Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines. Includes mechanics working primarily with automobile or marine diesel engines.
289,960 people do this job in the US. $61,770 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 0%
- 0%
- 100%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 0%. Today's estimate: 0%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 26 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use handtools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, pressure gauges, or precision instruments, as well as power tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding equipment, or jacks and hoists.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 8% | 25 min8 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Adjust or repair computer controlled exhaust emissions devices.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 8% | 2.1 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Dismount, mount, and repair or replace tires.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Recondition and replace parts, pistons, bearings, gears, and valves.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 6% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 1.3 work days | Stays with people | |
| Disassemble and overhaul internal combustion engines, pumps, generators, transmissions, clutches, and differential units.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| Diagnose and repair vehicle heating and cooling systems.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 2.1 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Specialize in repairing and maintaining parts of the engine, such as fuel injection systems.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 5% | 2.5 h1.3 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 2.1 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect, repair, and maintain automotive and mechanical equipment and machinery, such as pumps and compressors.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.7 h38 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines5% now, 5% by 2028
- Rail Car Repairers3% now, 3% by 2028
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics4% now, 4% by 2028
- Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians3% now, 3% by 2028
- Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics8% now, 8% by 2028
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers8% now, 9% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).