A person who has been trained to operate a specific piece of equipment or a specific type of equipment is known as an equipment operator. On-the-job training, apprenticeships, and training programs that result in a certificate of completion or diploma are the most common ways for an equipment operator to become trained to use specific types of equipment and machinery. There are many different types of equipment operator jobs, as well as many different responsibilities and tasks that equipment operators perform. One type of equipment operator certification, for example, prepares students to drive 18-wheel trucks to transport goods or other equipment from one location to another. A truck driver’s daily tasks and responsibilities are likely to differ significantly from those of an equipment operator trained to use demolition equipment on a construction site.
Equipment operator jobs are divided into three categories that are commonly used to define the different types of careers available to them. Crane operation, heavy equipment operation, and truck driving are the three categories. In order to work in his field, an equipment operator must obtain certification or licensing in addition to learning how to use these pieces of equipment properly, safely, and effectively. Crane operators must be certified the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators in order to work in the United States, for example (NCCCO). In the United States, truck drivers must obtain a license to drive and operate class A commercial vehicles.
Equipment operators’ daily tasks are determined not only the type of equipment they use, but also the specific job they are performing or the requirements of their employers. For example, due to the parameters of a job, an equipment operator may be required to work at night rather than during normal working hours in some cases. A typical example would be road work in a high-traffic area during the day and evening. Whether a truck driver is doing long-haul driving, which may require him to transport items over hundreds or even thousands of miles, or shorter hauls that can be completed in a single work day, will determine his work routine.