How long did it take you guys and gals to settle into and get comfortable at a new job? I just started at a new job and holy geeze its an adjustment. All the construction equipment and processes are new to me and its a bit overwhelming. Hoping I'll get into the swing of things in the next couple weeks.
It always takes a while but just remember they hired YOU for a reason. A good company will realize there's an adjustment period and help you if needed.
Do what I always did... Find what you think is the smartest/most experienced guy on the place and let him show you how things work.
Out of curiosity, what are the main differences from your old job to the new job?
2 ways to play it.. keep to yourself & let them come to you.. or start asking questions & get to know the people.. Once u start asking questions & opening up, folks will get a feel for ya.. Just remember, they're sizing u up too.. Just DONT say> that's not the way WE DID IT @ such & such.. &/or.. "When I worked at" such & such.. cuz like most jobs, everyone would like to be somewhere else.. & u reminding them that there is somewhere else to go.. pizz'z everybody off.. lol
I feel for ya, I might be in the same boat very soon (Field Service Generator guy to shop all around equipment guy). Should be a bit of a learning curve. Advice I can give over years of job hopping is: Don't get involved in or be the reason for any drama/ego, be open to learn the way THEY do things, and buy don't borrow. If you do your job right, they'll quickly forget you're the "new guy" and probably start assuming you know more than you do, which is a whole new PITA. Hey, sometimes it helps the guys with the "grass is always greener" mentality to hear it's the same ****-show at the competitor, haha.
Equipment is much bigger. I went from working on small generators and compact construction equipment to large stuff like dozers and rock trucks. Just feel really out of my comfort zone, which is good I guess. I was getting pretty stale at the last place.
I was the same way when I was young. I went from a small equipment rental company to a Terex dealer. Its uncomfortable at first but give it some time and patience. You will be happy you made the change I bet in no time.
Pretty much what I just did. Rental shop to a dealer. Definitely a lot of processes and stuff to learn when it comes to warranty and product updates.
When I first started at Terex, my new shop foreman congratulated me on becoming a REAL equipment tech. LOL Some way to start off huh!
Funny, that's what I'm hopefully headed into to get out of the service truck life ...at least for a bit.
Crazy. I wanted to get out of the field too! I can't handle this -30 crap anymore. Last job only paid field $1.50/hour more than the shop. Not worth it for dealing with the elements, customers, HoS, DOT etc.
I'm just South of you and the majority of the work has been up to the Canadian border in the Idaho panhandle and all across Montana (all the way to working in North Dakota for a run). Of course, I ended up for part of this last summer working in Nevada and Utah in 110°F+ with no shade, but I'll take that over digging out of a snow drift on top of a mountain with a pistol on my hip, the sun going down, and keeping an eye out for bears/moose/wolves/cats/etc. The couple bucks an hour cut in pay to be in a climate controlled shop and getting to be home with the wife and dog every night (and not on call) is going to be a whole new world. We'll see how long I last before wanting to get back into a truck...
When I jump into a new product line and they dump 1000 PDF files on me. They contain all the parts and service bulletins for the last 20 years. If I had been working on these things for the last 20 years reading one bulletin a day on my coffee break as they were issued I might be as smart as some of the old timers. But having to somehow absorb and process all this "stuff" in this day of electronic everything is overwhelming. You just know one of these bulletins contains the magic answer to whatever your strange problem is, but no way to access it.
I taught my boy to drive a stick shift pickup this fall. He'd been in a stick before, but just around the shop yard, not as his everyday driver. It was really hard for him at first (he's 17- senior in high school), and I told him, give it a month. In a month's time, all the initial morning driving to school and worrying about killing it at a stop sign jitters, will be gone. But to really be comfortable- to be at the point that you don't even think about shifting when you are driving- its going to take around a year. I think changing jobs is much like that. The closer the new job is, to what you were doing in your old job- the less time it takes. In a month's time, it will be somewhat routine. In a year's time you won't be thinking about it being the "new" job -except rarely.
OEMs just keep piling on more and more electronics. Sort of a 'NEW JOB' for everybody.
I think just be friendly and willing to watch and learn how they do things. I worked in a tank shop and the older guy rolling shells always insisted I came to help him fit and weld the shells and then "bump" them after welding to flatten the welded part. A lot of people thought he was crabby but I learned not to get ahead of him. I knew we'd need a jack so I asked him if I should get the jack from the tool crib. I always made sure to let him run the operation instead of being gung ho and trying to get a head of him. I felt it was a big compliment he always came to me to help him. He told me I was the hardest worker in the shop. He had some pull in the shop too. They added another 10 ton overhead crane and the control was too big to hold in one hand so you couldn't steady anything you had to move. Management said no to several people complaining about the huge control. He used it once, said he refused to use that crane and it was changed the next day!. There were 3 cranes in the shop so it could really hold things up when the rolls were near the back of the shop and he wouldn't use the end crane. That meant if they had to move a skid or vessel in the fabrication area with 2 cranes they couldn't until he was done.
Congrats on the new job 92U . And you will stay warm now You said it is a dealer? May I ask what manufacturer? We may need advice on that brand.
YUP.. give it a month..
When I moved from trucks to HE it helped to just run through the machines and get familiarized with the components I already knew. Trace out a fuel system, the set up on a giant loader needs all the same things a little compressor needs. Once you've dialed in that whole list of things you already know, then you can start checking out the components you truly have never encountered before.
I get a monthly email from our technical department listing the released bulletins and service letters. It’s usually two pages long. I don’t have time to memorize even the titles. Fortunately it’s also accessible by machine serial for us and I always check before beginning troubleshooting for any applicable information
1978 was hungry for extra cash, had a word of mouth local quarry needed a contract mechanic not full time just now to then and somewhat on call as did not want full timer's on benefits any more. Was working as working foreman Heavy trucks, trailers, cars and small trucks, some smaller scale paving company equipment for a lease company. Walked in the shop to speak to the foreman had my pickup and tools outside, looked at me asked if ANY Detroit experience when said yes pointed to a Euc dump with a 110 and said get that running you're employed. Hour and Twenty minutes later was a Contractor. As well SCARED To Death of what I was entering into. Ended up more full time than not, lots of weekends lost to working, some days would leave the quarry to go straight to the other shop and start at quarry again before daylight next day. Did that off and on between moves out of state or when came back as the work load was always there and they were only too glad to see me return. Spent a lot of summers buried under some piece of crap they had to keep and keep running. Tried my own fixed location shop, business license, permits for oil waste, tax number and all, never made enough to warrant keeping so sold that off to another looking that same consideration over where he lasted just a short time and just sold it off. Was really trying during the 'Bad' years when mechanics were 'A Dime a Dozen' but good ones limited and few, shops would hire/fire/roll out or turn over employees regularly, was my job at the lease yard to manage the night shifts work, interview prospects give recommendations or denials, determine those that needed to go and fire as necessary while delegate work as the mechanics could handle. Was a greater level of wrench turners and bolt busters than decent mechanics back then. Always a self starter, always working to better myself and my wallet.
Well I'm officially 3 months in now. I'm definitely getting the hang of it. Still have the odd, super stressful day where absolutely nothing goes to plan but I think that's pretty normal in the equipment repair biz. Definitely not regretting this career move.
Good for you. Life is about change.
Too true. I was definitely getting stale at the last place. Driving 6 hours a day and spinning filters the other 6 was getting old.
Damn good to hear. In the same boat, definitely a "Why didn't I do this sooner?" feeling. Making $1 less an hour than I was living in a service truck, doing 50hr weeks, and home every night. Definitely the odd days/weeks stressing out and being humbled trying to learn the different equipment, but like you said, that's normal. Sounds too familiar; Drive and change oil 90% of the time, then the other 10% is trying to turn the brain back on when you roll up and actually have to troubleshoot something.
Is a flip side to these coins, going out on your own not setting a reasonable pace, burnt out by 45 and beat up as if 65. I tried burning that candle at both ends and center is fun at first then overwhelming to that point of oh hell *** next and you walk away. Some guys don't quit, some never make it that far.
I'd love to go out on my own but at 28 and 10 years experience I don't feel my skill level is quite there yet to go fly solo. I plan on re-evaluating going out on my own in 5-6 more years.
I had only been in the marketplace for four years when I took on first side work, was doing more side than shop work by 10 years out. No guts no gain(is no glory) and no better way to learn than being cast to the fires.
Did not used to require a license here(or did not enforce the having of one), I actually obtained my first business license at 26, had my own tax number, had a tax accountant to keep it all straight and above board. Can remember a Saturday welding on a Pipe Tongue pup for three hours then getting a call to do service on a set of 110s on Alton Pool that night, back home Sunday midday to finish a neighbors clutch replacement in a F350 ford 2wd(he finally came up with parts) to go back to welding and then back to the garage Monday as night shift working foreman. Two days later get call at home blower out on EMD different boat, turned out to be variable speed drive but still worked on that one ALL following weekend underway on two of three. Will get old, vacations will mean more, you will learn to shut a cell phone OFF(I was using hard wire back then). Will be all you can do to find ways to pigeon hole funds then not enough time to enjoy them. I got to the burnt out stage, started spending what I had left to enjoy myself. Now I have the time, money is in investments paying a little at a time and I am still all busted up able to get what I can as I can, some days not so fun.
A Caution of you decide to go Side jobs. IF you go this route DO NOT let the customer push you into buying their parts. Find them or Locate them, get them YOUR pricing but do NOT Lay Out YOUR money for them if there is ANY consideration they may try to skip out or to cheat you of the funds by asking to pay in installments. Been burned three times, Once shame on them the other two; How Stupid Could I have Been!! Even today, a neighbor asks for help, I go diagnose, I give list of pieces for THEY to Buy, they do not get them or do not believe my estimate and decide to go elsewhere, all good and ALL Theirs. I will NOT patch or scab or try to make do for a short time unless I am fully aware the customer WILL stop use and get the machine fixed SOON, any other chance and I will wave off working on the machine.
One thing I don't miss is being in a service truck. No CVSE to worry about, no logbooks, no being expected to be the "hero" and go out on a 3 hour call 20 minutes before quitting time, no freezing my digits off in -35C, no customers to deal with, job site orientations/site accesses etc. For the extra $1.50/hour being in the truck paid vs being in the shop where I am now I could really care less if I ever got behind the wheel of a service truck again. It was a great experience the total 5 years I did it but it ain't for me. I love having a tool crib full of specialty tools for every job I have to do. My hands love not being frozen 6 months a year. The work is so much more interesting in the shop. Actually rebuilding components for once. Being on the smaller stuff like mini exes, skid steers, teles etc means I get to do a lot of diagnosing since its cheaper for a customer to haul that gear in with their pickup than it is to have a field tech go look at it.
When I quit the side work Stopped staying up for all nighters stopped trying to burn every candle from every direction and figured out I was not gonna be rich or smarter or better off I got a full nights sleep three days in a row thought I had died and gone to heaven
I was 27 with 9 years when I started.
I wanted to say also that you don't want to sell yourself short. If you wait until you believe you have enough experience you will never have enough. The hardest part is making the jump...………...I was thinking about it for 3 years before I finally did and have been self employed ever since...….that was 29 years ago. You don't have to know everything. If you run into something you don't know, be honest with the customer and seek advise on how to correct the problem. You would be surprised at how much honesty will get you. You will learn new things as long as you are in this business...……...I am 56 and learn something new weekly, especially on this forum. This industry is so ripe for heavy equipment techs now days and the law of "supply and demand" is in full force for those that are willing to work. The demand is extremely high and there is little to no supply. I look back to when I first started and realize I didn't know near what I know now at 56...……...but I knew enough to survive in this business while learning on the job to thrive today. Well worth it and I would never go back to working for the MAN.
Good for you. As a old friend always said. The biggest difference between fixing big machines and small machines is that the wrenches are bigger and you have to pull harder to get the bolts tight.
6 month update: Wow I'm glad I stuck around. I definitely feel my skillset has expanded greatly. Even some of the old skills I haven't used in a few years are coming back. I have a lot of smaller stuff like skid steers and mini excavators thrown at me. Once in a while I'll get tossed a grader or mid-sized excavator to fix. I'd like more variety but hey its all nuts and bolts, right? Company treats me good and the crew are a bunch of good guys (and gals). I can definitely see myself hanging out here for a while. Possibly retire from if things stay good.
I've worked two jobs in my life. Switched because I moved locations. 10 years at the current. If things stay good i expect another 10+. First employer found me the job at the second. Finding a good shop might take awhile but having good guys in the back and a decent management turns work into fun.
Very true on the need for decent management! In my case it went the wrong way. At the start I had a great boss who understood the need for education, he actually preferred to hire guys with little experience but a desire to learn. I like to think that was part of the reason he hired me! He also had good support from upper management. Then one wrong person managed to get into the upper management and things went down hill from there.
I definitely enjoy it here. My last job was with my current company but in a different division. I applied to transfer over to the dealership shop. Given the choice I'd take being at the dealer over being in a fleet shop. It really bothered me when machines would get sent to the dealer because of warranty repairs or lack of tooling on our end. So I decided I'd probably be happier at the dealer, doing these jobs I never got a chance to look at.
That was one of the things that sucked about the management near the end of my time at the quarry. Jobs we/I had done for years with good success now were being farmed out to outside contractors some of who had little to no experience on the equipment but they bid low so they got the jobs. And it was not just me as a mechanic, had a hopper for stone that was built by welders at the quarry and when it came time to replace some beams and legs due to rust and damage from getting hit by haul trucks did the guys who built it years ago get the work? No it was given to outside contractors who our people had to supply the crane and lift truck to let them do the work. The "explanation" was there were liability concerns if something failed and someone got hurt. Like our company would not be liable for it being they hired and approved the people doing the work?
I was lucky the good guys stayed in command until I retired. Two years after I retired the family owner business started into a "employee owned" turnover of the business. Recently I stopped by our local office and found out that none of the guys that made the company prosper is still employed there. There is not a PM on the payroll with over 4 years experience in the field. The buy out was not going to be kind financially to the senior guys nearing retirement and they quit or retired to the last man. Another nationwide company moved into the area and hired just about all of them. The work went to the new contractor right along with these seasoned guys. Clients they have worked with for years and had trust built up. The Vice President in charge was recently let go and the office is being managed from afar. With the lack of a work load for them, considering there is a booming economy here, I wonder if this branch will even be around for much longer. Kind of sad seeing things sh*t so quickly after giving them a good part of ones life. Just glad I was out in time. Other branches seem to be thriving.
I've worked at eight or nine different companies over more than forty years. In today's merger and take over atmosphere it is unlikely any small to medium size company will stay the same long enough for anyone to spend a career at. Large companies change management teams like people change socks. If it's good now, just wait a bit. It will change. Enjoy the work while you have it and stay as long as it's comfortable. Just don't close your eyes to other opportunities.
I quit the first 2 jobs I worked at because I got too involved in the company politics. I learned from that. Now, I really don't care what management does. Gimmie my work order and leave me alone. Its been a good strategy so far.
I have worked in dealerships 39 years with 22 years at the current dealership and I learned to use that strategy long ago, and it works . Unfortunately, even the best of employers can have some drama or politics . When it comes to company politics or drama I employ what I call the SGT Schultz (from Hogan's Heroes) strategy....."I know nothing".... . Now Repeat after me....I Love My Job, I Love My Job....... .....I know, I know, too many emoji's.
THATS how I "wanted to" work.. but it never worked out that way.. SOMEBODY would always have to talk to u.. I hated it. I would always say>> WHY THE F ISNT THAT ON the PAPERWORK??!! & when I turned in my parts list I would ALWAYS put WHY the part needed to be replaced.. "cracked, worn beyond reuse{dirt} Inform cust. to change filters before reinstalling pump".. & as God as my witness, I would get> hey Mike, whats wrong w/ so n so's pump? While they were standing there w/ the friggin paperwork in their hands.!!! Day in & day out..U wanna talk about frustrating??!! & then when a pump would come in.. it way always, Hey Mike, come here & lemme tell u about this pump.. Just put it on the f'n paperwork.!!! Its NOT THAT HARD..
That's easy to do when you have good management. Easy enough when you have management. Once management turns to the dark side like Kshansen and others have described, then it gets tough. Not giving the shop or employees what they need to do the job, running it down to nothing, creating emergencies by not fixing the easy stuff and now you have to fix the hard stuff in crap conditions. Have a "talk" if there's any respect left, otherwise hit the road.
I dont know if i feel better or more angered that im not the only one with these issues.. This seems to be a common place with the whole "corporate" atmosphere of dealerships. They have this hierarchy of people and preach about being a team, which is good, teamwork makes the dream work! , but when employees become too segmented in a certain position, i feel like it creates this environment where "nobody knows anything". I would love to make my own work orders as soon as a machine comes in the shop, but when you rely on someone else to make that happen, it can be frustrating, it feels like theres only so much you can do before its someone elses issue, and you have no power in the situation. You have to rely on someone else to do YOUR own work efficiently. And people can get very sensitive if you start to "jump" the chain of command. I want to make sure the customers are taken care of.. bottom line Thats my useless rant for the day lol
Have to agree with Hansen. Started off with a Truck Line, Company sold trucks to O/O wannabe's and screwed them to no end, after that little gig Mack Trucks dealer St Louis, that did not last long at all and I knew by then needed supplementary income work to keep paying bills. Drove truck for a few weeks into truck rental companies and with expansion, buyouts, management changes or corporate oversight guessing games played out that hand a LONG time while moonlighting for my own wallet. Either working on anything that rolled or moved or driving anything from Fuel hauls to bottled milk hauls and some HE moves.
There are a lot of people that really have trouble reading or with reading comprehension.