A fresh report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) says diesel shops across the country are having a tough time finding enough mechanics in 2025.
By the numbers: About 65% of diesel shops are short on workers. Nearly 1 in 5 diesel mechanic jobs are unfilled, with an average of 19.3% open positions.
- Most new diesel techs—over 60%—start out without any prior training.
- It costs trucking shops about $8,200 and takes an average of 357 training hours to get new hires up to speed.
- 30% of mechanics with formal diesel education are still missing key skills needed for the job.
Biggest hurdles:
- 29% of diesel techs say buying tools is the main thing stopping them from taking the job.
- 28% blame lack of experience.
- Lower pay and poor mentorship in some trucking shops are also major complaints.
Looking for better options: Almost half of diesel mechanics in the trucking industry say they’ve thought about moving to different types of mechanic work. They point to pay concerns, tough management, and boring tasks as top reasons for wanting to leave, according to the ATRI report.
The ATRI hopes shops can use this new research to help keep their techs and bring up the next generation of mechanics.