View occupational profile

Search the OaSIS
Loading the OaSIS list. Please wait.

Heavy-duty equipment mechanics

OaSIS code 72401.00

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. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Overview

Also known as

  • Agricultural equipment technician
  • Construction equipment mechanic
  • Diesel mechanic - heavy equipment
  • Farm equipment mechanic
  • Heavy equipment mechanic
  • Heavy mobile logging equipment mechanic
  • Heavy mobile mining equipment mechanic
  • Heavy-duty equipment mechanic apprentice
  • Heavy-duty equipment technician
  • Locomotive mechanic
  • Tractor mechanic

Main duties

This group performs 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.

Additional information

  • Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
  • The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
  • Heavy-duty 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.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (72400)
  • Motor vehicle diesel engine mechanic (in 72410.01 Automotive service technicians)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

7 – Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

72 – Technical trades and transportation officers and controllers

Sub-major group

724 – Technical maintenance trades

Minor group

7240 – Machinery and transportation equipment mechanics (except motor vehicles)

Unit group

72401 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics

Occupational profile

72401.00 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Electronic Maintenance
5 - Highest Level
Mechanical Maintenance
5 - Highest Level
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
5 - Highest Level
Controlling Machines and Processes
4 - High Level
Developing Technical Instructions
4 - High Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
3 - More than 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
3 - Somewhat close (e.g. share office)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
1 - Very little time
Standing
Duration
3 - About half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
4 - More than half the time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day
Duration
3 - About half the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
2 - Somewhat important
Frequency
2 - Once a month or more but not every week

Workplaces/employers

  • Companies that own and operate heavy equipment
  • Heavy equipment dealers
  • Heavy equipment rental and service establishments
  • Railway transport companies
  • Urban transit systems

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Control of Settings
5 - Highest Level
Finger Dexterity
5 - Highest Level
Finger-Hand-Wrist Motion
5 - Highest Level
Hearing Sensitivity
5 - Highest Level
Manual Dexterity
5 - Highest Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Equipment and Tool Selection
5 - Highest Level
Preventative Maintenance
5 - Highest Level
Repairing
5 - Highest Level
Troubleshooting
5 - Highest Level
Operation and Control
4 - High Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Adaptability
4 - Highly important
Analytical Thinking
4 - Highly important
Attention to Detail
4 - Highly important
Collaboration
4 - Highly important
Independence
4 - Highly important

Interests

The OaSIS uses the Holland Codes to describe the work-related interests. According to the Holland model, people work best in work environments that match their preferences, which means that people and work environments can be matched for a best fit. Occupational environments in Holland’s theory are described according to a combination of main interests and the activities they represent. There are six interests in the Holland typology: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. All occupations in OaSIS have up to three interests assigned to them.

Interests

Preferences for work environments and outcomes.

Interests profile: RCI

Realistic (R)

Realistic occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the explicit, ordered or systematic manipulation of objects, tools, machines and animals. Many of these occupations do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional (C)

Conventional occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail following sets of procedures and routines. These activities may include systematic manipulation of data, such as keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing written and numerical data according to a prescribed plan, and operating business and data processing. They often require following a clear line of authority and usually involve working with data and details more than with ideas.

Investigative (I)

Investigative occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the observation and systematic or creative investigation of physical, biological, or cultural phenomena. These occupations require an extensive amount of thinking and frequently involve working with ideas, searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Employment requirements

Employment requirements includes the education, training, certifications and the knowledge required to work in each occupation. The Knowledge category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency, and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of Knowledge descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Education, certification and licensing

  • Completion of a three- to five-year apprenticeship program or a combination of over four years of work experience and industry courses in heavy equipment repair is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
  • Agricultural equipment technician trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
  • Heavy-duty equipment technician trade certification is compulsory in Quebec (only in the construction industry) and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces and the territories.
  • Completion of secondary school and training courses or a vocational program is usually required.
  • Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified heavy duty equipment technicians and agricultural equipment technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Knowledge

Knowledge level
Mechanics and Machinery
3 - Advanced Level
Clerical
1 - Basic Level
Forestry
1 - Basic Level
Languages
1 - Basic Level
Manufacturing, Processing and Production
1 - Basic Level

Skills for success

 
Skills for Success Model
 
Skills for Success are skills that help you in a quickly changing world. Everyone benefits from having these skills. They can help you to get a job, progress at your current job or even change jobs. The skills also help you become an active member of your community and succeed in learning.
 
 
Linkages Between ESDC Skills Models and Frameworks
 
ESDC makes available a dictionary of over 300 terms (or descriptors) and definitions, known as the Skills and Competencies Taxonomy (SCT). Descriptor information from the Taxonomy is used in the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).
 
While there is general commonality of meaning between the descriptors in the SCT and the Skills for Success model, there are some differences in their definitions due to their distinct purposes. The Skills for Success Model [9 broadly defined skills] identifies the skills that are universally applicable. The SCT displays specific skills and competency requirements for 900 occupations. Users of the Skills for Success Model and Essential Skills content may find competency information from the Taxonomy and the OaSIS to be complementary.
 
Stay tuned to this section for more information and updates regarding linkages between the Skills for Success model and the OaSIS.

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Date modified: