Heavy Duty Equipment Technician

Heavy-Duty Equipment Technicians work on industrial and construction vehicles, such as mining trucks and bulldozers; on heavy equipment used in construction, forestry, materials handling, landscaping, and land clearing; as well as on buses and large trucks.

Heavy-Duty Equipment Technicians overhaul, repair and service equipment such as graders, loaders, shovels, tractors, trucks, forklifts, drills, and wheeled and tracked vehicles. Working from manufacturers' specifications, they identify and repair problems in structural, mechanical, or hydraulic systems.

The following trades begin with common Level 1 training, and may share other Levels as well: Heavy Duty Equipment Technician (HDET), Diesel Engine Mechanic (DEM), Truck and Transport Mechanic (TTM), and Transport Trailer Technician (TTT). Refer to this trade’s ‘Program Profile’ via SkilledTradesBC for specific details.

Heavy-Duty Equipment Technician is a nationally designated trade under the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program.

Recommendations

The following education is recommended: Grade 10 equivalent (Grade 12 preferred), including English 10, Math 10, Science 10.

 

The Apprenticeship Program comprises Levels 1-to-4 of progressive technical training, with Level 1 taking ten weeks (300 hours) to complete. Levels 2 through 4 take eight weeks (240 hours), six weeks (180 hours), and five weeks (150 hours), respectively. In addition, apprentices are required to accumulate 6,330 hours of work-based training.

 

A Heavy Mechanical Foundation program can jump-start your career without employer sponsorship by supplying the knowledge and skills to enter directly at Apprenticeship Level 2, after 36 weeks of training.

PROGRAM TYPES

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Jan 06 2025Sep 11 2025

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Okanagan College

1000 K.L.O. Rd. Kelowna, BC

Jan 27 2025Oct 16 2025

Heavy Mechanical Trades (HDEM, CTM, DEM, TTT)

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Thompson Rivers University

Kamloops

Feb 03 2025Sep 12 2025

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

VCC

Broadway Campus

Feb 03 2025Oct 08 2025

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

North Island College

Campbell River

Feb 04 2025Oct 10 2025

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Feb 10 2025Oct 16 2025

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Apr 14 2025Dec 18 2025

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

VCC

Broadway Campus

Apr 16 2025Dec 19 2025

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

May 26 2025Feb 12 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

VCC

Broadway Campus

Jun 23 2025Mar 11 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Jul 07 2025Mar 26 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Jul 21 2025Apr 09 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Thompson Rivers University

Kamloops

Jul 28 2025Mar 20 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Okanagan College

1000 K.L.O. Rd. Kelowna, BC

Aug 05 2025Apr 30 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades (HDEM, CTM, DEM, TTT)

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Aug 11 2025Apr 30 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

College of New Caledonia

Prince George - Main Campus

Sep 02 2025May 22 2026

Heavy Mechanical Group Trades

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Northern Lights College

Fort St. John

Sep 02 2025May 22 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Thompson Rivers University

Williams Lake

Sep 02 2025Apr 24 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Camosun College

Interurban

Sep 02 2025Jun 05 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades (Harmonized)

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Van. Island University

Nanaimo

Sep 02 2025Jun 05 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Van. Island University

Nanaimo

Sep 02 2025Jun 05 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

North Island College

Campbell River

Sep 02 2025May 15 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

College of the Rockies

Main Campus

Sep 02 2025May 28 2026

Heavy Mechanical (FDTN)

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Selkirk College

Silver King Campus - Nelson

Sep 02 2025May 21 2026

Heavy Mechanical Group Trades

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Univ. of the Fraser Valley

Trades and Technology Centre (CEP)

Sep 02 2025May 22 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Univ. of the Fraser Valley

Trades and Technology Centre (CEP)

Sep 02 2025May 22 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Coast Mountain College

Terrace

Sep 08 2025May 29 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Okanagan College

1000 K.L.O. Rd. Kelowna, BC

Sep 15 2025Jun 18 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades (HDEM, CTM, DEM, TTT)

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Sep 22 2025Jun 11 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

VCC

Broadway Campus

Sep 24 2025May 22 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Thompson Rivers University

Kamloops

Oct 20 2025Jun 12 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

College of New Caledonia

Prince George - Main Campus

Oct 27 2025Jul 17 2026

Heavy Mechanical Group Trades

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Nov 03 2025Jul 23 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

VCC

Broadway Campus

Nov 12 2025Jul 31 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Jan 05 2026Sep 10 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Okanagan College

1000 K.L.O. Rd. Kelowna, BC

Jan 26 2026Oct 15 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades (HDEM, CTM, DEM, TTT)

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

Thompson Rivers University

Kamloops

Feb 02 2026Sep 11 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

VCC

Broadway Campus

Feb 02 2026Oct 07 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

North Island College

Campbell River

Feb 03 2026Oct 09 2026

Heavy Mechanical Foundation

Institution

Campus

Date

Program

Contact

BCIT

Annacis Island

Feb 23 2026Oct 29 2026

Heavy Mechanical Trades Foundation