What is expected of a field service mechanic. Dealer or private.
problem solver.
Answer cell phone & get details on problem and directions to the job site . Show up & repair equipment as needed. Thank the customer for calling as you hand them the invoice . That's the short answer..
Fix everything that can be fixed in the dirt haha And keep **** movin
i'm a field mechanic for a private construction company. my duties consist of diagnosing and repairing equipment, trucks, trailers, and company pickups. I do all the parts ordering, some parts running, listening to operator complaints, helping the lowbed driver, welding, a/c work, maintenance records, delivering bad news to my employer,haul culverts to the jobsite etc, and THEN if I get all that done I do some work for ranchers and other outfits through my employer. Are you looking into taking a job?
MikeL, thanks but I don't need a job, maybe a shrink !!! I was looking to see how the outside world operates, keep them coming.
My list of expectations of a field mechanic 1. Troubleshooter - this is what separates the best from the good - effective and efficient troubleshooting 2. Ability to repair or get equipment going without the right parts or tooling if required 3. Well rounded and know a little of all systems (eg engines, hydraulics, powertrain, electrical) 4. Someone with people skills to interact with the customers and ability to present themselves professionally
That's real accurate right there. Kinda like a field medic...
mind reader and seatcover interpreter
Able to act confident and reassuring even when tackling something they've never been into before. Lol. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
What should a field tech make these days?
That's a loaded question. Anywhere from 20 to 150 dollars an hour depending on your circumstances.
For a major dealership?
Can he get it up and running, or drive back and forth to the parts store for another shot at it.
I think he's including company men and independents. I worked for $16 an hour at my last real "job" about 6 yrs ago. Been on my own since then and my rate is $90 an hr. Obviously that's not what I take home at the end of the day but for arguments sake people would say I make $90/hr. With some specialized tooling for specific jobs $125/hr or more is easily within reach. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
The last place I was at 2 years ago, I was gettin 22$/hr
$18-$35/hr depending on location and experience. I made $25 as a Level 5 journeyman field tech in 2006 when I left the dealership. Doing better now in the private sector.
In Alberta an "aprentice" green hand no tools starts at 20 an hr. A journeyman makes 45-60 an hour. If you're looking to do field work for the money you will be dissapointed. A good field mechanic does what ever it takes to fix the clients problem quickly and efficiently. Always make sure the client is happy with the work you are doing. Your building your reputation with every job you do, good or bad.
Wrenchweld, yes I do agree, anyone wanting to do it just for the money won't last. We love the field work, dealing with ungrateful customers just gets old sometimes. :deadhorse
You won't last in this occupation doing it for the money, this applies to any occupation. When I was an equipment manager I told my mechanics that they had equivalent responsibilities to any superintendent on the job. They were the ones with the books to reference (plans) they were in charge of measuring stuff themselves (no grade checker) they had more tools on their truck than all the rest of the job put together, they determined scenarios for repairing (not an estimator) they purchased lots of there own parts (not a purchaser) they had class A cdl's with hazmat endorsement not many professional truck drivers coming or going had that! One that gets me is you never see a laborer or operator by themselves always at least two, how dare I consider apprentices helping older mechanics in the field "do you know how much that will cost". I can't think of much a field mechanic isn't expected to do????TIO
Sounds like where I work. Laborers are changing idlers on a conveyor so two of them come in the shop to get a box of maybe a dozen 1 1/2 by 1/2 bolts nuts and washers Now when the bucket for the Komatsu WA600 is sitting out side and needs to come in the shop and be installed, where is anyone? Don't think anyone even noticed that it came inside and was put on single handed. Bosses say if you need an hand just let someone know. Well when it takes fifteen minutes to find a boss to ask then maybe 1/2 an hour waiting for someone to show up who then acts like they are going to contract lepersy if they get their hands dirty why bother? I'd rather take five minutes thinking a job over and come up with a safe way to do it myself. Too often when you do get a helper he is too eager to grab a big hammer to make something fit. Back when I did have a second mechanic who worked with me full time when it came time to do a job like installing a large bucket we would wait till everyone was gone. Then I'd have him run the controls and I'd install the pins. I knew I could trust him to follow my directions and I would not have to worry about loosing any fingers. Very seldom would I need anything more than a large dead blow hammer. If I asked for help these days first thing someone would want to do is get the 10lb sledge!:Banghead
My friend was a field mechanic for Lane Construction on a section of Rt. 17 in Rockland County NY, he was putting new bottoms on D8's, by himself. He asked the Master Mechanic, John Feeney for some help aligning the new chains on the roller frame, Feeney walks over to a manhole being laid up by three laborers and asks "how many of youse is in there?" the forman replies "three" Feeney says "OK, half of you come with me." Jim finished putting the tracks on himself...
When I started it was common practice to move equipment in need of repair outside the right of way. Why? That way they didn't have to pay certified payroll to the mechanics! That was encouraging, not. One day an operator was directed to move his scraper outside of the stakes, he literally drove down a small fill into the brush so we could work on it there. It took a couple years but this practice finally ceased, mechanics were paid certified payroll anytime they were working on something at the job. What else is expected of field mechanics? How about, weekends, nights, holidays, but god forbid overtime! Time off nope when the season is over and everyone else is on unemployment the mechanics get to fix all the broken stuff from the previous season. 17 years and not once have i collected unemployment! at least as an owner I don't pay into it now....TIO
TIO, I used to get a fair amount of work from 1 Company that credit to them used to treat me like Dirt (smelly Dirt) well they used to pay, not much but there was never any problems, but their jobs were always high pressure jobs that would take from Friday night to Monday a.m. to just about get done, it was the common thought that the Plant Manager had a draw stuffed full of wrecked up Weekends and Bank Holidays, when I think about the amount of work I did for that Co' and the few coins they coughed up, I think I was Financing them. tctractors
Every decent field mechanic is an independent businessman. A dealer field wrench only needs a dispatcher and a place to deposit time sheets. An independent wrench gets to do that and all the stuff that goes with a business and handling the government. Both have to be motivated to see a job through and capable of independent thought. A good wrench might make a call to someone else for technical details but never needs nor wants anyone else to come in and tell them how to get the job done. We generally don't play well with others!
They were doing that to us on the Seatac Airport 3rd runway fill. They had a laydown yard off Port property so we didn't get prevailing. Eventually they got caught and I got a nice check in the mail.
Ill second that one
I hate that. Makes you feel like the grim reaper.
I agree totally!!! the older I get the worse it gets to
He must cringe when he see's my number on the phone! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Oh yes my bosses first words whenever I call him are generally "what now? And how much?" Lol. I definitely don't enjoy working close go others. if I want human interaction ill turn the radio on in the truck ! As to what all I do as for work..I've been asked to look at the ice machine.the copier in the office the bosses kids four wheeler . etc etc ....even have to rewire the steam cleaner when it burnt up!
it is in your contract in the fine print at the very bottom that says "and other duties as assigned" I don't have that contract anymore but a past boss had that at the bottom of the paperwork you signed when everyone there started so read carefully!!!! I can LMAO bout that now but not funny at the time!!!!
Don't forget moving iron with the lowboy and hauling scrap metal off the demo jobs because "We can't spare any truck drivers, they're too important" oh and by the way, nobody gets a paycheck today unless you can fix the office computers again! Same outfit used to give me grief if I was 15 minutes late in the morning, in spite of the fact my time card showed me working past midnight the previous day!
Or help the boss put the owners dock out. Or we got a big pile of asphalt sealer we can't use...y don't u round up a couple yard rats and seal the owners driveway. Hate to waste it
I had to take my service truck out to the owners house to torch off a basketball hoop and tune up his lawn tractor. But hey, I get paid the same no matter what I'm doing. Today I worked on putting together a deal to purchase $600k in new equip. They point, I go.
Gee! I thought that just happened where I work. Two guys walk in shop and go to bolt bins and get a dozen 1/2 X 1 1/2 bolts and nuts! Need to bring in a bucket for a six yard machine and install it on loader? No one to be seen. As I just turned 64 and have been making it clear for at least a year that I only plan on staying on this job for one or two years do you think they are looking into finding someone to learn the ropes around here? Probably be like another plant in the company when a mechanic retired with lots of advance notice. Story I heard was they ran out of fuel oil for the equipment, seems the guy who retired was in charge of ordering the fuel when needed, he was gone and no one thought about who was taking over that job.
Tire changer flat fixer lately
Good field mechanics are not paid enough or appreciated