If you’re in trucking, you know there is an entrenched shortage of qualified diesel mechanics and other medium/heavy-truck technicians. Study after study keeps confirming this dismal trend.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment of diesel service technicians and mechanics is expected to grow 4% from 2021 to 2031. The agency holds that, despite limited employment growth, about 28,500 openings for diesel technicians and mechanics are projected on average for each year of this decade. “Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire,” per BLS.
Another sign of the times is the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) tagging the diesel technician shortage as a top research priority for 2023. According to ATRI, trucking’s challenge in recruiting and retaining technicians is “often cited as being as critical as the driver shortage.”
ATRI will work with government and industry stakeholders to identify the factors underlying the shortage, including mapping career attributes to workforce needs, and assessing high school-level vocational training availability, industry recruitment practices, and competing career opportunities.
Arguably, the canaries in this coal mine are the public and private school educators whose programs educate and train mechanics and techs to take up and thrive in careers in truck fleet, truck lessor, and truck dealer maintenance operations.
While serving the present need of students and employers, the unique position of these professors and administrators at the center of the action allows them to see what’s coming perhaps faster than anyone.
“The state [of Wisconsin] is facing a pressing issue. This shortage poses a significant challenge for businesses and industries that depend on diesel engines and equipment to function efficiently,” Joe Berhausen, department chair— Diesel Technology, at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) in Appleton WI, told CCJ. FVTC is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System, which consists of 16 public technical colleges administered by the state.
