I constantly see jobs listings for "Diesel" Mechanics. Problem is the job is not for a diesel mechanic, it is for a TRUCK mechanic. Similar to a "Small Engine" Mechanic, most of the time its for a small engine powered equipment, mechanic. It just makes it difficult to search jobs when they do that. I wonder what they will ask for when its all electric powered junk?
I probably wouldn't want to say that a truck mechanic was comparable to a small engine mechanic.
So the place I worked at before called equipment mechanics hydraulic mechanics and truck mechanics diesel mechanics. Thought that was an interesting distinction.
A good small engine mechanic is just as valuable as a heavy duty mechanic. Same with a motorcycle mechanic which is entirely different than a small engine mechanic. I knew the service manager at a busy Honda M/C dealer. You can't just a throw a small engine mechanic into motorcycles or a motorcycle mechanic into small engines. There's some similarities but overall a different skill set and way of doing things.
I would think Motorcycle work would be ultra fussy, you don't want to scratch someones fancy motorcycle. I wasn't comparing small engine tech to a truck mechanic. I'm complaining about advertising for those particular jobs. To me a diesel mech, should just be working on the engine, same with a small engine mech. Engines are engines not lawn mowers or trucks with suspensions and what ever else. If you are a shop looking for a mechanic to work on everything, then advertise for that. Instead of writing an ad for a diesel mechanic, say Truck mechanic.
Small engine mechanics often work on all aspects of a machine. Motorcycle engines are more fussy and working on them is a lot different from working on small engines even if engines are the only thing you work on.
I get what your saying. So for my experience it goes like this. Diesel mechanic, around me, usually clarifies that the job is for truck mechanic. It basically says , "I need a guy who can repair trucks equipped with diesel engines." That guy would be able to troubleshoot and correct engine issues as well as any sub systems of the truck. Then there was truck mechanic. A while back, you had gas engines in mid size applications. They were underpowered and had 2 transmissions and sometimes a split diff. Usually those same trucks had some exotic work around to "say" it had juice brakes to get around CDL requirements. Lucas-Girling comes to mind. Then there were other generalized poor descriptions. Small engine mechanic which might cover anything from a partner concrete saw to 4-bangers in skidders. Fleet mechanic was sometimes a guy who did routine maintenance but was expected to know everything and anything. Then there's equipment mechanic. Back in the day it was basically, you better have your **** together, cuz you're gonna see it all. One day a trash pump, next day compressor, then a truck loses PTO function, same day, the combo won't go into gear oh, and by the end of the week, look at the owner's wife's car to find that rattle. Of course it's no beater with a heater, it's probably some exotic euro sports coupe. Don't get it dirty. Yeah, job descriptions lack a lot.
Maybe a bit OT here but just the other day I was talking to my wife about how I would, back when I was pulling wrenches, hate to have had to work on things like motor homes or boats. I recall years ago while taking a week long course at a Cummins dealer in Conn. hearing a story from the instructor about rebuilding an engine in a boat. Owner refused to let them cut decking to allow them to remove engine whole. Believe it was a 903. They had to strip engine in the boat and hand carry it out piece by piece right down to bare block. Then rebuild engine at the shop and run it in on dyno and reveres the procedure to get it back in the boat!
Some advice if your just starting out pick your job and ask just what you will be doing. I have had several jobs were you did it all i was the mechanic ,maintenance,lawn mower,truck driver ran a tractor at the farm and helped with the bosses wife Horses. That place wasnt so bad but i went to another place that was bigger and they needed 3 of me but couldnt find them. The places i worked that i was just a mechanic or just maintenance i didnt have to work my self into the ground trying to do it all. I applied for a job once working on lawn mowers at a big heavy equipment dealer ship. I didnt even know they sold mowers till i found out about the job. I went for a interview the guy i talked to new a guy that i had worked for and had talked to him. The guy ask were i was working at i didnt want to tell him because i had it in my mind he couldnt pay as much . I told him i know you cant pay as much but it will be over 2 hours less drive time every day then i told him i was working as a welder. He couldnt get it out of his head about me taking less pay. I was about to get mad i hadnt ask what they could pay i told him agin i will be ok with what you can pay i will not have to drive as far and that will be a big plus. We talked some more and he brought the pay up agin i ask what do you pay ? He told me i said do the math it will not be much different if you add in the hours i lose driving. I didnt get the job.
Have I ever said I don’t like trucks?
People that put together the classified ads to put in papers and on the internet usually have little knowledge of anything other than writing the ads. Look how bad the news media is about dozers in accidents that are actually wheel loaders or excavators. I've toyed around with all the different types of things I did. Engines and big fuel systems in ships to start with, floor sweeper, certified welder, mechanic in an old small fleet, maintenance manager, high pressure plumber, hydraulics troubleshooter, electrical troubleshooter, tire man, transmission troubleshooter and rebuilder, insurance adjuster, personal property appraiser, truck driver, equipment operator, service manager, field mechanic and now consultant. In my mind I'm still a heavy equipment mechanic that has to work at all those different things. Mechanic is just a generic term for someone who is capable of fixing things. For the ad copy, adding a limiting term just tells me someone is looking for a person of limited capacity for a job with a limited amount of compensation and future. I don't like trucks either. Doesn't mean I couldn't fix one if that is what the job required.
Somebody's got to fix them. If I was poor enough or the job paid enough I would gladly fix them again.
I don't like anything with forks, buckets, blades, or tracks. OH--I left out green engines. As far as the adds go for mechanics-with some welding experience, HVAC experience, hydraulic experience, air system experience, electrical experience, computer diagnostic experience, tire experience--all for $25 bucks an hour. Well for each one of those skills that's going to cost you $5.00 an hour for each one. So now your up to $65.00 an hour {have a nice day}.
Well at almost 70 I'm not starting out. I have also done it all in the mechanic realm, and pretty much hated working on things I didn't like. And now even fussier, I think of the old days floating on plywood in a huge mud puddle under some junk machine or vehicle, or freezing my rear off in a snow storm under a tarp, working year round in a shop with no bay door, or heat, and breaking ice in a bucket to wash hands, hydraulic fluid running down your arm, nice black engine oil in your face etc., weld slag down your coverall sleeve to burn your arm pit, yeah the good old days. Vetec63 I'm with you, can't stand wrenching around a big truck.
The worst business to work for in some cases is one that leases a shop. The roll up doors are always tired, heat is usually pretty sad, lighting is crappy. Might as well be a tent.
chidog, you sound like someone I worked with in the past. Truck Shop, I'd rather work outside in a snow storm than work inside a dimly lit shop with poor ventilation and crank up doors.
I don't know which is worse.
Oh I forgot to mention, unless I was lucky enough to have a machine at home base that was running, to help lift and move heavy parts, it was the good old jacks, chain falls, come alongs, pry bars and engineering, to get the heavy parts moved or lifted into place. I think I worked there 4 or 5 years maybe more till I had a service truck with a crane. Thinking back I can't see how I did it for so long.
Sounds pretty normal for the seventies and eighties.
Yep. I local shop I use specializes in hydraulics. They can fix anything on the equipment except the engine. They do light engine work, but have to take it somewhere else for major engine repair.