The Heavy Equipment Operators School was incorporated in 1997. The first classes were held in January of 1998.

The office and classroom are located in Eugene, a medium size city in mid-western Oregon The work site is a 30 acre parcel in Coburg, a small nearby town. ( Click Here for Directions ).

The school is licensed by the Oregon State Department of Education; is a W.I.A. eligible training provider, and accepts students from a wide variety of sources. Tribal Councils, Vocational Rehabilitation offices, NAFTA, the Veterans Administration and State Employment Departments are just a few of the agencies which have referred students to the school.

Although most of the students who attend school here come from the Pacific Northwest, we have had students from as far away as England, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Alabama, Wyoming and from north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska.

We have a highly experienced and very patient staff of instructors which has resulted in an unusually high graduation rate for our students. Care is given to see that everyone attending the school is given the optimum chance to succeed. A good attitude and the willingness to learn are the only prerequisites to beginning a successful career in the exciting and rewarding field of heavy equipment operation.

Students learn to safely and efficiently operate 8 different pieces of heavy equipment. These include: Front end loaders, backhoe/loaders, road graders, bull dozers, excavators, dump trucks, rollers and a skid steer.

The work site has ideal soil for heavy equipment training. There is no clay and no sand. The site rests on an old riverbed adjacent to a gravel mine. The dirt we move is mixed with small rounded stones which provide a learning tool for the student He or she feels the drag on the bucket or blade as they dig trenches, basements and build roads. This prepares the students to work in any type of soil they may encounter on a job.

Contractors will tell you how important it is for their equipment operators to be able to read, shoot and check grade. Our students learn this through extensive classroom work which is then put into practice at the work site. Students design their own grade stakes, and dig according to the design. They are then evaluated on their finished product.

Each student also has the opportunity to earn their Flagger Certificate in the classroom

Safety is of primary importance, and is stressed both in the classroom and at the work site. Students operating heavy equipment are separated by wide margins, so the instructors can measure their performance and maintain the strict safety rules which are in effect at the work site.

Students are taught a co-operative rather than competitive attitude. We believe this prepares them in a better way to make an immediate and favorable contribution to their future employers.

Room and board are the only costs above the tuition rates. We provide hard hats, bright orange vests, safety glasses, gloves, pea shooters, books and all the other materials a student needs for school. The only things a student needs to bring are boots which provide ankle support and clothing appropriate for the time of year the student attends.

We often conduct on-site tours for prospective students. A peek into the classroom and a trip to the work site for a hands-on look at what other students are learning usually convinces the individual that this is the right place to come for this type of training. Family groups have driven hundreds of miles or even flown into Eugene for one of these tours, and we welcome them all.

We sincerely believe that the Heavy Equipment Operators School in Eugene, Oregon is the best of its’ kind in the United States. We think you will, too!

Click on “Free Brochure” to receive an information packet, or give us a call at 1-800-265-7535. We’d love to hear from you!