Heavy Equipment Training Cost

Typical costs:

• Heavy equipment training typically costs $4,000-$15,000 and lasts three-eight weeks. West Coast Training in Woodland, WA, offers an eight-week heavy equipment training course for $9,613 (or $8,217 if paid upfront). The course allows students to practice operating backhoes, trackhoes, dozers, scrapers, graders and loaders. The company also offers a four-week advanced training course for $5,900 for graduates who want additional hands-on training. Tri-County Driving Academy^[2] in Lebanon, VA, offers a five-week beginner's heavy equipment training course for $4,250.
• Apprenticeships cost up to $5,000 and last three or four years. Heavy equipment apprenticeships are available through community colleges, technical schools, industry associations and trade unions. The Operating Engineers Local 701^[3] in Oregon City, OR, has a no-cost apprenticeship program, while the Alaska Operating Engineers^[4] have apprenticeships for a $30 application fee. The Western Apprenticeships Coordinators Association in Reno, NV, estimates apprentices will pay $100-$150 for books and $474 (plus $420 annually) for membership in the Operating Engineers Union. Summit Academy^[5] in Minneapolis, offers a pre-apprentice training course for $5,400, which prepares students to enter a paid apprenticeship. Apprentices may earn 50%-90% of a normal worker's wages while learning on the job, with pay increasing as they gain experience.
• Heavy equipment certification varies by state and costs $75-$200. The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has a list of 18 states and six cities^[6] that license crane operators. For instance, California^[7] issues permits to crane operators for $100 annually. West Virginia^[8] certifies crane operators for $75 every five years. In Arkansas^[9] , heavy equipment operators should apply for a commercial contractor's license, which costs $100 for one year, plus $75 for initial testing costs. In states that do not require a heavy equipment or crane operator's license, workers may need to apply for a commercial driving license, which costs $50-$200.

• A heavy equipment training program should cover safe operation of vehicles, offering hands-on training and classroom topics like equipment maintenance and safety. Additional construction topics may include road building, grading and compaction, land clearing and pipe laying, according to Education Portal^[10] .
• Heavy equipment operators should be trained in a program that meets Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Additional accreditation^[11] is granted to heavy equipment training program from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators^[12] and the National Center for Construction Education and Research^[13] .

• Additional costs for a heavy equipment training program are $500-$5,000 for supplies and $5,000-$10,000 for room and board. Francis Tuttle Technology Center^[14] requires heavy equipment students to purchase steel-toed boots, for $50-$125. AVTEC: Alaska's Institute of Technology^[15] estimates additional costs as $3,400 for meals, $4,400 for housing and $5,150 for books, supplies and tools.

• Students may qualify for scholarships to pay for heavy equipment training, ranging from $500-$3,000. Associated Training Services^[16] in Sun Prairie, WI, offers scholarships as well as Performance Training Solutions^[17] in Reynoldsburg, OH.

• The International Union of Operating Engineers provides links to local chapters^[18] in the U.S. and Canada which may provide apprenticeships and training opportunities.
• NCCER has a searchable database^[19] of accredited heavy equipment training programs.

1.  www.bls.gov/ooh/Installation-Maintenance-and-Repair/Heavy-vehicle-and-mobile-equipment-...
2.  tricountydrivingacademy.com/Products/2/heavy-equipment-training/
3.  www.oetraining.org/apprenticeshipPrograms-hints.html
4.  www.k12northstar.org/departments/curriculum/cte/apprenticeships
5.  saoicorg.hypersites.com/Pre-Apprentice-Heavy-Equipment-Operator.html
6.  www.nccco.org/licensing/index.html
7.  www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/ReqPermitRegCertNotificatio.htm#Permits
8.  www.wvlabor.com/newwebsite/Pages/FAQs_Cranes.html
9.  www.contractors-license.org/ar/Arkansas.html#ar1
10.  education-portal.com/articles/Heavy_Equipment_Training_Program_Overview.html
11.  www.operator-school.com/certification/index.php
12.  www.nccco.org/news/OSHARuleFAQs.html
13.  www.nccer.org/heavy-equipment-operations
14.  www.francistuttle.edu/classOfferings/careerTraining/dieselTech/tuitionAndExpenses.aspx
15.  www.avtec.edu/Cost.htm
16.  www.equipmentoperator.com/ats-advantage/financing.php
17.  www.ptsworks.com/scholarships.html
18.  www.iuoe.org/IUOELocalUnions/FindanIUOELocalUnion/tabid/105/Default.aspx
19.  www.nccer.org/center-search.aspx

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