You should contact your local Caterpillar dealer and ask them about a program called Think Big. I am a 2005 graduate of the Empire Machinery Think Big program and wouldn't think twice of doing it again if I had to. The instructors are Caterpillar certified instructors and there is an associates degree in applied science of diesel technology that is obtained. Most places will offer you some form of assistance is getting your tools and they have a very accurate list of what a professional diesel mechanic should start out with. I am 24 years old and have been in my own field service truck for 2 1/2 years already. I love every minute of my job working on heavty equipment. I was born and raised in a Cummins family but Cummins schooling did not hold a candle to Caterpillars and I didn't want to work on semis. All ogf the other schools I looked at were over 15000 dollars and I got this BS spell about how great it was and how I wouldnt regret it. My Think Big schooling cost 7800 dollrs and I have an associates degree. Think about and feel free to ask me any questions. I'd love to help if I can.

 

i got to PCT and all i can say is the CAT program there sucks i have plenty of friends who CAt promised alot to and now are getting screwed out of there money because caterpillar is in the drain personally i cant stand anything CAT probally because i am a die hard deere and cummins guy but never the less at least for right now stay away from having cat help you through school now as for PCT i think it is/was a total waste of my time and money the only class where i really learned anything is was hydraulics some of the teachers at this school seem very threatend by someone who actually knows something about what they are doing i have been wrenching on pieces of equipment for a long time and have built my share of engines and some of the teachers there are concerned more with controling how you think and making sure you do everything "by the books" that they forget some of the students there are quite knowlegdable about this trade and find it very detremental to be constantly hounded on how to do something when we have been working on these for awhile and know the tricks to get the job done sooner these teachers demand all the respect in the world but give none at all as a side note some of the teachers at this school are very knowledeable very understanding of your work experiance and go out of there way to help you understand something and will answer any question you have

 

I never said anything bad about anybody else's schools, I just said my experience and ALOT of my coworkers experience went very well for them. The dealers are not obligated to keep anybody and half of my graduating class has been let go cause they couldn't cut it. And if you will read the entire posting you will also find that I'm Cummins guy myself. I have several family members who retired from Cummins. I would never own a truck with a CAT in it because they break all the time. In my eyes its called Job Security. BTW, If you already knew everything about wrenching why did you go to school?

 

When somebody graduates from their school and goes out into the workplace it's that school's reputation at stake there, so ya I'm sure they do want you to learn "by The Book Methods". Not to mention the fact that a lot these guys that show up to a school thinking they know how to do somethin may know plenty enough to get by dinkin around the farm but may not know as much as they thought they did when it comes to professionally workin on things.

I'm buildin my own ground ripper right now from scrap layin around my place but that doesn't mean that I would advertise myself as an implement designer, builder and manufacturer.

You have to know the right way to do something and after that you can learn the shortcuts, but first things first. So in the end it sounds to me like those instructors were doin exactly what they were supposed to be doin. Teachin to the school standards.

 

That's a pretty big accomplishment to get into a CAT shop truck at 21`1/2 years old. Congratulations.

A question for you: Do you find yourself pigeon-holed with Caterpillar equipment with the Think Big training and Caterpillar development, or are you becoming well-versed in brands K, H, JD, and the others as well?

 

i graduated from UNOH the fall of 2007 and now im making 85K a year tax free (thanks to this guy also^^^^^^) working over seas in Iraq running all of the maintenance operations for the worlds largest bulk fuel farm......if i get this new job with a different company, im looking at my pay almost doubling.....

 

I graduated from UNOH in spring of 07. Good school and good classes. Imo crappy town, but I delt with it. My degeree in diesel technology has got me pretty far. Ill be 23 in aug and making decient money for the liTtle town I work in. I'm happy wrenchin every day, it kinda like my little getaway. I aint making 6 digits but pretty happy anyways. If I hadn't got laid off may 2009 from caterpiller there would be a very good chance of making 80000+. O well I guess. All I can say is tools are expensive. and do what makes you happy, you'll thank yourself for it.

 

The dealer I work for is a dealer for Tesmec trenchers. When I first got into a field truck I was voluntold that I would be assisting the trencher division for a while. We are one of about a dozen Tesmec dealers in the country so I travel alot for work. Along with my travels if our trencher customer has a Deere dozer or a Komatsu hoe that needs to be worked on then I dive in head first. That is a good question though because alot of CAT guys wont work on anything else. I found early on that adversity will take you leaps and bounds in this business.

 

That's why I asked.

You're starting out early on the right road...keep it up.

 

as anybody done wyotech and what has their experience been like?