The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released a new report examining the causes and potential solutions for the shortage of qualified diesel technicians. Findings show that 65.5% of shops were understaffed in 2025, with nearly one in five positions unfilled.

Training and Qualification Challenges

Most diesel technicians (61.8%) enter the field without formal training. Shops report an average of 357 training hours and $8,211 in trainee wages are needed to bring these workers up to speed. Even among graduates of formal programs, more than 30% were rated unqualified in 20 core skill areas.

ATRI found training effectiveness varied significantly by skill area.

Impact of Additional Training Hours on Technician Qualification

These findings highlight both the benefits of targeted training and the need to update curricula in less impactful skill areas.

Barriers to Entry

When starting their careers, technicians reported the following primary barriers:

While pay and schedules remain major incentives, technicians also ranked more interesting work and greater variety of work as important factors for staying in the industry.

Industry Distribution of Technicians

The table below from ATRI shows how diesel technicians are distributed across U.S. industries:

Retention Concerns

The report found that 44% of diesel technicians are considering leaving for other industries, particularly automotive and agriculture. Dissatisfaction with pay, management, and lack of work variety were significant factors influencing these decisions.

Industry Response

“With a lack of qualified techs and stiff competition from other industries, retaining entry-level technicians has become one of our biggest challenges,” said Robert Braswell, executive director of ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council. “This report identifies where training can be improved and how we can build on the industry’s strengths.”

The full ATRI report is available online here.