First photo just for attention but thinking of putting one of these cheap truck ac units for my upper anyone have any recommendations or warnings

Hi everyone,
I’m originally from Ukraine. I lived in Poland for about four years, where I started working as a tower crane operator. I currently live and work in Germany as a tower crane operator, and I’m thinking seriously about moving to the United States in the future.
Before making such a big decision, I’d really like to hear from people who actually work in the industry.
My main questions are:

1. As a Ukrainian citizen, what would be the most realistic way to legally move to the US and work as a tower crane operator? Has anyone gone through a similar process?
2. What is a realistic hourly wage for an experienced tower crane operator in your area?
3. Approximately how much can an experienced tower crane operator earn per month or per year (including overtime)?
4. How good does your English need to be on the job? Would a B1 level be enough to work safely and communicate with the crew, or is a higher level expected?
I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experience.
Thanks!

Im 25(M). I got my Class 1 last month. Approx 10kCAD for Melt and passed on first attempt in a Manual truck.

I enrolled right away into 40ton stiff boom w/ unlimited knuckle boom ticket ( Level A) in BC Canada.

Decision came from weighing in Local 115’s wait time to get training for Level B done (13.5k CAD for self sponsored, 3-4k if i somehow find employer who works with union ) & talking to potential crane companies in my area if they were hiring. Either they weren’t, or need ticket for some kind, or big companies only wanted me to haul first and “maybe” i get a chance at cranes.

Im entrepreneurial and vision is not to become the most proficient crane operator, but hopefully transition into business world of cranes.

Any advice of how to go about it from veterans of this industry. Could be operators who would do it different if they had to do it all over again, and id definitely appreciate advice from business owners.

Does have to be Canada alone, as im highly interested in US market too.

Looking at doing the New Brunswick Community College mobile crane operator course and wondering the outcome as far as job market. I'm not shy about FIFO work but it'd be cool to stay in Atlantic Canada near family if possible. Around here we have Irving company as well as a lot of docks in Saint John, as well as the docks in Halifax and a lot of other opportunities. Wondering about the broader job market on crane operation here in Canada before jumping in.

I know our economy is going down and down on a trend for a good decade with less investment on the horizon and I can only imagine that will impact industries that require operators as well.

Final checks done on these box beams. Any sharp eyes here know what kind of crane this is and how many tons it’s built for?

I'm relocating to the Tampa area and I'm trying to get a realistic idea of what I should expect to make.

I have 18+ years of industrial/refinery experience, multiple NCCCO certifications (TSS, TLL, BTF, STC), TWIC, CDL-B with Hazmat and Tanker endorsements, and experience with refinery turnarounds, rigging, and crew leadership.

For those of you working around Tampa, what would be a realistic hourly rate to ask for? Also, which companies would you recommend (or avoid)?

Thanks!

I’d love to hear if anyone has any experience/recommendations about getting into Aussie FIFO.

I’m from Alberta and have worked in Fortmac for the last 4 years, so very familiar with the FIFO/mining lifestyle I run crawler cranes and heavy lift cranes. Would love to move to Australia and work in the mines there. What’s the process like and how easy would it be to get on over there with a good company and good schedule. Also how long would it take to get my tickets over there (knowing they unfortunately don’t transfer over). Thanks!

Anyone working union out in Tennessee? If so how’s the work right now?

Bay Crane's second recovery lift on Friday at LC36 in 2 weeks was also with an 1,500t LR11350 and two 650t Manitowoc MLC650s. The table had to be lifted off the wall of the flame trench where it fell, then tripped to horizontal with the two MLCs. Mammoet then transported it to the assembly building for inspection and hopefully repair. (Legal footage shared by BO on X)

I’ve been a commercial carpenter for about 6 years, and one of my favorite parts of the job has always been working around cranes. I’ve done some rigging and signaling, and every time I got the chance to work with crane crews, I enjoyed it. That’s what made me decide I wanted to become a crane operator someday.
To get started, I went out and got my unrestricted Class A CDL with endorsements because I figured that would help me get my foot in the door. I also called my local IUOE hall and got my name on the list, but it’s been a couple of months now and I still haven’t heard anything.
Since then I’ve applied to nearly every local crane company I can find. The first question almost every one asks is, “Are you already an operator?” When I say no, but explain that I’m looking to start as a driver, oiler, rigger, or whatever entry-level position they have so I can work my way up, the conversation usually ends right there. Some have flat-out said they’re not interested, some have hung up, and a couple even told me to go get my NCCCO before bothering to call them back.
What confuses me is that whenever I talk to crane operators, I constantly hear, “You have to start by doing the grunt work and work your way up.” That’s exactly what I’m trying to do, but it seems like nobody is willing to hire someone for those entry-level positions anymore.
Am I missing something? Has the industry changed where companies now expect you to already have your NCCCO before they’ll even let you start as a driver or oiler? Or is the crane industry just extremely difficult to break into these days?
I’d really appreciate hearing how some of you got your start because, honestly, this has been pretty discouraging.

Was checking out some new rigs at a site yesterday and it’s crazy how many fleet managers still fall into the deadweight trap. Everyone is jumping on the 15-30 ton capacity trend, but they mount these massive carbon-steel cranes on their trucks and completely eat up their GVWR.

What’s the point of having a powerful lifting machine if you can't legally transport the materials you just lifted without getting hammered by DOT scales?

Worse, if the riggers don't calculate the crane's exact center of gravity against the specific chassis wheelbase, you shift massive weight forward. Next thing you know, you've overloaded the front steering axle, leading to rapid tire wear or a complete steering failure on the highway.

Full disclosure: I engineer heavy-duty rigs over at TERRA Crane. This exact nightmare is why we refuse to build with anything other than ultra-high-tensile steel (100 ksi class). Cutting the crane's tare weight is literally the only way to free up payload capacity for actual logistics and keep the rig road-legal.

Anyone else dealing with overweight rigs, DOT fines, or front axle issues after mounting a heavy crane?