WOW You guys are starting to scare me when you say "stay away".... I have heard this from so many diesel techs its not even funny. I'm just getting started with my career and so far i have learned to stay away, back problems and a mid life career change is probably on the horizon.

Fantastic... I'm pumped to hate to even service my own truck later in life LOL.

 

I too believe it can be a risky trade but I also believe it to be as bad as the technician himself makes it out to be. There are so many variations for a diesel technician now that isn't even funny. If you look at alot of big rig shops for example... you basically have one fella running from truck to truck diagnosing for another fella to fix and that's all he does. He's specialized. There's also so many new tools to prevent on-the-job problems that it isn't even funny. Personally I believe your future depends on how smart and educated you want to be. If you aim for the right spot or position I see little to no problem. Just take enjoy whatever it is you do and aim high.

Mike

 

I went to a local junior college here in so IL for 2 years and got an associates degree.I switched jobs some but i started out making6.50 an hour and no benefits to making 21.30 an hour and full benefits.I went to heavy equipment because that is where the money is in my area.Its a good profession if you don't mind long hours and getting a little dirty.

 

Nashville Auto/Diesel College in.......well, Nashville. Worked for Cat for 5 years, started at 7.50 when I left 1st time 10.50. Came back and started at 16.50, left at the same. Most I ever made was as a cadillac tech, 22.55 or something. Flatrate stinks and out of my 20 years of experience, 16 years are on heavy equipment, diesel trucks.

As far as run away. Well stay away from flatrate, we change a letter and call it something else but I won't say, but it has something to do with the second "t". Working on the diesels is about working smarter, not harder and in doing that at 36 my back only hurts because of this horrible mattress we have. I have all my fingers, toes and limbs. Both eyes, hearing is still good. I just don't go out of my way to try and pick up major heavy stuff. That's why they make over head hoists, forklifts, cherry pickers I am not hurting myself to make anybody a buck. I have stuck to that and has worked well. Now I am with a large rental company, they have given me a nice truck to load my tools on and I drive around repairing their equipment.

It's nice for me because I was never much of a shop guy. Nice spring and fall days trapped inside a noisy building, yuk. Summer is gonna be hot and winter was cold. I learned a lot about layering clothing, got a good set of boots and generally stayed warm all winter with no complaints. Now it's time for the good season then onto summer. I'm happy and making almost $18 an hour with overtime and do a bunch of money making just driving around listening to the radio going from jobsite to jobsite.

 

lincoln tech indianapolis indiana diesel truck service management still in training

 

Neat - my dad flew for Eastern for decades before they folded.
The first thing we learned to mechanic on was the aircraft...

Wouldn't it work better to lay on the bed?

 

I went to school at Vincennes University in Vincennes Indiana for a two year program. I graduated with an associates degree in diesel tech. I started out working on trucks in high school before going to college. At first it was just part time greasing and doing PM's on dump trucks, that paid me $8.50 an hour. After college I got a job working for a fuel and oil company as a mechanic for their transport fleet. Working on gas trucks can be dangerous. The hours at that company were long and very irregular, at least 50hrs+ a week. The pay was $13.00 an hour. Got another job again working on dump trucks, The work wasn't as dangerous as working on fuel trucks. My hours were steady at 40 per week at $15.00 per hour. Now I work as a Diesel Locomotive Machinist for a railroad. The current rate for us is $21.67 an hour for a 40 hour work week. I also am on day shift. My current job is a union job too, my other ones weren't. And from experience locomotives are alot easier to work on mechanically than a semi is.