Field service guys.

[willie59]

Oh, by the way, you're pretty much in the same region I am...the South. I don't know what your particular skills are, but if you get in a service truck with a welder/generator, toss a 110V electric fan in the back of the truck. I got a call at 2:00 this afternoon to change a return hose on a breaker. Awesome, easy job, I already keep a spare hose for this breaker, be in an out of the job in 30 minutes. Nope. Got on site and the Mexican operating the machine pointed to a crack that had developed in the arm of that SK250. Drat! Drag out the welding gear, the arc gouger, the grinders, the rods and slag hammer, but before I started the first thing I did was grab the fan in the back of the truck and set it up. It made that welding repair job much more comfortable in the middle of a wide open dirt site with no shade and the 90 degree day sun beating down on me.

 

[FSERVICE]

willie I thought you liked the heat!!! LOL remember that heat when its snowing & cold outside another thing that's great to have on the truck (in the first aid kit) is super glue.. it works great on those cuts that are deep or wont stop leaking!!!

nowing you must get fuel from the same place as me!! it never fails cold late night or a Friday evening on the way home it will clog up!! even tho I change it at every oil change also...

 

[willie59]

FSERV, given a choice between the heat and the cold, I'll take the heat any day. That fan felt purty darn good on this hot day, but I've got a gut feeling it would not be so comfortable blowing on me on a 15 degree F day when the wind on a day like that is doing a fair job of cutting me to the bone. I'll take the heat and the fan.

 

[FSERVICE]

I can take the cold better than the heat.. I keep a squirrel cage blower on the truck.. it even works great at night to keep the bugs off

 

[RBMcCloskey]

#7cardboard (Kentucky creeper) , I was told they are Jersey Creepers!
Other things to consider:
1) Make sure others know where you are and when you should return. I you have a problem they will know where to look. Make it plane that if they do not hear from you come and check.
2) Keep your cell phone within reach at all times when working alone.
3) Trust your instincts, if something feels wrong listen to that little voice, it my save your life. Think your plan of action through, what will happen if I ____?
4) Keep a complete change of clothes in a vacuum sealed bag, including clean knickers and socks, and a shaving kit for those late nights. Don't try to drive 4 hours after a very long day, stay in a motel and get home alive.
5) If you do a lot of cutting and welding, removing frozen pins and bolts, consider a BROCO, see BROCOINC.com
6) Invest in a Slide Sledge, your body will thank you. slidesledge.com
7) Buy a good set of knee pads and use them, when you are 60 you will be able to stand unaided.
8) REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT BULITE PROOF, BE CAREFUL!
9) Have SEVERAL Fire Extinguishers and keep them near.
10) A small tank of Liquid Nitrogen is great for shrinking pins and press fit parts and eliminating bee, hornet and wasp nests. Break Clean works well also.
Good Luck,
Bob

 

[partsandservice]

I also have a straw hat in the truck, if I can keep the beating sun off me I am alright. I have seen others with an umbrella mount on the end of their crane that could be put right over them and moved with the sun. I have personally took the buncher, cut a head full and brought the shade to the knuckle boom because the knuckle boom is never in the shade. I am no longer the anytime anywhere man I use to be, at least when it comes to wrenching. I no longer do heavy repair on the road, and with all this electrical stuff to repair nowadays , I travel around in a half ton pickup.

 

[willie59]

Heat/cold, to each his own. IMHO, winter can be described with two words...cold and dead. That leads to the third word...yuk!

As for food, I'm like others, I pack more than I can eat daily. Yes, I eat the sandwich or perishable I pack, but I've got extra packaged crackers/cakes, just in case. The lunch bucket also contains goody powders, ibuprofen, Neopsporin, dental pic, and a BIC lighter. And I keep a tin of sardines (yes, I'm a fish eater) and a can of pork n beans in the cab of the truck, they both have a long shelf life and can be a lifesaver in those unusual circumstances.

 

[willie59]

I also have a straw hat in the truck, if I can keep the beating sun off me I am alright.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who does that, love my Guy Harvey straw hat, I call it my "Southern Sombrero", like having a shade tree on top of your head.

 

[partsandservice]

Mine's from the Tractor Supply collection...

 

[willie59]

It's been said that great minds think alike.

 

[lantraxco]

I of course have the pacific island version, it's cloth brim and top with mesh venting... straw would be way too close to my Mexican heritage on my sainted Mother's side of the family :Cowboy

 

[partsandservice]

I think we may be on a tangent, back to the advise. Diagnostics is usually the feild mechanics responsibility. The day of the old school diesel mechanic is passing. However under all that stuff is just the same old engine, the computer just monitors the parameters that are nessesary to make the engine run properly. It is almost always a wire and almost never the ECM . Explaining to the customer that ECM you just replaced and reprogrammed change nothing does not help the reputation . I have seen those screw ups covered up in the shop, but in the feild there is nothing to do but face the music. No jumping down! Keep it up and you will find out why. Be the first in line to get your shop rags, they are always in short supply.

 

[Cmark]

If you're desperate for a dump, Mcdonalds have nice clean facilities.

 

[chris_james]

A puddy knife scraper how ever you wanna call it. Youd be surprised how mych lighter a belly pan gets without that carp on it. Sticking with belly pans a piece of plywood and a floor jack is a lot easier way to put one back up.

 

[Cutterjohn]

If you're desperate for a dump, Mcdonalds have nice clean facilities.

This made me laugh out loud, as truer words were never spoken. But I always feel guilty doing that, like I have to buy a milkshake or something after stopping to avail myself of their restroom.

 

[kshansen]

This made me laugh out loud, as truer words were never spoken. But I always feel guilty doing that, like I have to buy a milkshake or something after stopping to avail myself of their restroom.

Like someone once told me don't feel bad about using the facilities when needed just think of the many times you stop to get a quick bite and don't used the facilities. It all evens out in the long run, but then I do like the chocolate shakes, but they are not as good as the ones I made when I worked there back in the day! The ones for personal consumption had a couple extra shots of chocolate in them! Back then they were not computer controlled portions!

 

[kshansen]

I keep a Deutsch connector kit on the truck. Have used it many times.

On this same topic. When ever I replaced a component with these Deutsch connectors I would always cut the old connectors off with a bit of wire attached. Handy to repair a harness if you have some pins or sockets in stock and also handy to hook up things to test them. Can be tricky making contact down in a socket without shorting something out!

 

[Nige]

While on the subject of Deutsch connectors don't forget the crimp tool. It doesn't come in the connector kit.

 

[GregsHD]

While on the subject of Deutsch connectors don't forget the crimp tool. It doesn't come in the connector kit.

I had this happen with a Weather Pack kit I bought, the picture on the parts store computer showed the crimp tool in the kit, seemed like a good deal so I ordered it, when it showed up no crimp tool. I got the parts person to sharpen his pencil enough to cover the cost of the crimper :tong

 

[RBMcCloskey]

on this same topic. When ever i replaced a component with these deutsch connectors i would always cut the old connectors off with a bit of wire attached. Handy to repair a harness if you have some pins or sockets in stock and also handy to hook up things to test them. Can be tricky making contact down in a socket without shorting something out!

great idea!