How long does crane training take?
Mobile crane and crane driver training usually takes three to five days. The course has to cover duty charts, outrigger set-up, ground bearing, lift planning and signals before the candidate is assessed on real lifts, so it is longer than most plant courses.
Logan Plant Training delivers crane courses on your own site. Candidates need to be 18 or over and pass a medical, and prior plant experience is strongly preferred because it shortens the time needed to build machine control.
Key points
- Allow three to five days for mobile crane or crane driver training.
- Duty charts and ground bearing take up a large share of the theory.
- A medical is required before training.
- Training follows LOLER 1998, BS 7121 and PUWER 1998.
- Prior plant experience makes the course easier to complete.
Why crane courses take longer
A crane can lift far more than most plant and does it over people, buildings and roads. The consequences of a mistake are serious, so the course covers a lot of theory: how the duty chart works, how capacity changes with radius and boom length, and why outriggers that are not fully extended can silently halve the safe load.
Ground bearing is a whole topic in itself. Candidates learn how to size mats and spreaders from the ground conditions rather than by eye, and what to do on a yard with unknown made-up fill.
What fills each day
Early days focus on the machine and the rules. Later days focus on practical lifting: setting up, lifting, slewing and landing loads with a slinger signaller, then shutting down safely. The final part is the assessment.
- Daily and weekly inspections recorded honestly, not backfilled
- Duty chart reading for each configuration
- Outrigger set-up, mats and ground bearing checks
- Lift plans, signals and exclusion zones
- Wind limits and when to stop work
- Safe shutdown and defect reporting
Roles that must stay separate
BS 7121 sets out distinct roles for every lift: the appointed person who plans it, the crane supervisor who controls it, the operator and the slinger signaller. A common audit finding is the driver and appointed person roles being blurred, or the supervisor and appointed person combined in one person. The course explains why this matters and how each role fits together.
Another frequent finding is a routine lift with no written lift plan. Candidates practise working to a plan so it becomes a habit rather than paperwork.
Preparing your site
Make a crane, a suitable lifting area and representative loads available for the course, along with a competent slinger signaller. Share the lifting records and any ground information you already have.
If your operators are new to plant altogether, consider whether a shorter course on another machine first would help them build control before tackling a crane. The trainer can advise once they know the candidates.
After qualifying: building experience safely
A new crane operator leaves the course competent to do the tasks they were assessed on, but experience still matters. Sensible employers start new operators on simpler lifts, pair them with experienced colleagues and increase complexity as confidence grows.
Tandem lifts, lifts over live roads or rail, night-shift work and lifting in changing wind are all more demanding than a straightforward yard lift. Each needs careful planning under BS 7121, and a newly qualified driver should work up to them rather than start with them.
Refresher training and reassessment keep skills current, and they are worth booking after a near miss, a long absence or a move to a different crane. Keep the operator's certificate, medical, authorisation and inspection records together so they can be shown quickly when a client asks.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a crane course?
Mobile crane and crane driver courses usually take three to five days.
Do I need a medical?
Yes. A medical is needed for crane training, along with being 18 or over.
Can a complete beginner train as a crane driver?
It is possible, but prior plant experience is strongly preferred.
What is the difference between mobile crane and crane driver training?
They overlap closely; crane driver training also covers small crawler cranes and pick-and-carry duties.
Need this training arranged?
Tell us the machines and the number of operators. Chris will call back with straight advice and a firm price.