Hempstead County · Old proving ground, new industry

Getting Crane Certified in Hope, Arkansas

Much of Hope's industry stands on ground the Army used during World War II. When the Southwestern Proving Ground closed after World War II, the city took over about 2,500 acres for an industrial area and the airfield, and that land now holds a steel joist plant, poultry processing and other manufacturers. Steel, cold-storage equipment and building components move by crane here every week. Our online course helps you prepare for the written exams behind an accredited crane certification, on whatever schedule your shifts allow.

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Steel joists, decking and the crane work around them

New Millennium Building Systems, a Steel Dynamics subsidiary, started production in Hope in October 2011 in a former Commercial Metals building on Highway 32 North, after adding about $4 million in new equipment. The plant makes steel joists and deck, and a local school district source puts its workforce around 270. A joist plant is a lifting operation from end to end: overhead cranes move chord angles and finished joists inside, and loaded trailers leave for job sites across the region where erectors set those same joists with mobile cranes.

That connection is worth thinking about if you work in Hope. People who understand how joists are handled, banded and picked are useful both in the plant and on steel erection crews. Subpart CC covers the mobile cranes on the erection side; in-plant overhead cranes fall under different OSHA general industry rules, but the rigging knowledge carries over.

Food processing and building on airport land

Tyson Foods runs a poultry plant in Hope that has been one of the area's larger employers for years. Processing plants keep adding refrigeration units, conveyors and rooftop equipment, and those installs usually come down to a crane on the lot and a rigger on the roof.

One quirk of Hope's industrial land: because much of it is tied to the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration has to approve a company's lease or purchase. Cranes near runways also raise airspace questions, and tall booms near Hope Municipal Airport may need an FAA notice before they go up. Planning that is the contractor's job, but operators should know why a lift might be delayed or a boom height capped.

Certification without a state license

There is no Arkansas crane license. Crane work on private-sector construction sites here falls under federal OSHA, with the Little Rock Area Office handling enforcement because Arkansas has no State Plan. The rule is 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, which calls for operator certification by an accredited testing organization plus an employer evaluation, along with qualified signal persons and qualified riggers. For the full picture see our Arkansas requirements guide.

Small Hempstead County employers who want a second set of eyes on their crane program can request a free, confidential consultation from the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing's OSHA Consultation Section. It does not issue citations.

Course picks for Hope workers

If you are starting out, Rigger Level 1 and signal person are practical first steps. Steel erection hands moving into the seat should look at mobile crane operator. Building-supply drivers who set loads with a knuckle-boom will get more from articulating crane operator.

Study runs on a phone, tablet or computer, any time of day. Written exams are scheduled through the certifying body by online proctoring, at a test center or at an event, and the practical exam is always hands-on at an accredited site. Hope sits on I-30 about 35 minutes from Texarkana and roughly an hour and forty-five minutes from Little Rock, which keeps exam travel manageable in either direction.

Questions people ask

Do overhead cranes inside a plant need the same certification?

Not under Subpart CC, which covers construction cranes. In-plant overhead cranes fall under OSHA general industry rules. Many people still study rigging because the load-handling principles are the same.

I unload joists at job sites. Do I need to be a qualified rigger?

If you hook or unhook loads during crane assembly or certain other tasks covered by Subpart CC, the rule calls for a qualified rigger. Rigger Level 1 prepares you for that certification exam.

Is the course offered in person in Hope?

No. It is fully online, so you can study from home or the break room.

How do I ask a question before enrolling?

Send it through the enrollment form. An advisor will reply.

Suggested courses for this area

  • Rigger Level I

    Self-paced study for the NCCCO Rigger Level I written test, covering slings, hitches, hardware checks and signals for crew members who rig everyday picks with a known load weight.

  • Mobile Crane Operator

    Self-paced study for the NCCCO mobile crane Core and your LAT, TLL or TSS specialty, aimed at Arkansas operators on hydros, all-terrains and crawlers.

  • Signalperson

    Study for the NCCCO Signalperson written test on any device, covering standard hand signals, voice and radio communication, crane behavior and the federal OSHA rules for directing a lift.

  • Articulating Crane Operator

    Written exam prep for the three NCCCO articulating crane designations, for Arkansas drivers dropping building materials, running log loaders or handling scrap with a grapple.

Neighboring areas

Start your Arkansas crane certification prep

Name the card you need (operator, rigger or signal person) and the part of Arkansas you work in. An enrollment advisor writes back with the matching course and what the exam steps look like from there.

  • Self-paced lessons that open on any device, day or night
  • Practice questions written in the style of NCCCO written tests
  • Crew enrollment for Arkansas contractors and plants

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