Heavy Duty Mechanic (1st or 2nd Year Apprentice)

Position Summary: We're looking for a 1st or 2nd Year Apprentice Heavy Duty Mechanic to join our Grande Prairie branch maintenance team, supporting a specialized fleet of cranes, trailers, and support equipment. This role is primarily branch-based, with occasional opportunities to assist operations in Fort St. John, BC.

You'll work hands-on with Link-Belt and Tadano rough and all terrain cranes and crawlers (125–300 ton), along with trailers and trucks—focusing on preventative maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs that keep equipment safe, compliant, and job ready. This position does not involve major rebuilds such as engines or transmissions; instead, it offers consistent, varied mechanical work across electrical, hydraulic, suspension, and air brake systems.

This role is well suited for someone who values steady hours, a tight knit team environment, and the opportunity to work on high value, specialized equipment with long term stability.

Key Responsibilities

• Working Monday to Friday, with mostly 8–9 hour days
• Performing scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on cranes, trailers, and support equipment
• Completing oil changes, brake work, tire service, suspension repairs, and annual PMs
• Supporting annual crane certification requirements
• Troubleshooting and repairing:
  • Electrical systems
  • Fuel systems
  • Hydraulics (hoses and seals; major hydraulic work is outsourced)
  • Air brake systems
• Recording hours, mileage, and maintenance activities using logbooks and a tablet
• Collaborating with crane operators to identify issues early and keep equipment operational
• Working independently on most tasks, while being part of a small, experienced team
• Working both in the shop and occasionally outdoors
• Conduct shop safety audits and promote a strong safety-first culture.

Qualifications

• 1st or 2nd Year Heavy Equipment Technician certification required
• Experience working on heavy equipment or cranes (earth movers, CAT, or similar equipment preferred)
• Strong mechanical aptitude across electrical, hydraulic, suspension, and air brake systems
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of assigned tasks
• Valid driver's license
• Ability to work locally

Preferred Experience

• Background in heavy equipment, crane, or industrial environments
• Comfort with diagnostics involving electrical and fuel systems
• Experience working with maintenance tracking, logbooks, or digital repair records
• Class 1 license is an asset (not required)

Barnhart Offers:

Compensation & Benefits

• Hourly rate as per the Local 955 collective agreement
• Weekly pay
• Overtime opportunities available based on workload
• Union benefits package (health & pension)
• Strong team culture built on Safety, Innovation & Continuous Improvement
• Career growth across one of North America's strongest networks (60+ branches)
• The stability and momentum of Barnhart's integration with NCSG and rapid Western Canada growth

PURPOSE – Barnhart is built on a strong foundation of serving others. The fruit of our labor is used to grow the company, care for our employees, and serve those in our communities and around the world.

MINDS OVER MATTER – Barnhart has built a nationwide reputation for solving problems. We specialize in the lifting, heavy-rigging, and heavy transport of major components used in American industry.

NETWORK – Barnhart has built teams that form one of our industry's strongest networks of talent and resources with over 60 branch locations across the U.S. working together to serve our customers. This growing network offers our team members constant opportunity for career growth and professional development.

CULTURE – Barnhart has a strong team culture -- the “One TEAM.” We are looking for smart, hard-working people who strive for excellence in their work and appreciate collaboration. Join a team that values Safety, Servant Leadership, Quality Service, Innovation, Continuous Improvement, Fairness, and Profit with a Purpose.

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