Made for operators, not beginners
This course assumes you have lattice boom time behind you. You know how a crawler tracks, what a boom point looks like up close and how a pick feels when it gets heavy. What you want is structured preparation before you sit the NCCCO exams, without paying for a week of material you already know.
Three situations bring people here most often:
- You run lattice cranes on the job and need the certification on paper.
- Your chart and deduction work is rusty and you want it sharp for the written specialty exam.
- You want practice on the specific tasks the practical exam scores, on the same machine you will test on.
New to lattice? Take the 40-hour lattice course instead. It adds classroom depth and more crawler time, and it is the better fit for anyone coming over from telescopic cranes.
Where the 20 hours go
Chart and range diagram review
You work lattice load charts and range diagrams until reading them is automatic, then apply the deductions candidates most often forget: the block, the ball, slings and rigging, and anything else hanging below the boom point. We tie it to lift planning, so each number has a reason behind it.
Crawler runs
Seat time on our lattice crawler crane, running exam-style tasks with an instructor watching. Feedback is direct and specific: where you lost time, where the load swung, which correction cost you points.
The details around the lift
- A repeatable pre-operational walk-around for a lattice crane
- Fast, correct response to standard hand signals
- Securing the crane once the lift is done
How the lattice exams are built
NCCCO certifies lattice boom crawler operators under the designation LBC. You need three results: the mobile crane Core written exam, the lattice boom specialty written exam and the practical exam. This course prepares you for each.
The written specialty exam leans on chart reading, which is why so much of the course sits there. The practical is six examiner-scored tasks on the crawler. The untimed ones are an inspection explanation, a hand signal check and a shutdown description. The timed ones ask you to bring the test weight to rest in a stop circle, set it into barrels and carry it through a zigzag corridor both ways. Timed tasks lose points gradually once you pass the optimum time, and going around the course rather than through it disqualifies the run. The lattice practical exam guide has the full rules.
The written and practical for the same designation must both be passed within 12 months. Results come from NCCCO, which awards the certification.
Arriving ready
Because the course is short, the work you do beforehand matters. Experienced operators often know the machine cold but have not touched a written test in years, so spend some evenings on our chart practice before class and on chart problems before class.
Read the current NCCCO candidate handbook for the scoring and conduct rules; they change from time to time and the handbook is the final word. For practical exam day, NCCCO asks for a photo ID that shows your date of birth, PPE that meets federal OSHA requirements and confirmation that you watched its candidate video within 24 hours of the test. You get a short familiarization period with the crane controls and the test weight before scoring starts. Dress for a day in the yard and bring a calculator for chart work in class.
What the course costs and how to sign up
Tuition for the 20 hours is $2,950. Eligible veterans can ask about GI Bill® benefits; other students use workforce funds, an employer or self-pay. All of it is laid out on the funding page.
When you call, describe your lattice experience honestly. Admissions will confirm that 20 hours is enough, go over the school's admission requirements and NCCCO's candidate rules (18 or older, its physical requirements and its substance abuse policy), and help you pick dates. Then you come to Seagoville and start. The admission page lists every step, and our grievance policy is there for you to review before enrolling.
Need lodging? Ask about the Premium lattice course, which pairs 40 hours of lattice training with premium extras and optional room and board.