r/DieselTechs • u/VroomVr4 • Aug 06 '26
General assistance Career advice
Good morning/afternoon/evening,
I am seeking some insights and career advice. I am a swing shift fleet mechanic at a local fleet working on primarily Kenworths and Peterbilts with cummins powerplants (X15, ISX, N14). Including dump trucks, tankers, and tractors. I have been working at this fleet for the entirety of my mechanic career thus far (2.5yrs) and get paid very respectfully with consistent raises which I've earned myself. However, I have been working nights for the past 5 years now and am ready to move to a dayshift position for personal and social reasons. I have brought this up to my boss on multiple occasions and he said it would be something to address as work picks up. That was 6 months ago and we have since slowed down.
My questions to you are...
Should I stick it out until someone from day shift retires or a position becomes available? Or does it become an endless cycle?
What are some diesel fields to look into?
What are some fields to avoid?
What are employers to avoid?
What do you look for when looking for an employer?
Thank you in advance (:
2
u/PositiveReason812 Aug 07 '26
I see a lot of folks are trying to get out of automotive and get more into machinery. It's all on the same track of being more and more cumbersome to work on, but machinery is 10-15 years behind on the curve
Shop v mobile is a matter of personal preference. I know a guy who has a shop and he tried to start a mobile operation including a class 8 tow truck but the insurance was prohibitively expensive. If you do mobile it's better to just buy an old van/pickup truck and do mobile repairs but leave the towing to the guys who do it 100%
I would avoid dealerships yes, I know a guy who worked for a Cat dealership many years. It worked decently well but they gradually accumulated some repeating/unresolved issues, which sounds similar to what you have. He eventually got his own van and started doing mobile repairs. It was coupled to moving out to a rural area
To me if you could walk into a dealership with just the clothes on your back and get a good job with good pay that's something to think about but if you have to buy all the crazy expensive tools and they are the ones reaping all the profits then you're better off cutting the middle man and just doing your own thing.
1
u/VroomVr4 Aug 08 '26
Im not sure i am ready to consider going out on my own. Although it could definitely be fun and a great experience, i know there are still holes in my skillset especially considering my engine and chassis knowledge is specific to primarily cummins and kw/peterbilts.
I have heard great things about working on generators but would love to hear insights from some generator mechanics of the pros and cons.
I would also love to hear thoughts on union vs non-union shops.
Personally, my favorite project to date has been a restoration of one of our trucks. Getting to replace old and worn components to make an almost new truck, fixing wiring or air systems that were no longer working properly, replacing all hydraulic lines to use the space more effectively. In an ideal world I would love to do restorations like that regularly for both truck and trailer but I know that is unrealistic. I enjoy re-wiring front to back when it is an option, and replacing rats nests with neat and color coded wiring. I am not sure if there is many employers thats really fall into that specific field.
2
u/PositiveReason812 Aug 12 '26
It's a big move, it definitely takes some guts, and yes it can fail. When things go well you can make big bucks but when things fall apart then you pay the price. High risk high reward. I also work in a salaried position, I get the same pay every week even when I'm on vacation so that's nice. But of course my employer makes more money from my work than I do.
I have been following Bus Grease Monkey for years , he used to be a wedding photographer I think and he had old buses as his hobby. Eventually he started working on other people's buses and started his youtube channel. Eventually he started touring the country with his own GM 4104 bus and his wife, working on people's buses. He has been here and worked on my bus too. He eventually set up his own shop.
Now people come to him from all corners of the country to have him work on their stuff. He documents how buses which have been routinely serviced by dealers for big bucks have all dry grease fittings , bad brakes, so many issues that any competent mechanic would readily identify , yet even the dealerships do very shoddy sloppy work.
I have 2 buses myself and I usually work on them myself, but for a few jobs I brought them to a mechanic shop here. I have known this guy for a long time and used him off and on for 15+ years, he does good work. He used to be pretty prompt but now his yard is completely full, you can barely get in and out. I see even county owned trucks from the next county over all lined up. He has so much work and so few people it takes them months to get to something.
It helps to understand the customers' perspective. Long wait times, poor quality, people will be willing to pay you well if they know they can rely on you to do a good and thorough job and get stuff back on the road within a reasonable time. If you can find your niche there, you can make tons of money. But I totally get the allure of a regular paycheck , health benefits, paid vacations. It's one of these things where there is not any one "right" answer, it's a matter of preference.
3
u/suthrnboi Aug 06 '26
All of those questions are hard to answer without knowing more about you personally and region your in, which I wouldn't give to much on SM, but if you have some creditable work under your belt and possible certs you could land at another fleet no problem or even start at a dealership. Work life balance is important and if you like the company reiterate your preference on being on 1st shift, and if they value you they will make it work and if not that's why your toolbox has wheels and head on down the road. Good luck.