Arkansas hiring for Full time Diesel Techs w/ experience in Hydraulics / Pneumatics for a waste management client! hit me up if you are interested.
Tell me more. I recently earned my forklift certification, so there’s that. The judge says I’ll probably get my drivers license back in 6 months. Could I catch a ride with someone, in the meantime? Do garbage trucks stink bad during an Arkansas summer? Sincerely, Coaldust
Where exactly do the rabbits fit into this ? You need a ride ? leaving the Cezzna at home ?
Money has been tight this winter. The poodle got sick and needed surgery. I had to eat the rabbits. Now, The chickens stopped laying once it got to -30F. They better start laying again, or chicken soup.
Dude is really fixated on your bunnies.
They is so cute & fuzzy dey is....
Who doesn’t love bunnies? I was into generation 7 or 8 with my rabbitry and had some undesirable latent genetics showing up. Mainly teeth Malocclusion, probably from my chief satin purebred buck that I started with. I had a few oddball pets that I gave away. A standard Rex, a nice New Zealand/Satin cross mutt and a FG buck. I’m going to regroup this spring and start over. Trying to decide if I want to go with hybrid meat mutts or a purebred line that’s more sustainable in the long run. IDK. Satins, New Zealands, Silver Fox. There is a Silver Fox breeder in Valdez with a good line.
Love it
So tell me what you’re paying
I bet it starts with a 1 and I don’t mean 100k! “Must supply tools, have 5-10 years experience and we pay top rate- $18.75!”
No harbor freight tools or boxes either lol
I'm so tired of jobs mislabeled. Call it what it is A TRUCK MECHANIC, OR A HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC. A Diesel tech is something to do with the engine, not the whole stinking machine. Oh an I would never ever even if I won a huge lotto jack pot, buy a SNAP ON TOOL BOX. That has to be the biggest waste of $ ever. I'd just put a huge Snap crap, sticker on a nice shiney Harbor freight one.
Everybody at my job that buys one winds up in a field service truck Sometimes a couple months later.
Not so bad on the used market. Divorce sale, leaving town, estate sales, damaged boxes and such. But, I use Milwaukee Packout boxes and keep my boots tied tight, in case I gotta bounce.
Paid $1000 for my Snappy box in "87, have warrantied 2 sets of casters and several drawer slides over the years, mainly from lots of rolling around large shops and overloaded drawers. Called 1-800-Snappy last month and got 2 new sets of drawer slides sent to the house no charge for parts or shipping. Try that with a garbage freight box. Just sayin'.
And that box now costs $15-20k and I can buy 20 Hf boxes for the cost but I won’t need to. Both of the cheap boxes I brought have lasted a decade. I put my money into tools instead.
Never understood the 10k tool box, other than the payment sucks. My brother spent more on his box, than I did on my last truck. Of course, he never had a mortgage, got a house given to him, so guess he doesn’t mind the payment. Love seeing used Snap On or Mac boxes on CL or FB for 10k and I just laugh. My first set of boxes were Craftsman and now they are my machining boxes. Replaced with a 600 dollar HF and no complaints and that sucker is loaded up.
My father had a bench top snap on tool box that he bought in the 50s. I think he paid 150 bucks for it new. Could you get a ratchet for 150 now
Ahhhh, the tool mafioso’s are getting riled up!
Guilty. Twice…. Looks nice in the garage at the house though
I always think of how the now the super cheap tools cost more than say a long handle 1/2 drive snappy ratchet ratchet did in 1969, though back then we had a nice warehouse we could buy them at and not pay a tool truck markup. $13. ish back then. Now ? I'd guess 250 or so? They were 100 or so around 1990. We can thank the nice union wages and pensions, and other nice things for that.
I have a snap on box I bought in 99. Used some birthday money and a little savings. I think I paid $2,500 for it? Still use it today. I have two HF boxes bottom, top and cabinet for both. Plum full of stuff. Another HF cart full as well as one of their cheap wood topped roller cabinets. Stuff is divided up based on use, one is all electrical, one drilling/tapping/measuring tools etc. Honestly could use another. My current two are white and blue. Figured I’d buy a red setup and be patriotic. All my tools are a mixture. Most of my bigger wrenches and sockets are off eBay, CL, marketplace etc.
That long handle 1/2 drive ratchet is now $300 for the 18” handle and $330 for the 25” long handle. Now the catch is that as a professional this is one of the few places truly is worth it to spend the money on snap on. The cheaper offerings do not hold up especially flex head ratchets and in the heavy equipment world you will shear the drive square from time to time. Warranty can be a hassle with the cheaper brands and they do lock up as well. I consider a 12”long locking flex head 3/8 ratchet, an 18” 1/2 drive locking flex, and a 25-30” locking flex 1/2 drive to be three critical ratchets for heavy equipment work.
Most of my dad's stuff was snap on or gray. He swore by snap on screwdriver bits. People would say this brand is cheaper and has the same warranty. He said sure. I've never used my snap on warranty but ive broken my Sears ratchet 4 times. It's the same as any trade. I have a good set of Klein linesman pliers i could almost use as bolt cutters. I have cheep plumbing tools home. I used my brother in law's pipe cutter i couldn't believe the difference.
I'd second that; if you are only going to buy one thing on the Snap On truck it should be a ratchet or ten . . .
Maybe the SO screwdrivers were better back in the day but I have been singularly unimpressed by them. The S2 tool steel imported ones are usually better these days. And nothing snap on compares to the old flat blade giant craftsman screwdriver that made a hell of a prybar. I will say their straight cut Allen and Torx sockets (the “gold” ones) are pretty good but imports are fast catching up. My torx and Allens are SO for easy warranty… I always strip torxes like crazy.
I tell our new guys Ratchets, bit sockets, and SOME wrenches are worthwhile otherwise get cheaper. Their wrenches are nice but ridiculous price. Great place to pay $500 for 7 wrenches. I tell them “Here’s a list of great brands take your ass to the flea market and make a set”
I agree with that on the tool boxes. I bought a new cheapest grade MAC soon after I started and it has been good. The tools make you money not the tool box. Put the money in tools. My next one will probably be a Harbor Freight. Milwaukee Packout's are great, I use them for mobile work. I use alot of MAC tools. Not as pricey as Snap On but still pretty good. Get stuff when it is on the sale if you can. Some stuff you're just better off to get the cheaper stuff.
Could be. Im talking 80's early 90s stuff. He started wrenching in the 50s at a Ford dealer. Went on his own in 69. Drank that away by 72. Switched to truck and trailer and died in 2009 semi retired but still wrenching. I still have all his tools. I gave his bench top box to my nephew. But still have his no name stackable.
I spent alot of money on tools before I was married and had a family. I don't regret that and have not sold hardly any of them. Glad I could do that then because I could not now.
I wish i could get some tools warranted . I havent seen a tool truck in a long time and a lot of the places that were selling other tools have switched brands or went out of business . If i could write myself a letter and send it back when i started out . I have a lot of different brands and for the most part are ok Snap On are just to high dollar. There is a guy i guess needing money advertising some Snap On wrenches for sale i thought good luck .
The Snap-On franchise here recently changed owners with the first owner selling out to retire. The new owner gave up after four months and sold everything back to Snap-On, so there is no dealer in the area now. The shop I in work everything is Snap-On.
Also have several Craftsman,1 full of plumbing, 1 for electrical, 1 US General, even a Husky from home depot (scratch and dent) and 2 MBC side boxes from the olden days. Not a Snappy snob have lots of off brand stuff and any Snap-on stuff bought recently has been from ebay, garage sale or divorce sale as well. Could not drag me on a truck now.
Guy my father dealt with used to come every 2 weeks or you could call him. After he retired, no one took over. I think there is a truck that comes twice a year. What i do see s lot of is mac tools truck
Snap On and the other tool truck franchisee business models are downright predatory. If you make great money you’re set but if you struggle in any way you’re pretty screwed and will lose your butt. And they have so many controls over you they can put you out of business easily. And back when Snap On and the other tool truck brands were really popular there were few alternatives if you wanted decent tools. Back in the day it was import junk, Craftsman, or Snap On. Now there is two day or next day shipping available on a huge variety of tools and HF has some very good quality tools with their Icon line.
Most of my tool collection of 50 plus years is Proto. Proto was good quality and reasonably priced. Where I work we refer to the Snap-On truck as the rape van!
Glad I am not the only one that absolutely ****ing HATES when people say "diesel tech"
I like my Snap-On guy. I don’t need anything, at this stage of my career. But, I spend a few bucks for small things and gifts. Birthday and Christmas presents. The S-O branded socks are nice. Always got fresh licorice. He hands out apple pies and American flags on the week of Independence Day.
I’m just glad that I’m not on Val’s route.
I like to support my MAC man and get what I can from him. He will replace broken or dull drill bits. And he comes to my shop to do it. What is that worth? If you are good to them, they will usually be good to you. I have a friend that has a Snap On man that comes to his shop. He is always checking prices and trying to get deals and then getting it cheaper somewhere else. Guess what, he does not come to his shop much anymore. Can't say that I blame him. They are trying to make a living to. You're not just paying for a tool, but also a service. Some things it just does not make sense to buy from the tool trucks. Some people don't have a good tool man in their area. That is unfortunate. Sometimes it makes the most sense to buy some cheap tools even though I kind of resist the whole China thing. Like big wrenches, 2" and bigger. I have never broke one. I would hate to know what they cost from Snap On. So I have Harbor Freight ones.
Just the term {tech} tech of what. Laymen don't say--{I took my car to a tech today, no they say I took my car to a mechanic today or repair shop, and the mechanic said the EGR was the problem}. But in most all cases if someone asks you what you do and the reply is {diesel mechanic} they get it. Using the term {tech} immediately associates with the thought of circuit boards, wiring, computers, monitors, screens, tv's, washers & dryers, bread making machines, and the person behind the counter at Starbucks. Even though some of what I listed above can be related to things with tracks or wheels, there is the possibility the barista at Starbucks might become a heavy equipment operator because it pays better, and less whiny public.
Worked with a cat used to swear by those socks, seems he bought them by the box. I suggested he just trim his toenails and they wouldn't wear through the socks on his steel toes.
I have a fair amount of hand me down or acquired tools. I used to get on the trucks when I rented one of my shops to a heavy truck repair business. He retired over a year ago so it's been awhile since Ive seen a truck. About a month ago I emailed Snap On, Craftsman, and SK. I had broken ratchets from all of them. Snap On got me the rebuild kits the fastest- about a week, Craftsman sent me new ratchets within a week and half and Im still waiting for SK- back ordered. All 3 were prompt, generally asked where I bought the tool (I said either from the truck or hand me down, no one asked for receipts) and wanted a picture. Really nothing to it as far as ratchets are concerned. Haven't tried anything else. I will say Craftsman was great. My ratchets didn't have a exact cross to a new offering, they obviously suggested sending the least expensive as replacements. I looked through the catalog and replied with my "wishlist". I didn't take advantage and they sent me my first choice on all 5. I only have Mac left to get on ratchet warranted. Was hoping to catch a truck but looks like need to try emailing.
I am going to reach out and see if I can get a hold of the companies and see what it will take .
I didn't realize craftsman still was a thing.. they disappeared here when Sears closed. I bought a craftsman shop vac in 1988. I used to clean trucks on the weekends when I was in school. I finally kicked the bucket on me a few years ago. It was the best
Youd go broke! Poor rabbits would be with out rabbits food!
The moment I hear the word "tech" I immediately picture someone who has zero ability to do anything unless a laptop tells them what's wrong first.
Buddy of mine worked as a petroleum distribution engineer. He pumped gas at a Texaco. Guy that does the labor work on my crew, also runs the roller. He had compaction specialist on his FB profile
I got my wife some snap on socks as a stocking stuffer one year. She liked them so much that I have repeated it almost every year since. I’ve got a couple pair but they make my feet sweat. And since they say snap on, they must be tax deductible right?
I thought you more of the green & yellow (JD) underwear kind of guy....
Garbage trucks to socks and underwear. That’s why I love this place.
Buy the type with a pre-dyed bacon strip in the back, it causes shock at doctors visits.
If you didn't turn them inside out to get an extra day out of them nobody would even notice the strip.
Pay starts at 30$/ hr potentially up to $38 Depending on the experience. 10-hour shift on a 5-day work schedule. OT Hours are time and half, so you can earn potentially up to six digits gross in a year with the combined hrs. These are W2 w/ full suite of benefits such as 401k, dental, vision care, PTOs I'm currently hiring for the following locations: Arkansas: Greenbrier, Bethel Heights (springdale) Oklahoma: Tulsa, Ada, Pauls Valley
1.5x overtime after 8 hours or after the 10 hour shift ?
Mechanic or Tech. Those ad posters use both terms. Diesel Mechanic, etc. then they describe the job as working on brakes, changing oil, transmissions, tires, and on and on. All things that have zero to to with a DIESEL ENGINE, so again call the stupid job what it is. A TRUCK MECHANIC,period. Personally I hate to turn wrenches on Trucks, I'll take my most disliked machine to work on any day over a stinking truck. Has anyone worked on a CAT truck with that nice, Maxx force? Proves truck designing has regressed to the dark ages for space to work on, explain how to remove the starter?
Remove the starter thats easy! Get a 375b and start smashing!
Not only do you get the joy of working on trucks it’s also working on maggot dropping trash juice dripping garbage trucks all for substandard pay compared to a normal truck or equipment mechanic
Personally I like working on trucks from the bumper to tail lights and everything in between. I've always believed if a person doesn't like working on certain equipment their work is sub- standard also. And that goes for anything powered by a internal combustion engine, including boats and areoplanes.
Joking aside - a good roller operator is hard to come by. Somebody that understands the material they are compacting and can use sight and feel to tell the nuke tech in the least amount of time - "Check!" is a valuable operator.
You don't like gray garbage juice?
He's not. He's an ok laborer, and he knows the job, especially the residential aspect.. I tell him all the time he'll never roll asphalt. He has no sense of timing on the vibrator. I constantly tell him to stop the vibrator well short of the end f the gravel, go to the edge and hit the vibrator on the way back. He goes to far and shoves it out. I say stay away from the shoulder edge about 6 inches until it's compacted, then do the edge so the rest of your drum has a solid place to sit. He hits the edge too soon and squeezes it out, ruining our straight line. He constantly makes sharp cuts of the wheel when not in motion. Ill finish and think it looks good, and when he heads to the roller I think there he goes to ruin it.. we prepped and paved road cross cuts. A sub contractor put cross culverts in. It was just a lift of base, and the road would be pulverized in a couple weeks. Pavers were busy, but 2 of them came to run the spreader and we helped out with the rest. I explained the asphalt roller to him.it was a small Ingersoll sidewalk roller. Asphalt foreman told him how many passes vibrate and static. He did all the things I keep telling not to do on gravel, until by the 3rd cross cuts. The pavers put him off it. Cutting the wheel too sharp. Dropping off the edge and leaving drum marks.
Diesel Mechanic, Gas Mechanic, pancake, hotcake, flap jack. The important part, are you getting paid the proper amount for your qualified or unqualified skills. Because it takes skill to satisfy three customers all setting at the same table who ordered three different items {they think} all poured from the same container. Only real down to earth difference is one operates on octane and the other cetane, inside the same basic pancake, hot cake, flapjack. Taking time to understand the concepts and applying is key.
Well I didn't say he was a good roller operator..
Im totally on board with what you're saying about roller men.... People. I try to request someone else when we do road work. I just tell him I need him to run the stick for fine grading.
after the 8 hr shift of course. all mechanics are working at least 10 hr shift.
Not all trucks are or will be power powered by ICE. Only time my work is substandard is when I'm rushed on a job, no matter what the job or the device being worked on. And is about the only time I mess up. I have to go slow and methodical. Check and double check. Many times with some machine work the outfit would have been better off letting me take the rest of the day off, as it would have cost less, than forcing me to stay the rest of the day. And I bet this same is true with other folks as well. There were days twisting wrenches that I just needed to get away from it. Now operating I never had that issue, as it is just not the same fight.
I think it’s cool that Arkansas HR Guy. Maybe it’s a girl. IDK. Hard to tell nowadays unless they post their SHRM-approved pronouns. I think it’s cool that kjflextek is still hanging out with us. Big ups! So, what’s your favorite refuse truck chassis? Do you get to keep any of the cool things that you find in the trash?
I think most good mechanics are on the edge of going nuts, if you know what I mean. All the stuff you have to deal with. Sometimes your mind can only take so much. You have to quit, get a good rest, and try again the next day.
Yes, it’s utter chaos in the workplace. Hoards of unprepared zoomers who just learned how to tie their steel toes, being supervised by an over-worked Millennial. Maybe a grumpy Gen X’er or two that just wants to be left alone and waiting to time out to pull SS and their red-hot 401K portfolios. While that core employee base is churning over on a quarterly basis. HR managers and generalists are scrolling Indeed. Not looking for mechanics, they are looking for a way out. Maybe finish that M.Ba they started But, they haven’t paid off their undergrad student loans.
Hey, I got a kenworth that’s still under warranty. Let’s drop it off at the dealer and get that inoperative wiper motor fixed. Sadly, no. I can’t take a truck out of service for a month, for a wiper motor.
I can relate to this. My brain starts thinking about work on Sunday afternoon. Time to look over the truck, get the bills paid, make sure all invoices are sent out, etc. I’ve got a nasty habit of waking up about 1:30 Monday morning and as soon as my brain activates I’m all done sleeping. Grind through the week and I’m pretty good about shutting it off Friday evening and Saturday. One of the things that drives me nuts is that the only thing people ever want to talk about with me is my work. It’s like my ol buddy Ronnie Van Zant sang “don’t ask no stupid questions and I won’t send you away, if you want to talk fishing, we’ll I guess that’d be okay”
Thank you for the clarification, this is a good thing.
One place I do work I am having to try and train a new guy. He has been following me around most of the day and is suppose to be learning all I know. That is stressful. At the end of the day you both together have gotten less done than if I would have been left to myself to work. People have to learn somehow, maybe I was that hard when I was learning. It is hard to tell how far you're getting. They may or may not understand or may or may not care. Glazed eyes aren't real encouraging.
Been binge watching her videos.
That’s a tough one. The last dealer I worked for paid the mentor an extra $2 @hr for that extra effort. They attended a mentorship training program to learn how to better connect with jr. Plus, it helped weed out the mechanics that perhaps, may not be mentor material. And, that’s fine. It’s not everyone’s jam.
I know what you mean. It gets to saturday afternoon and I'm done doing things for people and ready to do some of my own things. Sunday is when I go to Church and a day of rest for that. People ask me on the weekend, "Hey what have you been working on?" that is the last thing I want to talk about. I been thinking about that all week. When I was younger and starting to learn I loved mechanic work big jobs, hard jobs it was great. Could not understand the older guys that where not excited like I was. Some of them would grumble and where ready to quit. I could not understand how they got to that point. They must not really love their work. Now I think I understand. It can be a thankless job but I can't really imagine doing anything else.
I’ve seen it go sideways. Jr. does something really stupid, the mentor says something they later regret. HR gets involved, and before you know it, the Service Dept. is short one journey-level Tech. It’s been a long time since I left the dealer, but we figured a $500 per day loss, PAD, for every mechanic short. It cost about $60K to on-board a top level field tech. Maybe $30k for a mid-level guy. Recruiting, relocation, training, and so forth.
I think to be a top notch mechanic you have to love the work and things mechanical. Not very many people become good that get into it because they think it would be a good paying career or something like that. You go into the dealership and the new guy at the parts counter, worked at the shoe store last week. Or the new mechanic was a cab driver in NY last week. Oh no!
Yeah. To succeed today, all a young guy needs to do is pass an UA and show up. So much opportunity. Since the Pika and Willow projects have been going hard for the last few years, some guys are getting burned out on the slope and taking jobs in town, so that’s been helping with local openings.
One major concept that most forget, at least working fleet. It's not about the major rebuilding of components but rather the maintenance. If a company shop is constantly doing major high dollar rebuilds--#1 they don't have a maintenance program #2 they don't have the correct shop personnel, #3 they're running the equipment too long for life span. The shops job is to cut over- head, Big time overhauls are costly to recover, plus the company gets to eat it's own warranty, and that is a recipe for chapter eleven. I always told the office, no one needs to show up for work if the horses don't run. It's all about maintenance.
Our corporatists keep searching for the reason for the high turnover but they can never find it oddly enough Despite the mechanics leaving telling them We had a 1 in a million greenhorn. Far from the current generation’s mold he’s a hard worker, eager, and intelligent with the skills to back it up. Walked in at a five year experience level before his training just due to his basic skills and is the son of a field mechanic I trained him. His goal is and always has to get in a field truck and I had him bide his time in the shop learning the hands on skills you only learn by doing. When a field position comes open after six years he puts in for it “Sorry we can’t put you in it yet but wait six months and we will have one for you” Six months came and went. He gets a field position offered from another company Takes it to the bosses and asks for the truck he was promised Over half a year ago They tell him “you are too valuable to leave the shop” He’s in a truck now. Our name isn’t on it.
Old timer I worked for long ago told me something like, "Don't get good at the things you hate doing, or you'll be doing them for the rest of your life". Essentially; Don't be the best at sweeping the shop floor or they'll never let you get past that. Worked with enough Yard kids and "Utility Techs" that were always promised they could move up to become mechanics. They were always too good at loading up trailers and pressure washing equipment for a low pay to move up and be trained for anything else.
The first mistake of any employee is not having a exit strategy. Should always keep in the back of their mind {I was looking for a job when I found this one}. Unless desperate for work check around about an employers turnover rap sheet. An employer that doesn't see good help from a distance and traps his work force isn't a smart business man and should find another line of work because he is wasting his biggest asset.
I think it is important for employers to spend some time in the trenches with their people. I have seen where they can spend big $$$$$ on some new thing but can't have simple things like the right chains and hooks to pull an engine. That can really wear a guy down. Take care of your people an they will take care of you. Be sure you really know how they are doing and that they have what they need for their job. People don't leave jobs, people leave people.
Sounds like my life in equpiment dealers...
I paid $1000 for mine in 2003 or 4 and even that price was dumb. Have 2 Husky boxes that I paid $300 each for new in 2020 before the Corona hit that are at least equal build. If I was going to spend $$ on a forever, built like a brick shithouse box, it'd be a Lista ir Vidmar.
I was looking for a people when I found this people. Bob just quit his people for a better one. Listings for Peoples. It was a lousy people, I just had to leave. But this one does fit------------ A Toxic People Environment.