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The DieselTechWork Team covers pay, career paths, and hiring for diesel and heavy equipment mechanics. Pay and employment figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. Living cost comparisons come from Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price data. Statistics about job listings, such as how often listings ask for a CDL, come from listings posted on DieselTechWork.
If you want an employer with shops in many cities, start with Penske, Ryder, Rush Truck Centers, Schneider, Werner, WM and Republic Services. Each one hires diesel techs at locations across the country. By industry, you will find the most diesel techs at trucking companies. Local governments pay the most of the five largest employer groups.
Industry figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employer details are current as of November 2026. Confirm program details with a recruiter before you apply. If you are still deciding on the trade, the guide on how to become a diesel mechanic covers training and first jobs.
Where Do Most Diesel Mechanics Work?
Trucking companies employ more diesel techs than any other industry. Their openings are likely the first ones you see in your city. Wholesale trade comes next, followed by local governments, auto repair shops, then waste and support services. Those five groups hold a little over half of the roughly 316,000 diesel tech jobs in the country.
The biggest employer group does not pay the most. Local government techs earn a median of about $71,500 a year, compared with about $59,800 at trucking companies.
That gap works out to about $5.60 more per hour than the typical trucking company tech earns. City and county fleet jobs deserve a search even when trucking ads are the easiest ones for you to find.
Which National Employers Hire Diesel Techs?
These seven employers hire diesel techs in many states.
Employer | Type | Worth Knowing |
|---|---|---|
Penske | Leasing | Six week paid TechStart |
Ryder | Leasing | Tech I is entry level |
Rush Truck Centers | Dealer | Tool loan program |
Schneider | Trucking | Shop supplies big tools |
Werner | Trucking | Road breakdown roles |
WM | Waste | Hydraulic body work |
Republic Services | Waste | Paid apprentice roles |
You can apply to one company and ask the recruiter about openings in nearby cities. The diesel technician trainee jobs page lists entry level openings from employers of every size.
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Leasing Companies and Truck Dealers
Leasing companies suit you if you like variety, since you work on many makes and models for many customers. Penske has hundreds of locations across North America. Its TechStart program pays you while you train for a diesel or collision repair job and covers your travel and lodging. You can see posted pay on the Penske salary page before you call.
Ryder hires entry level techs into a Tech I role it describes as "a training position to prepare the candidate for a Tech II position." Ryder also posts a Master Technician IV role for experienced techs. The Ryder salary page shows posted pay across those levels. Hold it up against your current pay before you talk numbers with a recruiter.
At a dealer group like Rush Truck Centers, you would do warranty and repair work on the brands each store sells. Rush offers a tool assistance loan program, an apprentice tool kit and a service ASE bonus program. If an ASE bonus is part of the offer, Exam Edge sells ASE practice tests you can take before the real exam.
Trucking Fleets and Waste Haulers
A trucking fleet keeps you on the company's own trucks and trailers. You get to know one fleet's equipment well. Schneider says it "supplies its shops with specialty tools such as torque wrenches." Most maintenance roles there run on a four day schedule. You can see current openings on the Schneider company page. At Werner you can apply for diesel mechanic, trailer mechanic or road breakdown agent jobs at more than 45 terminal and drop yard locations.
Waste haulers run heavy trucks with hydraulic bodies. If you want hydraulics experience on top of engine work, look at these shops. You can find Republic Services Diesel Technician Apprentice roles in states as far apart as Utah, Florida and Michigan. It also posts Technician Trainee roles for students in a diesel program. You can compare posted pay on the WM salary page and the Republic Services salary page.
How Do You Find Government Fleet Jobs?
City, county, school district and transit fleets post shop jobs next to private fleets. Check the fleet mechanic jobs page each week and set a job alert so new postings come to you.
Public fleet shops may handle buses, plows, garbage trucks and police cars. Ask which units you would service. You can also ask about the shift schedule, the retirement plan and whether the job requires a CDL. The guide to fleet mechanic salary compares pay across fleet employers in more detail.
How Do You Compare Offers From These Employers?
Compare offers level by level, because level numbers are not the same from one company to the next. At Ryder a Tech I is the entry level trainee. Penske describes its Tech I role as the job for experienced techs. Ask every recruiter to explain the level you are offered and what it takes to move up.
Asking each employer the same four questions puts their offers on equal terms.
Which tools does the shop supply? Is there a tool allowance or loan program?
Which level is the offer? How do you reach the next one?
Which shift is open? How many days a week does it run?
Does the company pay for ASE tests or factory training?
If you have no shop experience yet, the guide to diesel mechanic apprenticeships explains how paid programs work.
How Do You Find Openings at These Employers?
Search for more than one title. Large employers call the same truck shop job a technician, a mechanic or a diesel tech. Searching all three brings up openings you would miss with one word. A broad search for technician at a waste hauler can also pull in plant and landfill roles. Read the duties before you apply.
When you apply to a large employer, use the posting's own job titles and skills where they match your experience. The diesel mechanic resume guide shows how to match a posting without stuffing keywords.
Browse open diesel technician jobs → Diesel Technician Jobs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Get Hired by a Big Fleet With No Experience?
Yes, several large employers hire people with no shop experience. Penske lets new hires start as a fueler, washer or detailer and work toward technician roles through its ASE certification program. Republic Services posts trainee roles for students still in a diesel program.
Do Big Fleets Offer Night Shifts?
Schneider is one large fleet that does. It offers first, second and third shift options plus full time and part time setups. A later shift can help if you are in school during the day.
How Many Diesel Tech Jobs Open Each Year?
Federal projections call for about 24,400 diesel tech openings each year from 2025 to 2035. Total jobs are projected to grow 4% over that decade. Many of the openings you will see come from techs who retire or move to other work.
Last updated November 2026