So has anyone gotten certified through ATS? If so what did you think of it?
Here is the online link, http://www.operator-school.com/index.php?se=gt&gclid=CKiT3YXix5ECFSUwlgodlG7y4A
Naa, I got certified years ago by SHK!:Banghead
What do you want to know? I attended ATS in Columbus Oh. I will tell you this right out of the gate, you get what you put into it. If you are there to learn, you will, if your there to be there, dont waste your money. Any specific questions you have about the school?
Do you think it would be a good investment if I plan to run my own business? Overall what did you think of it? Does the certificate really help that much? Or is it just BS to make them money? When you got out did you get a job that started you as an operator because of the ceritificate?
You wont be able to start an excavation company when you finish ATS. No amount of schooling would. It does teach you the basics of "field math" As far as equipment, it gets you seat time. That means more than a piece of paper. I learned a lot from it, but no where near all that you will learn from field work. Its one thing to be able to make a machine move, what they teach you. Its another thing to put that machine to work in the field. There are so many little things, tricks, ways to be productive, that they wont be able to teach you. Ill be honest with you, my first day in on the job, I was lost. It took me a full season to start to feel comfortable. A lot of that had to do with going to work on a finish grade crew. When you go from a training center where no machine can go over 2nd gear, to a job site, where a dozer operator is running a Jd650G cuting a 1/4inch of dirt, in 4th gear, it can be an eye opening experience. Did the certificate get me a job, in a way yes, but no. ATS in Columbus Ohio is owned by an excavation company called Performance Site Management. Most of the instructors have worked in the field for the compnay. They look out for good operators, and match them to a crew that has a need for that person. Not many get hired at PSM. The instructors saw my potential in running dozers, and graders. Pushed me towards the finish crew. Now i started out as a general purpose person for the crew. I ran the roller, scraper, and backhoe. I also helped check grade, lay out the site. I spent a good 5 months doing nothing but checking grade. I hated every minute of it, but, working with my dozer man, and watching how he approached things, helped me a lot. I say it is worth the time and money. It doesnt make you an operator, but it puts you that much more ahead of the curve.