Obtaining and Renewing Your Crane Operator Certification
Crane operator certification dramatically increases your job opportunities and earning potential but—like most things in life—your certification isn’t permanent. Just like a state-issued driver’s license, your crane operator certification needs to be renewed on a regular basis.
How long does a crane operator license last? Depending on the type of certification you currently hold and the course through which you were certified, a crane operator’s license typically lasts between three and five years. After that, it’s time to get recertified to safely (and legally) stay behind the controls. Any lapses in your certification could result in work stoppages or OSHA fines for you and your employer.
Thankfully, as you’re reading this, you’ve found Nationwide Crane Training. We are experts in crane and heavy equipment operator training and certification and offer exam preparation for a five-year NCCCO certification through our nationwide open enrollment crane operator training classes.
What Crane Operator Certification Options Does Nationwide Crane Training Offer?
Our comprehensive crane training program meets and exceeds industry standards laid out by the NCCCO, one of the OSHA-approved nationwide certification and testing supervisor boards. Our crane operator boot camp classes are designed to offer first-time crane operators the classroom curriculum they need to learn how to operate cranes of various sizes and configurations in one week, while our open enrollment courses refresh the knowledge of experienced operators in preparation for recertification.
While the content of our crane training classes is similar no matter where the classes are held, we offer a variety of options to fit the needs of a wide array of crane operators and the companies which employ them.
- Open enrollment classes at multiple nationwide locations on a rotating schedule. This allows individual operators to find a crane certification program near them.
- Private on-site classes are available for companies who wish to schedule classes at sites close-to-home. This allows construction, transportation, and utility, power and energy companies to get multiple operators trained and certified in a single sitting—minimizing downtime and bottom-dollar expenditures.
What is Covered in the Nationwide Crane Training Crane Operator Certification Program?
Our CCO prep class covers everything your operators need to know to earn NCCCO certification or recertification. Created, curated, and taught by expert crane operators with years of real-world experience, our courses include a basic introduction and orientation to the trade and follow through with basic principles of cranes and crane operation. Once the foundation is laid, we layer on industry essentials like rigging practice and safety, crane safety, communication, preventative maintenance and safety inspection, and on-site equipment movement.
Here’s a breakdown of a typical open-enrollment NCT mobile crane certification course for experienced operators:
Day One:
- Introduction to industry regulations and standards
- Explanation of the principle of leverage
- How manufacturers develop load chart
- Review of the written core exam and core practice exam
- Hands-on crane training
Day Two:
- Powerline safety
- ASME qualifications and responsibilities
- Core exam review and practice core exam
- Hands-on crane training
Day Three:
- Core exam review and practice examination
- Review Grove TMS 750b load chart notes and charts
- Grove TMS 750b practice exams
- Hands-on crane training
Day Four:
- Review Manitex load chart
- Manitex 1768 practice exams
- Hands-on crane training
The Written Exam
Certification requires that applicants pass both a written exam and a practical exam. Recertification only requires passing of the written portion of the exam. The core written examination consists of 90 multiple choice questions that must be completed in 90 minutes or less.
In addition, candidates must pass one (or up to three) specialty examinations are also offered for:
- Lattice Boom Cranes (LAT) (formerly known as Lattice Boom Crawlers/LBC and Lattice Boom Trucks/LBT)
- Telescopic Boom Cranes—Fixed Cab (TSS)
- Telescopic Boom Cranes—Swing Cab (TLL)
These specialty exams include 26 multiple choice questions which must be completed in 60 minutes or less.
The Practical Exam
The practical portion of mobile crane operator training certification requires the candidate to prove proficiency by giving both hand and voice commands. These practical exams use real-world equipment and actual work-related simulations to paint an accurate-as-possible picture for both the examiner and the candidate.
NCT offers practical exams at our facilities in California, Iowa, Nevada as well as at the site of your choosing when you opt for sponsoring a private class.
What Do You Get When You Complete the NCT Crane Operator Training Course?
Upon successful completion of the Nationwide Crane Training crane operator certification course and NCCCO tests, you will receive an OSHA-approved, NCCCO certification to operate cranes of various sizes, capacities, and configurations, based on the specialized exam add-ons you’ve chosen. This nationally accepted certificate will allow you to successfully find a new job operating cranes and other heavy machinery in a wide array of industries or continue to do so without disruption of your work schedule or income flow.
What You Need to Get Started on Your Crane Operator Certification
There are certain requirements that all potential crane operators must meet prior to being accepted into any of our training courses. These include:
- Being at least 18 years of age
- Having a current DOT medical examiners physical examination card. If the candidate does not have a current medical examiners card, he/she will have to have a physical examination completed
- Complying with NCCCO’s substance abuse policy and code of conduct
- Ability to read English at an eighth-grade reading level (ASME B30.5 requires a crane operator to be able to read the load chart and operator’s manual of the crane)
- Ability to do basic arithmetic, i.e., adding multiple numbers, subtraction, multiplication, and knowing times tables up to 9s. Calculators are not permitted during the written exams.
Other than that, all you need is the drive to succeed and the willingness to learn!
NCTs Guarantees the Best Fees with Signup as Easy as 1,2,3
Not many things in life come with a guarantee, but NCT crane training does. Not only do we have the most affordable fees in the industry, but we also guarantee that all crane training students will pass the written portion of their examination the first time! Any failure will result in us offering you a second chance at no cost to you!
And signing up couldn’t be easier. To get started on the certification or recertification process, check our our schedule of upcoming classes and sign up today. Any questions? Contact us directly.
