Crane Operator Classes in Seagoville: A Walk Through the Classroom, Simulator and Yard

Every class we teach happens at one place: 304 Tunnell St in Seagoville. Here is what you'll find when you get there and how each part of the site is used.

Getting here

Seagoville sits southeast of downtown Dallas along US-175, with I-20 a short drive north. Most students drive in each morning. If you are flying, Dallas Love Field and DFW International are the closest airports, and you will want a rental car since class runs every weekday. Students coming from far away can look at our premium courses, which offer optional room and board (details here).

Office hours are Monday to Thursday 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The location page has directions.

The classroom

The first part of most courses is classroom work. Topics include crane components and terminology, the OSHA crane standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC), ASME B30.5 for mobile cranes, hand signals, rigging basics and, above all, load charts. Expect to work problems by hand: boom length, radius, configuration, gross capacity, then deductions for the block and rigging.

This is also where you prepare for the NCCCO written exams, with practice questions in the format you'll see on test day.

The simulator

The classroom has a crane simulator. It lets new students learn the controls and coordinate hoist, boom and swing without the pressure of a real machine. You can repeat a hard move twenty times in a row, and a mistake costs nothing. By the time students climb into a real cab, the basic control patterns are familiar.

The training yard

The yard is where most of the hours go. It has three kinds of cranes:

• Telescopic cranes in fixed cab and swing cab versions, used in the mobile crane courses.
• A lattice boom crawler crane for the lattice courses.
• A tower crane for the tower crane courses.

Yard sessions start with the inspection and setup, then build from simple lifts to controlled moves with a test weight, working with a signal person and, later, by radio. Instructors stay close and stop the drill to correct technique as it happens.

Early in a course, mornings usually lean toward the classroom while you are fresh for chart math, and afternoons move to the simulator or the yard. As the course goes on, the balance shifts toward seat time. Days are full, so pack lunch and water, especially from May through September when the yard gets hot by midday.

Students take turns in the cab. While one student operates, others practice signaling and rigging the test weight, so the waiting time still counts toward what you need to know.

The NCCCO practical exam course

As a CCO EDU Accredited Training Provider, we host NCCCO practical exams in the same yard. That means you practice on the course layout and cranes you'll be tested on, rather than meeting a new machine on exam day. NCCCO, not the school, administers and grades the exams and issues the certification.

Read about each exam on the mobile crane, lattice and tower crane practical test pages.

Choosing a class

Your starting point depends on your experience. With little or no crane time, most people take the Mobile Crane Operations Fixed/Swing Cab 120 Hours course. With experience on telescopic cranes, the Mobile Crane Operations Fixed/Swing Cab 40 Hours course is often enough. If your work is on crawlers, see the Mobile Crane Operations Lattice 40 Hours course. Check the training schedule for start dates and funding options for ways to pay, including GI Bill® benefits and workforce funding.