On construction sites and other industrial work locations where large heavy machines are used, someone has to set that equipment up so that operators can use it. The operators generally don’t set up their own equipment. There are specialists who do that for them prior to the work assignment. These specialists are called riggers.

Riggers also come along behind the operators and dismantle the equipment when the work is done.

This is a very demanding job and is fraught with many safety hazards. We are talking about a lot of moving parts, and many of those parts are themselves quite heavy. Riggers could find themselves using heavy equipment, such as cranes and loaders, to move heavy machinery components into place so that the rigging team can assemble them properly. On large industrial sites, the set up and assembly portion of the project could take days to complete.

Riggers, like any heavy equipment operator, must be trained to proficiently carry out the tasks of their jobs. This training is subject to OSHA standards.

If you are interested in becoming a heavy equipment rigger, consider taking the ATS Rigging and Signalperson training course.

ATS will qualify you to become a heavy equipment rigger and certify you by OSHA standards to carry out the heavy tasks associated with setting up and tearing down a work site. Not only do riggers assemble and disassemble heavy equipment on site, but they are also often called upon to move equipment from one location to another. It’s an important job with highly specialized skills.

Some heavy equipment machines use tracks rather than wheels. These machines cannot be driven on standard roads for several reasons. First, they are fairly slow moving, secondly, and more importantly, they could cause serious damage to the surface. A third reason is simple, size. Some heavy equipment is just too wide to be transporting down a highway without causing major traffic interference.

Transporting

To transport this heavy equipment, a flatbed or lowboy tractor trailer is used. The machine is driven up onto the flatbed and securely fastened. The tractor tows the flatbed to the next job site where the process is reversed.

Driving a tractor-trailer may be a requirement of your job description as a heavy equipment operator. Some employers want you to be able to take the equipment out to a job site, get the job done and then move onto the next job. To be able to deliver this job requirement, you need to undertake two tasks.

Your major task is to sit for an obtain a Class-A (Tractor Trailer) Commercial Driver Licensing (CDL). To achieve this, it is recommended you complete a tractor-trailer course that covers not only the operation of the tractor-trailer but the safety requirements as well.

ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools provide tractor-trailer training to provide the knowledge and skills required to achieve your commercial driving license.