Did you enjoy playing with giant-sized toy bulldozers and trucks as a child? Getting your hands filthy was enjoyable, and you can still enjoy watching earthmovers at a building site or backhoes digging ditches nowadays. A job in heavy equipment repair could be ideal for you.
Heavy vehicles that need maintenance and repair include farm machinery, bulldozers, cranes, and train cars. These vehicles frequently weigh hundreds of tons and necessitate specific needs for major maintenance. They may also necessitate frequent field maintenance in a remote locations such as the highlands, forest, or desert.
Heavy trucks might be difficult to understand. Today’s heavy machinery indeed combines intellect and brawn. Hydraulics are used in many forms of heavy machinery to lift and lower moveable elements, as well as for driving and braking. They may have sophisticated electrical systems, such as onboard processors for control and system diagnosis. They often have diesel engines, which are serviced by professional heavy vehicle mechanics who must be able to use computer diagnostic equipment.
The difference is in the servicing. Heavy vehicles are an expensive investment that must be meticulously maintained. When a million-dollar crawler crane fails on a job site, every second counts until it is repaired. As a result, the well and experienced service member is an essential element of the team.
Electrical systems, engines and hydraulics, and gearboxes are all repaired and maintained by heavy vehicle service professionals and mechanics. They do routine maintenance checks and fix brake, fuel, and gearbox systems to ensure the equipment’s safety, optimal performance, and dependability. They may remove and fix undercarriages and caterpillar-track assemblies, as well as weld broken equipment frames and structural sections.
Technicians understand how to handle tools. They also work on minor parts with simple hand tools and utilize computerized testing equipment to diagnose faults in electrical and hydraulic systems. Service professionals are frequently required to operate their equipment outdoors under adverse conditions.
The work prospects are high. In the current economic climate, the field is expanding. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “opportunity for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics ought to be great for those who have finished formal training programs in diesel or heavy equipment maintenance” from 2008 to 2018. Over 15,000 new jobs are expected to be added in this employment area over this period.
Understanding mathematics, physics, mechanical engineering, and computers are required for advanced professions in the subject. Heavy vehicle mechanics are increasingly in demand for National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence certification. But there is hope for anyone with a high school certificate or GED who is ready to work hard and rise ahead!
