This is a long personal wine, all about me. Probably shouldn’t even post it. so if you’re not into reading these, fair warning. I fired my helper in November due to an attitude problem. I wrote my boss a letter outlining what I’m facing with repairs before the busy season, and the fact I’m having a minor meltdown. We haven’t slowed down that much this winter. I told him to talk to me. That was over a week ago. He’s gotten to a point where he’s dropping the ball and leaving people hanging. Half the lights in the shop are burnt out and he wants me to use his 20' step ladder which I've been asking him for for 6 weeks. I have to open the doors just to see anything. We have 14 excavators, 3 new Kubota skid steers and one old Tomas. 2 riding rollers and 2 old walk behind rollers. A backhoe that I had to remove the broken front axle and haven’t time to do anything with. 6 Kenworths and pup trailers which get beaten to heck because we haul rock. 4 plate compacters, chopsaws, 2 jumping jacks, an old 450g dozer. 4 Dodge ram pickups and a Chevy ½ ton that needs and oil pump. A 15-year-old Hino As well as my service truck. 4 of our excavators are getting old and I’ve recently had to replace 4 bolt flange fitting hoses on the valve bank, the ones where you have to take off the back panel, hang upside down and feel for the bolts which are always over-tightened. Soon I’ll be taking the track adjuster out of one of the Hitachi’s and running it up to be rebuilt. I have 3 rock grapples to rebuild. Re-bush them, cut the frogs out and new shanks. 2 digging buckets need the same. Yesterday I pulled the travel control on our 30-year-old Bomag roller. PITA. Turns out it’s a valve in the pump. My boss wanted me to pull the pump and take it in to save money. I can’t rebuild it and wonder if parts are available anyway. I had to tell him I just don’t have time. I’m busy stocking the shop with parts and supplies and barely have time to keep it clean. A dirty shop drives me nuts. I’m on the phone constantly. I asked for a set of tools for the shop which I haven’t seen yet. I have to pack up my tools when I get a service call if I’m working on something in the shop. I go out several times a week and that usually takes about 2 hours out of my day just in travel time. Well that’s about it. I thinking of applying at Boeing so all I have to do is drill holes all day long. I’m tired of losing sleep. If anyone knows a good mechanic in Snohomish country let me know. It’s really a great place to work with a nice heated shop and a good Service truck. The bosses, besides their faults, are really good people to work for. Thanks for listening if you did, Rob
Rob, I feel your pain. Seriously. I worked for that same outfit, except in Portland in the late eighties. The problem is, most mechanics, like you, have two failings: we don't know how to say no, and we try to fix everything, that's what we do. From the boss'es point of view, when you find a horse you ride it. Sadly, they don't ever recognize the breaking point. With machines they expect that when it breaks you just slap some part on it and run it some more. They see mechanics the same way. I remember at one point my helper and myself were putting in 60 to 80 hour weeks and not keeping up. When I went to the owner and broached the subject, without the slightest mention of money, his response was "I can't give you a raise right now you're working too many hours". Huh? I finally went to the "office manager" and had her run a "what if" spreadsheet which she took to the owner, showing him that what he was paying the two of us for our overtime would more than pay for another worker. We hired an oiler/mechanic the next week. Same outfit, at one point the owner was in the shop with me going over invoices and he said in total seriousness "Don, this shop never made me a dime, it's just a drain on the company." I told him he might as well stop buying diesel because it amounted to the same thing. Listen, good wrenches that have the ability and flexibility to work on just about anything are rare and highly sought after, you need to look around and see what's available out there, if only to reinforce your confidence when you see what you're worth and how other companies compare to where you're working now. Your first loyalty should always be to yourself and your family if you have one, it's business and you're selling yourself to someone an hour at a time, might as well get top dollar and good benefits with the least stress. :my2c
I listened. I think we all get overwhelmed at some point, maybe your boss is, too. Maybe you need to sit down with him when there's nothing going on, (I know, easy for me to say, right?), maybe at 6:30, am or pm, when nobody's around, and tell him exactly what you're telling us. A letter is good, if he doesn't keep putting off reading it. Catch him by the arm when he goes by, and tell him you need an appointment, maybe to buy him a beer after work. I know from chatting with you that you like that job, and he doesn't want to lose you. If you did go drill the same hole over and over, all day long, you'd lose your mind. You're a mechanic, not an assembly line worker. Finding good help, either your helper or your replacement, is tough. Looking for a helper, I'd be inclined to take somebody with a good attitude, and some sense, and teach him that whole "righty tighty, lefty loosey" thing. Keep plugging at it, it'll get better; or worse, Mitch On edit: I think me and Lanway oughta get us a storefront and setup a counseling business, he typed while I was typing and said the stuff I left out!
I'd could repeat just about the same things as lantraxco and mitch504 have said. I know I took a big burn at the way one guy in upper management looked down his nose at the shop where I worked when he called it a "cost center" compared to the rest of the quarry as a "profit center". I know in some technical terms that is true as the work done in the shop did not bring in outside cash where every time a truck pulled off the scales and out the gate that was money coming in to the company. In my mind if the loaders, crushers, speed-reducers and haul truck are not running there is no stone getting in the back of the customers truck! Another time we had a guy from upper management stop by the quarry and he actually took time to talk to some of the hourly workers. At that time Norm and I were the two mechanics doing the repairs and maintenance, mostly on the mobile equipment, for the quarry. This guy asked how many people we had doing this maintenance and we told him "Us two are it!" and he responded that or a plant the size of ours he would expect maybe four people. Thing is about a year later Norm took a transfer to another quarry closer to his home. So now in place of two people we were down to one. Same amount of equipment with half the number of mechanics that was already half what that guy felt we should have. Apparently he did not have the power or desire to explain this to anyone in power. I can also relate in part to the problem with tools. Years ago we had a service truck and I had my tools in the truck and worked out of the truck. But then the truck was transferred, "temporarily" to another part of the company for a project they had to do. Well fifteen years later I still never saw it come back. Now when I had to go out to work at another quarry in the area I had to pile what tools I thought I might need in boxes or tool pouches. If I found out I needed some little piece of hardware once there I had to spend lots of time searching for something like a 3/8-16 nut. The service truck had a good selection of those kinds of things. For a short time I did have a guy who was suppose to be my "helper". But I think he asked to be transferred to another area after I gave him a firm talking to one day. Seems I was working in the cab of a Mack truck trying to figure out the reason for the truck to fail to crank over intermittently, looking for loose wires and such inside the dash. Well as I got out of the cab at one point he comes sliding out from under the truck. When asked what he was doing under there he says: "Just checking the free play on the throw-out bearing." I had visions of his hands being up inside the clutch area while I was working the starter switch. I did not yell or throw anything at him but made it clear that was not something I ever wanted to have him or anyone else doing. Not sure if all my rambling on is helping Rob. About the only thing I can add is to try to have a serious talk with powers that be, if they will listen, explain in calm evne way the problems you are dealing with and see if they can offer you any help. Way too many times where I worked I had the feeling that management thought anytime an employee had a complaint it was because the workers just did not want to do their jobs. In reality 98% of the time they were asking to be "allowed" to do something that would either save the company money or reduce waste which in itself would make more money for the company! Just like you needing to open doors to get enough light to work. Just getting someone to empty the trash cans and sweep the floor would save you time that could be better used diagnosing a pump problem. Good luck!
Hi Rob, The real problem is that you are caring too much about whether the company makes money. It isn't your responsibility to keep up. There are only so many hours and as lantraxco says "your first responsibility is to you and your family." It's the owner's responsibility and if they can't figure it out they will go broke. All the symptoms your are speaking of are typical of a company circling the drain. That might mean you are looking somewhere else but it sounds like you should be somewhere else anyway. I never looked down my nose at anyone working for the "Lazy B". They earn a pretty good living not getting all messed up, having lots of bennies and even time for a home life. If it is a possibility you need to look at it hard.
I really appreciate ALL your replies. Thanks Like you guys, I take pride in my work. I take care of the equipment like it's mine. If I keep up on maintenance and catch things early, there's less major issues and I'm that much farther ahead. That just isn't happening now. Like lantraxco said, I think I need to learn to say "no". Thanks again.
As a business owner, I can tell you that there is a huge difference between being really busy and making money. One of the worst situations a business can be in is facing a mountain of work with no money to carry you through it. It sounds crazy, but sometimes you have to turn down work because you're broke. It's possible your company is in this situation. They're spreading everyone a thin as possible to get over some kind of hump. It can't go on forever. But, there may still be a light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes in life, **** just doesn't get done. Nobody likes it, but we can only do so much.
Sounds like you need a vacation. If the boss won't have a meaningful discussion with you drop a note on his voice mail that you are going on vacation on such and such a day and returning on whatever day. Then make sure you don't answer a phone while gone. He will probably quickly figure out your worth when you are not there to bail them out or you will know where you stand. Owners are normally busy with other issues and are inclined to let things slide if you don't wake them up occasionally.
Spot on, although I prefer to use email, that way both of us "have it in writing" as it were. And to add to old iron's advice, when you do go on vacation, and the boss has to hire an outside shop at XXX.XX amount of dollars per hr, plus mileage, plus eviro fees, plus shop supplies, plus (add whatever comes to mind) to make the same repairs that he normally pays you XX.XX dollars/hr for, kinda helps put things in perspective.
Big or small, they all do it. We as mechanics try to fill the needs of everybody but ourselves. We are fixers. That is what we do. I was doing the same. 75-80+ hours a week. I'd get in at 5, work till 7:30 to 8 and still fell like i was behind. I'd wake up at 2 and think about all the work i needed to get done. some days I was in at 3:30 just trying to keep up. I ran two service departments for two different divisions and to top it off, on two different computer systems. And i was still in a field service truck! The boss was always on my butt as it seemed I never actually was working anymore! Supposed to be an 20/80 split for office and floor time. Turns out it was 99/1 percent. The one was when i strolled through the shop to got to the bathroom and check on my guys. I left cooperate for a smaller private company. I had thought about that for years. My new boss called me out of the blue and offered more pay, and new f350, and great benefits. I am salary plus bonus' now. Most days I ride around looking for something for my 9 mechanics to stay busy on. After I left, they brought in 4 guys to cover me and my guys all still call me for advice on machine repairs. The morale of the story is talk to your boss. Tell him you are happy to be there but,let him know what you are facing. The vacation thing is a very good idea. Good luck.
Spot on!
OR... If your THAT FED-UP.. tell him you need off next Monday.. don't tell him what for, unless he asks.. tell him, for a job interview.. THAT will get his attention DAM QUICK.. and if he doesn't talk to you then... THEN.. take a 3 day weekend.. and relax.
Very good advice from these two! The main problem with where I worked was my boss was not the owner, just another link in the chain of command of the company. My boss fully appreciated the guys efforts but was being micro-managed by his boss who in turn was micro-managed by people higher up the chain. We had and they still do have some great people working there and if someone could just learn to loosen the reins on them they could win just about every race. Agree very much on the idea of telling the boss you need time off and doing it in some way that you have proof of what you are telling him about your situation. Don't know what the possibilities for advancement at The Big B might be but that might be an idea to get your foot in the door. I know my first wife started at a medical instrument company just up the road and spent a couple years sitting at a bench silver soldering parts for laryngoscopes, look it up in Google, and would wake up in the middle of the night sitting on the side of the bed "sleep soldering"! She kept her eyes open and finally got moved to incoming inspection then to supervisor in inspection and finally she was working with the engineers who were designing the next new products. Funny thing is she had to teach more than one engineer how to read a micrometer!
Funny thing about vacations around this area of the country. Your gone and nothing gets done so you are just further behind when you come back. The boss still won't talk about improvements and is aggravated that so much stuff doesn't work. Work the best that you can with what you have. When issues come up that overwhelm you, tell the boss he has to prioritize what comes first. Don't make those decisions for them and don't overwork yourself making up for their stupidity.
I have seen this situation unroll many times with full time staff, that's why I have been self employed for about 40 years, as I like to move about do the job needed and move on, then the Company can see the task moving forward and finished, you get the coins and respect due for your effort put in, the bonus is they don't get the chance to abuse your loyalty, the loyalty thing is what allows you to end up Beaten and frustrated, most Company's struggle to understand this Loyalty value and will never change, I would gather up my kit and look for a better setting, this might be hard with a young family but I have to find a new job near every day, you need to be happy within your working life and not stressed about something that you are getting no help with, no 1 gets on my back as I always manage to keep things moving forward and avoid getting lots of jobs half done, I usually only get paid for the job on completion. you are totally unhappy as things are, It's time to gather up your coins and look about Rob. tctractors
I agree TCT. I was in about the same situation as the OP. Not necessarily over-worked but my boss would cut my throat (or anyone's) to give himself 5 minutes of glory with the owner. I got along well with the owner but his eyes were glazed over when it came to his right hand man. I got paid very well and things weren't terrible but I was very unhappy and spiraling downward. I've been playing with construction equipment for 20 years on a part-time basis and was the design engineer as well as project coordinator for many multi-million projects. I had some long term investments that were starting to make some returns so I jumped into self-employment full-time. I work more hours but enjoy almost all of them. My boss is a **** but I've learned to deal with him. I've had some sketchy times but it's going well and the future is bright. I've made a few huge changes in my lifestyle over the years. They were always well thought out and planned. Each one has been a big plus in my happiness. My point in all of this is you have to be happy. Explain it to your boss but be prepared for a line of BS, a pep talk, or him blaming you for his faults. If you're happy, you'll be more healthy. Your family and friends will be happier and your quality of life will increase dramatically. Good luck.
Gotta be happy. Yep, or at least get some personal satisfaction out of your job. When I left that construction outfit we had grown from a handful of machines to thirty plus, a dozen trucks, about twenty light vehicles, dozens of light tools and attachments, and we still had just me in the shop, one mechanic in a service truck and one oiler. The boss was angry I wasn't keeping up and kissing everybody's ass in the field, pipelayers, dirt foremen, operators. I gave him both barrels, I'd had a belly full. He said "You have a bad attitude!" I sighed and told him I hadn't come there with it. End of conversation.
That says everything. We give what we get. To RobVG: If you care about what you do, you have to work for your self. Or, if you keep working for the people you are working for, you have to stop caring about what you do. (It was a tough lesson for me to learn; put your own life first. They wont do anything for you when it matters...) You have to make your self happy and satisfied; they won't do that for you. (I'm sorry to say that to you.)
Sometimes you have to remind certain people why there's wheel's on the bottom of a tool box. I was looking for a job when I found this one. Truck Shop
Its not un-common in the U.K. that on your first day in a new job to write out your Notice Slip and pin it inside the toolbox lid ready, as at some time its handy ready to drop in the hand of the Boss. Rob, I would be gathering up my kit and shifting it home as it sounds like you are all done with this outfit, don't forget if Work was any good the Rich would have the Lot, the Rich don't want it as it wrecks up the week. tctractors
Well said
Oh man I am anxious just reading about your situation. Before I went out on my own I was mean at home and at work, drank to much ate to much (got fat) and was generally miserable. It does sound like this company is circling the drain which happens a lot in construction. I know personally in Oregon and Washington most construction has little or no profit. Go independent if you have any desire for that it's the best thing ever , imho. There are endless opportunities fora good mechanic. Good luck....TIO
True.
Had a talk with the owners today. They say they're on board. To start, one of the laborers is a cert welder. (I don't know why he isn't welding instead of running a shovel.) He's going to help with the buckets and other projects. I told them I need a mechanic, someone I don't have to hover over and check their work constantly. They said they'd look for someone. Relating Don's experience helped. I think the company is doing ok. They bought over $200,000 worth of equipment at the end of the year. So far, I feel like a big weight has been lifted. We'll see what happens. Thanks for all the replies. Rob
Sounds like growing pains... hope it works out, might be a good outfit to grow with!
Nice to hear progress. Now you have to monitor performance.
Out of the fire, and into the pan... ;-> Rob, best wishes and good work!
Best wishes, I think we have all been there. Just in case for anyone ,Tri-Met in portland is looking hard for guys like us. Apprenticeship program for some like us without a formal degree. I talked to there recruiter over lunch at a brewpub and when I said diesel mechanic he perked right up. Says they need mechanics not technicians. I almost kissed him, well not really but... I hate trucks and busses but hey, sometimes things gotta change.
Are you getting that vacation? You are still going to need one. And more at proper intervals. As one whom worked 3000 hours a year to many times in a row I can tell you, "don't let life slip completely by with out living".
Truer words have never been spoken. Money comes and goes. We all are limited on time. Be sure to get your money's worth.
A wise man once said.. "If you've lived your life with no regrets, than you haven't lived at all"..
Hang-in there Rob. I don't want to minimize your levels of stress. Some days can be utterly crazy and make absolutely no sense. There comes a point where I think we are overwhelmed with many things and we over-react. Don't over-react, if you can help it. If you want to leave, have an exit plan, and do not quit your current job until you secure another one. If you want to try to stay, just step back, if you can for a moment, and try to recognize it for what it is. Don't let the stress of the job get the better of you. Venting is important, to a point, but you're in it for the long run, not the short term, so don't let where ever you are burn you out. Work like a white man, no more and no less and just be honest with yourself - there are only so many hours in a day and we can only work so hard. I know that is not something you may want to hear and that reality can be much different that platitudes. But with your outlook and mindset, I believe that you will do well where ever you work. Good luck.
Time for an update. I got a helper. He's a cert welder with a lot of potential. 28 year-old Iraqi Vet. A natural. First day on the job after I left he replace the return line on one of our Accert cats, KW T800. It's not an easy job. He worked until 9:00 oclock and figured out by himself how to prime it. I've decided to make him the welder. We have a Hino and I'll put the welder in there. I have 'really' mixed emotions. I have been the welder/fabricator for almost 13 years. It's hard to give it up. I'm proud of all the welding I've done. It's going to be hard to see my service truck w/o the Lincoln and the bottles. Anyway, he hit the ground running. I feel much better about my Job. Even got a small raise without asking...
I started off in a truck shop for a couple years, big construction company, I was hired to push a broom and wipe stuff down, I did all that and was found to be handy as a wrench fetcher, extra hand in testing and even had some fantastic ideas now and again. Maybe you need someone as a broom and rag operator and teach them they way you want them to be taught.
Robvg , What? Pull the welder and bottles off your service truck? Only if putting new ones on! This company must be able to spend $6,000 on a new welder and torch set ? Without even understanding your exact situation I can tell you that without those tools in your truck will cost them more than $6,000 in a year. That's like hiring another equipment operator and not having an additional machine for them! Anyways glad things are looking up, someone to discuss things with by itself will help. The best part of my job now and when I was on payroll was teaching someone that wanted to learn. The worst was when you had the operator there of the broken machine you were working on to help and they wined the entire time about how the machine was a piece of **** and they aren't the mechanic, on and on. Wow didn't see that rant coming!!!! TIO
Uh... yeeeaaaahh.... better give that a minute's thought. You'll fer sure need the torch, and at least a Trailblazer or such like for on the spot repairs. It's a small investment to be able to work on two things at once. Growing pains.
I could fully understand the part of teaching someone who wanted to learn, might even help you with a fresh outlook on some problem. Worst part is when you have to work with someone who is always saying:"That's not how we did it at so and so's shop." My exwife had some people working under her who would always say things like that. She finally said to at least one: "Well maybe you should go back there if they are so much better!" And I'm sure you know why the machine is a piece of ****, 90% of the time it is from operator abuse in cases like that!
Well, here's the deal: My job is to save them money where I can. The new kid can handle the welding. I can't justify buying a new welder just because my service truck is going to look naked. I'll put the shop bottles in the truck for cutting.
RobVG, I had your job once, and I know about saving money being a big part of it. Now don't be offended but I think you will find in short order that the two of you will often be in different places doing different things and need each other's equipment to be efficient. There's never an end to needing and buying tools and service equipment and at the end of the year the most expensive item in the maintenance and repair department is always labor. By all means do what you think is best, just keep an open mind and remember anywhere you can save an hour of employee time you're ahead of the game. Good luck!
I feel your pain. Ive got 4 excavators 4 963 loders 2 rubber tirer loders 3 scrapers 4 dress up dozers d4 d8 2 off road dumps 3 tandum dumps 2 road tactors with trailers 8 crew trucks probably some stuff I missed. Its just me most days one other guy who seems to miss two days week my boss who also transport equipment. Most days it seems like an endless struggle to keep up. Between having something broke down in the shop two outside the shop having to stop pick up my tools going out on service calls. Seems like you just spen your wheels most days
Give him the set Rob,,, make him happy, at least you got some help. I bet you appreciate any kind of help right about now. Wanna Beer?
Whiskey gramps, drinkin whiskey....
I don't know how you do it Chris. I hope you're in your 20's
Lol im in my early 30s. Spent time in the army. So im too bullheaded not to
Well it's been over 32 years since I was in my early 30's!
+1.
I remember a guy like that. He worked on the great Alaskan pipeline, his line was "that's not how we did it in the north slope". 15 years later I came across a loader operator and same thing at least once a a day you heard "north slope" from his mouth. I must admit I use other customers situations to answer customers questions and problems saying things like "company X would do it like that/this". Important thing is everyone is in this together and good attitudes are always welcome bad attitudes need to leave me alone!!!!! TIO
I'm behind you, but I can see your taillights dammit
And I can your taillights
Could you dim your headlights please. They are in bright in my mirrors.
I'm sure he would like to...but I don't know if he's figured out the dimmer switch is no longer on the floorboard.
That must be somebody else OIH, I've been pretty dim all my life, lol
My a** 'dragging makes me short enough that all the lights look bright. LOL
Well the kid's getting a new Ranger GXT 250 and suitcase. life is good....
There ya go! :drinkup
I SURE HOPE its not from a D.I.V.O.R.C.E..?? normally, one comes with the other.. LOL Giv'um hell brother..
Very good news and as it should be. Keep asking for upgrades on everything that makes you more productive until they say no again. From the sounds of all your previous conversations they are feeling a bit fat and happy. Strike while the iron is hot......TIO