From Combat to Construction: How Military Experience Helps with Heavy Equipment Operation Training

Each year, about 200,000 men and women finish their military service and transition to life as civilians. This transition can be overwhelming, especially if veterans are unsure about how to take the next step in their careers. Luckily, military experience gives veterans many advantages and can help them succeed in a number of fields, such as heavy equipment operation.

A number of veterans have found success in heavy equipment operation. Are you wondering how your military experience can help you find a rewarding career as a heavy equipment operator? Let’s explore here.

If you’d like more information about how PTS can give veterans the training they need to find successful careers, download our free guide here.

What Skills Do Veterans Bring to Heavy Equipment Operation?

Veterans are highly trained individuals with unique life experiences that can bring value to any career. Let’s take a closer look at some important skills veterans learn from their military experience, and how these skills can help them operate heavy equipment:

• Adaptable: Veterans are used to adapting to fast-changing environments. They can react quickly to changes, which will be helpful as they navigate job sites as heavy equipment operators. Operators will need to maneuver around the site, as well as react quickly to whatever needs come up during a project.
• Communicative: Clear communication skills are necessary for a successful heavy equipment operation. You’ll need to both listen and command, which is something that veterans have experience with. Understanding both verbal commands and signals is imperative for this field.
• Cooperative: Veterans are used to working on a team, and the cooperation skills they learn in their military experience will serve them well on a job site. Heavy equipment operators have to collaborate with other construction workers to finish the job each day.
• Self-Disciplined: Following the rules and getting the job done is important for both veterans and heavy equipment operators. Both need to have the self-discipline to finish tasks to the best of their abilities.

In addition to these important skills, veterans have learned other valuable things from their military experience that will help them as heavy equipment operators. They are used to being physically active, as well as thinking critically. Veterans are also used to dealing with risks each day and value safety on the job site.

PTS Can Help Veterans Become Heavy Equipment Operators

At PTS, we understand how valuable your military experience can be. That’s why we’ve worked with countless veterans to find successful careers as heavy equipment operators. With our three-week, 120-hour training programs, veterans can easily transform their lives and gain the experience they need to find entry-level employment in heavy equipment operation.

• Our Heavy Equipment Operator 1 course will teach you how to operate many types of equipment, including skid steers, compactors, backhoes and more. You’ll also learn how to perform preventative maintenance, equipment safety, earthmoving, and much more.
• Take our Heavy Equipment Operator 2 course next to learn how to operate bulldozers, scrapers, and excavators, as well as how to do site work, excavation math, and more. By the end of our programs, you’ll be qualified to find employment for many heavy equipment operator jobs.

As a Military Friendly school, we understand the unique challenges veterans may face when transitioning to civilian life, as well as the many advantages they bring to the table. With our comprehensive career assistance services and highly trained staff, we’re ready to help you with whatever you may need to find success as a heavy equipment operator. Ready to get started? Get in touch with us today, or better yet — schedule a tour of our facility and earn a $500 tuition reduction scholarship.