Being a heavy equipment mechanic can be a rewarding and challenging career. Service techs are highly sought after and can be tough to keep because so many companies are recruiting them, particularly in tight labor markets.
Ever wondered what it’s like being a field service tech? Meet Brian McCourt, road service technician for Gateway Dealer Network in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Brian spends most of his time on the road visiting customer jobsites and repairing construction equipment.
Brian recently shared his experiences and what you could expect, day to day, in this line of work.
A Typical Day
If there is such a thing as a typical day, it starts early in the morning. The first place that I stop each day is the dealership. If I don’t already know my jobs for the day, I will get the details from the service manager. Then I pick up any parts that I may need to make the repairs.
We try to repair our customers’ machines the same day. I’ll talk to the customers before I leave the store to make sure that I understand the issues and have the correct parts to fix the machines.
Hit the Road
Once I have my assignments for the day and the necessary parts, I’ll make my way to my first stop. I typically have at least an hour or more of driving to get to the first customer’s machine. There are times when I can visit two sites in the morning, but it depends on where the machines are located and how long it takes to make the repairs.
Afternoon Repairs
If all goes well, I should have time for a lunch break before my next repair project. It depends on my workload and how determined I am to get it done.
I may have one or two repairs after lunch. Those may take me to 5 or 5:30 p.m. If I get done early, I’ll contact the service department and ask for more jobs. There are times when jobs take longer and other jobs have to get pushed back because I can’t get to the customer’s machine in time.
Even though the dealership closes at 5 p.m., I will work until I can no longer repair the machine or if a jobsite closes and I must leave the site. I’ve worked as late as 10 p.m., and I’ve stayed overnight at certain locations, too (in a hotel, not in my truck), because some repair sites can be three hours from the dealership.
Game Changer: Telematics
Technology makes our job easier. For example, I use telematics to find the locations of the machines. I can see if the machine is running, the machine vitals, the engine speed and how much fuel the machine is using. Through the telematics data, I can also see fault codes that are active or were active recently to help me determine what kind of parts I might need to fix the issue.
I have a laptop computer in my pickup. It has a cellular SIM card, and I can access the internet as long as I have cellular service. This gives me the ability to use the DoosanCONNECT Telematics system to review the machine, its location and how it’s operating.
Read more about our telematics system.
Even though the dealership closes at 5 p.m., I will work until I can no longer repair the machine or if a jobsite closes and I must leave the site. I’ve worked as late as 10 p.m., and I’ve stayed overnight at certain locations, too.
