Grainswest - Tech 2025

Tech 2025 grainswest.com 37 him as he does repairs. As farmers become more skilled at maintaining their own machines, he said, they are more likely to be able to fix breakdowns in the busy season, with maybe just a phone call to him for support. While he acknowledged that training the customer might cost him business, he believes it builds better relationships in the long run. “There’s that trust that I’m trying to work for their interests, and it’s not just about dollar signs for me,” he said. “I’d rather have the customer save money and get going quicker.” Schmidt bought his own service truck in January of 2022 and began to work independently later that year. A steady stream of customers has kept him busy since, and in 2024 he hired an apprentice. In December of that year, he also hired a young farmer to work the winter season. Schmidt rents shop space from a local farmer in exchange for mechanical work. The relationship works well and gives him a chance to work on stationary machines such as grain legs and dryers that he might not otherwise encounter as a heavy-duty mechanic. He estimates he spends about 60 per cent of his winter hours in customer shops. In the summer he is in their yards and fields closer to 80 per cent of the time. THE ROAD TO SELF-EMPLOYMENT Dennis Beaudoin, dean of the School of Trades and Skills at Olds College (OC), reports that students in the institution’s agriculture and heavy-duty technician programs commonly plan to take up self-employment. “A lot of our students are farmers. They’ll come to us and get the training, and when they go back to the farm, they can fill their time with some additional dollars through their own contracting. It is a fairly nice way to supplement your income,” said Beaudoin. He pointed out the financial investment required to start a mobile mechanic business is relatively low. With a service truck, a set of tools and some community connections, a skilled mechanic can chart their own path. Students who complete a four-year apprenticeship at OC or similar institutions can earn a Red Seal certification that is recognized nationally and allows them to work across Canada. OC also offers Achievement in Business Competencies courses in line with Blue Seal business certification for tradesmen. “They can take courses in accounting or managing people and customers, and then it shows they are competent in building a business,” said Beaudoin. In 2022, GrainsWest reported western Canadian equipment dealerships were short 1,000 mechanics. While little statistical information on independent ag mechanics is available, both Schmidt and McGhee cite the one-size-fits-all approach of large dealerships as the reason they opted to become self- employed. “There’s such a disconnect between upper management and what’s actually happening on the ground,” recalled Schmidt. For example, when he worked for a dealership in Northern Alberta that was managed from British Columbia, he found he had to negotiate layers of hierarchy just to buy an additional tool for his service truck. Although they left the dealership world, both Schmidt and McGhee stayed in the same community where they had previously been employed. This means they continue to interact with those dealerships and, perhaps surprisingly, they both claim to maintain excellent relationships with their former employers. The overall shortage of mechanics may contribute to this goodwill. Although certain shop managers guard their customer base, it seems there is more than enough work to go around. McGhee works for John Deere customers on jobs where the dealership would find it difficult to justify the expense of sending their own employee. Another equipment dealer recently approached him to see if he would be willing to perform combine inspections on their behalf. He knows customers also must maintain their relationships with equipment dealers and, depending on the job, he may give the farmer a list of parts to pick up in town so they can put in face time with a supplier. Schmidt said while he has gone from one side of the counter to the other at his local dealership, the collegial relationships he built there remain strong. Although he no longer receives the formal professional development that came with a pair of dealership coveralls, he said his mechanical knowledge continues to improve. “I am a hands-on learner. I don’t do well with sitting in a classroom and reading through a book.” He credits his fellow mechanics—both local and distant—for helping him solve difficult problems. “I am in a couple communities on Facebook that are worldwide. I will post a picture on there, and within minutes, I’ll have people commenting on it.” No matter how technically skilled a mechanic is, there are some aspects of modern equipment maintenance that are a challenge to crack for the independent operator. Diagnostic software belongs to the manufacturers and theoretically only their dealership networks have access to it, but McGhee has found workarounds. Relying upon connections he has made with mechanics in other countries, he has been able to access most of the required software. “There’s such a disconnect between upper management and what’s actually happening on the ground.” —Brad Schmidt