2014 BS and Chat Thread!

[cmann250]

Why does life have to be complicated? The lead tech flat out offered me a job at caterpillar. I never wanted to wrench for pay, but guaranteed pay sounds pretty good. At 21, its easy money. At 31, not so much.

Ellis?

[dazedandconfused]

I'd do it Caleb. Be smart and save so you can retire from there in your 50's.

[RCCUMMINS89]

CR systems can move a lot of fuel. P pump can move more, but a CR system is still a more efficient system per hp than a p pump. A p pump is still almost impossible to beat at a competition level.

[matthewh]

I'm with Andy. If the pays good, benefits etc, why not. Get in early, work your way up the ladder. Nothing says you have to wrench for 30yrs, Cat's a big company, I'm sure there's opportunity to advance.
Oh, be smart with your money. Take as much as you can afford and plop it in a retirement plan of your choice, especially if they do any sort of match program.

[ellis93]

Why does life have to be complicated? The lead tech flat out offered me a job at caterpillar. I never wanted to wrench for pay, but guaranteed pay sounds pretty good. At 21, its easy money. At 31, not so much.

Ellis?

Man idk,at 34 and after a life of being busted up a few times.......it's hard wrenching for a living. Especially in these small vehicles. I would've killed back in the day for an opportunity like your being offered Caleb,and at your age I would jump on it. Your young,single and seem driven.....that's the trifecta of money making. Loose one and you screw yourself out of half your pay.....I was married at 21 and experienced that first hand,you basically double every bill.

I'm gonna stop now,seems more like rambling now

If you "love" the job, you do well. If you "like" it,it'll turn to misery.....

[ellis93]

I'm with Andy. If the pays good, benefits etc, why not. Get in early, work your way up the ladder. Nothing says you have to wrench for 30yrs, Cat's a big company, I'm sure there's opportunity to advance.
Oh, be smart with your money. Take as much as you can afford and plop it in a retirement plan of your choice, especially if they do any sort of match program.

Seems like solid advice to me.

[dazedandconfused]

Caleb I started with my current state job at the age of 23. I have great benefits, a good retirement and options to advance. I'm technically a grounds Tech but I do very little with plantings these days. I wrench on equip 3 days a week and usually have special projects the rest of the time. I take care of our outside lighting, concrete/blacktop work and anything else that needs a different skill set for. Once you get in with a bigger company the boss will realize what you are good at and keep you in those areas. I have a very broad knowledge of things so I do a lot the other guys can't. You have to find your niche and work that to your advantage. I love my job but sometimes the people and politics really get to me. I'll leave here at 58 with my benefits, a nice retirement from the state not to mention what ever else I invest in. If your happy there doing that work don't second guess it. I m getting ready to start taking electrician classes after always saying there was no way I'd ever mess with electric.

[cmann250]

Thanks for the insight fellas.

I have 3 semesters of college left and that's not a negotiable. At this dealership, there is absolutely opportunities to move up the ladder within the building and move up within the company. One thing I thought about is getting my CDL-A to be even more marketable. The truckers there get mid-twenties per hour. Someone mentioned benefits and caterpillar benefits are awesome.

It helps a lot to talk about this.

[matthewh]

You may ask if there's any kind of school reimbursement. Where I'm at, they'll pay half of your collage expenses as long as it pertains to the company. We have 4 kids who are part time, and go to college the rest. There's another 6 full time guys who are taking night classes in specialized courses like meglatronics, robotic welding, advanced machining etc.

[AHineman]

I'm glad you want to finish your degree. Don't let a few dollar signs get in the way of getting that piece of paper because not only can you fall back on that if something happens, it can mean a big difference in pay or schedule later. I've worked with a lot of guys that quit college just shy of graduation to make decent money but could have made way more money at the same place with their degree. I know college isn't everything, but it can help.

[DMan1198]

I agree you should go for it Caleb. I didn't plan to be where I am, but I'm glad I took the opportunity to work where I am, and go to school for it. In 2 years and a bit I'll be a journeyman heavy duty mechanic which fits right into what I like to do. Custom tuning in my spare time is also a profitable skill

[PToombs]

Caleb, the bottom line is do you like to wrench? Everybody has bad days, I get some where I walk in the door at night and right to the fridge. Most of the time I love my job, there's no feeling like the satisfaction of starting something you just fixed and it fires right up and runs like a dream. I'm not so happy with the newer stuff, because a wire harness will test good and the computer doesn't like it and you have to figure what to replace.
What I'm getting at is if you like to fix things, and the bennies are good, go for it. Like was said, keep going to school, and sock the money away now, for retirement and just in general to buy a nice vehicle down the road, a house, or whatever.
If you don't like to wrench, then plan on doing something different. When you get older, it's not so easy, and if you don't love it now you will hate it later in life.

[RCCUMMINS89]

It is USUALLY not what you do, but who you work with that keeps one around a job (or money).

Most everyone hates their job, except me.... I LOVE my job.


The best advise I can give. Unless there is a job that you love so much (like I do) that you get up in the morning happy to work (or like me, work 24/7 without care). Pick a job that pays the best retirement.

[DMan1198]

That's really understandable Eric. You get to spend all day with Paul, and bs with everyone about diesels. That's the kind of job I want to have a few years down the road

[diesel freak01]

Cmann I work for the local cat dealer. Always wanted to work turning wrenches there. That's the reason I went to school. Finally got the job I wanted. 6 months down the road I get offered a parts counter job. Hesitated a bit. Worked that job for two years. After a bunch of pestering I got an inside sales rep job. Worked that for about two years. The parts and service sales rep from my home store retired and they put me in that job. Been at it for two years. In right at 6 years I have had 4 jobs and each one was a pay raise. I know gross $70k+ with really good benefits and company matched 401k. Should have 1-2.5 mil when I retire hopefully. Even if you don't want to wreck your whole life, there will places to move around and get where you want or like to be. Now I'm in line to take over the new Ag side of the parts and service sales. I deal with coal mining construction and now Ag. There are always things changing. If you have any questions don't hesitate to holler at me.