Yes: diesel mechanics can absolutely make over $100,000 per year.
However, that level of income usually depends on several factors, including:
Not every diesel technician earns six figures, especially early in their career. However, highly skilled technicians in the right industries can reach or exceed 100K consistently.
Continue reading Can a Diesel Mechanic Make $100K a Year?Interviewing for a diesel mechanic position is different than interviewing for many other jobs.
Most employers are not just looking for someone who can replace parts.
They want to know if you can:
Some questions will be basic interview questions. Others will focus heavily on diagnostics, troubleshooting, and experience with diesel systems.
This guide breaks down common diesel mechanic interview questions and explains what employers are typically trying to learn from each one.
Continue reading Diesel Mechanic Interview Questions: What to Expect and How to PrepareIf you’re thinking about becoming a diesel mechanic, you’ve probably asked one of the most common questions in the industry: Do I need to go to school, or can I learn on the job?
The short answer is: Both paths can lead to a successful career.
Some diesel technicians attend a trade school before ever stepping into a shop. Others start changing oil, performing preventive maintenance (PMs), mounting tires, or cleaning the shop and work their way into full technician positions.
Neither path is automatically better than the other.
What matters most is building technical knowledge, gaining hands-on experience, and continuously learning throughout your career.
A lot of people are interested in becoming diesel mechanics because they:
However, many people only see one side of the industry. They see:
…but they do not always see the reality of the day-to-day work.
Continue reading What Is Day-to-Day Life Really Like as a Diesel Mechanic?Many diesel repair shops focus heavily on:
However, the strongest shops usually track much deeper operational data.
Why? Because profitability problems rarely appear overnight.
Most issues start as:
Tracking the right diesel repair shop KPIs helps identify these issues before they become major financial problems.
Instead of waiting until the end of the month to see whether the shop made money, many successful diesel repair shops monitor key performance indicators weekly.
That allows owners and managers to:
A KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a measurable metric used to track business performance.
In a diesel repair shop, KPIs help measure:
Good KPI tracking turns shop management into a data-driven process instead of guesswork.
One of the most important diesel repair shop KPIs is Effective Labor Rate (ELR).
ELR measures:
👉 What the shop actually collects per billed labor hour.
Many shops focus only on their posted labor rate.
However:
…can significantly reduce the actual collected labor revenue.
Effective Labor Rate is commonly calculated as:
ELR=Total Billed HoursTotal Labor Sales
A low ELR may indicate:
Strong ELR tracking helps shops understand what they are truly earning: not just what they charge on paper.
This measures how many billable hours a technician produces compared to paid hours.
Technician Efficiency=Paid HoursBilled Hours×100
Efficiency helps determine:
For example:
Low efficiency may indicate:
Efficiency and productivity are not the same thing.
Productivity measures:
👉 How much time technicians actually spend working on vehicles.
A technician may be efficient while still losing productivity because of:
Strong shops track both efficiency and productivity together.
RO Count measures:
👉 How many repair orders the shop closes during a specific period.
This KPI helps monitor:
A sudden drop in RO count may indicate:
Average Repair Order measures:
👉 The average revenue generated per repair order.
ARO=Total Repair Orders Total Revenue
A low ARO may indicate:
A strong ARO usually reflects:
One of the most overlooked diesel repair shop KPIs is parts margin.
Many shops focus heavily on labor profitability while ignoring:
However, parts sales often represent a major portion of total shop revenue.
Weak parts margins can quietly destroy profitability.
Common causes include:
Strong shops closely monitor:
ARPO measures:
👉 Average parts revenue generated per repair order.
Low ARPO may indicate:
Strong ARPO numbers often reflect:
Comeback rate measures:
👉 How often vehicles return for the same repair issue.
This is one of the most important quality-control KPIs in any diesel repair shop.
Comebacks damage:
Repeat repairs also increase:
Strong diesel repair shops focus heavily on:
…to minimize comeback rates.
Turnaround time tracks:
👉 How long trucks remain in the shop from arrival to completion.
This KPI is especially important for:
Long turnaround times may result from:
Dwell time measures:
👉 How long a truck sits before work actually begins.
A truck sitting idle in the yard generates:
Reducing dwell time often improves:
Gross profit margin helps determine:
👉 How much profit remains after direct costs are removed.
Strong shops monitor:
Tracking gross profit helps shops identify:
Inventory turns measure:
👉 How often inventory is sold and replenished.
Slow-moving inventory ties up:
Strong inventory management helps reduce:
Many successful shops review KPIs weekly instead of monthly.
Weekly tracking allows shops to identify:
…before they become larger operational issues.
Many diesel repair shops use KPIs together to forecast revenue.
Labor revenue commonly depends on:
Parts revenue commonly depends on:
Tracking these numbers weekly helps shops predict:
Good KPI tracking also improves:
The goal is not simply increasing numbers.
The goal is building:
The best diesel repair shops do not rely on guesswork.
They track KPIs consistently to understand:
Some of the most important diesel repair shop KPIs include:
Tracking these metrics weekly helps shops identify problems early, improve workflow, and build stronger long-term profitability.
Call 844-304-7688 or visit highwayandheavyparts.com to get the right diesel engine parts for your application.
From diagnosis through delivery, we’re Highway and Heavy Parts.
Long hours behind the wheel demand more than just caffeine.
For truck drivers, staying alert comes down to stable energy, focus, and avoiding crashes that come from the wrong foods.
👉 The best snacks don’t spike your energy: they keep it steady.
That means choosing foods that are:
Driving a truck is more than just moving freight.
It requires constant awareness, planning, and decision-making: both on the road and when you’re stopped.
For new and experienced drivers alike, the difference between a smooth operation and a stressful one often comes down to small habits and decisions made throughout the day.
Below are practical, real-world truck driver tips that help keep you safe, efficient, and consistent over time.
Continue reading Practical Tips for Truck Drivers: Staying Safe, Efficient, and Focused on the RoadMost diesel repair shops focus on labor as their primary revenue driver.
But the shops that consistently outperform others understand something different.
They don’t just make money fixing engines. They make money selling the right parts.
And when done correctly, parts can generate more profit than labor – while reducing comebacks and increasing customer trust.
Continue reading How Diesel Repair Shops Make More Money on Parts Than Labor (And Why It Works)You’ve probably heard the phrase – America runs on diesel.
And it’s true.
Diesel engines power the trucks that move freight across the country, the equipment that builds infrastructure, and the machines that keep industries operating every day.
But here’s the part that doesn’t get talked about enough:
👉 What happens when those diesel engines don’t perform the way they should?
Because when a diesel engine goes down, it’s not just one machine: it can slow down an entire operation.
Continue reading How Diesel Engines Keep America RunningIf you operate trucks, equipment, or a diesel shop, you don’t need anyone to tell you that parts, labor, and fuel are some of your biggest expenses. With fuel, a few cents up or down on a gallon of diesel can make or break margins on a lane, a job, or even a whole month.
In this post, we’ll walk through how diesel prices have moved over the last 25 years, then zoom in on what’s happening with diesel fuel right now in 2025 – prices, fuel quality, and what could be coming next.
Continue reading Diesel Prices in 2025If you’ve been watching fuel prices lately, you’ve probably felt it – diesel is on the move again.
Continue reading Diesel Prices Are Climbing Again in 2026A successful trip starts before the truck ever moves.
Trip planning directly affects:
Professional drivers rely on structured planning to reduce risk, avoid delays, and maintain consistent performance.
Before planning the route, the truck itself must be verified.
A proper pre-trip inspection includes:
These inspections are required under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations and are critical for preventing mechanical failures on the road.
Drivers must carry all required documentation to remain compliant during roadside inspections.
This includes:
Agencies like the U.S. Department of Transportation enforce regulations.
Failure to carry proper documentation can result in:
Route planning should always be done using truck-specific navigation tools.
Drivers should account for:
Truck-specific navigation tools provide routing based on these restrictions.
Planning should include:
👉Check out the: Best Apps for Truck Drivers
Fuel is one of the largest operational costs in trucking.
Trip planning should include:
Fuel availability and pricing can vary significantly by location.
Drivers must comply with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations.
Planning should include:
Parking availability is a known issue in many regions, so planning ahead is critical.
Weather and traffic conditions directly impact travel time and safety.
Drivers should:
Tools provide route-specific weather forecasts.
Environmental factors such as:
can affect both driving conditions and engine performance.
Breakdowns and unexpected events can occur at any time.
A standard emergency kit should include:
Seasonal additions may include:
Emergency readiness reduces risk and improves response time in critical situations.
No route is completely predictable.
Common delay factors include:
Building buffer time into the schedule reduces pressure and helps maintain safe driving practices.
👉Read Here to Check Out: What One Day of Downtime Actually Costs a Truck
Trip planning does not just affect timing: it affects the truck itself.
Poor planning can lead to:
Consistent, well-planned routes help:
Trip planning is a critical part of trucking operations.
It involves more than selecting a route – it includes:
Proper planning helps drivers:
Call 844-304-7688 or visit highwayandheavyparts.com to get the right diesel engine parts for your application.
From diagnosis through delivery, we’re Highway and Heavy Parts.
