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Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance

Types of Degrees Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,101
Associate’s Degree	254
Master’s Degree	729

What Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance Majors Need to Know

Studies in Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Transportation — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Repairing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment	4.4 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.3 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment	3.9 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Fleet management software	Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance graduates include:

• Heavy Duty Mechanic
• Engine Mechanic
• Service Advisor
• Truck Garage Mechanic
• Fleet Technician (Fleet Tech)
• Farm Implement Engine Mechanic
• Heavy Equipment Engine Mechanic
• Railroad Motor Mechanic
• Diesel Mechanic Tech (Diesel Mechanic Technician)
• Diesel Motor Mechanic
• Maintenance Mechanic
• Truck Service Advisor
• Transit Mechanic
• Oil Field Equipment Mechanic
• Truck Motor Mechanic

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	44.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	39.5%
Some college courses	14.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 94.2% of Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	122	5.8%
Men	1,978	94.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,165	55.5%
Asian	21	1.0%
Hispanic or Latino	420	20.0%
Black or African American	276	13.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	43	2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.2%
Two or More Races	84	4.0%
Race Unknown	78	3.7%
International Students	8	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,744
4 years	$43,612
5 years	$49,558

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,558 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Heavy Vehicle & Truck Maintenance graduates earn a median of $43,612 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	74,567
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	41,728
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	9,859
Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	7,637
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician	5,464
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	3,372
Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician	896
Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician	799
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	719
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	630
High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	470
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician	412

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.