Heavy Equipment Technician

A haul truck or loader that breaks down on a mine site or logging road costs its owner thousands every hour it sits idle. Heavy Equipment Technician is a two-year, four-semester Ontario College Diploma at Cambrian College’s Barrydowne campus in Sudbury that trains you to diagnose and repair that machinery.

Semester one introduces Electrical & Electronics I, Trade Practices & Applications I, Diesel Engines, Hydraulics and Trade Math I. Semester two adds Trade Practices II, Fuel Systems, Suspension/Steering/Brake Systems I Pneumatics and Power Train Systems. In semester three you study Electrical & Electronics II, Diesel Engines II, Heavy Duty Brakes, Hydraulic Systems I and Workplace Communication, and the final term covers Diesel Fuel Injection Systems, Electrical & Electronics III, Hydraulic Systems II and Power Train Systems II, building a full picture of the engines, hydraulics, drivelines and electronics on off-road equipment.

Cambrian teaches the programme in its heavy equipment shops, where diesel engines, hydraulic systems and power train components are stripped, measured and rebuilt by students. Electrical and electronics training runs through three levels, reflecting how much diagnosis on modern machines now happens through onboard controllers. The diploma counts toward three levels of apprenticeship theory, an optional paid co-op gives workplace experience, and selected students compete at the Skills Ontario Competition.

Graduates of the Heavy Equipment Technician diploma move into roles such as heavy equipment technician apprentice, diesel mechanic, hydraulics technician, field service technician, mining equipment mechanic and forestry equipment mechanic in forestry, mining, construction, equipment manufacturing and truck shops. It suits people who enjoy engines and hydraulics, like problem solving with their hands and are comfortable working in shops or remote sites.