Power shovel operators manipulate booms or cranes. Each of these machines support a dipper handle that scoops up material and drops it into trucks or piles. Sanitation truck drivers remove garbage and refuse, then dump loads at designated sites. Street sweeper operators drive vehicles equipped with rotating brushes to remove sand, litter and trash from streets, highways and parking lots. Some secondary school education is required for heavy equipment operators and may be required for public works maintenance equipment operators .
Apprenticeships are available for boom truck operators.
Current details on these apprenticeships can be obtained by contacting a local apprenticeship office. Generally, a Class 5 driver's licence is sufficient, but a driver's licence appropriate to a specific type of equipment may also be required. Some employers may require internal company certification. Some locals of the Union of Operating Engineers provide training courses for this occupation. A Heavy Equipment Operator program is offered at Malaspina College.