I'm thinking of getting a 2 year degree in diesel technology. Was just wondering how you like your job? I sure enjoy tinkering with my old truck. I appreciate any responses.

 

A very honorable profession. Enjoy and study hard you will go far. I know some who have made a great living working for a few years at shops and then going into thier own at home, I might suggest to not limit yourself to just one brand of engine and maybe some heavy equipment also.. Goodluck,,Rick

 

been doing it for 28 years , yes it is honorable , most people dont like thier mechanics when they have to pay , but they are the first to call you if they think you will do it for free, somedays I will tell your nuts for wanting to be a diesel mech. LOL , but if you want to be one , a good school is the only way to get your feet in the door of a good job.

 

I have retired from diesel mechanic's now but enjoyed working on them for 40 years

Its hard, heavy, dirty work but very rewarding to know your helping to move the products that every American needs to buy

Over the last 40 years I've seen many changes in the way diesel mechanic's work....computers have made our work "easy and harder"

Every broken truck you are able to fix will help to deliver more product for our nations needs

Good luck in your schooling.......remember to learn from that old diesel mechanic in the shop he has a life time of experience and skills you can learn from

 

I've been licenced auto/truck mechanic (TECHNICIAN as we're called now....Political correctness) since 1987 and was doing it long before that.
I was like you. It was fun to do as a hobby at your own leisure.
It changes your attitude when you have to do it as a job.
JohnCA58 nailed it on the head when he said you being "no GOOD" until they want ya for free.
There's alot of good honest people out there and then there's those who take advantage of your knowledge and talents.
The vehicles are nothing like they used to be. (HE**... I'm telling you the same thing to that I was told when I wanted to get into it)
They're compacted together like sardines (trucks too now) and you have to be a Chinese contortionist to work on them. The manufacturers do not have the mechanic/repairs in mind when they design them. It's long greasy dirty hours and no respect from the public for what ya do or know. A doctor BURY's his mistakes, we pay for them forever. Vehicles change constantly and we have to stay up on current changes. The human body hasn't changed in thousands of years and doctors STILL can't figure it out, but they get respect and excellent wages.
I would have done things alot different if I knew then what I know now. I do enjoy what I do, but definately not worth the pay you receive. I would suggest learning it, and doing it for yourself at YOUR LEISURE. Take up something else as a trade that's not dirty, greasy, long hours and lousy wages.

That's just my opinion but ultimately...... It's YOUR choice.
best of luck in whatever you decide.

 

After wrenching on diesels for forty years my only advice to you is to stick to the big rigs and heavy equipment.
The engines shoehorned into the tight space under an automotive hood can be no fun. An engine out in the open is a pleasure.

 

LOL just stick with Heavy Equipment , every big rig engine is shoehorned in now with all the aerodynamic cabs and half in engine bay half in the cab engine layouts , very few long nose conventional trucks out there anymore , honestly if I knew what I know now before , I would have gotten into the mechanical engineering with a nice cool office.

 

I have been wrenching Diesels for almost 10 years now full time, I have never been out of work. There is a big demand for mechanics up hear right now! Stick with the bigger stuff no smaller than Med.duty trucks, It is hard work at times but it is interesting and always a challange some times more than you want it to be. I wrench little Cummins motors for fun after workand repair Dodge trucks on the side. I recommend working at a dealer to start out you will get to see all sorts of problems and learn a lot. Good luck

 

JohnCa58.. not to pick on y'all here is the rest of the story. ( from the other side of the wall as they say)
I just had to pitch in on this.....re mechanical engineering.
Engineering is great if you don't mind the occasional lay off. This time it was 2 years. My list of favors and chits is so long I'll probably never be able to pay them off. Sometimes I think people actually like engineers.....or maybe they feel sorry for them. I have to keep laughing or I'll go insane.

I really recommend the schooling be it truck school, machine trades or engineering. You can't have enough. Whether one profession is better than the other is only in the "doer".

Now for the nice cool office......LOL the eng mgr breathing down your neck to finish the job that he sat on untill all of the lead time was used up, changing the rules when you are almost done with the project, now wants it done tomorrow (Sat) Your day off to play with your truck...after you have already put in 60 hours.

Forgot about the grease spot on the front of the Bottany 500 coat, and the coolant spray on the leg of the nice gray cashmir pants. How about the Lithium grease on the cuff of the Arrow custom fitted shirt. Best of all the nice dark maroon mother of silk "power" tie that got dipped in EDM machine oil. Blue jeans and tee shirts now.

I love all the guys in the shop and enjoy digging in with them. I can't tell about the times my skin was saved by on the ball guys out there. I have great respect for any hard worker from the bottom to the top.

lowly eng.

 

Hello Wings , LOL since I do lot of special projects... I work with engineers all the time. some project last long time and other short time like a week. most of them are great to work with and very few are not, but that exits in every profession.

 

I have never meet a smart engineer yet! They seem to have no clue and everything is a after thought. They Should be mechanics 1st before they become engineers

 

Sometimes it seems like the more education a person gets the less common sense they keep.

 

Hey there, I have always wanted to be a an engineer after high school, I am going into Grade 12 this year. After that , I am thinking about taking a year off and driving truck, long hauls, since I dont have a family or whatnot to take care of at home, and make some good money. After That I would like to go through University for Engineering, preferably mechanical, the only thing is, this question is for you Wings, what exactly do you do? I cant get a straight answer to as to what a mechanical engineer does besides design parts, since it is such a broad field. I really like coming up with stuff in the shop and putting it together, but I really dont want to be stuck in an office all day at a computer designing a cupholder for the newest hyundai . So would a mechanical engineer be a good field to get into, or is there another type of engineer or profession I should look at.
If the engineering bit doesnt work out, I would really like to be a motorcycle mechanic or diesel mechanic. And then eventually open up a shop of my own for motorcycle restorations, and mabye dip into car and truck restorations a bit, but hopefully stick with motorcycle. Anyways, just some more questions for you guys, like always lol. Thanks

-Jared

 

I've a BSME.... graduated in '88;

The field is WAY different now than it was back then, but a lot remains the same:
1) ME's can fit into / adapt to almost any field - any decent school will give you a solid enough background and foundation for logical problem solution to excel in just about any engineering environment.
2) The career choices for an ME are wide - you can find work in a large firm where you sit on your buttocks and draft all day, you can find a job where you do design / manufacturing, you can find a place where you can actually build / test / implement your designs in virtually any industry....

- I say Go For It! - no matter where you end up, the ME background will do you good -

Rauschbo

 

Boeing Aircraft paid my friend's son way though engineering school if he signed an agreement to work for them for four years minimum. He's been working for Boeing now for a couple years and loves it even though it's not too exciting. He designs and sources out the components for airliner galleys, seems every airline wants a different kitchen in their planes. Mostly computer work.

Mechanical engineering is a far ranging field, everything from a space shuttle to a ball point pen.