Anybody know...

[Salty]

how well Diesel/Heavy Equipment mechanics fare in these troubled economic times?

As much as I'd like to get a regular degree, it doesn't seem too likely right now.
Besides, I would still enjoy a career where I can assess, manipulate, and repair some sort of complex system with my hands. One that would put foods in my mouth would be awesome too, and since AK has the highest pay-rate for diesel mechanics in the US I think I'd have that covered.

I like diesels, have held a weird sort of fascination with them for years now.

I'm not really worried about having ZERO mechanical know-how as I entered massage the same way.

[Hangshai]

I actually just heard about some law that is being proposed that will some how shift freight that is carried by trucks over to trains.  I don't know how accurate that is, but the person who was talking about it said that if it happened truck drivers would definitely lose their jobs over it.  If you want to be some sort of mechanic, I would get into fixing Harleys.  Every time I have gone to the shop, it's full of bikes.  A lot of people that own Harleys are the type of people that will shell out the cash to have the dealer fix their bike, unless they can fix it themselves.  Just a thought, this is all relevant to where I live.  It may be different where you are at.

[Salty]

People pull their bikes out as soon as they can and ride them for as long as possible. But that's for about 4 months at the most.

There are a lot of generators and heavy equipment, especially out north. AND there's SUPPOSED to be a gas pipe-line built in the near future, which will boost such activity. However, without Sarah Palin's sterling leadership the deal isn't going down as well as we were led to believe.

[Requia ☣]

The way I see it is, if you can't be outsourced to another state or country and a computer or robot can't do the job, you're in a better position than most Americans.

[Hangshai]

Yeah, I didn't even think about big equipment.  My brother in law worked at an equipment place that use to rent stuff out to construction crews, all big equipment with diesel engines.  He had really good pay and benefits, and he worked a lot of overtime I remember, so I'm assuming he was probably getting some pretty big checks.

[BabylonHoruv]

I actually just heard about some law that is being proposed that will some how shift freight that is carried by trucks over to trains.  I don't know how accurate that is, but the person who was talking about it said that if it happened truck drivers would definitely lose their jobs over it.  If you want to be some sort of mechanic, I would get into fixing Harleys.  Every time I have gone to the shop, it's full of bikes.  A lot of people that own Harleys are the type of people that will shell out the cash to have the dealer fix their bike, unless they can fix it themselves.  Just a thought, this is all relevant to where I live.  It may be different where you are at.

Trains run on Deisel engines also, so this might not be so bad for deisel mechanics, just for truck drivers.

[East Coast Hustle]

People pull their bikes out as soon as they can and ride them for as long as possible. But that's for about 4 months at the most.

There are a lot of generators and heavy equipment, especially out north. AND there's SUPPOSED to be a gas pipe-line built in the near future, which will boost such activity. However, without Sarah Palin's sterling leadership the deal isn't going down as well as we were led to believe.

especially out north

ESPECIALLY OUT NORTH

Think about that. Are you willing to relocate your family to some godforsaken wasteland like Barrow or Prudhoe Bay?

ETA: obviously, if you can find a good gig in a more civilized part of the state, then you should go for it. Be sure to learn about biodiesels, as that's likely to be a high-growth/high-pay field.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

how well Diesel/Heavy Equipment mechanics fare in these troubled economic times?

I'd go general millwright, if I were you.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

You could always learn how to convert diesel engines to bio-fuel stuff, like running off of old veggie oil sludge and then perfect it.
Find a way to make it more efficient, safer, less harmful than they already have and then market it. Or hell, just do the door to door salesman pitch thing with it. See where it goes.
This won't pay well, nevermind.
::shrug::

[Salty]

People pull their bikes out as soon as they can and ride them for as long as possible. But that's for about 4 months at the most.

There are a lot of generators and heavy equipment, especially out north. AND there's SUPPOSED to be a gas pipe-line built in the near future, which will boost such activity. However, without Sarah Palin's sterling leadership the deal isn't going down as well as we were led to believe.

especially out north

ESPECIALLY OUT NORTH

Think about that. Are you willing to relocate your family to some godforsaken wasteland like Barrow or Prudhoe Bay?

Ha! Not a chance.  Mrs. Alty would beat me for suggesting it.
I would however work a two week on-two week off schedule, pulling 14 12-hour shifts in a row, and then having two weeks to spend with my family any way I choose. Especially if my pay-rate allows Mrs. Alty to go to school. Then it'd be my turn.

 

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

I can tell you that when the economy is bad manufacturing takes a hit and repairs get a boost. People try to get as much as they can out of their equipment when things are tight.

[Salty]

I like bio-fuel. I like the idea of opening a shop that converts vehicles to run on waste veg oil even better.

TGRR: I just looked up what a millwright is and it looks SUPREMELY interesting. Comprehensive. I like it.

I already talked to someone at University of Anchorage AK's "Educational Opportunity Center" which was about as useful as an asshole on the back if my neck. Fucking appendage.

Right now I'm waiting to talk to the Uni's adviser for the Automotive and Diesel Blah Blah Program. We'll see.

Regardless, I'll be giving my notice to my Chiropractor on monday and will go through a temp agency/ALEXsys job network until I get a 9 to 5 that pays decent enough.

[Eater of Clowns]

I like bio-fuel. I like the idea of opening a shop that converts vehicles to run on waste veg oil even better.

TGRR: I just looked up what a millwright is and it looks SUPREMELY interesting. Comprehensive. I like it.

I already talked to someone at University of Anchorage AK's "Educational Opportunity Center" which was about as useful as an asshole on the back if my neck. Fucking appendage.

Right now I'm waiting to talk to the Uni's adviser for the Automotive and Diesel Blah Blah Program. We'll see.

Regardless, I'll be giving my notice to my Chiropractor on monday and will go through a temp agency/ALEXsys job network until I get a 9 to 5 that pays decent enough.

I attended a lecture about vegetable oil conversion.  It seems to me places/people that do it either have other business to depend up or do it for extra income.  There isn't enough of a market for it.

[Salty]

Oh yeah, definitely. Something for the future, for personal satisfaction. Meanwhile, I'd love to fix some fucking steamrollers. Or trains. Or whatever, really.

I wanted to fix people, but it would be nice to only have one brain to immediately work with.

[rong]

if i may chime in here - i agree that millwright is a pretty good recommendation.  although, being that i work in a factory (where i see plenty of millwrights) - most of them are pretty beaten up by retirement age.  lots of heavy lifting and working in odd postures and environments.  higher than average risk of life altering injury in that line of work ('course that also means you have a good chance of coasting along on disability if that's your thing . . .)

with that said, i'd encourage you to look into electrical trades.  i think the push to get off of burning things for energy will only put electricians in higher demand.  if you know what you are doing and are careful, you run little risk of getting electrocuted and the pay is better with a lot less sweating.