Like many working Americans, the average diesel technician works about 40 hours each week.
However, many companies, like Schneider, offer part-time options for people who are attending school to become diesel technicians, have families, work second jobs, etc. Part-time diesel technicians can expect to work 20 or more hours per week.
When do diesel technicians work?
What’s different about being a diesel technician isn’t necessarily how many hours you will work each week but when you will work those hours.
Many shops operate 24/7/365, so many diesel technicians don’t work the typical nine to five.
At Schneider, our full-time technicians work 10-hour shifts and four-day work weeks. They work three days per week and every other weekend. This means every other weekend is a four-days-off weekend!
This also means we have a variety of opportunities for part-time technicians and may have the ability to work around school schedules for any technicians who are finishing their degree.
A typical technician’s schedule
As an example, below are three Schneider diesel technicians’ weekly schedules, so you can get an idea of how much they differ:
Diesel Technician A:
Works full time, second shift: Wednesday-Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., plus every other weekend.
Diesel Technician B:
Works full time, first shift: Monday-Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., plus every other weekend.
Diesel Technician C:
Works full time, third shift: Wednesday-Friday from 6 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., plus every other weekend.
Having these different schedules may also affect how much a diesel technician makes.
At Schneider, for example, second- and third-shift technicians make $1.50 per hour in shift differential, and hours worked on the weekend are paid at an additional $.65 per hour.
Do diesel technicians work overtime?
Working overtime as a diesel technician depends on what company you work for. Generally, Schneider has enough demand that we can offer additional overtime hours to technicians.
The advantage of working overtime is having the opportunity to increase your weekly income. Hours worked beyond 40 in a week are paid as time-and-a-half
