So, you’re considering using your diesel mechanic skills at a dealership and want to know more about what working in this environment is like. Working at a business such as a heavy equipment (like RDO Equipment Co.) or semi-truck dealership (like RDO Truck Centers) can be a great fit for many mechanics.
Is it the right fit for you? With so many options for where you can work as a mechanic, it’s hard to figure out what your next step should be.
In this article, I’ll give you an overview of what my experience has been as a diesel mechanic working in a dealership. That way, you can decide if this is the career route you’d like to take.
What is a Day Like as a Dealership Diesel Mechanic?
There is a lot of variety in the life of a dealership diesel mechanic, especially at a diverse company like RDO Equipment Co. As a mechanic, you’ve been trained to inspect, troubleshoot, diagnose and repair all kinds of issues within diesel-powered machinery.
This is exactly what you’ll do in a dealership setting.
The types of equipment and repairs you see the most will depend on the company you work for. Typically, you’ll work on whatever type of equipment your store is licensed to sell.
For example, at RDO, I work primarily on heavy equipment manufactured by Vermeer. This equipment comes in all shapes and sizes, and it’s not uncommon for me to work with a different Vermeer machine every day of the week.
The work you do on any given day will vary depending on what’s going on in your shop and the needs of the customer base. Typically, my day starts by getting an assignment from management or continuing what I was working on the day before. In this setting, you rarely interact with the actual customer. Most of your time is spent hands-on with the machinery.
What’s The Relationship Like Between Mechanics?
Working in the shop at a dealership means you’ll be working alongside other people frequently. While the size of your shop may vary, and with it the number of colleagues you have, dealerships can be very supportive, collaborative environments.
Every dealership’s team is different. However, here at RDO, in my experience, everyone has a good rapport and gets along. The senior technicians, considered master technicians, are helpful and supportive, too.
Mostly, you’ll do individual work in the dealership setting, though there are some exceptions — like on larger, more complex jobs or if you’re mentoring an apprentice/intern.
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Are Dealerships a Fast-Paced Environment?
This is a good question. In my experience, there is always a steady flow of work to be done at RDO. That’s not necessarily the case at other dealerships and will depend on the business you’re working for.
Most often, diesel mechanics are paid by the hour and not the job — this is the case at most dealerships. This might make the pace of work a little bit slower than it is in an automotive shop where technicians are paid a flat rate.
Beyond this, companies want their mechanics to be productive. When work picks up, you can feel pressure to perform.
This should never cross the line, however. It’s always important to work for a company that will prioritize your safety over productivity.
Advantages of The Dealership Setting as a Diesel Mechanic
There are a lot of upsides to working for a successful dealership as a mechanic. Here’s what you should know about working for a large one.
The advantages of joining a dealership as a mechanic include:
Parts Availability
This is a big one. Well-resourced dealerships have a direct connection to manufacturers. From a mechanic’s perspective, this can help make repairs efficiently as the parts you need are practically at your fingertips. It should be noted that this isn’t always the case and sometimes dealership mechanics need to wait for a part too. However, if you work for a company with other nearby locations, it might be possible to source parts from them.
Access to Training
When you join a good dealership group, you’ll gain access to a network of knowledge and training to help you be successful. Dealers often have access to training curricula and programs created by their manufacturers. This includes core machinery fundamentals training as well as in-depth product-line-specific courses.
Access to Tooling
Specialty tooling, which will help you perform certain repairs on specific machines, is a big part of your job. When you work for a dealership that specializes in selling and servicing machinery from one or two manufacturers, they often provide this tooling for their mechanics to use.
Alternatively, when working for a more generic diesel shop or other business, you might not always have access to this tooling.
Consistent Work
Working for a successful dealership means there’s always something to do — whether that’s pre-sale inspections, training or repairs.
A steady supply of work to do creates job security for you as a mechanic. This can also lead to overtime opportunities at certain times of the year.
Camaraderie Between Technicians
Another cool thing about working in a dealership is working alongside other technicians to solve complex problems. If you like learning from others and working with nearby mentors, working in a dealership could be a good fit for you.
Should You Join a Dealership?
It’s difficult to decide what company to work for. Dealerships can be great environments for technicians who value training, consistency and plenty of work to do.
Depending on the company you choose, the variety of machinery you get to work on will change. That said, expect many days to look different as a dealership mechanic.
Here are seven tips for selecting a company to work for.
Join RDO Equipment Co. as a Service Technician
RDO is hiring service technicians in multiple U.S. locations. RDO is one of the world’s largest heavy machinery dealership groups and is committed to helping people, like you, succeed in their careers.
As a service technician here, not only will you experience the other advantages of working at a dealership (outlined above), but you’ll also get great perks like profit sharing, career path leveling, tool reimbursement, full benefits and boot allowance.
Learn more about our service technician careers here. If you have any questions, you can reach out to our careers team through our contact form.
Tommy Pigeon
Tommy has been with RDO since 2017, when he joined our Lakeside, CA team as a service technician. A talented technician with a passion for solving problems and learning, Tommy is a vital member of our service team which supports customers throughout Southern California. Over his time with RDO, Tommy has worked on all kinds of machinery and equipment from manufacturers like John Deere and Vermeer and he loves the fact that no two days are the same in his role.
