“ A good mechanic could be making $ 60,000 by the time they are 26 years old,” Ott said.
Today’ s trucks have all the bells and whistles advertised for new cars and more. Ethan Evans, a road service mechanic, said sometimes he is as much an information technology specialist as a mechanic.
Newer trucks have a network system and radar. A truck can read speed limit signs and detect obstacles in the road. It can even apply 75 percent of the braking power of the truck.
One company will train you for one of the highest paying and most in-demand careers in Northwest Arkansas.
MHC in Springdale sells Kenworth and Volvo trucks, and services all types of semis and other diesel equipment, said Jacob Ott, Store Manager.
The company needs more diesel mechanics to serve customers, which include some of the largest truck fleets in the country, Ott said.
“ There is a shortage in this field,” he explained.“ I’ d add eight employees if I could find them.”
Nationally, there is expected to be a huge demand for diesel mechanics over the next 10 years. The job of a diesel mechanic is changing, Ott said.
“ It’ s not changing tires and oil. With computers and radar being added, the work is what you put into it, what you invest in it,” he said.
That investment could pay off in a big way.
Evans didn’ t work on those types of tasks when he first got out of Northwest Technical Institute, where he studied diesel mechanics.
“ I try to learn as much as I can,” Evans said.“ Now, I can work on everything from road graders to backhoes. I like trying to work on a broad range of vehicles in my job.”
MHC needs more workers like Evans, but qualified people are hard to hire, Ott said.
Ott said he thinks it is because of the misleading perception that a job in the trades, like a diesel mechanic, isn’ t a good career.
In reality, working as a diesel mechanic is a goodpaying, technologically advanced job. In some cases, mechanics can earn as much, if not more, than workers in other fields that require a college degree.
The company sends its new diesel mechanics to master more skills and invests heavily in training, Ott said.
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