Crane Driver

Typical Salary

£20,000 To £36,000

Typical Hours

50 to 52 a week

evenings / weekends away from home

How To Become a Crane Driver

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You could do a college qualification like a Level 2 Certificate in Plant Operations. This is usually done as part of on-the-job training with a company.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through a lifting technician intermediate apprenticeship.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as a construction site labourer. Once you've got experience of using heavy plant machinery like excavators, you could do training on the job to move into crane operation.

You could apply directly and learn on the job under the supervision of an experienced crane driver. Some employers may ask for a few GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
the ability to work well with others
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
sensitivity and understanding
the ability to operate and control equipment
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

setting up cranes and carrying out safety checks
loading and unloading lorries
shifting loads around the site
monitoring sensors that measure wind speed, crane stability and load weights
carrying out minor repairs to machinery
reporting any problems to the crane supervisor
keeping records of the materials you’ve moved

Working Environment

You could work on a construction site.

Your working environment may be noisy and at height.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Registration

you'll need a Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) card to operate some machinery

Career tips

You may find it useful if you've got experience as an operative in construction, mechanical engineering or plant operations.

Further information

You can find more details about training and working as a crane driver from Go Construct.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

have a category C1 or C LGV licence if driving mobile cranes on public roads