Diesel-Driven: Technology that keeps America on the move

Ask any company that works in shipping and freight and they'll tell you — diesel powers the world. From the traditional semi-trailer trucks on the highway and construction equipment making way for new growth, to huge tractors and reapers moving agriculture along and even oil pumping operations, diesel motors offer consistency to an ever-moving industry.

Consistent is also a word that describes the Diesel Equipment Technology program at Texas State Technical College. Like a well-serviced engine, it runs with quiet efficiency sending out graduates trained in variety of technical fields to keep America moving.

"They're the best in the country," Revis Parkison said. "By far the best, and I've visited several schools. Some of our better technicians graduated from TSTC and we're very pleased with their work."

Parkison, the regional customer service manager for Rush Truck Center of Dallas, has had a 30-year relationship with the program and has seen it change over the years to keep up with the latest advances in diesel technology. It's the program's commitment to quality that keeps him coming back to hire more graduates and to serve on its advisory committee.

"Another thing that makes TSTC superior is their instructors," he said. "With Henry as the department chair and the great job he has done, I have no doubt the program will continue to be great."

Henry Macik, DET department chair, knows his program better than anyone else. As a 1973 graduate who came back after working in the industry to teach and now lead the popular program, he knows each lab, each piece of equipment and each student.

With an average of 250 students annually and several large labs, he has a lot to keep track of with the help of his nine other instructors, many who also graduated from the DET program.  If you ask him why he came back to work where he first learned the trade, he'll tell you it's a matter of pride.

"Of course I'm proud of this program. With our students we have a lot of repeat business from the same family and friends of our graduates. They hear about us through word of mouth and just keep coming," he said. "We always have several students who had a brother come through the program. I feel like if it wasn't a good school, then they wouldn't be here."

So, what sets TSTC's diesel program apart? In a few words: variety, hands on training, industry-grade labs and instructors. At least those were Jake Brown's reasons for choosing TSTC. The first-semester student from Robinson came to learn the Heavy Truck and Construction specializations.

"I heard it's the best and I believe it," he said. "Now that I've gone through some classes and I've worked in the hands-on labs, I've found they teach you in a way you can relate to. I chose two specializations because it gives me a variety of jobs I can choose to do and I can make more money."

The specializations in DET are designed to do just that: help students qualify for more jobs and get more money for their knowledge and skills. There are five specializations to choose from: Heavy Truck, Construction, Agriculture, Outdoor Power Equipment and the dealer-sponsored John Deere Construction & Forestry Technician Program. The first four specializations are designed to allow students to cross-train and get multiple degrees by staying just a couple extra semesters. The John Deere program trains students sponsored by John Deere dealerships who are reimbursed $8,000 in return for working at the dealership.

With all the advantages of a TSTC diesel education, alumni generally get placed quickly. For alumnus Anthony Drake, now the lead shop supervisor at ATC Freightliner in Dallas, it was the basic diesel education that made him job-ready.

"I absolutely felt prepared walking into a fleet shop... TSTC doesn't skip over the basics to get to the newer technology. You've still got to be able to replace a part before you can troubleshoot problems."

Now in the position to hire from his alma mater and other institutions, Drake said he sees a big difference between the quality of candidates he has to choose from.

"As far as base knowledge, TSTC graduates are above or better than other schools' graduates. There are some schools we just don't hire from … TSTC is consistent. The instructors really do care about what they're putting out. It's more of a quality-driven institution, and that's something missing from a lot of other schools."

As quality continues to be the driving factor behind the diesel program at TSTC, its legacy lives on in the alumni and students it serves. Alex Donaldson, a fifth-semester Heavy Truck student from Wichita Falls, said he will undoubtedly recommend the program to others.

"It really exceeded my expectations in every way."