New approach to skilled technician training supports move from reactive maintenance to predictive planning

Track assemblies are the most expensive wear items on dozers and excavators, and they require regular measuring to forecast replacement timing. Without regular measurements, that timing becomes guesswork that risks unplanned downtime and rushed parts orders and maintenance. This measurement work requires a physical presence, not remote monitoring.

For heavy earthworks operations that support mine operators in remote Northwest British Columbia, regular measurement is complicated by the long travel times for dealer technicians to reach job sites.

Tahltan Territory is home to approximately 70 percent of B.C.'s resource-rich Golden Triangle. Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC), the business arm of the Tahltan Nation, serves as the primary contractor working on the Red Chris Tailings Impoundment Area construction at the Red Chris mine, operated by Newmont Corporation. TNDC also supports the site with block cave project development, mill operations, site services, road maintenance, and exploration.

Historically, Finning Canada, TNDC's equipment dealer, scheduled representatives to visit to perform track assembly measurements. But, as TNDC's fleet grew to 38 tracked machines, they identified the opportunity for an existing TNDC employee to regularly measure undercarriage components and ground-engaging tools, including bucket teeth, cutting edges, and anything that bolts onto a bucket or blade.

How Finning and TNDC developed a promising labourer into an undercarriage wear specialist

Anthony Smaniotto, TNDC's fleet manager, determined that Tahltan Nation member Austin Carlick-Beck, an enthusiastic and highly skilled technician who manages, services, and repairs specialized tires used in mining and construction, was ideal for the job. Carlick-Beck started with TNDC in March 2024 as a labourer on the mechanical team, bringing experience from Kal Tire. With formal training and certification, Carlick-Beck continued to take on a more focused role as an off-the-road (OTR) tire specialist, certified by the Tire Industry Association, making him one of TNDC's resident tire experts.

The learning curve for this new role went beyond technical skills to professional accountability and embracing new expectations. The transition involved training and hands-on mentoring by a Finning representative over several months, and, in May 2025, Carlick-Beck travelled to Edmonton for formal wear specialist training with Caterpillar — the same training that Finning technicians receive. Today, Carlick-Beck is TNDC's first undercarriage wear specialist, and he provides service throughout the Golden Triangle.

The arrangement works as a contracted service with Carlick-Beck holding a dual role between TNDC and Finning. He works a two-week-on/two-week-off rotation, dedicating three to four days per cycle to wear measurements.

He is proficient at using ultrasonic measuring devices, interpreting wear patterns, and forecasting replacements. On dozers from D6 to D10, he watches particularly for cracks on the track frame, a common failure point if not caught early.

The new role is an experience that Carlick-Beck has been relishing.

"I like going to the pit and working on big equipment — 793 haul trucks, 994 loaders, D10s, D8s, excavators," Carlick-Beck says. "I really enjoy learning something different, new tools, trying things out. Working with Finning's team of wear specialists has made it easier to pick up the job because there's someone who shows me what to do and who can answer questions."

Regular wear part measurement has allowed TNDC to move from reactive maintenance to predictive planning. These accurate wear forecasts allow Finning to order replacement tracks and components months in advance based on actual data, which avoids expedited shipping and ensures parts availability.

TNDC continues to develop skilled labour with Finning's support

For TNDC, Finning's development of the wear specialist role is the latest contribution that has elevated their status from mere supplier to a trusted partner that views business relationships as something beyond transactional equipment sales.

Over eight years, the partnership has evolved into a rich relationship, and Finning has backed TNDC's investment growth in its Caterpillar fleet from 20 percent to 98 percent, with maintenance programs and support as well as innovative training opportunities for Tahltans.

This includes the TNDC Mobile Training Centre. TNDC purchased a mobile trailer that it has outfitted with four simulators (articulated haul truck, dozer, excavator, and loader) provided by Finning. It's used at the Red Chris mine for heavy equipment operator training as part of TNDC's Tahltan Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program (HEO), which was recognized by the Association for Mineral Exploration with the AME Robert R. Hedley Award for Excellence in Social and Environmental Responsibility. The trailer has been brought into the Tahltan community, giving the next generation an opportunity to try their hand at equipment operation.

Finning also facilitated train-the-trainer certification for two trainers from Tahltan Nation, who travelled to Caterpillar's Tinaja Hills Demonstration & Learning Center in Arizona. They received globally recognized certification, making TNDC the only customer in North America to have trainers that hold Cat-certified trainer status.

TNDC CEO Todd den Engelsen lauds these efforts. "Training Austin as TNDC's first-ever wear specialist is breaking ground into a highly specialized and valuable skill set, launching a new career trajectory. We appreciate Finning's innovative contributions. Finning has consistently raised the bar in the value TNDC's partnerships bring, helping us build the skills of Tahltans and deliver on our commitment to Building Trust, Building Futures," he says.

A model for skilled technician development in Northern B.C.

Finning sees potential for the model to scale, and interest in developing skilled technical roles within the existing Indigenous workforce is coming from other remote communities in the Golden Triangle.

"Creating a new role for Austin and the HEO Mobile Training Centre might not be traditional dealer work, but we're lucky to work with customers like TNDC to get creative to solve a gap for both of us," says Cheryl Gray, Finning VP of Mining.

"Partnership means supporting community development goals — skills training, employment, youth sports, and what matters to them. That actually strengthens everyone's business, including ours. Most significantly, it benefits the lives of those in the communities. We value our partnership with TNDC and their eagerness to pursue these opportunities," she adds.

Everyone wins in this scenario: Carlick-Beck is pioneering a new career path, TNDC's fleet receives imperative service from a Tahltan Nation member on-site, and Finning's supply chain obtains real-time data and creates better parts availability. Newmont's mining operation further benefits from the reliability, and the industry has a new benchmark in Indigenous partnership standards — it's the ultimate victory.

This article originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of Heavy Equipment Guide.