Does Rigger Training Include Crane Operation Training?

If you’re considering a new career using heavy equipment, just know that you can obtain a job faster if you follow a few helpful tips.

One tip is to be trained in more than one job. Even if you prefer to be a rigger most of the time, having the option to switch to operating cranes makes you a much more employable candidate. This is why so many people choose to take West Coast Training’s combined crane operator and rigger training.

When you enroll in classes, you not only learn what’s necessary to become a rigger on a construction site, but you also learn to use a number of different cranes, to signal, and more. Here is some information about what you could get out of taking a rigger training course.

What is included in rigger training?

When you apply to take the rigger training course at West Coast Training, you will also be trained to operate a crane. The NCCCO Crane Operator and Rigger course is an eight-week intensive that will teach you the ins and outs of a variety of machines. Those machines include tower cranes, hydraulic boom mobile cranes, and lattice boom cranes. So, yes, your rigger training does include crane operation training.

How are classes set up?

Students who attend West Coast Training for rigger training will receive supervised, hands-on training for eight weeks. During this period, you’ll spend approximately 50 percent of your time in a classroom setting. Students will be assigned required reading and have homework assignments daily.

The other 50 percent of your time will be spent in the field performing tasks like setting up cranes, practicing techniques, performing tower erection, and much more. You’ll be using your operating and rigging skills as you’re learning about them.

When out in the field, students are monitored by NCCCO-certified instructors, who guide and advise students while they’re learning. Having both hands-on and in-class training will ensure that students are knowledgeable about the machines they’re using, as well as being efficient and comfortable using said machinery.

What other classes can be included?

The rigger and crane program isn’t the only training available at West Coast Training. There is also a Heavy Equipment Operator course that also lasts eight full weeks. In this course, students learn to use equipment like backhoes, dozers, graders, excavators, and more. If you want to become well-rounded with nearly all equipment used on a jobsite, tacking on this training course could do the trick.

If you’re only interested in using a rigger and a crane, there is one more class that we suggest you take. Because crane operators are often required to move their equipment from one job site to the next, it’s recommended to pair the rigger and crane course with a CDL-A course. This additional course isn’t required to become certified to use a crane, but it’s an option that will make you more appealing to potential employers.