A week of training, a week away from home
Five days of eight hours is short enough to fit between jobs, but if you live hours from Seagoville you still need somewhere to sleep for the week. That is the problem this course solves. It matches our standard Mobile Crane Operations Fixed/Swing Cab 40 Hours course hour for hour and adds:
- The option of room and board while you train. Take it or leave it.
- Premium extra offerings; call us for the current details.
- Time on our crane simulator, which premium programs include.
- Help enrolling, from admission and funding to VA enrollment certification.
Tuition is $3,600, against $2,800 for the standard week. Local students, or anyone with a place to stay near Dallas, get identical instruction in the standard course.
Premium or Premium Plus?
Both are fixed/swing cab programs with the same premium options. The difference is length, and that comes down to experience:
| Premium (this course) | Premium Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 40, one week | 120, about three weeks |
| Best for | Some crane exposure | New operators |
| Tuition | $3,600 | $8,500 |
If you have never run a crane, the Premium Plus course gives you the time beginners need. If you have worked around cranes and want formal training and exam prep, one premium week is usually enough.
"Some exposure" covers a lot of ground: ground crew who have watched hundreds of picks, oilers, people who ran a crane informally at a previous job. If you are unsure which side of the line you are on, describe your background on the phone and admissions will give you a straight recommendation.
How the week is spent
The curriculum is the standard 40-hour course. Classroom comes first and focuses on the load chart and safety knowledge the written exams test; then those skills go straight into the yard on telescopic cranes.
- Reading load charts and calculating capacity
- How fixed cab and swing cab machines differ in controls and set-up
- Outriggers, ground conditions and site hazards
- The pre-operational inspection walk-around
- Recognizing and responding to hand signals
- Running the practical exam tasks with an instructor coaching you
The usual split puts classroom and charts on days one and two, seat time on days three and four, and exam-style runs on day five.
Packing for the week
Because you are coming from out of town, pack for both the classroom and the yard. You will want work boots, clothes you can work outdoors in, layers for changing Texas weather, a government-issued photo ID, and a notebook, pen and calculator for chart problems.
The first morning starts with introductions, a safety briefing and an outline of the week. Before you leave home, spend a few evenings on our chart practice before class so the written material is familiar. For the practical exam, NCCCO asks for a photo ID that shows your date of birth, PPE meeting federal OSHA requirements and confirmation that you watched its candidate video within the previous 24 hours.
Exams and requirements
The course prepares you for NCCCO mobile crane certification: the Core written exam, the telescopic specialty written exam and the practical exam, taken on a telescopic crane in the same Seagoville yard. Practical tasks include an inspection, timed load placement, hand signals and shutdown; read the mobile practical exam guide for specifics. NCCCO awards the certification.
To be an NCCCO candidate you must be 18 or older, meet its physical requirements and follow its substance abuse policy. We review the school's own admission requirements with you as well.
Booking your premium week
- Call and tell us where you're coming from and what crane experience you have.
- Line up funding. Miller Crane Works is approved for GI Bill® benefits; send your Certificate of Eligibility and we certify your enrollment with VA. Chapter 31 and 33 students are protected by our VA compliance policy while VA payment is pending. WIOA funds, an employer or self-pay also work. See funding options.
- Choose room and board if you want it.
- Travel to Seagoville. Fly into Dallas Love Field or DFW, then drive or rent a car, or drive in directly.
The full process is on the admission page; please also read our grievance policy. For a broader comparison, see all premium courses.