When Is A Crane Operator Not A Crane Operator?

Work places have become quite tricky when it comes to following OSHA guidelines. In many jobs, your primary role may be very easily defined, however, it’s your secondary tasks that could cause confusion – and problems if you’re not very careful. Truck driving is one job where problems could arise.

Truck drivers that deliver pallet loads of building bricks to construction sites are often required to use a small crane boom that is attached to the truck. Rather than being a truck driver, they are now crane operators, and as such they require all the crane operator training and certifications that full-time crane operator receive. Small cranes, even those attached to the back of delivery trucks, require skills that go above and beyond those of a truck driver.

Small crane operators still need to assess the load, stabilize their vehicle, and ensure the load is moved safely and in accordance with crane operator guidelines – hence the requirement for certification as a crane operator. The upside for truck drivers who are certified to operate a crane is that they have a secondary occupation they can fall back on if times are tough in the trucking industry – not that there’s any likelihood of that in the foreseeable future.

If you have a commercial drivers license and you want to extend your skills base, consider crane operator training. If there is always a demand for truck drivers who are multi-skilled, another example being truck drivers who can also drive heavy equipment on and off flat bed trailers. You can learn these skills in less than a month and they will provide a lifetime of employment opportunities.