CCO Operator Profile: Jeffrey Wegner
February 20, 2024—Starting out as a welder at Oregon steel mills in the early ’90s, Jeff Wegner was introduced to cranes by operating various carry decks and old “neck breakers.” He then started in industrial construction in the mid-to-late ‘90s, traveling all over as an ironworker and rigger. In early 2000 he got a chance to get back in the seat, earning his initial CCO certification in 2003. From then on, he’s mostly worked hanging iron, setting equipment, and demolition projects.
Mr. Wegner has worked at for Phoenix Industrial for the past 20 years, where his current job title is “structural superintendent,” but he is also master rigger and lift director on the jobsites he’s assigned to. “Being an CCO operator for so many years has given me unique knowledge of the crane dynamics that go into a lift,” Jeff says. “As a lift director and master rigger this knowledge is very helpful to perform a safe and well-planned-out pick.”
Jeff travels all over the country building heavy industrial projects that typically last on average about one year. Projects that he’s worked on include power plants, mining operations, cement plants, and metal recycling facilities. He’s currently working on an ore dome and conveyance project where the dome is 400 ft. across and 200 ft. tall and made of only metal—it is only the second one of this scale built in the world! The facility houses lots of large conveyors and dust collection structures.
Another memorable project was the Terminal 5 potash storage and export facility in Portland, Oregon. He explains, “I oversaw my company’s first four-crane pick. We also drove a huge structure into place using a truck-mount crane on rolling outriggers.”
Jeff has been a CCO-certified operator for more than 20 years. He currently holds TSS and TLL designations, but over the past 30 years he’s operated just about all kinds of load handling equipment. He’s recertified four times, and he finds that the knowledge that he comes away with after every recertification has proved to be some of the most valuable crane knowledge he has, so he’s found significant value in the recertification process.
He explains, “When I took my first CCO exam prep classes and earned my initial operator certifications, I was amazed at how much knowledge I was lacking. I had taken a crane class before, but it barely skimmed the surface of what I have learned through earning CCO certification. Before, I was able to run a crane, and now I understand the dynamics that are involved with planning and safely executing my work. Having the knowledge that I have gained from my certification and recertifications has garnered the trust of many of my coworkers. CCO certification has truly made me feel that I am a professional in my craft, and it gives me the confidence I need to tackle the complex day-to-day issues that industrial construction puts forth. I have the confidence and the experience now to educate my team on proper execution and safety concerns with crane operation. I still have many more years left in this field, so there is still more to learn. Moving forward, I can see the vast benefits from acquiring more knowledge through the CCO certification process.”
Although Jeff is not currently CCO-certified as a rigger, signalperson, or lift director, he plans on working to obtain these certifications. “I have wanted to get these certifications, and CCO’s new Online Proctored Testing will give me the flexibility I need to take those exams.” He specifically cites the recently streamlined CCO Lift Director certification as the one he’s most likely to earn next—required written exams have been reduced from as many as six to just two (no practical exams required), and testing time has been reduced from as much as 7.5 hours to 2.5 hours.
Jeff prefers using rough terrain cranes because they are quick and versatile. His team also uses crawler- and truck-mounted cranes, but they get most work out of their RTs.
When not working, Jeff enjoys golf and long-distance marksmanship. He also appreciates the opportunity to explore the different geographical areas where his work takes him.