Is A Skid Steer Loader Really Heavy Equipment?

Have you ever seen a skid steer loader hard at work? From a distance it looks like a bee darting about everywhere. Some people question whether or not a skid steer loader, or any of the other smaller earth moving machinery, really are classified as heavy equipment. In reality, the term is “heavy earth moving equipment,” so the term refers to their ability to move a lot of earth, not their physical size.

With that definition, skid steer loaders are definitely in the heavy equipment classification. They can and do move a lot of earth each day, but what makes them special is their size – they can get into areas where other equipment wouldn’t fit. Just as importantly, they can work in areas where larger equipment could do a lot of damage to the ground. Landscape gardening is an area where skid steers and similar small equipment are able to work while doing minimal damage.

While skid steer loaders may be small beasts, they still require a skilled operator to get the most out of them. Skid steer loaders work on a similar principle to larger loaders, just on a smaller scale. That doesn’t mean you can jump from a loader to a skid steer if you haven’t had any prior experience, and that’s where a training body like ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools comes in handy.

The heavy equipment training program at ATS includes a range of heavy equipment amongst which are loaders and skid steers. Attend their training program and you will receive experience across the full range of heavy equipment – this means you can then swap between large loaders and skid steers whenever you need to.