July 12, 2019
PACCAR Leasing is Searching for Great People Like You!
By Brian Brooks, Peterbilt Technician Institute Program Manager
The secret is out, the demand for skilled diesel technicians in the transportation industry is steadily on the rise. There are continuous opportunities to advance your career with PacLease and throughout PACCAR Inc. Whether you are experienced or just starting out in the transportation industry, what will your next step be?
Just ask Eric Sochacki, a Lead Technician at the PACCAR Leasing (PacLease) Chicago Company Store in Hickory Hills, Illinois. Eric has over 19 years of experience with PACCAR and is well-respected amongst his peers. He started as an entry-level technician and, worked his way up to Lead. Now Eric is a designated “go to” team member for solving complex maintenance problems with leased Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks. His experience at PACCAR Leasing helped him grow as a technician by giving him the right experience and training to advance his career.
As PacLease offers full-service truck lease and rental services throughout North America, our technicians perform maintenance, repairs and adjustments on diesel and gasoline powered trucks and tractors. Our service department supports multiple customers in various industries. No matter the location, our highly skilled technicians provide excellent customer service, are self-motivated and can work independently.
We seek out the best when hiring. Chosen candidates must have at a minimum DOT and CDL licenses and four + years of truck-trailer experience. They must also be able to work in a collaborative environment and be a contributing team player. Once a new employee is welcomed into the PACCAR family, Leads like Eric in Hickory Hills and other Associates will make sure the new hire(s) have everything they need to ensure success in their new roles.
For candidates looking to start a career as a service technician and need more hands on experience, PACCAR has an option for you at the Peterbilt Technician Institute.
The Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI) is an exclusive Peterbilt initiative created in late 2013 to address the industry wide talent shortage for diesel technicians. The program is designed to assist the Peterbilt dealer network and loyal Peterbilt customers in finding new, talent entering the workforce or seeking to start a new career. Peterbilt collaborated with Universal Technical Institute (UTI), a publicly traded company engaged in training entry level auto and diesel technicians since 1965, to offer a 12-week, Peterbilt specific training curriculum. The curriculum covers all aspects of the Peterbilt product line from chassis, cab, electrical, and after treatment systems, diagnostics, online service information, PACCAR systems such as DAVIE, ESA, and Rapido, and the MX11 and MX13 engines. In all, the graduates from the program receive 12 key factory certifications that help improve job opportunities.
To-date, Peterbilt Technician Institute has graduated over 600 students with a placement rate of 95% and retention rate above 80%. Those interested in the program should visit Peterbilt.com and complete an inquiry. While the majority of the PTI students come through UTI’s core diesel program, any student graduating from a NATEF certified vocational technical school can be considered for PTI. Aside from graduating from a NATEF certified school, PTI has set minimum requirements for acceptance, including, grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, minimum class attendance of 97%, and a clean driving record.
The Chicago Company Store has recently hired 5 graduates from UTI in the past year and has sponsored and supported three of the five UTI graduates to further their education by enrolling them into PTI School.
Experienced or looking to start your career, PACCAR Leasing is searching for great people like you!
To learn more about great opportunities with PACCAR Leasing and PACCAR globally, visit the PACCAR Career Opportunities website and search for openings in any of our many locations!
To learn more about enrolling in the Peterbilt Technical Institute, visit here!