Wilsons Sandbox

Who do you think is the one to steam clean the Diesel Engine. Probably the rookie that just got out of school. With your ambition for money and light clean work you should specialise on trying to hit the powerball! .02

On 7/16/06, Joe Tittiger wrote: > I'm thinking of a carreer change here and have been looking at a > mechanic school in Orando FL (http://www.uticorp.com/go/schools/) > > My dillema is what to specialize in. Ideally I would like to make > lots of money, work anyhwhere in the country that I choose --- and be > able to take off months at a time to ski and to ride my KLR > > I think that we are about to have major downturn in the ecomony and > see where motorcycle mechanics might be in great demand due to the > high gas milage of bikes. The school has a marine division, > automotive with specailizations in BMW, Toyota, big diesel trucks etc... > Motorcycle with specialization in Honda, Kawaaki, Suzuki and Harley. > > I don't want to work on old greasy motors. I have heard that the big > diesels are steam cleaned before you work on them and have observed > that most harleys are also nice and clean machines to dig into to. > > I'm looking forward to your replies> Excuse my delayed response as I > am going on the road for 2 months tommorow. > > Thanks... > Joe - Fort Myers FL > > > > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >

There Magic Eightball says, theres a strong possumbility theres not enough time left to pursue a career, better to work on Salvation. Ernie Campbell

----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Maxwell To: Joe Tittiger Cc: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 8:53 AM Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] NKLR - opportunities for mechanics Who do you think is the one to steam clean the Diesel Engine. Probably the rookie that just got out of school. With your ambition for money and light clean work you should specialise on trying to hit the powerball! .02 On 7/16/06, Joe Tittiger wrote: > I'm thinking of a carreer change here and have been looking at a > mechanic school in Orando FL (http://www.uticorp.com/go/schools/) > > My dillema is what to specialize in. Ideally I would like to make > lots of money, work anyhwhere in the country that I choose --- and be > able to take off months at a time to ski and to ride my KLR > > I think that we are about to have major downturn in the ecomony and > see where motorcycle mechanics might be in great demand due to the > high gas milage of bikes. The school has a marine division, > automotive with specailizations in BMW, Toyota, big diesel trucks etc... > Motorcycle with specialization in Honda, Kawaaki, Suzuki and Harley. > > I don't want to work on old greasy motors. I have heard that the big > diesels are steam cleaned before you work on them and have observed > that most harleys are also nice and clean machines to dig into to. > > I'm looking forward to your replies> Excuse my delayed response as I > am going on the road for 2 months tommorow. > > Thanks... > Joe - Fort Myers FL > > > > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Sun, 16 Jul 2006 14:06:40 -0700 (PDT), "art art" said:

>Diesel mechanics and truck drivers are inshort supply and will only >>get worse as teh baby boomers contineu to retire. It seems generation >y kids dont see any glamor in workjign on machines or other trades >simular to this

Interesting to hear. Diesel mechanic is one of my backup career choices if what I'm doing now ever dries up. I am wondering if we'll see an increase in rail vs trucking if oil prices keep rising, though. RM

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, art art wrote:

> > Joe > > I work for a major Truck Leasing company. You can expect to earn

about $30 an hour if your a fully trained tech for heavy duty diezssel engines. Of course this position would include health and welfare benifits as well.

> > Diesel mechanics and truck drivers are inshort supply and will

only get worse as teh baby boomers contineu to retire. It seems generation y kids dont see any glamor in workjign on machines or other trades simular to this

> > Art >

Hi Art and others, (This a sociological observation, on simplistic terms.) Considering the difficult issue we are facing/struggling with and concerning immigration, (not that I am offering a solution here, just an observation), immigrants have filled the 'void' in our American workplace since the industrial revolution. European guest workers have arrived in Germany, France to do the jobs that no other 'respectable' person will perform. Problem is (simplistic view) that they receive little respect for the job they are doing and receive few of the benefits of a 'national-citizen'. Henry Ford (again, a simplistic view) capitalized on the immigrant work force, offering German, Irish, Welsh, Scottish workers jobs (none that I particularly would desire)in factories and FORD was rewarded with workers that repaid him with loyalty that often spanned 20-30-40 years. Yes I know, times have changed, but bear with me.... IRT to the thread, the thought was that diesel mecks and drivers are in short supply, and this is where the sociological observation comes into play. If an individual was wanting a loyal work force for several years to come, immigrants often fill that void. Train them, make their life better, treat them with respect and you will have minimal turnover in your workforce, and have. (Wadda' ya know; it also works for an non-immigrant force....) Historically, when the 'bosses' see their human assets only as 'expendable' or throwaway people, we see a spiraling down in our moral base as well as our manufacturing capability. All that said, Art's observation concerning the coming shortage of mech's and drivers is simply an untapped opportunity for someone to make a better life for themselves. revmaaatin.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "RM" wrote:

> On Sun, 16 Jul 2006 14:06:40 -0700 (PDT), "art art" > said: > >Diesel mechanics and truck drivers are inshort supply and will only

There's a solution for the truck driver problem: Quit treating truck drivers like ****. A lot of the big trucking companies don't treat their truck drivers right, and the truck drivers tell their kids, "kiddo, don't become a truck driver, The Man is gonna screw you comin' and goin'." I got some stories thanks to my uncles who were in the business (now retired), but not particularly relevant. It's like all other professions -- the Big Boys are out to rip off the little man in every way possible.

> Interesting to hear. Diesel mechanic is one of my backup career choices > if what I'm doing now ever dries up. I am wondering if we'll see an > increase in rail vs trucking if oil prices keep rising, though.

Nope, won't see an increase in rail, for one simple reason -- all the merger mania and investor lawsuits during the past 30 years in the railroad business has resulted in approximately 30% of the railroad tracks in the United States BEING RIPPED OUT AND SOLD FOR SCRAP. The remainder are at capacity right now. It would be relatively easy to increase the capacity to meet new demand, but that would require investing money in infrastructure. Ain't happenin'. Rail has a low return on investment compared to, say, high technology. Investers just aren't interested in putting money into rail in order to raise its capacity... remember, the investors just finished forcing the rail companies to sell off 30% of their capacity for scrap in order to put more money into investors' pockets! As for me, I'm not going to train as a mechanic, but that's because I'm too $%#@! slow. And not getting any faster in my old age. Takes me forever to do anything. Heck, changing my tires is an all-day affair for me! _E

I am a mechanic that owns a shop .......Trust me when i say it aint easy making money as a mechanic....If you ask me there never was enough mechanics and probably never will be .........Good luck in your new career --- "E.L. Green" wrote:

> --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "RM" > wrote: > > On Sun, 16 Jul 2006 14:06:40 -0700 (PDT), "art > art" > > said: > > >Diesel mechanics and truck drivers are inshort > supply and will only > > There's a solution for the truck driver problem: > Quit treating truck > drivers like ****. A lot of the big trucking > companies don't treat > their truck drivers right, and the truck drivers > tell their kids, > "kiddo, don't become a truck driver, The Man is > gonna screw you comin' > and goin'." I got some stories thanks to my uncles > who were in the > business (now retired), but not particularly > relevant. It's like all > other professions -- the Big Boys are out to rip off > the little man in > every way possible. > > > Interesting to hear. Diesel mechanic is one of my > backup career choices > > if what I'm doing now ever dries up. I am > wondering if we'll see an > > increase in rail vs trucking if oil prices keep > rising, though. > > Nope, won't see an increase in rail, for one simple > reason -- all the > merger mania and investor lawsuits during the past > 30 years in the > railroad business has resulted in approximately 30% > of the railroad > tracks in the United States BEING RIPPED OUT AND > SOLD FOR SCRAP. The > remainder are at capacity right now. It would be > relatively easy to > increase the capacity to meet new demand, but that > would require > investing money in infrastructure. Ain't happenin'. > Rail has a low > return on investment compared to, say, high > technology. Investers just > aren't interested in putting money into rail in > order to raise its > capacity... remember, the investors just finished > forcing the rail > companies to sell off 30% of their capacity for > scrap in order to put > more money into investors' pockets! > > As for me, I'm not going to train as a mechanic, but > that's because > I'm too $%#@! slow. And not getting any faster in my > old age. Takes me > forever to do anything. Heck, changing my tires is > an all-day affair > for me! > > _E > > > > >

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On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 05:01:03 -0000, "E.L. Green" said:

> Nope, won't see an increase in rail, for one simple reason -- all the > merger mania and investor lawsuits during the past 30 years in the > railroad business has resulted in approximately 30% of the railroad > tracks in the United States BEING RIPPED OUT AND SOLD FOR SCRAP. The > remainder are at capacity right now. It would be relatively easy to > increase the capacity to meet new demand, but that would require > investing money in infrastructure. Ain't happenin'.

It's interesting to hear this. Back when I lived in the Chicago 'burbs, I enjoyed riding my pedalbike on the rail-to-trail pathways that cris-crossed the county. In spite of this, I always thought that ripping out railways was bad public policy. I thought that someday, decades from then, we'll *need* those rails but NIMBYs will never allow them to rebuild. That day may come sooner rather than later. RM

I work for one of the larger railroads and that is not completely true. The spurs do not make money (unless it is coal). We are constantly upgrading and installing double mains (new tracks). Money talks, coming out of Mexico we have added three new lines and coming out of Canada we have added two. We are in the process of upgrading and adding rail to California. We are removing and sellling off the non-money makers (old spurs to mom and pop mills, etc.). Railroads are doing very well right now. The U.S., except in places like Chicago and New York does not use rail to transport people. Amtrack is all but dead. Look at the stock market, Union Pacific and BNSF are up. All the major carriers are also hiring. We have hired over 1000 people in the last few years and talking to human resources we are not done yet. They project that over 50% of the managers and train crews will be retiring in the next 5 years. RM wrote: On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 05:01:03 -0000, "E.L. Green" said:

> Nope, won't see an increase in rail, for one simple reason -- all the > merger mania and investor lawsuits during the past 30 years in the > railroad business has resulted in approximately 30% of the railroad > tracks in the United States BEING RIPPED OUT AND SOLD FOR SCRAP. The > remainder are at capacity right now. It would be relatively easy to > increase the capacity to meet new demand, but that would require > investing money in infrastructure. Ain't happenin'.

It's interesting to hear this. Back when I lived in the Chicago 'burbs, I enjoyed riding my pedalbike on the rail-to-trail pathways that cris-crossed the county. In spite of this, I always thought that ripping out railways was bad public policy. I thought that someday, decades from then, we'll *need* those rails but NIMBYs will never allow them to rebuild. That day may come sooner rather than later. RM [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In the case of Chicago, I was thinking more along the lines of moving people rather than freight. Mass transit may not continue to be a loser if the trend in oil sticks around. RM On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 13:07:24 -0700 (PDT), "E Hines" said:

> I work for one of the larger railroads and that is not completely true. > The spurs do not make money (unless it is coal).