BHG Heavy Equipment LLC
Memphis, TN

Heavy Equipment Operator Training in Memphis, Tennessee

Heavy equipment operator training for Memphis crews on TDOT interstate jobs, utility trenches in MLGW's service area and terminals on President's Island, taught at your site on your machines.

  • OSHA-Aligned Training
  • Onsite at Your Job Site
  • Hands-On, on Your Machines
  • No Long-Term Contracts
Get a Free Consultation

Heavy Equipment Work in Memphis

Memphis keeps a lot of heavy equipment busy on roads, river terminals and buried utilities. TDOT says it is spending more than $160 million to repave about 400 lane miles of interstates and state routes in Memphis and Shelby County through 2027, and it is designing a replacement for the 75-year-old I-55 Mississippi River bridge with Arkansas. MLGW, which calls itself the nation's largest three-service municipal utility, runs electric, natural gas and water systems across the county, so almost every trench here crosses somebody's line. On the river, the Port of Memphis covers 15 miles of the Mississippi, and President's Island holds 95 percent of the port's industries.

That work puts loaders, graders and dump trucks next to interstate traffic, excavators and backhoes in trenches near gas and water mains, and dozers and loaders on terminal stockpiles. BHG Heavy Equipment trains operators for that work at your job site or yard, on the machines they run every day. Courses combine classroom instruction with hands-on operation, pre-shift inspections and the OSHA rules for each machine, and each operator is evaluated on the machine.

BHG is a Disabled Veteran-Owned company based in Hannibal, Missouri, and travels to clients across 17 states. Tennessee runs its own state plan, TOSHA, which has a field office in downtown Memphis. The metro reaches into Mississippi and Arkansas, where federal OSHA and different one-call centers apply, so crews that cross state lines work under more than one set of rules.

Where Heavy Equipment Works in Memphis

  • Interstate paving and interchange work

    TDOT's 2025 to 2027 Shelby County program covers I-240, I-269, I-40 and state routes, and it plans to rebuild the I-240 interchange at Airways Boulevard near Memphis International Airport, with construction scheduled for fiscal year 2027. Loaders, graders and dump trucks working inside lane closures face struck-by, backing and work-zone traffic hazards.

  • Utility and underground construction

    MLGW delivers electricity, natural gas and water to more than 440,000 customers and draws water from more than 175 wells across Shelby County. Excavators and backhoes trenching for new service, repairs and development work near those lines face utility strikes, gas releases and trench cave-ins.

  • River port terminals (President's Island)

    The Port of Memphis has 68 waterfront facilities, 37 of them terminals handling petroleum, cement, steel, fertilizers and grain, and President's Island alone hosts 95 percent of the port's industries. Front-end loaders and dozers working stockpiles and dock edges face rollover, drop-off and struck-by hazards around trucks and rail cars.

  • Mississippi River bridge replacement (I-55)

    TDOT and ARDOT have each committed up to $200 million, with a $393.75 million federal Bridge Investment Program grant, to replace the I-55 Memphis-Arkansas Bridge. The project received its environmental Finding of No Significant Impact in April 2025 and is in design, so the heavy earthwork, approach and demolition work is still ahead.

What Shapes Equipment Work in Memphis

  • TOSHA has adopted federal OSHA's standards, and its Tennessee-only standards are all general industry rules, so the federal construction rules for earthmoving equipment (29 CFR 1926.602) and excavations (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P) apply on Memphis job sites.

  • The U.S. Geological Survey's Memphis hazard mapping describes wind-deposited silt and clayey silt (loess) as the main surface deposit across the upland parts of the city. Trench soil has to be classified on site by a competent person under Subpart P, and 29 CFR 1926.651(k)(1) requires another inspection after every rainstorm.

  • Memphis sits near the New Madrid seismic zone, and the USGS warns that many structures in the city are vulnerable to severe ground shaking. TDOT lists an earthquake-resistant design that meets modern seismic code among the goals for the new I-55 bridge.

  • Across the state lines, Mississippi and Arkansas each have their own one-call center and notice periods, and federal OSHA inspects instead of TOSHA. Check which state a site is in before you call in a locate or plan training records.

Operator Courses for Memphis Job Sites

All courses
Client Questions

Memphis Equipment Training Questions

We get a lot of the same great questions from new clients. Here are the answers to the ones we hear most often — if yours isn't listed, don't hesitate to reach out directly.

BHG Heavy Equipment training session in progress

Onsite Safety Training Session

No. Neither federal OSHA nor TOSHA has a general certification or licensing requirement for excavator, loader, dozer or grader operators, unlike forklift and crane operators. Employers still have to train workers to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions under 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2), and 29 CFR 1926.602 sets rules for earthmoving equipment such as seat belts and backup alarms. BHG's courses cover those rules, and each operator is evaluated on the machine. Some owners and general contractors set their own requirements, so check your contract.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-31-106 requires notice at least three working days, and no more than ten working days, before you excavate. Tennessee 811 describes that as 72 hours excluding weekends and holidays. Tickets are good for 15 calendar days after the start date, so longer jobs need a renewal at least three working days before the ticket runs out. OSHA's excavation standard, 29 CFR 1926.651(b), also requires you to find where underground utilities are before you dig.
No. TOSHA covers most private employers in Memphis and Shelby County, and its Memphis office is at 40 South Main Street. Mississippi has no state plan for private employers, so a Southaven or Olive Branch job falls under federal OSHA's Jackson Area Office. West Memphis jobs fall under federal OSHA's Little Rock Area Office. The construction rules for earthmoving equipment and excavations are largely the same, but the locate process is not, since each state has its own one-call center.
Yes. BHG trains onsite at your yard, facility or job site, on your own machines. Operators get classroom instruction, then hands-on time with pre-shift inspections and operation, and each one is evaluated on the machine. Call (573) 822-6448 to set up training for excavators, backhoes, loaders, dozers, graders, dump trucks, skid loaders or other equipment.
ABOUT US

Practical Training. Proven Safety.

BHG Heavy Equipment delivers no-nonsense, on-site heavy equipment training that fits how your crews actually work. We combine OSHA-compliant curriculum with real machines and real jobsite scenarios so operators leave confident, competent, and certified.

From single-day refreshers to full new-hire onboarding, we tailor each session to your equipment, hazards, and production goals. You get fewer incidents, faster ramp-ups, and clean documentation for compliance audits.

  • On-site, hands-on instruction
  • OSHA 1910/1926 compliant curriculum
  • Practical evaluations on your equipment
  • Tailored to your tasks & hazards
More About Us
Call Us 24/7(573) 822-6448

Get in Contact with us Here!

Fill out the form below and we'll be in touch within one business day.

Get a Quote