Selma Operators: Prepare for Your Crane Exam Online

Paper machine conversions at Riverdale

International Paper’s Riverdale Mill went up in 1965 and employs more than 750 people making containerboard and printing papers. In 2017 the company announced about $300 million to convert the No. 15 paper machine from uncoated freesheet to whitetop linerboard, and it later reported finishing a $250 million conversion of the No. 16 machine.

A machine conversion is lifting-heavy work: dryer cans, press rolls, headbox sections and drives come out and new ones go in, often through openings in the roof or long side walls, under schedules measured in hours. Contractors bring in large crawlers and hydraulic cranes, then work alongside the mill’s own overhead cranes. That mix rewards operators who understand load charts and lift planning, and riggers who can handle long, heavy, awkward rolls without guessing at their balance point.

Storm recovery and the riverbank

The EF-2 tornado that crossed Selma in January 2023 damaged roughly a third of the city. Local recovery leaders counted as many as 340 structures destroyed and 360 with major damage, and two years later some houses still had blue tarps. Debris removal, tree work over homes and rebuilding have kept boom trucks, service cranes and small hydraulic units moving through neighborhoods, often on narrow streets with overhead power lines. Line clearance rules and a dedicated spotter matter on every one of those setups.

Along the river, the Army Corps of Engineers has warned that bank erosion threatens historic structures near the bridge, and Congress authorized the Selma Flood Risk Management and Bank Stabilization project in 2022. Work beside a moving river means crane pads on soft alluvial soil, which calls for careful mat selection and a close watch on the edge.

Craig Field and the plants around it

Craig Field closed as an Air Force base in the late 1970s and now hosts industry and an airport. Recent projects include a pipe manufacturer’s $9 million equipment investment and, as of 2026, plans for a remote air traffic control tower center and training academy. Bush Hog, which builds mowers and cutters in Selma, has employed more than 900 people at its peak. A 2026 regional job fair listed manufacturers such as CMC Steel Alabama, Georgia-Pacific and Westervelt among area employers.

• Mobile Crane Operator for contractors running hydraulic and lattice cranes at the mill and plants.
• Rigger Level II for crews planning roll and equipment changes.
• Service Truck Crane Operator for storm, fleet and utility work.
• Signal Person for anyone guiding lifts inside machine rooms or behind buildings.

What the law expects in Dallas County

Alabama does not license crane operators, and Selma doesn’t either. Federal OSHA enforces the construction crane rules for private employers here: accredited certification and an employer evaluation under 1926.1427, qualified signal persons under 1926.1428, and qualified riggers under 1926.1425. Cranes used in daily mill production follow 1910.179. Our Alabama requirements guide has more detail.

Online study covers the written knowledge. You still take a hands-on practical exam on the crane type you are certifying for.