Takeuchi, United Rentals Donate Machines to Trade School

Takeuchi, in partnership with United Rentals, has donated the use of five Takeuchi machines to the diesel technology program at WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming.

WyoTech is a private trade school that specializes in automotive, diesel, collision/refinishing, and welding technologies.

The donation comes at a time when the construction and rental sectors, as well as the broader equipment industry, are finding it challenging to recruit and retain qualified technicians.

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According to an Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) industry report, the sector will need to fill up to 73,500 heavy equipment technician positions over the next five years, and nearly 90% of AED member dealerships report job opening rates above the national average, with 89% noting technician shortages in their own companies.

The three Takeuchi TL8R2 compact track loaders and two TB216 compact excavators will be used as part of WyoTech’s diesel and heavy equipment training curriculum, allowing students to train on current machine models and systems they may encounter in the field. The Takeuchi machines used in the program will be rotated on a regular basis to expose students to a variety of models, features, and applications.

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“By working with current-generation Takeuchi equipment, students gain hands-on experience with the same technology used on today’s job sites,” said Derek Koontz, national account manager for Takeuchi.

“Rotating the machines allows students to work on different models and applications, helping them build confidence and diagnostic skills that translate directly to real-world service and repair environments.”