Hey guys, i apologize if this is in the wrong section, I know things are different down in the states with training and stuff like that but basically what im doing right now is my heavy equipment certification course as an operator. With that I potentially want to get into actually being a heavy duty mechanic/operator. so after my certification is complete i wanted to take the mechanics course but its only offered at a school roughly 3 hours from my house, so the commute would be next to impossible. there is a school in my city that offers truck engine apprenticeship program which is only a year an a half, so my question is basically i know that both heavy equipmetn and haulers both run on diesel engines, but with that are the engines basically the same, i know with heavy equipment theres hydraulics and what not but i do have some experience with that but its more the engine im worried about just trying to get my foot in the door, because here in canada its hard to find a job that will take u on with less then 5 years experience which im sure in the same down south anyways hopefully somebody can help me with some advice on my dilemma, would be greatly appreciated!:usa
an engines the same in trucks and equipment for the most part, machines have different accessories such as a deeper/ larger oil pan, different fuel settings and more cooling but you can find for example a cummins 5.9L 6BT in an excavator, small kenworth dump truck and your dodge pickup. all the same basic engine with different accessories. a truck diesel course will help a lot but more than likely won't get into hydraulics which are a large part of heavy equipment. luckily you'll learn about engines, transmissions, air conditioning, electrical and other aspects that are very similar and useful for both trucks and equipment.
great! really answers my question i appreciate the quick reply, then im probably going to look into this
i would recomend trying to get some kind of work as a helper in a shop. if you have the drive and aptitude they will see it and move you up as fast as they can most times. they may even help you with the education costs as well.
The similarities and differences will be the same as those found in gas engines between auto manufacturers. Some of the components and geometry may be different, but the basics remain the same. In fact, fuel delivery and type is the only difference between gas and diesel engines. Of course a gas engine has an ignition system to ignite the fuel but main structures are similar.