Heavy equipment operations are one of the most rewarding careers on the planet. Don’t believe me? Here are five solid reasons you should enroll in a heavy equipment operations training course right now.

1. You’ll learn how to operate all of the most important heavy equipment you see on any job site. This includes backhoes, wheel loaders, scrapers, excavators, bulldozers, graders, skid steers, and forklifts.
2. You can acquire your mobile crane operator certificate and be one of the best-trained and paid professionals on the job site no matter where you live.
3. Heavy equipment operators with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) are highly sought after and paid well above their peers on the job site. With a CDL, you’ll have the first pick in jobs because you’re flexible and able to handle the most important tasks every employer needs.
4. Riggers and signalpersons are some of the most important people on the job site. If you get your certification for rigging/signalpersons, then you can set the workflow for your company on the job site. Riggers and signalpersons are regulated by OSHA. When you meet the standard, you’ll know that you are one of the most important people on the job site.
5. Associated Training Services also trains you in the soft skills you need to find the perfect job. You learn how to prepare a resume, how to interview successfully, gain networking skills, and more. But we don’t just train you and leave you. We also give you a mentor to help you, and you get a free lifetime membership to our job board.

From Minnesota to Ohio and from Michigan to California, there are more heavy equipment job listings than a truck driver could shake a stick at. There is a huge need for heavy equipment operators with or without a commercial driver’s license (CDL), and there is just as much a need for mobile crane operators. However, this week we’re showing you a good number of heavy equipment operator positions.

If you want a job as a heavy equipment operator, your first step is to sign up for training.

• ST PAUL, MN Hiring heavy equipment operators with Class-A CDL.
• GRAND RAPIDS, MI Hiring heavy equipment operators.
• GIRARD, IL Hiring mobile crane operators and riggers.
• PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WI Hiring heavy equipment operators with Class-A CDL.
• LOUDEN, NH Hiring heavy equipment operators
• LAKE CRYSTAL, MN Hiring heavy equipment operators.  
• SACRAMENTO, CA Hiring heavy equipment operators
• FORT WORTH, TX. Hiring heavy equipment operators
• LONG BEACH, CA Hiring mobile crane operators and riggers.
• MANISTIQUE, MI Hiring heavy equipment operators with Class-A CDL.
• TULALIP, WA Hiring heavy equipment operators. 
• MANSFIELD, OH Hiring heavy equipment operators.  

This is just a small sampling of heavy equipment jobs available right now. While most of these are for heavy equipment operators, there are still plenty of mobile crane operator jobs and truck driver jobs that require a CDL. If you want to make the big money in heavy equipment operations, get yourself a CDL and become proficient in the use of all types of heavy equipment operations.

All graduates of Associated Training Services will gain lifetime membership access to the heavy equipment job board at Total Resources Network.

A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is a requirement if you want to get behind the wheel of a load-carrying vehicle and drive it. That’s true whether you want to drive a dump truck from one construction site to another or you want to carry vehicles across the country on Big Rig. If there is any reason you need a CDL, it’s the law.

But there are practical reasons, as well, for pursuing a career as a commercial truck driver. For one thing, it’s a construction site position that is in high demand. Finding forklift drivers is as easy as pie. Backhoe drivers are a dime a dozen. Any run-of-the-mill heavy equipment operator can move a scraper. But because you have to have special licensure to become a truck driver, the demand is higher and the qualified applicants are fewer. You’ll instantly stand out in the employment line if you have a commercial driver’s license.

Another reason for obtaining your CDL is the pay. Due to the higher demand and lower supply of qualified truck drivers (most CDL holders go after the adventurous and glamorous long-haul jobs), the pay for these jobs is often higher.

So there are two practical reasons to get your commercial driver’s license. It’s fine to start your career as a heavy equipment operator. But if you want your career to advance beyond the ordinary, get a CDL.

If you’ve been working as a heavy equipment operator and are looking for ways to increase your income, have I some ideas for you. The surest way to increase your income is to specialize in a particular skill. Here are 5 particular heavy equipment skills you can specialize in to increase your work income.

1. Mobile crane – Become a mobile crane operator and you’ll immediately be in demand. That’s because this special skill requires additional education. Get the training to become a mobile crane operator and you’ll see your pay increase.
2. Rigging – Riggers are highly sought after on the construction site. Their job is to ensure safety and to come up with the best ways to lift heavy loads. Riggers can specialize in a particular type of equipment or loads, or they can work in construction at the general level. The higher your specialization the more likely you are in demand for the big bucks.
3. Truck Driving – Truck drivers are highly paid on the construction site, as well. That’s because it’s a special skill with a special license requirement.
4. Get a CDL – Just by holding a commercial drivers license, you make yourself more employable and can demand a higher salary. It’s good that you know how to drive a dump truck. It’s better if you have a CDL to prove it.
5. Become A Certified Signalperson – OSHA has very strict requirements for signalpersons. If you can get your certification, you’ll demand higher pay right off the bat.

There is no substitute for skills and certification. Whether you seek a license or certification, if you specialize in a heavy equipment skill, then you’ll demand higher pay.

Requirements for a commercial drivers license (CDL) change from state to state, but in general, you need to pay attention to the class of vehicles you’re allowed to drive with your license. There are three classes – Class A, Class B, and Class C.

• Class A – A Class A CDL allows you to drive any combination of vehicle sizes and types. So if you want to drive a Big Rig, you’ll need a Class A CDL. This drivers license will also qualify you to drive box trucks, but it’s not a requirement.
• Class B – A Class B CDL allows you to drive a single vehicle of any weight. In other words, it can’t be a tractor-trailer. You can, however, pull a trailer as long as your gross vehicle weight does not exceed 10,000 pounds. Generally speaking, most box trucks fall into that category, even if fully loaded.
• Class C – You’ll need a Class C license if you are planning to be a bus driver. You can drive a vehicle under 26,001 pounds and with 16 or more passengers.

Where Do You Find Box Truck Driver Jobs?

Most box truck driver jobs fall into one of two categories. You’ll either need a Class B CDL license or no CDL license. The higher paying box truck driver jobs are the ones that require a CDL. If you get a Class A CDL, then you’ll always be qualified for box truck driving jobs.

All students who graduate from Heavy Equipment School also gain access to our jobs database. You’ll learn where the best truck driving jobs are, even box truck driving jobs, and be first in line to apply.

If there is one thing there isn’t in the heavy equipment world, it’s a shortage of jobs. In fact, baby boomers are retiring faster than young truck drivers can apply for jobs. You know what means? Driver shortage.

That’s just in truck driving. There are all sorts of heavy equipment jobs, as well. Here are a few to think about this week:

• AMHERST, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• ASHLAND, WI. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators with CDL
• BURNSVILLE, MN. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• BECKLEY, WV. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• CAMBRIDGE, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• REEDSBURG, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• BISMARK, ND. Hiring Mobile Crane Operators
• ARLINGTON, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• BEAVER DAM, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• MADISON, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• ANNANDALE, MN. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• ASBURY PARK, NJ. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• MINNEAPOLIS, MN. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• SOUTHAMPTON, NJ. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• BEAVER DAM, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• CHARLOTTE, NC. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• MARSHFIELD, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• NEENAH, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• DE PERE, WI. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• DALLAS, TX. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators
• IRVING, TX. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators with CDL
• ANN ARBOR, MI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• ADAMS, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• GREENLAND, NH. Hiring Mobile Crane Operators
• TOMAH, WI. Hiring CLASS-A CDL Truck Drivers
• EAGLE RIVER, WI. Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators

In ODESSA, TX, Saulsbury Industries recently hired ATS grad C.P. as a crane operator. If you thought heavy equipment training couldn’t lead to a job, think again. It’s happening every day.

If you’re looking for a total resources job network, a place where you can meet employers, find trucking and heavy equipment jobs to apply for, and network with other professionals in your field, then you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’ve got some great job opportunities to share with you.

This Week’s Heavy Equipment Jobs

Check out these latest heavy equipment job listings:

• SAUK CITY, WI – Hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers
• MADISON, WI – Hiring combination heavy equipment operators and Class-A CDL truck drivers
• GREEN BAY, WI – Hiring Class-A CDL truck drivers
• SALEM, OR – Hiring combination heavy equipment operators and Class-A CDL truck drivers
• PORTAGE, WI – Hiring heavy equipment operators

It looks like a lot of truck driver jobs this week. That’s a good thing. The Class-A truck driving profession is growing, primarily because baby boomers are retiring, but also because more employers are in need of truck drivers as they expand their business operations and continue to deliver consumer goods all across the nation.

If none of these jobs meet your requirements. There are plenty more. Check out our job listings on Total Resources Network.

Associated Training Services offers heavy equipment and truck driver training for those new to these professions. Receiving qualified training from instructors with years of experience will greatly improve your chances of getting the job you want. Learn how to operate a crane, bulldozer, scraper, loader, excavator, and off-road trucks. You can even train for the Class-A CDL for truck drivers as you prepare for the heavy equipment job of your dreams.

Have you ever seen a big piece of heavy equipment on a flatbed trailer, securely tied down and being transported to a new job site? The person driving that truck usually is the same person who will be operating that backhoe, grader, or whatever it is once they get to the job site. Heavy equipment operators who also have their Class A CDL often are hired before those who only have their certifications because they can drive the truck that takes the equipment to new locations.

Why Does This Combination Work So Well?

The combination of heavy equipment operator certification and CDL means many more career opportunities open up for you. Industries that need that combination include a lot of possibilities:

• Equipment transportation
• Sand & gravel hauling
• Concrete/Asphalt
• Freight hauling
• Tanker driving
• Dump truck driving
• Tractor-trailer operations
• Road paving
• Mining
• Construction materials handling

How Much More Training Does It Take?

Associated Training Services provides short-term truck driver training for heavy equipment operators who want to take advantage of the expanded opportunities they can have with a CDL. In three weeks of full-time training, you are given the knowledge and the skills needed to take your CDL road test and move your career to a new level:

• Department of Transportation rules & regulations
• safety & CDL equipment operations
• driving heavy equipment on roads
• backing heavy equipment
• pre-trip inspections
• coupling & uncoupling
• other essential CDL truck driving skills

If there’s a big pile of something to be moved out of the way, chances are pretty good that some type of dump truck will be used to do the job. These big trucks are great for hauling loads of things that are able to be tipped out and dumped someplace else. The advantage of a dump truck is you can fill it up with smaller scoops but dump it in one operation.

There are many styles of dump trucks, and it isn’t always called a dump truck. The mining industry uses the term “haul truck”, for instance, but the basic idea is the same. The ways the load can be dumped vary, too, depending on the style of truck. But whatever you call it, and however the load is dumped, the operator needs the appropriate license in order to meet industry standards.

In most cases, that license is a CDL with specific additional certifications or training as needed for the job being done.

Where To Look For Dump Truck Jobs

If you are hoping to drive a dump truck and have the appropriate training with your Class-A CDL, the first place to start looking is the Employment Assistance Services if you are an ATS student or graduate. There’s lifetime job placement help here. But there’s also a lot of dump truck jobs around you if you look carefully.

Anyplace that is generating a big pile of stuff will need to move it out of the way, right? That could be landscapers, construction companies, mining or quarry operations, even the garbage service. After all, a garbage truck is essentially a highly specialized dump truck that collects smaller amounts until it’s full and then unloads it in one operation at the dump.

As long as people generate mountains of stuff, we are going to need some kind of dump truck to deal with it efficiently.

Some people are a bit surprised when they see that Associated Training Services offers Class-A Commercial Drivers License training. Unless you are in the industry, one might think that truck drivers drive trucks and heavy equipment operators operate heavy equipment. So what is the reasons for an overlap?

1. The more things you can do on the job site, the more valuable you are on the job.
2. A lot of heavy equipment gets transported on flatbed trucks, so if you can transport your heavy equipment yourself, that’s a plus.
3. If all things are equal between two job applicants, the one with the CDL gets hired.

ATS started out training truck drivers 45 years ago, so we know what you need to learn in order to be ready for the job. For students who are learning to operate heavy equipment, adding the training for your Class-A Commercial Drivers License takes less than a month more to do. At the end of that training, you take the test and are equipped for employment with both operator and driver skills and paperwork.

That knowledge includes classroom and behind-the-wheel training. You’ll know the rules, regulations, safety and CDL equipment operations standards. You will be ready to take the CDL road test because you will have already been taught how to drive heavy equipment on roads, back it up, pre-trip inspections, coupling and uncoupling, and all the skills you need to pass the test and get your license.

Then you will be the one who is valuable on the job site, because you are prepared to operate heavy equipment and drive the big trucks that are part of the process.