Diesel mechanic school
 

hey guys not sure if this is the place for this but i thought id try it. I'm approaching college here pretty soon and am wanting to pursue a career in diesel mechanics and know there are alot of schools out there. I was hoping someone with some experience could give me some insight on this thanks

I couldn't get close to a job in the field until I took "UTI Grad" off my resume. Massively negative connotations amongst employers; the average students are too dumb or inexperienced to get much out of it, and the schools are too greedy to kick people out that are paying $20,000+. Some schools are better than others, but all are full of kids in the bottom half of their high school classes that are still inexplicably getting "4.0" GPA's... No matter how much you get out of it, you will be hurt by being linked with your idiot classmates.

There is no substitute for job experience and no school will give that to you. Without job experience, school is wasted. With job experience, you realize that most school is a waste.

im a little with begle on this one most of those schools i hear horrible things about. however i know some colleges (one i went to) that is a Jr college that taught some mechanics stuff. they were tied into GM and had a "GM Training Center" or something like that. i never went through it but i heard good things about it. u may be able to find a school somewhere around you that has something similar. also id recommend goin to a dealership for a brand and telling the manager or someone up there in the pecking order what u wanna do and ask them if they have any suggestions. im sure theyd be willing to help you out

i went to nadc (nashville auto diesel college) i was nothing like they tell u when there trying to get u to go to the college. the recruiter will lie his ass off to get you to go to it. it ended up costing me 25k to go to it for one year.

right after i got out of school they changed it up where u either took auto, or diesel not both like i took. as far as job placement, outof just my class mates the 25 or so i hung out with, 4 of us were offered a managers job before we even graduated. 3 of them took it, i was offered a shop foreman at a cat dealer in Ga. for 18 bucks an hour, and i turned it down because my wife didnt want to move :argh: 10 of them were offered good jobs before we got out, a few of them were sent to the school be someone around where they lived just to get the degree.

i took a crap job just cause the area i live in dont pay worth a damn for mechanics.

good luck :tu:

thanks guys has anyone heard anything about cewnteral arizona college by chance?

Well I went to garden city community college in kansas because John Deere has a sponsored program there. to get into the program you have to be sponsored by a dealership which is a guaranteed job when you graduate. It was a 2 year program and they do have paid internships which were nice. I'll get a link for the website for you.
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The best thing to do is to talk to some dealerships. A lot of tractor dealerships will pay for your college if you work for them for a couple years.

I went to Wyotech in Laramie wy and was offered a job at a CAT CRC shop in Casper Wy for 18 an hour. Which i think as a level 3 or level 4 apprentice position. But I also graduated near the top of my class. A large majority of the kids didn't have that high of grades.

I'm with ya Ed. I'm currently here in Nashville going to nadc and it is nothing like the reps say its gonna be. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just different. The school is a good school so far, I'm in my 5th (mod) month. There's a lot of instructors here that know their stuff and there's some that are plum crazy :tttt: The school cars aren't the best, most are missing parts due to thieves, but they still work good for training aids. The diesel trucks and the diesel engine room are nice (a few common rail cummins too :jump:). The price is still right around 25k for 13 months, plus your housing, which for me it's right at $5800. After grants and stuff I'm looking at 23k in the end with housing and everything. I was told the placement rating was like 86%, but I guess I'll find out 8 months lol. Good luck with your decision!!:c:

Im in Indy going to Lincoln College of Technology as well as members 901stGen, and a couple othes on here and its not all its cracked up to be. However there are certain teachers that actually have worked in the field and when you show the effort to want to learn, they will make sure you get taught well. I believe it is total horse S*** that there is not some kind of entrance exam because there are kids there that should not even be allowed to use screwdrivers let alone anything else. My dad owns his own auto shop and has taught me from the young years, and i have worked for him until i came to school so i am honestly ahead of alot of them. But its that piece of paper that matters at the end honestly.

I just started my progam at hennipen tech in minnesota and it has a paid internship program i have heard nothing but good plus 100% job placement no joke

im in the same place what im going to do is check out wyoming machinery they offer scholarships and a job but thats only in wyoming i dont know how montana is but check out some mines alot of times they offer some and every diesel mechanic i ve talked to says to go with big diesel equipment not automotive which sounds pretty good to me you might check out like peterbilt kenworth cat or cummins they might offer something i have my sights set on casper college its only 3000 for tuition but thats me but i know milescity has alot of logging and log trucks running around i just thought i would put my 2 cents in here seeing as how im in the same spot:c:

all i can say is avoid big name schools like wyotech and uti. Go to a good reputable local school.

Around here you will get a job out of our local school 100 times before the guy who came out of a big name school, also look at the skills USA contests, not many big name schools all little.

ya I thought about Casper but idk yet i rodeo alot so I wanna go somewhere that I can do diesel mechanics and rodeo at the same time so either there probably or like wyoech or somewhere in Arizona. My ultimate dream though is to have my own shop. O ya and just sayin the logging is way east man haha.:moon::choochoo::rocking::tu:

UNOH in Lima Ohio, they offer Associates Degrees in Auto, High Performance, Diesel, Ag, and Alternative Fuels, they also offer a Bachelors. I got my Associates in High Performance Motorsports in August 2007 and February 2008 I was hired as a Heavy Armor Mechanic with KBR out of Houston Texas working in Iraq making around 90K a year. I never had any formal diesel training, I just had to learn it on my own...

For what it's worth!! I have been in the mechanics field for 28 years and did this from 0 education when I started. I only had a strong desire to learn the trade. The problem with any tech school is that they teach a lot of theory and very little hands on. When they throw theory at you and you really don't have any questions in your head to be answered then you don't retain very much. Go out and get some questions in your head first for a year or two then go to school looking for answers.

im at UNOH right now... its in lima which is a hell hole but the school is good... i have had 2 job offering already... lowest starts at 24/hr

alright guys i'm still looking but your help is great any other suggestions? I'm open to listen.....

After reading about wyo an uti, im think more about NADS, I worked in a gravle pit doing mait. then went into the army as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. I will be using the post 9/11 GI Bill so the price is not a prob. has any one had any bad experiences with any of the mentioned schools?

from where you are at I would really look at wyo tech they have been a top school for 30+ years talk to some of your local diesel shops and do some online research I have known a lot of people that have went there for school and all of their programs seem to be top notch it all depends on what you do after the school if you continue your education and keep pursing and do not quit learning this is just a small step in your life but it is probably one of the most important ones do your research and get registered early If I could go back 30 years that is what I would do good luck

All the training in the world wont equal a years experience. I've had more trouble with guy's that have been to school. Get in some where to get some hands on experience, once you determine if you like the field then consider school. And dont just look at diesel, and dont just consider a diesel only shop. Regular auto's will help build your skill level as well and keep you diversified.

belive me, im going to use as much of my gi bill as i can. i love working on cars trucks and heavy equipment. i have losts of hands on. i really just need that paper saying i know what im doing.

Get a job a a dealorship or a shop first, get your hands greasy and see if you like working on other peoples veichles. I thought I wanted to be a diesel tech (back in the day), after woring as a tech in training I realized that I just liked working on my own stuff. I noticed that alot of mechanics drove beaters, and was told that you work on cars all day, why would you want to work on your cars when you get off work and on your days off.

i'd got with john deere or caterpillar or something like that. the job will always be there. construction and agriculture aren't going anywhere. i don't have to worry about getting laid off when times are bad.

UNOH (University of Northwestern Ohio) is a great school. I went there a graduated with an associates in auto repair and high per. auto. (i know i know not diesel) I did have a buddy that did the diesel side and said it was very good program. all of there teachers either own(ed) there own shops or were high level techs in there area. At least look into if nothing else. A guy I work with went to wyo tech and from comparing schools said it wasnt nearly as good as unoh.. just my .02 though.

get a job in it....best education, and you get paid for it!

I went to NDSCS (North Dakota Stace College of Science) They have a great Diesel Tech program along with a John Deere Program and a Cat Program.

I was in the broader diesel tech program. All I can say is we covered a lot of stuff. If it was found in a semi or a tractor we took it apart and put it back together.

Not only that but I had a blast after school there :c:

In my class everybody left the school with a job if they wanted. Myself I came back for a 3rd year and took welding. Then left there and have been farming/Ranching ever since.

i currently got to texas state technical college ft bend tech center and its nothing like it was described....its not a bad school but the deffinatly not as promised....and i will deffinatly say some teachers are alot better than others....the kids that just got out of high school and are only there because somebody told them they were going to college or moving out of the house get in the way and can be very frustrating....but if you stay awake in the classroom and pay attention in the lab theres a lot to be learned

Here is a link I started some time ago on this same subject:

UTI or Wyotech? - Dodge Cummins Diesel Forum

Ain't that the damn truth.

I just Dropped out from UTI completly worthless for a whole month they taught how to jack a truck up work in the field you will learn more fro it. or chose a local school u know people tht have graduated from there imo dnt do uti

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UTI from my point a view was for someone who had never seen or looked under the hood of a car and thats what they tell you too its for peopel who are not very mechanicly inclined. you can learn alot from there but you can learn the same thing in the field and get paid for it. uTI just wasnt worth 40k out of my pocket to me actually it would prob be closer to 50 after loan intrest but yea u see my point :argh:

I had fun at UTI, but mostly because we were just screwing around and racing cars and banging high school girls. but i dont tell anybody i went, i did learn some stuff, but you should just keep in mind that it costs too damn much.:s:

Well, A simple high school certificate coupled with technical training certification will make one eligible for the job of diesel mechanic. I am looking to become good diesel mechanic with good support under professionals.

diesel mechanic

i was thinking about UTI after the Army but have decided to go to local commmunity college and try to get my foot in the door at a local diesel, tractor, auto shop working part time to get my on the job training. im mechanically inclined not only from working on Apache helicopters in the army, but also working on my own vehicles as well as friends and family members. I hope once i get back stateside my plan falls into place. I really want to be a diesel mechanic, wether working on diesel trucks, or working on tractors, farm equipment, construction equipment..AS LONG AS IT BURNS DIESEL FUEL I DONT GIVE A S***!!

We you can make good money If you double major like my friend, he went for diesel/agriculture so not only cam he work on semis, pick ups, he can also work on Amy piece of farm equipment.like mobile cat/Volvo trucks


Strokin' Away

thats a good ide 1999STROKER

Ohio Technical College is also a great school. They started as a Diesel only school and have expanded from there. There are also a Cummins school. Great teachers and being a Non-Profit school they aren't there for your money. One of the few schools I have found where they truly care about the students!

I was going to go to wyotech but then i applied at the Deere dealer down the road and some truck companies and they all said i would have a better chance getting hired if i went to Kishwaukee College in Malta IL. the program was 2yrs and 1/4 of price of wyo. companies and farmers bring there equipment to have the students work on them. i LOVED it there. after 2 months i told my buddy, he dropped UTI and started at Kish and got a job right away. Just look at some local choices. cause alot of times they are a better fit.