Drew County · Pine forests and a new mill

Monticello Crane Certification Prep for Timber Country

The biggest construction job Monticello has seen in a generation is underway on the south side of town. Weyerhaeuser's roughly $500 million TimberStrand plant, its first greenfield mill in more than 20 years, has moved from foundations toward structural steel, and that next phase is crane-intensive. Add the region's sawmills, log yards and a university built around forestry, and Monticello is a sensible place to earn crane credentials. Our online course covers the knowledge for the written exams, and you can work through it at your own pace.

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The TimberStrand build, phase by phase

Weyerhaeuser announced the plant in November 2024 and broke ground on June 18, 2025, at Lipton Industrial Park south of U.S. 278. The facility will make TimberStrand laminated strand lumber for wood-frame homes and apartments, and the company expects about 200 permanent jobs once it is running.

A company update in August 2026 said about 150 workers had spent the previous months on site prep, underground utilities and foundations, including the dryer slab, forming line and press pit, with equipment arriving almost daily. The next stage was erecting structural steel, setting equipment and framing the building, with production still targeted for 2027. Structural steel and heavy equipment setting are where mobile cranes, riggers and signal persons are in the most demand, so the timing matters for local workers thinking about certification.

Everyday lifting in a timber economy

Forestry is the core of Drew County's economy, and the lifting reflects that. Knuckle-boom loaders on log trucks, cranes swapping saw lines and kilns at mills, and boom trucks setting poles and transformers for the rural electric grid are all routine. The MEDC Industrial Park on Highway 35 offers 110 acres served by the Arkansas Midland Railroad, so rail transloading adds another source of rigging work.

Health care is the other steady builder. Baptist Health operates a 60-bed hospital in Monticello, and hospital additions mean rooftop mechanical units, generators and medical equipment lifted into place, often over occupied buildings.

UAM and the forestry pipeline

The University of Arkansas at Monticello is home to the state's only School of Forest and Natural Resources and was building a new Forest Research Center. Graduates who head into mill management, procurement or engineering roles at wood-products plants end up overseeing contractors who lift equipment. Understanding what a certified operator and a qualified rigger are tested on helps when reviewing lift plans or job hazard analyses.

What certification actually means in Arkansas

Arkansas does not license crane operators. For private-sector construction in Drew County, federal OSHA, through its Little Rock Area Office, enforces 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC. That standard requires operator certification from an accredited testing organization such as NCCCO, plus an employer evaluation, and it requires qualified signal persons and riggers. Our requirements guide explains how those pieces fit together.

The course is self-paced with exam-style questions. Written exams go through the certifying body by online proctoring, at a test center or at an event, and the practical is completed hands-on at an accredited site. Pine Bluff is about an hour north, and Little Rock about two hours, which is where you are more likely to find scheduled exam events.

Recommended starting points

Questions people ask

Is the Weyerhaeuser plant hiring crane operators?

We don't speak for Weyerhaeuser or its contractors. Large builds like this typically require certified operators and qualified riggers, and our course prepares you for those written exams.

I run a log loader. Is that covered by Subpart CC?

Log loaders used in forestry are generally outside the construction crane rule, but knuckle-boom cranes delivering materials to construction sites can fall under it. The articulating crane course covers the relevant knowledge.

Can I study on my phone?

Yes. The course runs on phones, tablets and computers, 24 hours a day.

How do I sign up a crew?

Use the enrollment form and mention crew enrollment. An advisor will reply.

Suggested courses for this area

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Digger Derrick Operator

    Written exam prep for the NCCCO Digger Derrick Operator credential, for Arkansas line crews who set poles, rebuild after tornadoes and storms, and take on non-pole lifts.

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

Ask about enrollment

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