Around here, techs in this trade all came from different backgrounds, and is a tightly knit woven spiderweb, I've started at one dealer, when I couldnt get any more money, went to another dealer, and could do it again. It took the last dealer almost a year to find a replacement. I felt bad, but its about me. As for the pay, personally I think forklift techs are worth more money for 2 reasons, 1 most of us are self taught, because like a lot of guys said, thereisn't a lot of support, also we need to learn competitors machines, as there are no guidelines in the industriy, ie OBD2, 3 etc. 2, we have to know not one but 4 different engine systems, diesel, gas, LP NAtural gas, were most truck shops are deisel and most auto shops are gas, and fothe fun of it, throw in electrical more so of wiring and cumputers, scrs, diodes, thyrsters cathodes, etc, Throw these ingreients, know wonder people run from the trade