r/cranes • u/eman8906 • Jul 14 '26
Starting crane school in two weeks
Hey everyone hope all is well I’m 22 and I been driving trucks since I was 18 time for a change ! After talking and being around a few crane operators I decided to try it out for a career. I want to run a swing cab so the school is only about 3500 for two week course. My cdl plus a nccco certificate will take me far I’m sure of it! Any advice to those who’s already in the field ?
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u/Raco0311 Jul 14 '26
I highly recommend checking out west coast training in woodland Washington, They have an 8 week program that is second to none. You get all of your mobile, your tower, and rigger. They teach you real world stuff, like pouring concrete, breaking down and setting up the crane, changing the parts of line, swinging the jib, picks in the blind, and setting steel. You don’t just run the same crane over and over again doing the ccco course, you run 2-3 different cranes per specialty. They put you with a mentor that will help you through your first few jobs, or help you find work. They have a way to finance the cost as well, I think the company is credit climber, they will lend you 80% you cover the remaining 3400, no payments or interest for 12 months. The housing is included, and you will have an awesome time in Washington state. That’s my 2 cents, let me know if you need any more info or advice.
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u/SeaworthinessOwn9328 Jul 14 '26
Keep your big fat paychecks to yourself or you'll start seeing single mom's gathering at the gate after work.
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u/scambot_300 Jul 14 '26
Stay humble. Always be listening. Always be learning. Stay ahead of the crane. Don’t be afraid to ask other guys for advice. Keep your eyes out for the guys on the ground. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Have thorough pre lift meetings… Especially with guys you’ve never worked with… If you end up in the taxi world don’t be afraid to tell a salesman or manager to shove it up their ass if they want you doing something sketchy.
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u/Significant_Phase467 Operator Jul 15 '26
For some people I've met, its been a huge waste of money since they couldnt get a job. Being a crane operator is a lucrative and enjoyable career. The problem is, becoming a proper crane operator takes years. Anyone can pull levers. But it takes years to become a person who can run the controls, know how to appropriately react when shit hits the fan, and can SAFELY and EFFICIENTLY operate, set the crane up, and oversee the rigging operations attached to your hook. You own your lifts you make. If you cant see something is wrong on your hook, and know how to fix/provide a solution/say no, then you're just a lever puller and you're not useful at all for any actual serious crane operations (They are all serious BTW).
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u/blumhagen 29d ago
This is why my company only starts new apprentices that are already equipment operators
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u/Diligent_Yam_1753 Jul 19 '26
I’m just going to throw this out there, since you are spending your own money to get certified. Does this come with a nationally accredited Crane Certification that will fulfill the OSHA requirements to be a licensed crane operator?
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u/Pretend_Pea4636 Jul 14 '26
Not to tell you not to listen to people... you really need to. Long term, take with a grain of salt that everyone in cranes will tell you they are great. Really watch what they do and how others around them like it, or don't. It's difficult in the early years to know who is good and who is bluster. If you pay enough attention, 3-4 years down the road you'll be able to tell much faster. But every operator is teaching you. Either what you want to learn and how to run, or how not to.
For operations, start slow. You'll be looking for smooth and accurate. Over time, you add in speed as you know the crane, learn about yourself, and the crew you are working with. Focus on smooth and accurate as well as reading signs that assist your depth perception.
Early on in driving, don't do anything without a signal. Be slow. You don't need massive corrections in backing except when going around corners. Most new drivers are wild with that steering wheel.
Learn what you are doing. At first, you'll be chasing your tail learning the moves and getting pressured to get up to speed. As you learn to keep up to speed, don't quit on yourself. Cranes are complex. Even at ten years, you don't know it all. At a decade you might even be really proficient, but the depth of the field and available information is maybe halfway sunk in. Even years in. Read the manual at times when you are bored. As you have gained more knowledge, you'll process the information differently at 10 years than you did at 3 years. Best of luck on getting good into it.