heavy machinery and crane operation inquiry

I don't know if there's a license for crane operators and heavy machine operators, but there are certifications (kind of like all the little ASE certifications that mechanics take and hang on the walls). There are little trade schools and courses at your local community colleges (looked into it a few years back at a community college here). It was like a 6 month course, $500 to 1500.

I would guess and say that you would be able to operate a crane after going to school, but like in trucking, I'd wager that to be good at what you do, you're going to have to do quit a bit of seat time. We have quite a bit of dealings with cranes and riggers. And you can tell the experts from the rookies. Rookies will do a pick and the load starts spinning and swinging. The top guys can make a pick, swing it around and place it perfectly spaced on your trailer exactly where you want it.

ive had operators come out to do street cuts for me. There was this one guy we all called "Backhoe Bill." He was stoned a lot of times, but his touch on the controls of a backhoe was awesome. He could dig in a yard and "feel" the thin copper water lines. I never could. I'd go ripping water lines out of the ground and causing huge problems.

 

There are plenty of "heavy equipment training schools" around here. They will show you how to operate excavators. backhoes, wheel loaders etc etc. There is no license required that I am aware of but I could be wrong. However some factories do require forklift training (might be an insurance thing?).

I've never heard of a crane operator training course. I imagine it's all on the job. I took a 3 yr Welding Engineering course at a community college back in the day and one of the credits was "Rigging" which was actually a very good course. I learned alot about how to secure and how to lift stuff (when to use slip hooks vs grab, how to size chain, using spreader bars, clevis', how to never choke a chain, figuring center of gravity etc etc). I bet if you had a Rigging course under your belt it would go a long way toward getting you in the door of a crane company.

 

Yes you need a crane license. Alot of states make sure you have the cert. for it.
They have them broke down into tonage classes.
Try getting on with a crane and rigging company.
If you are in an area that is strong union, good luck.
Yes they do have schools for learning also.

 

yup same here in Canada and back in Europe, it's all down to insurance and the health and safety nazis, coarses back home were up to $4000 and ive seen them advertised here in Canada for $15000, that could be cos of the oil patch

generally you would need tickets for any sort of machine weather it's a truck mounted crane, a forklift, a dozer or ( due to the h&s nazis back home ) certification for some hand power tools.

 

It is funny to me how much a person has to be certified to do things these days.

The heavy haul company that taught me to drive also taught me to run a forklift. And by taught, I mean "go grab the forklift!"

I'm not saying I'm a master hand at running a forklift, but, I can use them effectively.

Couldn't get a job on a dock at an LTL place though, not certified to operate one.

 

There have been a lot of lifting incidents, with some achieving a high public profile.
It doesn't take much to spark the government and insurers, working together, to require you to spend time and money to get a permit to work.

While it is not a bad idea to be able to do the job, you would be mistaken to look to government for any kind of solution, to any kind of problem. The right to work has been converted to a privilege and is symptomatic of a much larger problem.

I was running a drag line at the age of 16 or 17, back in the late 60s.
Don't confuse me with a qualified crane operator, though.
It looked something like this, but better condition, at the time:


Here is a wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accredited_Crane_Operator_Certification

National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators
http://www.nccco.org/

Crane Operator Listings on Indeed.com
http://www.indeed.com/q-Crane-Operator-jobs.html

 

I went to a school for my Heavy Machinery and Trucking here in Ontario.. $21,000 for a 3 month course.... I know in Ontario that as a Crane Operator you need to do an apprenticeship and your work your way from the small cranes to the big 50-80 ton mobiles or tower cranes depending on how far you want to go.. I think to be a tower crane operator here you need something like 3000hrs (on job) and Over 15ton Mobile 6000hrs (on job) plus schooling hours as well.. As for Heavy Machinery I don't really think we here in Ontario require any certificates to operate but most companies want you to have experience on the job.. Crane Operators here MUST be certified to do the job...

Some companies will require you to be certified... My company has their own Fleet Department which requires testing and a City Permit to operate anything from a Bicycle to a Tractor Trailer.. So I am signed off on things like dump trucks, dump trailers, rubber tire front end loaders, tractor/trailer etc..... I know in some areas it's hard to get onto a company as a machine operator because of the experience thing... Before I worked with City I tried to get onto construction companies to run a Excavator or even a backhoe they all told me the same thing "we need experienced operators".. I got so fed up that I finally said to some one that "how do you expect someone to get experience when everyone tells you they require previous experience"

 

Agree with you totally , it was the same at home until things got busy, now here in sask, experience here means having a licence, a lot of guys from bc and newfound land gaining experience here, amazing how a shortage of drivers dictate the experience you really need