Drive times from around the county
Dallas County is roughly 30 miles across, and our yard sits near its southeast edge. Rough road distances and the usual way in:
| Area | About | Usual route |
|---|---|---|
| Mesquite, Balch Springs | 10 miles | I-20 or US-175 |
| Downtown Dallas | 20 miles | US-175 southeast |
| Garland | 25 miles | I-635 to I-20 |
| Duncanville, DeSoto, Cedar Hill | 25 to 30 miles | I-20 east |
| Richardson, Irving | 30 miles | I-635 or through downtown |
| Grand Prairie | 35 miles | I-20 east |
Every one of those is a realistic daily commute. Even from the far west or north side, students rarely need lodging, so standard courses make more sense than the premium housing versions.
How Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas funding works
One board, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, oversees WIOA training funds for all of Dallas County. The order of steps matters:
- Contact a Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas center and ask about training assistance.
- Complete their eligibility process. They look at things like employment status and income; the rules are theirs, not ours.
- Tell your case manager the specific course you want. Our courses are approved by the Texas Workforce Commission.
- Once they issue approval, contact us to set your start date.
Starting with the board, rather than enrolling first, avoids surprises. If WIOA is not an option, look at GI Bill® benefits, employer sponsorship or self-pay on the funding options page.
Lifting work across the county
Dallas County is large enough that crane work looks different from one end to the other. The south has the logistics district around I-20 and I-45, with big distribution buildings and the steel, panels and equipment that go into them. The north and northwest, from Las Colinas to the Telecom Corridor, see office campuses and data centers. Downtown and Uptown have high-rise construction. Running through all of it are the freeway and bridge jobs along I-30, I-35E, I-635 and the Trinity River crossings.
Matching a course to where you are now
No crane experience
Start with the 120-hour fixed/swing cab course. It is long enough to build real skill on telescopic cranes before the NCCCO exams.
Experienced but uncertified
The 40-hour fixed/swing cab course focuses on exam preparation and practice on the test course.
Already certified on telescopic cranes
Add a crane type. Our 20-hour lattice and 20-hour tower courses are built for operators with some experience who need preparation for another NCCCO certification.
On the ground crew
The 28-hour rigger/signal course prepares you for NCCCO Rigger Level I and Signalperson, which many general contractors in the county ask for.
Training and testing in the same place
Every course runs in Seagoville: classroom and simulator inside, cranes outside. NCCCO practical exams for mobile, lattice and tower cranes are held in the same yard, which means test day is on equipment and a course you already know. NCCCO grades the exams and issues certification. See what to expect for a closer look at a training day.