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Heavy Equipment Technician Directly to the left of this help icon you will see this work indoors and outdoors icon that represents where Heavy Equipment Technician work most of the time. If the person in the icon is standing outside the building then the work is mostly outside. A person inside respresents mostly insde work and two people (one inside and one outside) represent the work has a bit of both. By clicking the Details buttons to the left will open the page and allow you to read more about becoming a Heavy Equipment Technician. After you have spent some time reading and you would like to find out what schools are offering training for Heavy Equipment Technician click the Yes, use this career in my Journey button.

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Equipment Maintenance

Heavy Equipment Technician

work indoors and outdoors

Instrument technicians install, maintain, and repair the measuring and control instruments used in industrial and commercial processing.

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  • Related School SubjectsDetails

    Math; Science; English; Physics; Shop; Physical Education

  • Field of StudyDetails

    Places of employment may vary from one branch of the trade to another:

    • Transport trailer mechanics are employed in transportation company fleet repair shops, trailer dealerships, general mechanical repair shops, manufacturers' repair shops, and specialized repair shops.
    • Truck and transport mechanics are employed in small repair shops, large fleet maintenance companies, transportation companies, and construction companies.
    • Heavy duty equipment mechanics (off road) are employed in specialized repair shops, large fleet maintenance companies, transportation companies, and construction companies.
    • Heavy equipment technicians are employed by specialized repair shops and organizations that own or lease the heavy equipment used in the construction, mining, forestry, material handling, landscaping, land clearing, agriculture, and transportation industries.

    Heavy equipment technicians are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 7312: Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics. In Alberta, 75% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

    • Wholesale Trade.
    • Other Services.
    • Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction.
    • Construction.
    • Transportation and Warehousing.
  • DutiesDetails

    Heavy Equipment Technicians:

    • Read work orders and technical manuals.
    • Keep equipment cleaned, lubricated, and maintained.
    • Find problems with equipment.
    • Repair or replace broken parts.
    • Test repaired equipment for proper performance.
    • Make sure the work follows manufacturer's codes.
    • Write service reports.

    In Alberta, there are four branches in the heavy equipment technician trade:

    • Transport trailer mechanic.
    • Truck and transport mechanic.
    • Heavy duty equipment mechanic (off-road).
    • Heavy equipment technician.

    Transport trailer mechanics fix and take care of:

    • Flat decks.
    • Dry freight vans.
    • Refrigerated vans.
    • Tankers.
    • Converters.
    • Boosters.
    • Pole trailers.
    • Jeeps.
    • Steering dollies.
    • Dump trailers.
    • Other commercial pull type devices.

    Truck and transport mechanics fix and take care of:

    • Combustion engines and parts.
    • Trucks.
    • Buses.
    • Trailers.

    Heavy duty equipment mechanics fix and take care of:

    • Combustion engines and parts.
    • Equipment with tracks (crawler tractors).
    • Digging equipment and parts.
    • Earth-moving equipment.
    • Off-highway motor vehicles (trucks).
    • Towed off-highway vehicles (trailers).

    Heavy equipment technicians fix and take care of:

    • Combustion engines and parts.
    • Equipment with tracks (crawler tractors).
    • Digging equipment and parts.
    • Earth-moving equipment.
    • Rubber tired equipment (tractors).
    • On-highway and off-highway motor vehicles (trucks).
    • Towed on-highway and off-highway vehicles (trailers).
  • Working ConditionsDetails

    Location:

    • Indoors
      • Modern labs.
    • Outdoors
      • Construction sites.
      • Industrial sites.
      • All weather conditions.
      • Travel to work sites.

    Hours:

    • Flexible hours.
    • Regular Work Schedule (Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm).
    • May need to work evenings or weekends.
    • May need to work overtime to meet deadlines.

    Heavy Lifting:

    • Risk of injury working with heavy equipment and power tools.
    • Lift and carry up to 20 kilograms and heavier.
  • PersonalDetails

    People working in this trade need the following characteristics:

    • Good vision and hearing.
    • Good sense of smell to diagnose problems.
    • Strength and stamina required to work with heavy equipment.
    • Able to work in cramped or awkward positions.
    • Able to work alone.
    • Able to work as part of a team.
    • Mechanical ability.
    • Interest in all types of machinery and engines.
    • Interest in electronics, and precision equipment.
    • Able to think logically .
    • Willing to keep up to date with changes in technology.
    • Enjoy doing precision work.
    • Enjoy solving problems.
    • Enjoy working with their hands.
  • EducationDetails

    Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates.

    To work in this trade in Alberta, at least ONE of these must be true:

    • You are a registered apprentice.
    • You are an Alberta-certified journeyperson.
    • You have a recognized related trade certificate.

    To register as an Alberta apprentice you need to have:

    • English Language Arts 20-2 or equivalent.
    • Math 20-3 or equivalent.
    • Science 10 or equivalent.
    • or able to pass the entrance exam.
    • An employer willing to train you.

    Apprenticeship term:

    Transport Trailer Mechanic:

    • 2 years.
    • 1st year: 1500 work hours + 8 weeks classroom training.
    • 2nd year: 1800 work hours.
    • You must have your own hand tools.
    • If you have training or work experience in this trade it may count towards your certification.

    Truck and Transport Mechanic:

    • 3 years.
    • 1500 work hours each year.
    • 8 weeks classroom training each year.
    • May take exam in final year to earn Red Seal and work throughout most of Canada.
    • You must have your own hand tools.
    • If you have training or work experience in this trade it may count towards your certification.

    Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic:

    • 3 years.
    • 1500 work hours each year.
    • 8 weeks classroom training each year.
    • May take exam in final year to earn Red Seal and work throughout most of Canada.
    • You must have your own hand tools.
    • If you have training or work experience in this trade it may count towards your certification.

    Heavy Equipment Technician:

    • 4 years.
    • 1500 work hours each year.
    • 8 weeks classroom training each year.
    • You must have your own hand tools.
    • If you have training or work experience in this trade it may count towards your certification.
  • Programs OfferedDetails

    Technical training is arranged by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training and is currently offered at:

    For more information, visit the Technical Training Centre on the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training website.

    Outside the apprenticeship program, the following post-secondary institutions offer related training:

    • Lethbridge College offers a one year Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Technician certificate program. Entrance requirements include English Language Arts 20-1 or 20-2 and Applied or Pure Math 20, or equivalent. Physics, chemistry, science and Grade 12 math and English are recommended.
    • Grande Prairie Regional College offers a five semester Heavy Equipment Service diploma program. Each semester includes eight weeks of theory and eight weeks of work experience. Entrance requirements include Grade 12 English, math, and science. Grande Prairie Regional College also offers a 34 week Heavy Equipment certificate program.
    • The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton offers a two year Industrial Heavy Equipment Technology diploma program in Edmonton. Entrance requirements include Grade 11 English, Pure Math 20 or Applied Math 30, and one of the following: Physics 20, Chemistry 30, or Science 30.
    • Keyano College offers a two year Heavy Equipment Technician diploma program in Fort McMurray. Entrance requirements include a high school diploma or equivalent.
    • Olds College offers a one year Agricultural and Heavy Equipment certificate and a two year Heavy Equipment diploma program. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent with English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2 and Pure or Applied Math 20.
    • The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary offers a one year Diesel Equipment Technician certificate program. The entrance requirement is at least 70 Alberta high school credits (Grade 11) with Grade 11 English, Pure or Applied Math 20 and a Grade 11 science.

    Pre-employment programs for prospective apprentices and continuing education programs for journeypersons may be offered on an as needed basis by the institutions listed above or other schools.

    For current information about programs, admission requirements, and mature student admission policies, please check post-secondary calendars or websites.

  • AdvancementDetails

    Job Opportunities in this trade include:

    Job openings are affected by:

    • Current employment rates.
    • People leaving existing positions.
    • Creation of new positions that never existed before.
    • Size of the occupation.
    • Location in Alberta.
    • May expect periods of unemployment.

    Future Trends:

    • Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
  • SalaryDetails

    Journeyperson wage rates vary but generally range from $30 to $60 an hour plus benefits (2011 estimate). Apprentice heavy equipment technicians earn at least 60 per cent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in their first year of apprenticeship, 70 per cent in the second, 80 per cent in the third and 90 per cent in the fourth.

    According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics occupational group earned from $24.31 to $38.22 an hour. The mean wage for this group was $31.41 an hour.

  • Other SourcesDetails