Taylor ISD Launches Pilot Diesel Program

December 03, 2020

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by Tim Crow (Taylor Press) Taylor students seeking careers in the automotive industry will soon have access to the highest quality training and certifications available in diesel mechanics.

The new program is the result of what’s been called a groundbreaking partnership between Taylor ISD and Peterbilt Motors Company, an American-based truck manufacturer owned by PACCAR, and Rush Trucking, the authorized repair center for Peterbilt.

The idea for a partnership began in February 2019 when Taylor High School automotive technology teacher Mark Harwell was able to secure a special tour of the Peterbilt factory in Denton for his students, marking the first time for a high school to be granted access to the assembly plant.

“Speaker Curtis Crisp told the group that 5,000 diesel mechanics are needed immediately, and in the next five years another 10,000 will be needed,” said Harwell. “It’s an area of increasingly higher need in the job market with the opportunity of high paying salaries right out of high school.”

Superintendent Keith Brown accompanied the group on the tour. Upon returning to Taylor, he wrote a letter to Peterbilt executives suggesting the idea of a partnership.

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“We will pilot any program that can expand opportunities for our students. We are not scared.”

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Taylor’s new diesel program is currently in the development phase with classes scheduled to begin in January. Half of the old gym behind TH Johnson Elementary, more recently used as a warehouse, is being converted into a diesel garage. The space is large enough to house a large semi-truck with room for a classroom, equipment and tools. An additional automotive teacher has been hired to allow Harwell to focus on developing and implementing the large (semi) truck diesel program, and two large engines have already been delivered by Paccar. Peterbilt will bring a truck to the site as soon as the facility is ready for it.

According to Harwell, the pilot program with Taylor will include access to Peterbilt’s training material, technical repair material, proprietary diagnostic software and equipment for students to learn from. If successful, the program being developed in Taylor ISD could lead to similar opportunities in high schools nationwide. READ MORE

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