you will see how awesome our students really are.

See what Daniel from Ohio has to say:

I spent about 15 years at a scrap yard. I moved into management but didn’t like it. I wanted to get into heavy equipment and excavation and knew I needed more training thats when i found ATS in Ohio. I graduated in Aigust 2004 and got a job as an operator right away and the Training was a huge help. The classroom work was what i really needed because i had some equipment experience. The school was great and was just what I needed to start a great new career.

Dan –

Or how about this report from a former student who spent time in Iraq:

I was hired on as a crane operator for KBR. This photo was taken in Balad, Iraq. I was operating a 65 ton LinkBelt. I was picking up military vehicles, generators, Howitzers guns, containers and a lot of walls. I like the adventure except for the 140-degree heat.

Alex –

Here’s one from a former student named Nate:

Nate graduated from ATS December of 2009. Went to work for Iron Mountain Trap Rock Company later that spring. He Ran a 210M rigid frame haul truck and a Caterpillar 992 loader and works in an open pit mine.

Nate –

Not only are our students happy graduates, but they’re also successful heavy equipment operators. You can be too.

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.