November 2007 - International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 825 hosted an NCCCO Mobile and Tower Crane Practical Examiner Workshop recently, in Dayton, NJ.
The 30 participants came from various states, with the majority from New Jersey, Texas, Indiana and Louisiana. Other states represented included Nevada, Illinois, Rhode Island, Michigan, and Colorado.
The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local has nearly 8,000 members in New Jersey and New York. At its Dayton training center, candidates participated in both Tower and Mobile Crane Programs, with a majority, already qualified to administer CCO practical exams, taking the course as a refresher.
The State of New Jersey requires crane operators who operate mobile cranes with a maximum capacity of 10 tons or more to hold a New Jersey Crane Operators License. In order to apply for the license, crane operators must receive operator certification from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO).
Larry DeMark, Director of Training at Local 825, commented, “We now have eleven examiners who are always available for CCO testing, and we keep them very busy!”
The training site at Local 825 has many cranes that are used for training, but three specific cranes are generally used for the CCO mobile testing program. The Manitowoc 222 lattice boom crawler crane can be used for either the CCO Lattice Boom Crawler or Lattice Boom Truck specialty category. A Grove RT 528C serves as the testing crane for the large telescopic swing cab crane category, and the JLG 1500 boom truck serves to meet the small fixed cab telescopic crane category.
The site also has a Liebherr 132 HC tower crane that is used for training and testing.