What Will I Learn at West Coast Training?
When it comes to learning how to operate heavy equipment, there are many options, but you’ll want to choose a school that has similar qualities to West Coast Training. What makes West Coast Training the gold standard for what they do? It’s a combination of high-caliber instructors, a rigorous training regimen, and a long track record of helping graduates obtain jobs once they complete their selected courses.
Heavy equipment operation requires extensive, careful training, but the jobs they prepare you for are excellent jobs that pay well, so it’s well worth going through the relatively short but extensive training courses required to obtain the necessary certifications. It’s important to attend a top-notch training program, like the one at West Coast Training. These are physically demanding and dangerous jobs so proper training is important for safety purposes. Subpar training could lead to major on-site issues that may result in serious injuries or damage to equipment or property.
Course Options
Heavy Equipment Operator Training
An NCCER-Certified Craft Instructor leads a class of no more than 12 students through the process of preparing to be professional heavy equipment operators, which enables each attendee ready to work in heavy construction, surface mining, recycling, industrial work, and forestry. This is a 10-hour-per day, 50-hour-per-week commitment. Over an eight-week period, however, each person who takes the course becomes ready for an entry-level heavy equipment operator job.
The training consists of learning a combination of practical concepts, such as civil engineering and applied mathematics. Students will also study operating techniques, safety lessons, and drills on preventative maintenance. Specifically, Fridays are dedicated to supervised field training, where students take a combination of the practical concepts and hands-on techniques they learned throughout the week and blend it all together to show they’re ready to apply the skills and knowledge in a real work situation.
Students will be taught flagging, grade checking, and site preparation while using various pieces of equipment, such as backhoes, excavators, loaders, and vibratory compactors. By the end of the course, each student should be ready to pass the exams to earn an NCCER training credential.
Crane Operator/Rigger Training
An NCCCO-Certified Construction Crane Operator/Rigger Instructor teaches an eight-week course to prepare students to become operators of hammerheads, luffing-jibs, self-erecting tower cranes, hydraulic boom mobile cranes, and lattice boom mobile cranes. The course includes 50 percent practical classroom instruction and 50 percent supervised hands-on training of numerous construction cranes. Training includes rigging loads with hook block and overhaul ball, as well as handling concrete bucket or drag-line attachments.
In addition, students will perform field tasks such as setting up cranes, designed lifts, operating techniques, blind lifts, tower erection, boom assembly, rigging, and signaling. All course attendees will be taught at length about safety and setup procedures, as well as how to comply with ASME and OSHA regulations.
Throughout the course, students will earn nine NCCO certifications by passing a combination of seven written and five practical exams. Passing these exams will provide each student with the following list of certifications:
- Fixed Cab Hydraulic Crane (TSS)
- Swing Cab Hydraulic Crane (TLL)
- Lattice Boom Truck Crane (LBT)
- Lattice Boom Crawler Crane (LBC)
- Boom Truck Fixed Cab Crane (BTF)
- Service Truck Crane (STC)
- Rigger Level 1
- Signalperson
- Tower Crane Operator (TWR)
Since crane operators usually must be capable of moving their equipment from site to site, it’s recommended that all graduates of this course also eventually obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Mobile Crane Operator Training
This course can be taken as a standalone or as the first half of West Coast Training’s Crane Operator/Rigging training. The class lasts four weeks and is meant to prepare those enrolled to become an entry-level mobile crane operator. Much like the full Crane Operator/Rigging course, this class is 50 percent practical classroom instruction and 50 percent supervised hands-on training of numerous construction cranes, such as rigging loads with hook block and overhaul ball.
In addition, students will perform field tasks such as designed lifts, using operating techniques, rigging, and signaling. All course attendees will be trained in various safety and setup procedures, as well as on compliance with ASME and OSHA regulations. In addition, proper crane setup, wire rope reeving, crane safety, load charts, and proper operating methods will be included in the course.
Those who graduate will be prepared to operate large hydraulic, small hydraulic, and lattice boom truck and crawler mounted mobile cranes. Graduates will also earn six NCCCO certifications by passing eight NCCCO certification tests, including five written exams and three practical certification exams. Rigging and signaling certification aren’t included in this program as they are in the full eight-week Crane Operator/Rigging course. However, much like the eight-week course, because these jobs usually require moving equipment from site to site, it’s recommended that all graduates eventually obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Seminars and Refresher Courses
In addition to traditional heavy equipment operator training, West Coast Training also offers a variety of seminars and recertification opportunities. These seminars and recertification courses are the perfect way for experienced heavy equipment operators to upgrade their skills and earn additional NCCCO certifications.
Available seminars include a 30-hour NCCCO Rigger Level 1 Signalperson seminar and a 30-hour NCCCO Tower Crane Operator certification seminar. In addition, West Coast Training offers a 30-hour written exam preparation seminar, which occurs over the course of three 10-hour days. This seminar prepares experienced mobile crane operators for the NCCCO written exam and covers core, fixed-cab hydraulic, swing-cab hydraulic, lattice boom crawler, and lattice boom truck-mounted cranes. Instruction includes OSHA subpart CC regulations, ANSI B30.5, safety, and load charts.
West Coast Training also has the ability to act as a practical testing site, with fully accredited staff who are certified to administer tests including Fixed Cab Hydraulic (TSS), Swing Cab Hydraulic (TLL), Lattice Boom (LBT or LBC), Tower Crane (TWR), Rigger LVL 1, and Signalperson.