In this Article you will find answers to most common questions asked about truck mechanics in Australia and AHD is here to help

 November 21, 2023 by 

Repair Centre

Who is a Truck Mechanic?

A Truck Mechanic is a qualified and experienced person in his field who has high level of skills in safety of him self and others, understanding of heavy vehicle pneumatic systems, fixed plant or mobile plant Hydraulic Systems which are and not limited to this example i.e. Forklifts, Excavators, Agitators (Concrete Trucks), Power Take-Off (PTO), Mobile Cranes that are fixed on the back of the Trucks, Fixed Cranes that are on construction site and any other type of Hydraulic Mobile or Fixed plant that you may have seen.

Truck repair personnel will have skills in the repairing of Diesel Engine parts, overhauling diesel engines and its components and repairing them or replacing them with the new after market or OEM genuine parts, also other names that are used for Truck Mechanics is Diesel Mechanic and also so specialise in diesel engine rebuilds and sometimes they maybe requested to convert engines from common rail systems to Inline pump systems to avoid/eliminate the need for power into the diesel Injection system.

Diesel Mechanics in Australia also known by another name HD mechanics which stand for Heavy Diesel Mechanic, as the list of the skills requirement continues Truck and Trailers mechanics will require the skills of understanding the diesel injection systems and differences of various diesel pump systems to properly diagnose the problems. 

Truck Mechanics most commonly have very good hearing senses as it help the diesel mechanics to diagnose and repair the diesel engine problems and which is a very important skill as a Truck and Trailer mechanic to understand the sound of healthy motor and the sound the engine making other than the normal condition and relating it to the right problem during the diagnostics and repairing the right problem. 

HD Mechanics will require many skills to list to be a qualified mechanic to break it down into pieces I will list some of them for you to be able to start your career as a truck mechanic.

1.     Qualification in the Field

2.     Safety First

3.     Communication

4.     Problem Solving

5.     Active Cognitive Function

6.     Diagnostic Skills

7.     Computer Skills

What qualification is required to become a Truck Mechanic?

Let's take a step back and talk a little about the title Truck Mechanic, Diesel Mechanic, HD Mechanic and or Truck and Trailer Mechanic.

All of these titles that you know about or you have heard about them in your life from your family and friends are not just the titles that are given. These are accountability, responsibility, accuracy, due care and diligence and experience of several years earned through hard work and consistency. If you are ready for your career into earning one of the above titles in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Diesel Industry then continue reading.

To be a qualified heavy diesel mechanic in Australia there are multiple pathways available for you to complete your qualification and gain your experience. so what are some of the pathways that are available for you to gain your qualification is as follow.

Step 1 of Obtaining your qualification in Australia?

You need to choose how do you want obtain this qualification. 

• Government Funded
• RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)
• Private Institution

So once you have chosen your choice of pathways keep reading we will explain it how each pathway works?

The required qualification of Truck Mechanic and any of the above titles is Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology.

If you have decided to go through government funded program then head to the step 2 if chosen RPL go to Step 3 or Step 4 for Private Institution.

Step 2 of obtaining qualification Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology via government funded program/pathway. 

This pathway requires for a person to be employed in the industry with one of the companies and the company must agree to help you with this qualification. So how that works, because through the government it is important that this qualification completed via an apprenticeship and in order to be an apprentice your employer has to accept you as the apprentice as you will go through some legal contracts with your employer.

To become an apprentice in Heavy Diesel industry it is important the company you are working with they have an open position for you and you ask your direct inline manager for that to find out. Once you secured the opportunity with your employer the next step for you to take is to contact an Apprentice Network Provider to register you on the apprenticeship board.

What are the course delivery methods available for Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology?

There might be several delivery methods available but I found 2 methods that are working very well in the Industry at the time of answering this question.

• VIA TAFE
• VIA MTA (Motor Traders Association)

To study through TAFE you have to attend the classroom as per your schedule and training contract and your employer has to agree to the time off. 

Through MTA its very flexible, MTA will assign a teacher who will actually come to your work place and provide you training at your work place which helps you unnecessary travel and makes your employer happy because you are not leaving for the day.

Who is Apprenticeship Network Provider (ANP) and how do they help you?

An ANP for example MEGT is an agency who lodge your application and prepare your training contract in order for you to study and work as an apprentice. These types of agencies helps you throughout your apprenticeship period both emotionally and financially so you can successfully become a trade qualified person at the end of your qualification.

What information does ANP require from you in order to sign you up as an apprentice?

They will need your contact, your residency information to check if you are eligible or not and contact details of your employer. 

Once you have all the above details ready and have made up your mind and your employer has agreed to take you as an apprentice you can contact one of the ANP to begin the process. In most cases the employer organise all the documentation for you but if you find your employer is taking very long to begin your application you can kindly and respectfully ask them if they allow you to complete the application and submit to ANP.

What happens once I submit my application to ANP?

Sit tight, continue your work with your employee as normal as you were and wait for the ANP to prepare your training contract. This is a lengthy process and it all depends on what time of the year you have started your apprenticeship and if there is any space available for you in the class. 

Heavy Mechanical Industry has been facing larger amount of skill shortages than any other industry you can imagine in Australia which has caused very few skilled workers and teachers in the industry. So its very important that you start your application at the right time.

Once your training contract is ready for your Truck Mechanic apprenticeship your ANP provider will contact your employer to organise a meeting with both of you. In this meeting the ANP will come with an information pack which help you and your employer during the course of apprenticeship and sign a training contract which will be explained to both of you and your employer.

 What happens after signing the the apprenticeship training contract?

If you have read this far I am happy for you and I welcome your motivation towards the heavy diesel industry. 

Your selected ANP provider will submit your training to training NSW to be approved which takes time and at the same time it will be submitted to your preferred institute for example TAFE or MTA. 

once your training contract is approved your preferred institution/college will contact you to provide you with the details your starting dates and important dates and attendance requirements.

Overview of the steps as follow

• Find Employer (for apprenticeship)
• Register With ANP
• Choose the course and sign a training contract
• Start Studying
• Complete Course (Apprenticeship)
• Become a Truck Mechanic

Step 3 acquiring Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Steps to this program are simple what you need to do is google Truck Mechanic RPL and you will find many institutes who can help you with this process and each institute will have information on their website what you will need to do to obtain this qualification. 

The main requirement of this Pathway is your experience and knowledge and technical understanding of the industry.

This is program is self funded.

Step 4 Becoming a Truck Mechanic via Private Institution. 

This pathway is self funded and resources are very limited based on my experience by employing people from the private institutions or working with them in some workshops. 

This pathway is usually for international students who obtain the qualification to be identified as skilled worker in Australia to get their visa.

But again this pathway make you qualified but it does not make you a Truck Mechanic as we mentioned above that Truck Mechanic is not a title given, It is a title that is earned.

Getting Qualified and getting your licence does not necessarily make you a truck mechanic but it does make you a qualified trade person.

Of course there is a big difference between a mechanic and a qualified trade person.

Thank you for reading. let me know your thoughts in the comments