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Grease monkeys? Hardly. Skilled truck maintenance technicians are computer-savvy, highly sought-after professionals who can make as much as $75,000 a year with overtime. With a couple of years of vocational training, voluntary accreditation, mathematical aptitude and enjoyment of the job, you can work just about anywhere in the country.
“There is a demand everywhere for dependable, qualified performance technicians, ‘green’ or not,” says Lyn Pilley, director of staffing for tomorrow at Volvo, which has a global truck manufacturing division. “Technicians have many choices. They can pick and choose their employer, location and specialty.”
According to the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov, the category of diesel service technicians and mechanics includes bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists. They repair and maintain the diesel engines of heavy trucks, buses and locomotives. Some also work on heavy vehicles and mobile equipment, including bulldozers, cranes, road graders, farm tractors and combines. There is plenty of job demand for all of these.
Fuel injection is a truck-related specialty in particular demand now, as federal environmental rules taking effect in 2007 require all new trucks and buses to use clean-burning engines. The modern, computerized fuel-injection system is a highly precise, electronically controlled system that squirts tiny amounts of fuel precisely and rapidly into the cylinder under tremendously high pressure. “This is so the fuel burns as completely as possible with as little pollution as possible,” says James McNamara, a Volvo spokesman.
Getting Started
With diesel maintenance’s increasingly sophisticated needs, training at a college is recommended. You can pursue a certificate or, better yet, a two-year associate’s degree, says Pilley. If you pursue a job at a specific company, the company may provide hands-on training specific to its fleet.
On-the-job training can vary. “You don’t have to have a lot of specialized training,” says Tom Folmar, CEO of a Florida-based wholesaler of diesel engine products and president of the Association of Diesel Specialists. “We train our own people. It’s ongoing -- technology changes.” At his firm, Southeast Power Systems, trainees may spend three to five years becoming journeymen. “As they complete more training and increase their abilities, the pay is adjusted.”
As a novice, you can expect to earn an average of $12 to $17 an hour, says Pilley. Getting certified as well as getting experienced will help push up your income levels.
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifies “master” medium/heavy truck technicians, “master” school bus technicians and “master” truck equipment technicians, which can apply to such specific areas as brakes, suspension and steering, electrical and electronic systems, or preventive maintenance and inspection. To qualify, you must pass one or more of the ASE-administered exams and present proof of two years of relevant hands-on work experience. Two years of relevant formal training may be substituted for up to one year of work experience. You’ll be retested every five years. At a master level, you can make up to $30 an hour before overtime. Get information on certification and test fees here.
