The Future of Heavy Equipment Operation Is Insane

Donnie walked into the largest heavy equipment show in North America and watched someone operate a real excavator in Germany — from a console in Las Vegas. That moment changed how he thinks about what's coming for the industry. And what he's bringing back to his students.WHAT WE GET INTOThe ConExpo experience — 2,200 vendors, five buildings, four parking lots, and technology Donnie didn't know existedProximity software that locks machine controls when a person gets within eight feet — even in the operator's blind spotWhy the "five years of experience" hire is a unicorn now — and what employers are asking for insteadThe NCCER credentials that are putting graduates a year ahead in apprenticeship programs before they even startWhy having a CDL as an operator makes you a one-person crew — and why employers are starting to require itDonnie's take on women in heavy equipment: "Some of the best operators I've ever seen are women"The student age range that proves it's never too late — from 16 to 66ABOUT DONNIEDonnie is the lead heavy equipment instructor at Midwest Truck Driving School. He just came back from ConExpo 2026 — the largest heavy equipment show in North America — and what he saw is changing how he trains the next generation of operators.We get into the technology that's coming, the credentials that are giving graduates a head start, why women are some of the best operators he's ever trained, and why the "five years of experience" hire is officially a mythical creature.🔗 LINKSListen wherever your get your podcasts: Listen to Built in the MidwestMidwest Truck Driving School: midwesttruckdrivingschool.com North Country Heavy Equipment & Electrical Line School: https://ncheschool.com/Submit your Questions: https://webforms.pipedrive.com/f/6WfGT9X1zlYC6WvssJqfWxOOkvVa1AjzqgnAIIHOq70WWiNo5czEWXpBMqxVTW7UST 💬 CONNECT Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDLMidwest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwesttruckdrivingschool/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttruckdrivingskool