Working as a Field Service Technician at RDO Equipment Co.: Pros, Cons and Considerations

As an equipment maintenance professional, your skills are highly coveted and can be applied in a lot of ways. 

You can work in a heavy equipment shop, at a manufacturing facility, on a trucking company’s fleet and the list goes on… and on.  

Becoming a mobile equipment technician is another option — and a really great one. Should this be the next step in your career? 

As you consider applying to be a field service technician at RDO Equipment Co., you have questions about what a day in this job consists of and what challenges you can expect to face. Working as an RDO field service technician is a rewarding career full of excitement and fulfillment. Our technicians receive regular training and the support needed to be successful, but this job isn’t necessarily for everyone. 

Let’s talk more about what a field service technician does at RDO Equipment, who this job is a good fit for, what a day in the life looks like in this role and how you can start the process of becoming one. 

What Does a Field Service Technician Do at RDO Equipment?

Field service technicians are responsible for traveling to customer locations to perform in-field machinery diagnostics and repairs. Using their mobile service vehicle, field service techs work on inspecting, diagnosing and fixing issues with customer machinery and rental equipment.

These individuals must be able to perform quality work efficiently, think on their feet (what if they don’t have the right tools for the job??), interact with customers and come up with creative solutions. 

The backbone of our business, field service techs make a lasting impact on customers' livelihoods all over the U.S.

A Day in the Life of a Field Service Technician at RDO

In our experience, every day looks a little different for field service technicians.

Every day brings a different problem to solve — often on a unique piece of equipment.

The machinery an RDO Equipment field technician specializes in will differ depending on their location, the service area(s) of their shop and its product lines. 

For example, field service technicians in our Chandler, Arizona location service John Deere construction and Wirtgen equipment. This is the training they receive and the product line(s) they know. Another location’s techs, however, may primarily service machinery from John Deere agriculture or Vermeer’s construction lines.

Each product line has hundreds of machines — many with unique components. It’s a field service technician’s job to understand them, which makes their day pretty interesting. 

Regardless of location, a day as a field technician includes any number of these things:

• Traveling to machines
• Troubleshooting issues
• Performing repairs
• Interacting with customers
• Documenting work

Traveling to Machines

Field technicians travel daily. This includes going to construction sites, farms or anywhere customers need them (this could even be at a customer’s shop).

Troubleshooting Issues  

A field tech’s job is to show up at a location and begin problem-solving. This can mean operating a machine to diagnose the problem, conducting tests to discover issues and using the resources at their disposal to pinpoint solutions. There is a lot of electrical and hydraulic troubleshooting involved in this job.

Performing Repairs

Field service technicians perform repairs every day. Some days they may do five or more troubleshooting and repair jobs. The size and complexity of these repairs range. 

Expect to spend time fixing things like: 

• Fan drives
• DEF pumps 
• Injectors 
• Turbochargers 
• Final drive seals 
• Front axle bearings 
• Wiring harnesses 
  

When it makes sense (based on the complexity of the repair, the machine’s distance from the shop and its size) field technicians may also do more involved repairs back at the shop.

Interacting With Customers

Field technicians are in a customer-facing role. Often, when a field technician shows up at a location, they’re greeted by a customer and must communicate with them to understand the problem. Field technicians may work with multiple new people every day.

Documenting Work

Like a service technician in the shop environment, field techs are responsible for documenting everything done to fix a machine. It’s important in this role to “tell the story” of the work that was performed in a way that’s easy to understand. 

On any given day, you may also:

• Answer phone calls and emails
• Meet with your manager
• Participate in training
• Mentor/train other technicians

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The Best Aspects of This Job

The field service technician job at RDO is really rewarding. These workers make a lasting impact on our company, our customers and the communities we serve. 

Besides the visible impact field techs make around them, it’s also fun. 

Here are some of the best things about being a field service technician at RDO:

• There are a lot of quick wins
• No two days are ever the same
• You’ll learn a lot out there in the field
• Solving customer problems is rewarding
• The relationships you develop with customers and coworkers last a lifetime
• The machinery is cool and fun to work on
• It’s a fast-paced, exciting environment
  

If you’re a problem solver who likes to go out every day to tackle challenges head-on, enjoy a physical challenge and can learn quickly, you’ll like the field service technician role at RDO. 

Related: Field Service Technicians Unlock Rewarding Careers

Challenges You May Face in This Role

Every job has its challenges. This one is no different. If you’re considering applying to become a field service technician here are four challenges you should be aware of.

1. You might have to do some creative problem-solving
2. Managing risk
3. Difficult conversations
4. It’s physical work

You Might Have to Do Some Creative Problem-Solving

Although field techs are technically “on an island” out in the field, they are usually the only professional mechanic on site. As a result, their ability to fix an issue is limited to their technical knowledge, mechanical proficiency and the tools in their service truck. 

Sometimes, they discover an issue that they don’t have the exact tools to fix. In these situations, field service technicians must think on their feet to develop a solution for the customer. 

Managing Risk

Managing risk is an important aspect of a field service technician’s job. Performing work away from the shop means there are even more things that could get out of hand. Working on heavy machinery in the middle of a field is certainly dangerous. As such, field technicians must be very analytical and cautious about what they’re doing. To help with this, RDO has safety protocols and tools to help service technicians out in the field. 

Difficult Conversations

It’s often said that a field service technician never shows up on a customer’s best day. People call field technicians when they have a problem. As a result, you might have some tough conversations with frustrated customers. Downtime on a piece of equipment can get really expensive for an agriculture or construction company. Be prepared to have to work with some frustration in the air around you. 

Its Physical Work

Working as any type of mechanic is physically taxing. Field service technicians also perform work that’s hard on the body (bending over a lot, lying on the ground, climbing on the machinery, etc.). 

Related: 7 Common Challenges a Diesel Technician May Face in Their Job

Who is the Field Service Technician Career a Good Fit For?

Just because this is a great job for many technicians doesn’t mean it’s the right job for everyone. Here are some characteristics of people who really enjoy (and thrive in) the field service technician role at RDO. 

• They love a challenge
• They enjoy learning
• They have highly refined mechanic skills
• They are good communicators

They Love a Challenge

Technicians who like to wake up every morning and take on a new challenge thrive in this role. No two days are the same, and that’s exciting to the people who do well as field service techs. This means being excited to walk into a cornfield or onto a construction site without knowing what you’re getting into or what work needs to be performed. 

They Enjoy Learning 

Field service technicians are constantly learning. This includes new repair techniques, the ins and outs of new machines, various software systems, new tools and so much more. 

You probably won’t like this job if you’re not an avid learner. The most successful field service techs embrace learning opportunities and can’t wait to improve their knowledge given the opportunity. 

They Have Highly-Refined Mechanic Skills

Field service techs are some of the most competent (and confident) mechanics we have at RDO. These employees are constantly asked to fix heavy machinery in unforgiving environments where time is money (especially for the customer). Though they’re not necessarily out in the field “on their own,” it is their job to diagnose and fix the machinery “where it lies.” 

As such, the field service technician role is not an entry-level position, it’s best for expert heavy equipment technicians. 

They Are Good Communicators

Communication is a huge part of this role (both verbal and written). Field service technicians spend a lot of time talking to customers and owner-operators. They must clearly communicate issues and the work needed to solve them. Often, effective field techs enjoy meeting and creating relationships with new people. 

Your Next Step Toward Becoming an RDO Field Service Technician

Here at RDO, we employ field service technicians all over the U.S.

These employees make a lasting impact on our organization and have a great time doing it. While managing risk, having some difficult conversations and problem-solving are some challenges field service techs face, if you’re up for the challenge, this is a really rewarding career. 

Find a field service technician job opening in your area today.

If you have any questions about this career path and what it could mean for you, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’re more than happy to help you on your journey toward finding a career that fills your cup every day.