Bradstreet Trains the Next Generation of Service Technicians

As a kid in upstate New York, Pete Bradstreet spent his free time helping out on the farms of family friends. For someone who enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together, working on farm equipment felt more like a privilege than an obligation.

“When I was 8 or 9, I pulled the lawnmower blades off a mower deck of a tractor, sharpened them and put them back on,” Bradstreet said. “Pretty simple task when I look back on it now, but I remember how accomplished I felt knowing how to do that. I felt like the coolest kid in town.”

Bradstreet turned his passion into a career — first in the Marine Corps as an aviation mechanic, then in the construction equipment rental business as a service technician and now as EquipmentShare’s director of equipment technical training. It’s his job to prepare the service techs at EquipmentShare branches across the country to fix and maintain the thousands of machines the company rents and sells.

“Pete is very knowledgeable and strives to share that knowledge with anyone who wants to learn,” EquipmentShare Director of Service Troy Dodd said. “He has worked his way up and has a strong understanding of how service affects operations. He builds his training management system around the experience he gained working as a service tech and a service manager.” 

As EquipmentShare continues to grow — with more than 165 branches — it’s always on the lookout for more service techs. Experience working on construction equipment is preferred but not required, because Bradstreet has built a training and support network with four key features to help service techs grow into their careers.

1. Experienced trainers: Bradstreet has a team of 11 trainers, and 10 of them previously worked as service techs at EquipmentShare. “They are very fresh with the struggles technicians face in this industry — the new technology and equipment all over the place,” Bradstreet said. “These are people who turn wrenches regularly.” 
2. Frequent training: You will have many opportunities to learn, so you can find times and places that fit your schedule. “I worked for one of our competitors for two years and didn’t know of any training class that was held,” Bradstreet said. “Here, there is training somewhere in the country every week except holiday weeks.”
3. Modern technology: You will have access to the latest diagnostic tools. “We have computers and diagnostic programs to troubleshoot the equipment and training programs to teach you how to use them,” Bradstreet said.
4. 24/7 support: When you run into a problem you can’t solve, you can post a question on the company’s Slack messaging channel dedicated to service techs. Help usually arrives in minutes. “We can help you find manuals, documentation and procedures,” Bradstreet said. “It’s especially great for weekends and after hours when our manufacturers aren’t available. So you really do have 24-hour support.”

New hires in the service department usually begin as shop techs, working on equipment under the supervision of the branch’s service manager. Shop techs who have gained enough experience to work by themselves can become field techs, fixing equipment on location. Successful service techs can move up the ranks into management on the service or operations side, depending on their interest. 

“Stay positive, show initiative, try to be a solution to problems, show that you want to learn and want to teach those around you to make their lives easier,” Bradstreet said. “If you do that, you’re going to get noticed. It’s hard to miss people who are doing that.”

Bradstreet’s EquipmentShare career is proof of that concept and proof that rising in the company doesn’t require sacrificing a healthy work-life balance. He and his wife, who settled in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after he left the Marines in 2016, spend most of their spare time with their three sons. The Bradstreet boys enjoy fishing and — just like their dad — taking things apart and putting them back together. The latest family project is a 2001 Dodge Ram pickup with a Cummins diesel engine. 

“When I got it, it leaked from more places than it didn’t, but we’ve gotten that completely taken care of and got it running really well and got the interior cleaned up,” Bradstreet said. “The boys have been helping with that. We’re slowly bringing it back to its original glory.” 

EquipmentShare is growing nationwide, and we’re looking for talented team members in all departments. Check out our job openings at equipmentshare.com/careers.