How long does the Advanced Rigger course take?

Four days, Monday through Thursday. Day classes run 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM and night classes run 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, so you can keep working either shift. If you can't take time off during the week at all, the 3-Day Weekend Express runs Friday through Sunday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and you walk out certified after one weekend.

What does it cost and what do I pay today?

Advanced Rigger is $1,000 during our current promotion, normally $1,700. Signal Person is $1,000. A $200 deposit secures your seat and the remaining $800 is due before your class begins. NCCER assessments are $150 flat for any of our 36 crafts, paid in full at registration.

What if I can't pay the whole thing up front?

You have options. Klarna and Afterpay are available; both cover the full $1,000 up front and then split it into payments for you, so those are pay-in-full options at checkout rather than the $200 deposit. If you don't qualify for either, we offer in-house financing with no credit check: as little as $200 down and payments leading up to your course date. We also take Zelle if you'd rather register that way. Either way, your course can't begin until the balance is paid in full.

Is this a real NCCER certification?

Yes. We're an NCCER Accredited Training and Assessment Center, so you train and test out in the same building and your credential is recorded on the NCCER national registry, recognized on jobsites across the country.

Do I need experience to take the Advanced Rigger course?

No experience required. The course is designed for both new and experienced riggers. We cover advanced rigging principles, load weight calculations, center of gravity, sling selection and inspection, hitch configurations, load control, lift planning and crane hand signals from the ground up.

What's included in the course?

Classroom instruction, hands-on practice with real rigging hardware, your written and practical assessment, and your NCCER certification upon successful completion. Pens, paper, notebooks, snacks and drinks are provided; you bring your own safety glasses, gloves, hard hat and steel-toe boots.

Can I test out without taking a class?

Yes. As an accredited NCCER Assessment Center we proctor written and hands-on assessments in 36 crafts, from pipefitter and millwright to forklift and excavator, for $150 per assessment, by appointment.

How long is the credential good for?

NCCER rigger credentials are valid for five years from the date they're issued. When yours is coming due, call the office and we'll schedule your recertification.

Get NCCER Certified in as Little as 3 Days

Straight From The Classroom

Trained Today.
Trusted Tomorrow.

“Great teachers and instructors. Frank and Andy will make sure you understand before moving on to the next lesson. 5/5 stars, highly recommend.”
Ryan P5-star review on Google

Michael C. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Michael C.** Advanced Rigger

Dustin T. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Dustin T.** Advanced Rigger

Joshua F. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Joshua F.** Advanced Rigger

Aaron S. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Aaron S.** Advanced Rigger

Mario A. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Mario A.** Advanced Rigger

Andrew M. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Andrew M.** Advanced Rigger

Frank P. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Frank P.** Advanced Rigger

Justin M. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Justin M.** Advanced Rigger

Prime Lift graduate with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Advanced Rigger** NCCER Certified

Leonel F. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Leonel F.** Advanced Rigger

Santiago T. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Santiago T.** Advanced Rigger

Hector R. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Hector R.** Advanced Rigger

Cristian M. with his NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger certificate — **Cristian M.** Advanced Rigger

NCCER Accredited Training & Assessment Center
Train and test out in the same building
Day, night or 3-day weekend classes

What We Teach

Build Skills.
Earn Credentials.

Three ways in. Pick the one that matches where you're at, and walk out with an NCCER credential that's good on any jobsite in the country.

Advanced Rigger

NCCER Certified Advanced Rigger

For new and experienced riggers who need the knowledge and hands-on skill to plan and execute complex lifts safely.

Advanced rigging principles & lift planning
Load weight calculations & center of gravity
Sling selection, hitch configurations & inspections
Load control & crane hand signals
Written & hands-on practical test-out

$1,000 $1,700 August promotion · $200 secures your seat, $800 due before class starts

Pick a Start Date

Signal Person

NCCER Certified Signal Person

Be the eyes. Be the voice. Be the standard. Learn the hand signals and communication that keep crews safe on the lift.

Industry-standard crane hand signals
Voice & radio communication on the lift
Two days of classroom & hands-on practice
Built for refineries, plants, construction & shipyards
Written & practical test — certification on completion

$1,000 $200 deposit secures your spot · classes run every other Friday

Pick a Start Date

Candidates taking a proctored NCCER assessment in the on-site testing room

NCCER Assessments

Written & Practical Test-Out

Already know the work? Come test out. As an accredited Assessment Center we proctor written and hands-on assessments across all 36 crafts.

Proctored on-site in our NCCER testing room
Credentials recorded to the NCCER Registry
One flat price across every craft we assess
By appointment, book online or call

$150 Per assessment · boilermaker, pipefitter, HVAC, plumber, heavy equipment operator and more

Request a Test Date

Crafts We Assess

Written and hands-on practical assessments, $150 flat. More crafts are available; ask about anything you don't see listed.

Reinforcing Iron & Rebar Concrete Finisher Industrial Carpenter Pipefitter Forklift Operator Boilermaker HVAC Technician Heavy Equipment Operator All 36 crafts ›

Book Online

Pick Your Class.
Hold Your Seat.

Every start date for the next few weeks. Tap one and it's already picked for you on the booking page. $200 holds a seat in any course; assessments are $150.

Book a Class Call (361) 213-9690

Inside The Classroom

Tying Rebar Today.
Running The Lift
Tomorrow.

You already know the work. What you don't have yet is the card that says so. Here's how it runs, start to finish.

Hold your seatBook online in about two minutes. $200 holds your spot. Bring your photo ID and PPE on day one; pens, notebooks, snacks and drinks are on us.
Train: classroom and hands-onReal rigging hardware, real load calculations, real crane hand signals. Eight seats, so you actually get your hands on the gear.
Test out. Get your card.Written and practical, right here in our accredited testing room. Pass, and your credential goes on the NCCER Registry.

Pick Your Start Date Call (361) 213-9690

How We Teach It

Shown, Not
Just Told.

We understand everyone learns differently, which is why we run plenty of visual scenarios and demonstrations: boom deflection, side loading, shock loading, block factors, the two most important knots in rigging and much more, all to help you understand the information being taught.

Instructor Frank Torres showing a class how to assemble a terminator wedge socket on wire rope — Assembling a terminator (becket)

01

A Termination Is Only As Good As The Assembly

A terminator, the wedge socket that anchors the end of a wire rope, gets assembled in front of the class. The parts come apart, get inspected for cracks and wear, and go back together in order.

The details are the lesson. Never mix wedges, sockets and pins across different models or sizes. Match the wedge and the socket to the rope you are actually using. Seize the dead end instead of welding it, so the strands cannot untwist or flatten. Miss one of those and the termination becomes the weakest point in the lift.

Two students communicating with each other to drift a load across a gantry with chain hoists — Drifting a load with chain hoists

02

Two Hoists, One Load, One Conversation

Drifting a load means moving it sideways: one hoist pays out while the other takes up, and the load walks across the span. Here two students run opposite hoists on the same load and have to keep it under control between them.

The rigging is the easy half. The hard half is two people agreeing out loud on what happens next, which is exactly what goes wrong on a real job when nobody is talking.

Students tying the two most important knots in rigging on the training gantry — The two most important knots

03

The Two Knots You Will Actually Use

Every rigger ends up with a short list of knots that carry almost all of the work, and two of them do most of it. Students tie them on the gantry with the same rope and hardware they will see on a job, not on a desk with a length of string.

Once you have tied one correctly with your own hands a few times, you stop having to remember how it goes.

Block loading demonstration board showing line pull angles and the loading factor each one produces — Block loading: angles and factors

04

The Angle Is The Whole Story

One line on the board carries the whole idea: line pull times a factor equals the load on the block and its anchorage. Change the angle between the two lines and the factor changes with it.

The same rope is set at 60, 90 and 120 degrees so the difference stops being a formula on a page. Two lines running side by side put twice the line pull on the block. Open them to ninety degrees and it falls to about 1.41. Open them out into a straight line and the block carries almost nothing at all.

Boom deflection, side loading and shock loading get the same treatment. If a thing can be shown instead of described, it gets shown.

Meet Your Examiner & Instructors

Craft Pros Aren't Born.
They're Built.

Every person in front of the class came up in the field first: refineries, plants, shipyards and heavy lift. Ask questions. That's what they're here for.

Co-Founder · NCCER Practical Examiner

Andres Herrera

After years of hands-on field experience, Andres and his business partner built Prime Lift to help craft professionals earn the credentials that move their careers. As a Practical Examiner he runs the hands-on training and test-outs with a hard focus on safety and jobsite reality.

Director

Juan Meza

Juan built his career through years of hands-on industry experience and now leads the academy's programs. He's here to make sure every student leaves with the skills, confidence and foundation to build a real career in the trades.

Advanced Rigging Instructor

Frank Torres

Frank brings more than 10 years of crane and rigging experience to the classroom, and he genuinely wants every student to pass. Don't be afraid to ask him to explain something twice. Take advantage of what he knows.

In Their Own Words

Certified.
Confident. Hired.

Real students, on Google and Facebook. Read every review on Google ›

Joel A.

“Felt really connected with the instructors. No question was left unanswered, great demonstrations, hands-on was awesome, learned a lot. The knowledge was unmatched. Great place to take the next step. 5 out of 5.”

Joshua F.

“A lot of one-to-one explanation. All questions will be answered directly to you; the teacher will sit there and go over it as many times as you need until you understand. Definitely recommend.”

5-star review on Google

Dustin T.

“Best class ever. They give all the information so you don't fail. Frank and Andy do an excellent job to make sure you are trained right.”

All you need to know, they will teach and guide you thru the process of getting your nccer certification!

Viko LedesmaRecommends on Facebook

It's a very great class, a lot of good information, and the instructor did an awesome job explaining the information.

Arturo Duran Jr.Recommends on Facebook

Great experience, very professional. Pay attention and be ready for that test.

Michael Cervantes5-star review on Google

Best investment ever. Invest in yourself. Prime Lift has excellent instructors that will help you succeed. Thanks Prime Lift for helping me succeed and learn the proper way of bull rigging.

Mario Atilano5-star review on Google

Had the best set of teachers! Whenever I had a question or misunderstood something they were always there to help and correct me in a way I could understand. Absolutely outstanding class, 10/10!

Justin Martinez5-star review on Google

Great place to learn. They help you in anything. 100% recommend.

Leonel Flores5-star review on Google

Available Now

In-House
Financing.

Don't let the cost hold you back. $200 holds your seat today. After that, pay it the way that works for you, and we'll walk you through it on the phone if you'd rather talk.

Talk Through Your Options

Deposit & Balance$200 today by card. The remaining $800 is due before your class starts.
In-House Plan, No Credit CheckAs little as $200 down and payments leading up to your class date.
Klarna or AfterpayBoth take the full $1,000 at checkout, then split it into payments for you.
ZelleMessage us on Facebook or email the office and we'll register you manually.

Heads up: your course can't begin until the balance is paid in full, so get started early and give yourself room to pay it down before your start date.

Common Questions

Before You Enroll

All questions ›

Find Us

Portland, Texas

Right off US-181, minutes from Corpus Christi, Ingleside and Gregory. Walk in during office hours or call and we'll get you scheduled.

Training & Assessment Center1605 US Highway 181 Frontage Rd, Suite A
Portland, TX 78374
Office HoursMonday – Friday · 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Open weekends when classes are running, call ahead
Phone(361) 213-9690
Emailprimelift26@gmail.com

Book a Class Online

Prime Lift Rigging Academy storefront at 1605 US Highway 181 Frontage Rd, Suite A, Portland, TX

Get NCCER
CertifiedIn As Little
As 3 Days.

Trained Today.
Trusted Tomorrow.