A career for the long haul: Diesel technologies
“The diesel industry is everywhere in our area, but many people don’t recognize it,” says Jeff Gardner, director of LLCC’s new diesel technologies program. “It’s the heavy truck on the interstate delivering supplies, the tractor in the field, the construction equipment excavating dirt on a job site. They are essential to our way of life and all dependent on diesel technology to keep them moving.”
Keeping these machines working is the job of the diesel service technician. And it can be a lucrative and fascinating career choice. “The Department of Labor lists the average salary for a diesel service technician at $54,000. But in talking to local employers, due to the demand in this area, graduates of our program may be offered $64,000-$74,000 starting out, and they can approach six-figure incomes with five or six years of experience.”
What makes diesel so vital to the trucking, ag and construction industries?
“A gallon of diesel fuel has more energy than a gallon of gasoline,” explains Gardner. “So by having more energy, the diesel engine can produce more work per gallon of fuel. Big heavy vehicles moving big heavy loads need as much energy as possible. A semi might get eight miles per gallon of diesel fuel. That doesn’t sound like much compared to our passenger cars, but the combined weight of that vehicle may be 80,000 pounds. You could never get close to eight miles per gallon with a gasoline engine and that kind of load.
“Also, diesel engines last longer. To run diesel fuel, engines have to be built heavier and as a result, last longer. A semi may run one million miles then be overhauled and run another million.”
There is much in the news about diesel and gasoline engines being phased out in favor of electric vehicles. Gardner predicts that will happen, but not anytime soon.
“It’s estimated it could be 30 years before we can transfer the country’s entire truck fleet to electric. So diesel engines are going to be around for a long time. The same people who are working on diesel engines today will be working on electrically-powered equipment in the future. We are going to need people who are good with technology and can work on both.”
Gardner has always been fascinated with machinery and how things work. He worked as a diesel mechanic before training others to enter the field. After 25 years leading a diesel tech program at another college, he came to LLCC last year to start a new program.
“The key to starting this type of program is local employer support,” says Gardner. “We must have jobs waiting for our graduates. It’s been overwhelming, the amount of support area employers have given us. They’ve donated training aids including engines, trucks and transmissions along with commitments to provide our students with internships and our instructors with ongoing training.”
Gardner has developed curriculum in partnership with Associated Equipment Dealers (AED) which sets accreditation standards for diesel programs. “These standards are created by industry experts, and our program will fall within their guidelines to make sure students are getting up-to-date information that mirrors what they will see and need to know in the workplace. The key is to start with the workforce, assess their needs and work backwards to create the training that covers what students need to be successful when they graduate.”
Who should consider this career? “In the past we thought it was the type of person who was always working on their car and tinkering with engines, which is still true but now is also about technology; we need people with good electronic and computer skills. We spend more time today with a machine connected to a laptop than with a hammer or wrench replacing parts.”
He says anyone is welcome in this career. “For anyone who has an interest in engines, electronics and technical skills or just a lot of curiosity about how things work, it’s a perfect career choice. We have more opportunities than we have people to fill them.”
LLCC’s diesel technologies program begins in the 2023 fall semester and will admit approximately 20 students. More information is available at www.llcc.edu/diesel-technologies or by contacting Gardner at jeffrey.gardner@llcc.edu or 217-786-2239.
Story published in the LLCC FORWARD magazine, April 2023.