Heavy Duty Equipment Technician

As a heavy duty equipment technician, you’ll inspect, troubleshoot and repair the heavy equipment that keeps essential industries operating safely. You may work on construction sites, in mines, forestry operations, manufacturing facilities, farms or transportation yards, maintaining loaders, graders, forklifts, tractors and other machinery.

Does this sound like you?

You have mechanical aptitude and manual dexterity.

You're able to work with heavy parts and equipment.

You have critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

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See the trade in action

Typical responsibilities

Read blueprints, specifications and service documentation
Inspect and test heavy equipment and attachments to identify faults and malfunctions
Adjust and install mechanical and system components
Repair defective components and systems, including brakes, steering, suspension and hydraulic systems
Perform routine maintenance on engines, equipment and attachments
Operate hand tools, power tools, welding and shop equipment

Common skills you need for the trades

Math

Math is used across the skilled trades. You may work with decimals, fractions, measurements, conversions, area and volume to plan work, calculate materials, monitor operations and troubleshoot.

Reading

Strong reading skills help you work safely and effectively on the job. You’ll use them to understand instructions, equipment manuals, safety information, drawings and other technical information.

Science

Basic science principles help you understand how things work and how materials behave. Across the trades, this can include concepts like electricity, heat, force, pressure and the properties of different materials.

We’re here to help you get there

Need to brush up on math, reading, science or more? We’ve got you covered. Unlock interactive learning modules that meet you where you are and help you build a solid foundation.

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