7312: HEAVY-DUTY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS

Heavy-duty equipment mechanics repair, troubleshoot, adjust, overhaul and maintain mobile heavy-duty equipment used in construction, transportation, forestry, mining, oil and gas, material handling, landscaping, land clearing, farming and similar activities. They are employed by companies which own and operate heavy equipment, and by heavy equipment dealers, rental and service establishments, and railway transport companies and urban transit systems.

Heavy-duty equipment mechanics perform some or all of the following duties:

* Check bulldozers, cranes, graders and other heavy construction, agricultural, logging and mining equipment for proper performance and inspect equipment to detect faults and malfunctions

* Diagnose faults or malfunctions using computerized and other testing equipment to determine extent of repair required

* Adjust equipment and repair or replace defective parts, components or systems, using hand and power tools

* Test repaired equipment for proper performance and to ensure that work meets manufacturers' specifications

* Clean, lubricate and perform other routine maintenance work on equipment

* Service attachments and working tools such as harvesting and tillage equipment, blades, ploughs, winches and side booms

* May perform repair work on heavy trucks

* May attach components and adjust new farm equipment.

* Heavy-duty and farm equipment mechanics may specialize in specific types of machinery such as combines or tracked vehicles, or in engine overhaul, power shift transmissions, fuel injection, hydraulics or electronics.

Employment requirements
* Completion of secondary school is usually required.

* Completion of a three- to five-year apprenticeship program
or
A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in heavy equipment repair is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.

* Heavy-duty equipment mechanic trade certification is compulsory in Quebec and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories.

* Farm equipment mechanic trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

* Interprovincial trade certification (Red Seal) is also available to qualified heavy-duty equipment technicians and farm equipment mechanics.

Example Titles

* apprentice farm equipment mechanic
* apprentice farm machinery mechanic
* apprentice mechanic, diesel engines
* apprentice mechanic, farm equipment
* apprentice mechanic, farm machinery
* backhoe mechanic
* caterpillar tractor repairer
* combination mechanic, heavy equipment
* construction equipment mechanic
* construction equipment repairman/woman
* crane repairer
* crane service technician
* diesel engine mechanic
* diesel engine mechanic – heavy equipment
* diesel engine mechanic apprentice
* diesel engine repairman/woman – railway
* diesel locomotive repairman/woman
* diesel mechanic
* diesel mechanic – heavy equipment
* diesel mechanic apprentice
* dredge mechanic
* dredge repairer
* earthmoving equipment mechanic
* excavating equipment mechanic
* farm equipment mechanic
* farm equipment technician
* farm machinery mechanic
* farm tractor mechanic
* farm tractor repairer
* felling equipment mechanic
* field mechanic, heavy equipment
* fuel injection unit servicer – diesel
* grading equipment mechanic
* heavy diesel engine mechanic
* heavy equipment combination mechanic
* heavy equipment field mechanic
* heavy equipment inspector-repairer
* heavy equipment mechanic
* heavy equipment mechanic – diesel engine
* heavy mobile equipment repairer
* heavy mobile equipment repairman/woman
* heavy mobile logging equipment mechanic
* heavy mobile mining equipment mechanic
* heavy-duty equipment mechanic
* heavy-duty equipment mechanic apprentice
* heavy-duty equipment technician
* heavy-duty equipment technician apprentice
* inspector-repairer, heavy equipment
* journeyman/woman heavy-duty equipment mechanic
* locomotive mechanic
* locomotive repairman/woman, diesel
* mechanic, backhoe
* mechanic, construction equipment
* mechanic, earthmoving equipment
* mechanic, excavating equipment
* mechanic, farm equipment
* mechanic, farm machinery
* mechanic, farm tractors
* mechanic, heavy diesel engines
* mechanic, heavy equipment
* mechanic, heavy equipment – diesel engine
* mechanic, locomotive
* mechanic, mobile logging equipment
* mechanic, mobile mining equipment
* mechanic, repairer
* mechanic, sideboom
* mechanic, tractor
* mine locomotive repairman/woman
* mobile farm equipment mechanic
* mobile farm machinery repairer
* paving equipment mechanic
* power shovel mechanic
* repairer, farm tractors
* repairman/woman, diesel locomotives – railway
* sideboom mechanic
* tractor mechanic
* tractor mechanic, farm
* tractor repairer, farm
* wheelwright, farm machinery