Who should take 120 hours instead of 40
Pick this course if you are starting from zero. No crane experience is needed, and the schedule is built on that assumption: you get time to learn the controls slowly, repeat each task and make your mistakes in training rather than on exam day.
It also suits people changing careers. Drivers, construction hands, veterans and plant workers already know jobsite rules and PPE; what they lack is hours at the controls and the habit of working a load chart before every pick. If you simply want as much practice as possible before you test, this is the most complete fixed/swing cab program we offer.
Already operating, or spent real time around cranes? Our 40-hour fixed/swing cab course covers the same exam targets in one week and costs less. Call us with your background and we will tell you honestly which one fits.
Fixed cab and swing cab, both covered
Telescopic hydraulic cranes come in two cab layouts. On a fixed cab machine the operator sits in a cab mounted on the carrier, so the boom swings while you stay put. On a swing cab machine the cab is part of the upper and turns with the boom. Sight lines, control layout and how you judge swing all change between the two.
You train on both configurations in our yard. NCCCO tests them as separate designations (swing cab is TLL, fixed cab is TSS), and knowing both makes you useful on more jobsites.
How the three weeks build
The 120 approved clock hours run roughly three weeks. Early sessions lean on the classroom; later ones are mostly seat time. Instructors keep track of where each student is, so every yard session picks up from the last one instead of starting over.
Classroom and charts
- Crane parts, the vocabulary operators use and what the operator is responsible for on a lift
- Reading the manufacturer's load chart: capacity, working radius, boom length and the deductions for hook block, rigging and stowed attachments
- Assessing the site, ground conditions and outrigger set-up, including mats and level
In the yard
- A full pre-operational inspection before you ever lift
- Working with a signal person and responding to standard hand signals
- Controlled, precise load handling on the practical exam course
- Shutting down and securing the crane correctly at the end of the day
The point of the extra hours is repetition. By the last week, chart work and set-up should feel routine, which is what the written and practical exams reward.
Much of that time is outdoors, so bring work boots, clothes you can get dirty and layers for Texas weather, plus a notebook and a basic calculator for chart problems.
The NCCCO exams this course prepares you for
Federal rules (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1427) require certified operators for most construction crane work, and NCCCO is the certification most contractors ask for. It comes in two halves, and the course prepares you for both:
- Written exams. The mobile crane Core exam plus the telescopic specialty exam for your crane type. Much of both is load chart work and safety rules.
- Practical exam. Given in our Seagoville yard on a telescopic crane. An examiner scores an inspection, timed load placement through targets and a corridor, a hand signal check and a shutdown. Telescoping the boom during the exam is not allowed. Details are on the mobile practical exam page.
NCCCO expects you to pass the written and practical for the same designation within 12 months, and it, not the school, issues the certification.
Tuition, funding and how to enroll
Tuition is $6,400. Students pay for it with Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31) benefits, WIOA funds approved by their local Workforce Solutions office, employer sponsorship or their own money. The funding page explains each route.
To sit NCCCO exams you must be at least 18, meet NCCCO's physical requirements and follow its substance abuse policy. We also go over the school's own admission requirements with you. Enrolling is a short sequence: talk with admissions, confirm eligibility and funding, choose class dates, then travel to Seagoville and start. See admission steps and what to expect, and read our grievance policy before you sign up.
Coming from far away? The Premium Plus version is the same 120 hours with premium extras and optional room and board.