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Maricopa County · US 60 and US 93

Crane and Rigger Exam Prep for Wickenburg and the US 93 Corridor

Wickenburg began as a gold camp in 1863 and has spent most of the time since as a crossroads. US 93 starts here and runs northwest toward Kingman and Las Vegas, while US 60 continues west toward Interstate 10, so a large share of truck traffic between Phoenix and the Mountain West passes through town. That traffic, and the steady road building that comes with it, keeps cranes busy in a place that still feels like ranch country. If you live in or around Wickenburg and want an accredited crane or rigging card, our online course covers the written material at your own pace.

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Highway work is the steady lifting job here

ADOT has spent years turning US 93 into a four-lane divided highway from Wickenburg to the Hoover Dam bypass. Locally, the agency finished an interim bypass around downtown in February 2010, a $30 million project with two roundabouts and a new bridge. In late 2024 it completed a $55 million widening of about five miles between Tegner Street and Wickenburg Ranch Way, with roundabouts at Rincon, Cope, Vulture Mine and Scenic Loop roads, and a federal grant of about $26 million is funding an extension of roughly 1.27 miles toward State Route 89.

Each of those jobs involves bridge girders, drainage structures, precast barrier and sign trusses, which is the kind of work that keeps a hydraulic crane and a rigging crew on site for weeks at a time. Highway contractors are among the most consistent about wanting documented operator certification, qualified riggers and a trained signal person on every critical lift.

Washes, rock and the Hassayampa

The Hassayampa River runs, intermittently, along the east side of town, and the surrounding desert is cut by dry washes that can turn into fast water during a monsoon cloudburst. Town history includes an 1890 disaster when the Walnut Creek dam failed upstream. For a crane crew the lesson is practical: do not set up in a wash bottom, watch the forecast for storms upstream even when the sky overhead is clear, and remember that sandy channel soil can wash out from under mats.

Away from the river, many lots are rocky hillsides. Expect to crib heavily, check level often, and confirm that the ground under each outrigger is native material rather than loose fill pushed off a pad cut.

Ranches, resorts and new subdivisions

Wickenburg has long been known for guest ranches and equestrian events, and the town's edges have been filling in with new homes, particularly along the US 93 corridor north of downtown where the newest widening ends. Residential and light commercial work here is mostly boom-truck and articulating-crane territory: roof trusses, steel shade structures, pre-built barns, water tanks and well equipment.

On a ranch, power lines are the hazard that sneaks up on people. Overhead distribution lines often cross pastures and driveways at heights that a raised boom easily reaches. Federal rules require a minimum clearance and a documented plan when equipment may come near energized lines, and the power-line portion of the exam is one of the areas we spend the most time on.

How certification works for a Wickenburg operator

Arizona does not license crane operators itself. ADOSH enforces the federal Subpart CC standard, which calls for certification from an accredited body plus an employer evaluation before someone runs equipment covered by the rule. Our requirements guide explains the details, and if you are starting from zero, the how-to guide for new operators shows a sensible order of steps.

Written exams are scheduled through the certifying body after you prepare. The practical exam needs a crane of the type you are certifying on and an accredited examiner, so most Wickenburg candidates head into the Phoenix area, about an hour away by US 60 or US 93 and the Loop 303. Looking for openings once you hold a card? Our Arizona crane jobs guide covers where crane work tends to come from statewide.

Common questions

Wickenburg is partly in Yavapai County. Does that change anything?

Not for certification. Most of the town sits in Maricopa County with a portion extending into Yavapai, but operator certification is national and the state rules are the same in both counties.

I run a boom truck delivering trusses. Do I need a crane card?

Often yes. OSHA's crane standard covers many boom trucks used in construction, though there are specific exceptions for some delivery situations. Our service truck and articulating crane courses explain where those exceptions apply.

Does online prep get me a certification by itself?

No. We prepare you for the knowledge exams. You still pass the written and practical tests administered by the certifying body.

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