Getting a crane operator job.

How did you get your start doing crane operator work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

I started on big jobs in Wyoming in the 70's and convinced my boss to let me run a picker after oiling on a 4100.

I stayed with it and never gave up. I had a high school diploma and army training. I recommend you get your NCCO by attending schooling through a qualified school which will get you the better jobs.

Rick M. said: I started on big jobs in Wyoming in the 70's and convinced my boss to let me run a picker after oiling on a 4100.
I stayed with it and never gave up. I had a high school diploma and army training. I recommend you get your NCCO by attending schooling through a qualified school which will get you the better jobs.

as an ex army soldier myself, I have started as a pipe hand and now im a crane operator for one of the biggest construction companies out of wyoming and in the country (and have a sneaky feelin, that you were at once also) my ncco is paid for via the company but agian Im missing all the pay for the crane wich we all know is a great responsibility for tic (say no more) they are paying concrete hands more than i, when did that happen i feel your pain bro and the only advice i have for u is the dirty south

it is,has been, and always will be my personal opinion that in order to become a crane operator of any capacity you need to put in years of rigging at journeyman level. operating is a huge responsibility and if you dont understand basic rigging and hitches etc you could put yourself and/or others in great danger very easily.

tbone in Decatur, Alabama said: if you dont understand basic rigging and hitches etc you could put yourself and/or others in great danger very easily.

I totally agree. All one has to do is lift anything with a simple block and tackle to learn it isn't the lifting machine that is as important as having a solid understanding of rigging.

I never had the occasion to lift more than a few hundred pounds but the principles still apply - just less devastation when the rigging turns loose of the load. :)

I am on a job now operating large crawlers. I operate manitowoc 2250,999, and a 888 on this job. We are building a steel mill so there are several big lifts involved.(in the hundreds of thousands of pounds) This industry has really gone downhill as far as the hands go. Nobody cares anymore about proper ways to do things so therefore alot of injuries occur. I was taught by a few people that i consider the best in the business. I have been journeyman rigger, rigging leadman,rigging foreman, and of course crane operator and have made a pile of money doing all of it. I couldnt have done it without the guidance of those people. All it takes is to listen and pay attention.

Tbone, can I ask a technical question? I find those big cranes fascinating as a sort of "sidewalk superintendent" but have never had the occasion to watch one being installed. How do you get that huge counterweight up there without a crane already in place? Do you put it on the rail on the ground and somehow lift the cab and all one link at a time? That is the only way I can figure it could be done.

I once had a client who was in commercial construction and I was amazed to learn that it can cost as much as $50K or more just to setup the crane in place and take it down.

It depends on what kind of crane it is. Some of them nowadays are self-erecting. I'm not usually around when they get put together but most of the time most companies use an assist crane even if it is a self erector. It takes several trucks to haul just 1 crane. The house is on 1 load,the carbody is a load, each track is 1 load apiece and the counterweights are of course split up into different loads. And then you got all the boom sections.(however many there may be) I'm only 34 so i havent been doing this about 10-12 yrs,but i work for several different crane and rigging companies each year all over the country and each company i work for teaches me a little more and a little more. This stuff is facinating to me. The bigger the better.

and yeah it is expensive to rent a crane of any size. i think i overheard somebody from my company say that they charge as much as you mentioned just to haul a crane to a job,depending on size,how many trucks,distance of hauling,who the customer is,etc

Host said: How did you get your start doing crane operator work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

my husband is in school now for heavy equipment operator is he heading in the right direction

I started out in this business as an iron worker and a rigger. Those positions are the best to start off as because you are close to cranes and learn their capabilities and basic functions and also learn how to flag (signal) a crane. I spent 5 or 6 years on the ground " chasing the hook" before i ever got in the seat of a crane. And even then i just got in one and tried it and got good at it. Its not for everybody. Theres alot of responsibility that goes with operating cranes. It is always the operators responsibility to check all the rigging and make sure the lift can be made safely. One "slip-up" can be deadly and chances are it will fall back on the operator. That could possibly mean jail time. Its serious business. As far as levels of education or special classes -- i didnt even graduate high school and never attended any vocational classes or anything. It just happens to be one of the things ive been around most of my adult life and am good at.

ken cesco in Windham, Ohio said: my husband is in school now for heavy equipment operator

Your husband eh? Is his name Barbie?

My son has just finished his AIT in the Army Reserves for Crane operator. Is this enough training to apply for a job as a crane operator? Any assistance would be appreciated. :-)

Tara in Racine, Wisconsin said: My son has just finished his AIT in the Army Reserves for Crane operator. Is this enough training to apply for a job as a crane operator? Any assistance would be appreciated. :-)

He should be able to get a job on the rigging crew and eventually work his way up the ladder.

i`m 25 years old, i become quay crane operator in 2003. now i`m not operating "qc" anymore, harbour mobile crane is difficult, we need more more consentration than operating qc but i thing still less an experiens and absolutly no money. can you tell me how to make a lot of money from my job like this?

Host said: How did you get your start doing crane operator work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

in 2002 i grduated from high school, and i looked for job. some shipping company offer me to be come a crane operator, i never seen crane before but after i pass the test and training to. i like this job

ken cesco in Windham, Ohio said: my husband is in school now for heavy equipment operator is he heading in the right direction

He would be better off in an apprenticeship program from your Local Union Hall. Try IUOE.org

ken cesco in Windham, Ohio said: my husband is in school now for heavy equipment operator is he heading in the right direction

He would be better off in an apprenticeship program from your Local Union Hall. Try IUOE.org Training is free and you get paid on the job.

Everyone talks like you need years of experience to operate a crane. You need to start small and grow as your experience does. Learn to operate a forklift and start to learn basic rigging and hand signals. Soon you'll move to a boom truck, and then a 50T RT. From there you can move to lattice, both hyd. and friction. Then large all-terrians or translifts. Their currently seems to be a lack of qualified operators and I see people with skills who are willing to learn and take criticisms from others move quickly. I know quite a few guys go from boom trucks to tower cranes in 3 years.

The CCO Certification requirements are spreading as we speak. Soon it will be mandatory to have a CCO Cert in all states in order to get in the seat of a crane, union or otherwise. I understand that you do need to start on the rigging crew. But who really wants to stay there long? Not me, that is why I continue to tell people to get their CCO Certs and then get a job on a crane crew. This way you can advance a lot easier and faster. Heck, I was on a rigging crew for three weeks and a seat became available. Had I not posessed a CCO Cert, I would not have been able to do anything, and someone else would have had the job. Not to mention, you learn basic rigging techniques in CCO school.

Matt in Seattle, Washington said: He would be better off in an apprenticeship program from your Local Union Hall. Try IUOE.org

Why would you want to start out in a union, and have to wait for a job behind all of the other guys there? Especially if it slows down.

Unions only take your money.

Matt in Seattle, Washington said: Everyone talks like you need years of experience to operate a crane. You need to start small and grow as your experience does. Learn to operate a forklift and start to learn basic rigging and hand signals. Soon you'll move to a boom truck, and then a 50T RT. From there you can move to lattice, both hyd. and friction. Then large all-terrians or translifts. Their currently seems to be a lack of qualified operators and I see people with skills who are willing to learn and take criticisms from others move quickly. I know quite a few guys go from boom trucks to tower cranes in 3 years.

Like I said, you need a CCO cert in many states in order to even get in the cab or behind the controlls of a crane, unless yo uare military or work for a major phone or utility company. So you might as well get the certs before you even step foot in someones office to apply for a job.

ken cesco in Windham, Ohio said: my husband is in school now for heavy equipment operator is he heading in the right direction

Yes, he is. That is exactly what I did. But the thing you have to think about is the economy in your area. Oh, wait a minute, this was posted 10 months ago... Hopefully he's out of school and found a job by now...

So after 10 months, have you found some work? What are you doing? I'm working nights hanging precast on a twenty five story. Its rather boring, in a 12 hour day, we can go through 4 or 5 pieces. They are enormous, 10-15 T each, and take about 45 min to 2 hours or more to weld in place. I spend a lot of time playing with my laptop, which is how I found you.

I don't care if you work union or not. You need both in the world to play off each other to stabilize both our wages, and make skilled labor affordable. Union wages drive every bodies wages up. Non-union contractors provide competition, and stimulate the market. Yes, its much more complicated than that. Just like if the US stopped buying foreign products all together, our economy would fall apart. Once again, more complicated than that.

I like being a union member for many reasons. The biggest being I make more money. And I made $22 an hour ten years ago running a boom truck, and had to pay for my health care and retirement. I don't mind paying my union, Local 302 in Seattle, WA, to negotiate my wages and benefits, its not that much money compared to what I gain. If I work 2080 hours a year, which is 40 hours a week, I pay the union about $1500 for the year. At 2080 hours that is $75,000 gross. Union dues on that are $25 a month, plus 2% of your gross, or about .70 an hour. Ouch! Then add another $15,000 a year into your pension. A union pension after 30 years will pay you more a year retired than continuing to work. Also, my medical, dental, and vision are paid for, among other benefits such as free training and continued education.

Obviously, you don't work a forty hour work week in construction. I usually work about 12 hours 6 days a week. After missed lunches, dinners, and breaks, and sometimes, an hour or two for being stupid, I work 12 hours and charge for 17 or 18 a day. After all the overtime and double time, I usually gross $4000 a week, $5000 if I work Sunday. On top of

Countinued from above . . .

you can add another $700-800 a week into my pension.

As for apprentices, Union contractors are required to have a certain amount of apprentices, for each journeymen they employ. I think there are 20 operators on my site, and we are required to have 3 apprentices, I think we actually have 5 or 6. Because of this, many times an apprentice will get a job before a journeymen.

In every state, you can seat time in any crane without certification, you need to be supervised by someone who is certified. This is how you can experience, you work as a bellman or oiler and get some seat time occasionally. The laws are no different for schools, even as a student someone is supervising you.

Good luck in your endeavors, hope to hear back from you. I need someone to talk with while I am bored at work. All in all, we are both still operators who love what they do.

jeremiah in Glendale, Arizona said: Yes, he is. That is exactly what I did. But the thing you have to think about is the economy in your area. Oh, wait a minute, this was posted 10 months ago... Hopefully he's out of school and found a job by now...

I didn't get it all in on one post so the rest is on the website. Have a nice day.

im an operator in new york city and have been for close to 15yrs but im looking to move does anyone know of any good paying good companies looking for an operator.any help would be great thankx

Matt said: Countinued from above . . .

you can add another $700-800 a week into my pension.

As for apprentices, Union contractors are required to have a certain amount of apprentices, for each journeymen they employ. I think there are 20 operators on my site, and we are required to have 3 apprentices, I think we actually have 5 or 6. Because of this, many times an apprentice will get a job before a journeymen.

In every state, you can seat time in any crane without certification, you need to be supervised by someone who is certified. This is how you can experience, you work as a bellman or oiler and get some seat time occasionally. The laws are no different for schools, even as a student someone is supervising you.

Good luck in your endeavors, hope to hear back from you. I need someone to talk with while I am bored at work. All in all, we are both still operators who love what they do.

Unfortunately, that is not true about all states allowing you to get in the seat. In every state and/or city that requires CCO cert's, yu must have the CCO certs to even get in the seat. Yes, you will have to have someone teaching/supervising you while you are new to the crane/job/company, but that is a given. Plus if you think about it, where would the supervisor be when you are operating the crane? If he is hanging on to the door, he could very easily fall off and get hurt when the cab swings. This is why the places that require CCO, require it, because it it a big safety issue.

Look at all of the cranes that have either fallen over or collapsed or had some other sort of accident in this last year alone. WE need to cut down on those as much as possible, hopefully to zero. But with out proper training, it is going to be hard.

I do agree with you that some unions are good, but for the most part I can go in on my interview and get what I need for my time/experience and the other guy can get what he thinks he deserves.

joey in Bellmore, New York said: im an operator in new york city and have been for close to 15yrs but im looking to move does anyone know of any good paying good companies looking for an operator.any help would be great thankx

I hear they are still building in Tx, as a few other places in the midwest, mostly the northern states. But I know Tx is growing a lot.

And it's a little cheaper to live there than NY, cheaper taxes for sure...

go west young man!!!!!!!!!!!! wind mills are gonna be where its at for a while. texas,oklahoma,colorado and wyoming are just a few places. wont last forever but it will last for a loooooooong time. i just came back from oklahoma putting some up. back in florida now takin it easy for couple weeks. get up with barnhart crane and rigging

Any Crane operating schools in the area that anyone knows of? I'm 22 and have been driving tractor trailers for the past couple of years. But I want a step up in money and I think this would be a good field for me to get into. I'm willing to travel to a school but I kinda want some help on job placement, finding a job sucks you know?

Nick in Cheyenne, Wyoming said: Any Crane operating schools in the area that anyone knows of? I'm 22 and have been driving tractor trailers for the past couple of years. But I want a step up in money and I think this would be a good field for me to get into. I'm willing to travel to a school but I kinda want some help on job placement, finding a job sucks you know?

I'm not sure if there are any schools in Wyoming per say, but I attended one in Vegas, which is not far from you. There is also a Tower crane school here in Phoenix, Az.

jeremiah in Glendale, Arizona said: Why would you want to start out in a union, and have to wait for a job behind all of the other guys there? Especially if it slows down.

Unions only take your money.

I worked as a union carpenter for 12 years. I have 4 herniated discs because of the hard work. My back got just got worse over time and I can't pin point it to anyone incident that caused the problem. All I know is the union early retired me because of my back. I receive my pension and cashed out my annunity. Give me one example of a non union company that will do that without legal means. I am looking to getting into operating and getting into that union also.

Matt in Seattle, Washington said: He would be better off in an apprenticeship program from your Local Union Hall. Try IUOE.org

Amen brother. IUOE 101

jeremiah in Glendale, Arizona said: Why would you want to start out in a union, and have to wait for a job behind all of the other guys there? Especially if it slows down.

Unions only take your money.

Your a idot you rat moron!

coolhand luke in Liberty, Missouri said: Your a idot you rat moron!

I'm "an" idiot? Why, because I don't need a Union Hall in order to get a job? Because I can sell myself a lot better on the interview and get the best wages for MYSELF?

I guess I'm an idiot because I know how to operate a majority of the equipment on the job sites and if I need to move a piece of equipment, I don't have to WAIT on my ASS until one of the other Union "Brothers" finaly gets around to moving it.
I guess I'm still an idiot because I am CERTIFIED to operate a majority of the equipment on the job sites and can actually get on any one of those instead of going down to the Union Hall and WAITING for a job to come my way for that particular piece of equipment most operators are LIMITED to.

But I guess I am an idiot for supporting the Union Halls and their ongoing demise of the American Working System and being part of the cause for the rising inflation in the States. Yes, I said it. Look at it like this, if the Unions didn't outwage the companies, then the companies would not have to go to cheaper labor or outsource all together.

nope just think youre an idiot for trying to tell somone else that taking an other persons job is ok. being a rat is one thing but being a rat with an attitude is only asking gor problems.im a large hydro operator in southern california out of Operating Engineers Local 12. nobody is "taking our money" we willingly give in return for a fair wage. out of $130,000 a year as of last year my records show they received close to about 4000. so whats the problem? why are you against unions? me and my daughters are all very well taken care of. dont rely on our wonderful system for nothing.LATER RATT.

And your little comment on waiting in the hall, keep that to yourself. sounds like youre talking to the wrong people. once you get a job and youre good at what you do, youll never be too worried with "waiting in the hall". yeah well have fun in your right to work state. when your ready to make a real living and stand up for what is yours come on down to california. just keep the arizona thing to yourself.

robert in Whittier, California said: nope just think youre an idiot for trying to tell somone else that taking an other persons job is ok. being a rat is one thing but being a rat with an attitude is only asking gor problems.im a large hydro operator in southern california out of Operating Engineers Local 12. nobody is "taking our money" we willingly give in return for a fair wage. out of $130,000 a year as of last year my records show they received close to about 4000. so whats the problem? why are you against unions? me and my daughters are all very well taken care of. dont rely on our wonderful system for nothing.LATER RATT.

When did I say for someone to take someone elses job? I just said go get your own and stand up for your own rights. Sell yourself in the interview and don't rely on someone else to get you your benefits and wages. $130k minus anything is a suckers bet.

Why am I against unions? Because the TWO that I was ever in did nothing but take money and make us strike and gave nothing in return. We all still got laid off when it was all said and done. Then the company went out and hired a bunch of lower paid individuals to do the same work as we were doing.

My system, hapens to be MYSELF, and I am doing pretty well. And in the end, if something were to happen, I have no one to blame but myself. Why should I worry about what is going to happen tomorrow and how the other guy is going to reslove any problems or get a certain amount of money or benefit when I can do it on my own and don't have to pay for it.

Yes, you might make a few PENNIES more an hour, but look at what you are giving the UNION. All of that money you are making extra.

Oh, and BTW, I am getting Prevailing Wages any way, which if you don't know what that is, look it up. Then kick yourself in the ass for being like you are.

And the guys I was talking to at the Hall were all saying the same thing, that they have been siting at the Hall for a long time, and still not making any money, but still having to Pay the Union their Dues, even though the Hall was not doing anything in return for them...

robert in Whittier, California said: And your little comment on waiting in the hall, keep that to yourself. sounds like youre talking to the wrong people. once you get a job and youre good at what you do, youll never be too worried with "waiting in the hall". yeah well have fun in your right to work state. when your ready to make a real living and stand up for what is yours come on down to california. just keep the arizona thing to yourself.

Wow, you're bright, What happens when you finish the job you are working on and have to go back to the hall and wait for another one to come about? It doesn't matter how good you are if there isn't any more work for you to do.

Funny thing is, the Gov't has had laws in place to get you fair and equal treatment. So why should I pay someone to go and "talk" to someone for me any way...

Unions are a WASTE!!!

Hell, they were laughed out of most of the Southern States any way. You know, where real men rwork on their own laurels. Where you don't get a raise for showing up, and you have to EARN the money you get. So in other words, two guys can't start on the same day and one of then busts his hump all day while the other sits and let's things happen and they both move up the chain together. What is the good in that?

well first off, working the job im at? well i work in rental. so every day is a whole new adventure. so i dont have to worry about when the job ends. when they slow down ive got more than enough experience and time in
to solicit my own work.so anyone with the needed skills shouldnt have a problem finding any kind of work.and what do you know about the south? you live in az. i dont concern my self with what everybody else is doing. this is what i do where i do it and how ill keep doin it. so good luck with your hunt for work when the boss man lets you know how much your worth.

as far as a waste goes... well over here the rats make oh about anywhere between 12 and twenty bucks an hour. theres definitely no loyalty to people or the skills they have. well continue to push those lame asses off as long as theyre around.

and good luck and best wishes to all getting into the business. youll have tons of fun and learn alot.

robert in Whittier, California said: well first off, working the job im at? well i work in rental. so every day is a whole new adventure. so i dont have to worry about when the job ends. when they slow down ive got more than enough experience and time in
to solicit my own work.so anyone with the needed skills shouldnt have a problem finding any kind of work.and what do you know about the south? you live in az. i dont concern my self with what everybody else is doing. this is what i do where i do it and how ill keep doin it. so good luck with your hunt for work when the boss man lets you know how much your worth.

Wow, you really are not that intelligent are you? Asking someone how or what they know about living in the South, and then saying that they live in Az, which is pretty much as far south as you can get. Along with the fact that I am a human and not a tree, so therefore I can travel and live all around the United States.

I just happen to have grown up in Tx.

robert in Whittier, California said: as far as a waste goes... well over here the rats make oh about anywhere between 12 and twenty bucks an hour. theres definitely no loyalty to people or the skills they have. well continue to push those lame asses off as long as theyre around.

Well, around here, we all make anywhere from $17-$20 starting out, up to $28-$30+. And that's just working on the cranes. I happen to be an Operating Engineer with a CDL, so I am considered very valuable. Not to mention what ever company I work for gets $4,800 in tax credit because I am a DAV, not to mention the fact that I will get a check from Uncle Sam for a few years, not including my disability check.

jeremiah in Glendale, Arizona said: Well, around here, we all make anywhere from $17-$20 starting out, up to $28-$30+. And that's just working on the cranes. I happen to be an Operating Engineer with a CDL, so I am considered very valuable. Not to mention what ever company I work for gets $4,800 in tax credit because I am a DAV, not to mention the fact that I will get a check from Uncle Sam for a few years, not including my disability check.

Oh, and the Union guys, well let's say they get aprox $3.50 extra an hour, that goes right back to the Dues. And I also have a P.W. job right now, if you know what that means. And there is a hell of a lot more loyalty between me and the guy I work with than some Union Hall will ever have.

really thats preety messed up. sounds like you guys have had some real bad luck with union guys. but im guessing you must have tried it since you know so much, sorry it didnt work out for yall. kinda strange when companies like mardian especially, have a few huge union shops in california. but no non union shops here,but have em everywhere else. seems like the only people that are getting taking advantage of sure as hell arent us. well guys good luck,for me as of tomorrow im moving on to my other crane.liebherr 1500.time to hang some iron. if youre ever in southern california, be sure to stop by the operating engineers hall and say hello. best of wishes.Bob Salazar. Local 12 Operating Engineers.

hey guys didnt mean for this to end up as a big ass arguement about whos better and whos not. so my apologies go out and good luck.

oh yeah and please dont refer to there lakeside shop. its pretty much on the mexican border. go figure.