Diesel Mechanic Blog

A career working as a diesel mechanic is best suited for someone with a love for working on engines, who has a lot of patience, and loves getting details right. While not for everyone, this type of job is of great importance. Without services of a diesel mechanic, safe operations of trucks, trains, power buses, ships, and other powerful vehicles would be impossible. This individual plays a key role in keeping the economy alive by ensuring vehicles of this type can move cargo, freight, and even passengers from one location to another.

Responsibilities of a Diesel Mechanic

The list of responsibilities associated with a diesel mechanic is quite impressive. Many people think this type of mechanic only works on engines but in truth, there are many dynamics involved with that job function. For example, a diesel mechanic also runs various types of diagnostic tests, investigates possible problems and then provides a firm diagnosis, and then based on work needing to be done, takes care of necessary repairs.

As a part of the repair process, a diesel mechanic removes any defective parts and then replaces them with refurbished, rebuilt, or new parts. Other responsibilities of the job include ongoing maintenance. Many large corporations and government entities keep one or more diesel mechanics on staff so the entire fleet of vehicles can be maintained. With this, down time would be dramatically reduced, which is both a cost saver and profit builder.

Value of Repair and Maintenance

As a part of preventing vehicle breakdown, a diesel mechanic would check air filters, oil filters, and water cooling systems. In addition to inoperative vehicles costing a company or government entity money, this also creates problems all the way down the line. A prime example would be diesel trucks that deliver goods to retailers, which are then sold to consumers. If vehicles are not properly maintained by a qualified diesel mechanic, those goods would never make it to market, thereby affecting sales and ultimately impacting the economy.

Along with regular maintenance and emergency repair work, the diesel mechanic is also responsibility for taking complete engines apart so any defective or worn parts can be replaced. With that done, engines would then be put back together, piece by piece. As one can imagine, with so many intricate parts involved, this type of work requires expert skills. Although criteria for full engine repair vary, a diesel mechanic would typically perform this duty on vehicles that have hit the 100,000 mile mark.

Again, full engine repair ensures companies and government entities can maintain operation but there is another aspect to this involving safety. Although just one person might be in control of certain diesel vehicles during operation, some to include buses, trains, and ships carry hundreds, if not thousands of passengers. Unless these vehicles are properly cared for, there would be an increase for potential safety risk. This means the vehicle itself could sustain damage but more importantly, the lives of drivers, operators, and passengers could be put in harm’s way.

Types of Diesel Mechanics

Although job responsibilities of a diesel mechanic are much the same across the board, often this type of professional is categorized by the equipment being repaired or maintained. As an example, someone responsible for keeping a diesel truck in operation might be referred to as a “Diesel Truck Mechanic”. Other specific types of work performed by a diesel mechanic include the following:

Cylinder Heads
Engine Rebuild
Fuel-Injection Systems
Heavy Equipment
Natural Gas Engine
Starting Systems
Turbochargers

No matter the category in which a diesel mechanic works, overall job function is similar. To perform duties, various types of equipment and tools are used. Some of these are more conventional while others are high-end and state-of-the-art. A diesel mechanic works on vehicles worth hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars so the most technologically advanced equipment and tools are mandatory.

Working as a diesel mechanic is both exciting and tedious at times but because of the value this professional offers, it is also rewarding. The country depends daily on millions of diesel vehicles and in truth it could not operate without them. For this reason, career opportunities as a diesel mechanic and job security are optimal so for the person who has interested in repairing and maintaining large engines, this would be an exceptional consideration.

Although the market for qualified diesel mechanics is strong due to this type of work being in such high demand, it is also a very competitive market. Because there are available jobs, those with excellent opportunities, pay, and rewards, more and more people are going back to school to learn everything needed for a successful career as a diesel mechanic. That means when various job positions open, especially those with top rated companies and in specialized fields of diesel mechanic, the hiring company would have a stack of resumes to go through in finding the best candidate.

Being offered the job requires an edge and with an impressive diesel mechanic resume, the right information could be offered. Unfortunately, many people go through all the educational and training requirements to become a diesel mechanic but fail to secure a job because of a poorly created resume. This piece of paper is what makes the first impression, both good and bad. Therefore, we wanted to offer suggestions for creating an impressive diesel mechanic, helping people landing a dream job.

Educational Accomplishments

Because work as a diesel mechanic is unique, specific education is required. The goal when making an impressive diesel mechanic resume is to reveal to the hiring company that all educational requirements have been completed. As part of this, an individual would need to list the school attended, associated dates, and each course taken and passed.

In addition to listing the standard courses, it would be imperative to provide information about specialized or more advanced courses, as well as any hands-on training, internships, apprenticeships, and so on. Then, if any diplomas, certifications, or college degrees were achieved, these too should be listed.

Completed Training

Another thing a hiring company is going to look for on a diesel mechanic resume is the amount and type of training completed specific to this industry. Again, the name of the school and dates attended would need to be listed, along with any coursework, workshops, seminars, hands-on experiences, and so on. In addition to this, the training portion of the diesel mechanic resume should list diplomas, certifications, or honors earned during this time.

Internships/Apprenticeships

Although these would be associated with training to become a diesel mechanic, a great resume would list information such as the company through which the program was offered and completed, details of job functions, and length of the program. To support an internship or apprenticeship, we suggest a letter of recommendation be provided along with the diesel mechanic resume.

Work History

Now, when it comes to listing work history on a diesel mechanic resume, this would include prior and current work history specific to this industry but also anything for related fields. Also, the names of employers, contact information, dates of employment, and again, information on duties should be provided. Even if a person only had standard mechanic experience, this too should be listed.

Yes, diesel engines and standard gas powered engines are very different but typically, someone who has the aptitude for working on conventional vehicles would do well with diesel engine vehicles. The goal for this section of the resume is to provide relevant information and enough details to enhance interest of the interviewer but without listing the lesser important details, which could actually be distracting.

References

Just as with a normal resume, value would be added to a diesel mechanic resume by listing four to five references. In choosing these, it would be helpful to choose experts in the field of diesel mechanic work or technology. For instance, a reference could be a college or vocational school instructor, the journeyman under which an apprenticeship was completed, or the owner of a reputable mechanics shop that offers services specific to diesel engines.

Final Tips

Most importantly, when creating a diesel mechanic resume, the person must be 100% honest. The one thing that hurts job candidates more than anything is providing information that has been enhanced or embellished. Stick to the key points of education, training, experience, and work history, coupled with truthful details about types of training, work performed, and again, any achievements throughout the process.

Companies that hire diesel mechanics know what to look for and the questions to ask so usually, dishonest information stands out like a sore thumb.