ATRI identifies potential causes of diesel technician shortage

Issues with training

Qualified techs play a critical role in maintaining safe and efficient trucking practices. Diesel techs require about 350 hours of training, which can cost over $8,000 in total preparations, according to ATRI. Research from shops revealed that:

• More than 30 percent of training graduates were unqualified in 20 core skills,
• 7/20 core skill deficiencies could be improved by more training,
• 6/20 core skill deficiencies saw only a slight improvement with more training.

These rates indicate that training programs need critical curricula upgrades to bring more value to trainees.

Issues with costs

According to ATRI, many techs reported the highest barriers to their careers included:

• The cost of new tools (29 percent),
• A lack of prior tech knowledge (28 percent),
• Insufficient pay (16.1 percent), and
• Lacking mentorship at the shop (10.8 percent).

Techs in the study indicate that pay and schedules initially drew them into the field, as well as wanting more interesting and varied work.

What can the industry do?

Based on ATRI’s findings, fleet maintenance shops can begin adjusting their training programs to better meet the needs of up-and-coming technicians. The research says that techs are looking for better pay, better interactions with management, and more varied opportunities to stay in the industry.

See ATRI’s full report at: https://truckingresearch.org/2025/08/addressing-the-shortage-of-qualified-diesel-technicians/