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This will be an interesting thread moving forward......

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
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Central New York, USA
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Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
You should have hired another mechanic a year ago. Similar to planting trees though- the next best time (other than the past) is today.
Only problem is finding someone who actually wants to work and not just sit there playing games on cell phone!
 

Welder Dave

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It sounds like Vetech found the right helper. Just needs to convince the bosses he needs to work with Vetech full time. If he could find a good experienced mechanic would be even better. By the size of the company and the amount of neglect it seems there should be at least 2 mechanics and a helper. Kind of bizarre they don't have dedicated mechanics on staff.
 

kshansen

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Central New York, USA
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Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Kind of bizarre they don't have dedicated mechanics on staff.

Kind of sounds like they figure they don't need a mechanic till something won't work in the morning on an important job.

I seen this attitude over the years and I always referred to it as "Prevented Maintenance" in other words those who know and understand the importance of maintenance are prevented from doing it.

It ran last week so why shouldn't it run this week? If those filters were good for 250 hours why not 10 more, then 20 more then 100 more............
 

John C.

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He is a fireman. He is doing busy work until something breaks down, then he goes and puts out the fire. It's a management style that's taught in colleges to business majors. It works fine when there is a lot of money coming in.
 

Welder Dave

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Seems very backwards to doing regular maintenance and preventative checks on a semi regular basis. It's not always just about the money and how fast the jobs get done. I used to work in a large vessel and gas and oil production equipment shop. Plant manager had a meeting with the welders when an attaching bolt broke off because of a poor weld. He said we don't push you too hard here because we don't want mistakes and then showed the bolt. All it needed was a good tack to prevent it from turning but it had a bunch chicken $hit on it. A real PIA when your bolting saddles for a vessel on a skid you can't get underneath to hold the bolt.
 
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Vetech63

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Aug 10, 2016
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Oklahoma
I am going to disperse Cat on the 299D today. It has an electrical problem that is preventing the engine from running. I could probably figure it out myself, but I can't expect it to be an hour-long task.............I just don't have the time for troubleshooting something that might take hours right now. I don't see how I can take on the bigger jobs either. What is killing me is being unable to stay on a bigger project.........like the CB64. There is just too much happening on a daily basis that requires too much of my time. What JohnC said is exactly right............its work until something breaks in the field then go out and take care of that.

I'm going to have a serious talk with the general super this week. If they don't want to hire a helper right now, then I will have to bring one in myself that can at least do light repair and PM work. I will just have to back charge them for the labor time. Finding someone on a part time basis would be preferable.........but more than likely impossible. This whole thing is a catch 22........dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. There is not going to be a perfect scenario for this situation. Thats the tough part..............looking for that needle in the haystack.
 

AzIron

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The guys running this outfit will never and I mean never hire the man power needed with the right skill set and have a manager over equipment repairs they dont see it as an investment to there buissness they see it as straight cost

They will drive an independent guy right in the ground and move on to the next one this is what corporations do there are exceptions but very few. So with that in mind charge the hell out of them and when you get tired let them think your busy somewhere else and schedule your self some down time to have no obligation to keep there organization running

Hiring your own helper might be good but are you doing it for you or them it's not your responsibility to fix there PM problem it's also not on you to train there staff if they did listen and pay attention they would have already done so

Ask yourself this do you want to be there equipment manager or even there catch all take on what you want to and leave the rest for them what's the worst that will happen they actually hire some one to do a job no matter what they will keep calling you.
 

oarwhat

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Dec 14, 2009
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Location
buffalo,n.y.
"Our United State "can do" or "work-aholic" attitude from an early age drives us into the ground. Yes we are over achievers, but we kill ourselves in the process."

This is so true for us but the younger generation doesn't think this way at all! They're totally opposite. It's not can "can do". It's " why do " I have to do this.
 

ianjoub

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Jun 22, 2018
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Homosassa, FL USA
Hiring your own helper might be good but are you doing it for you or them it's not your responsibility to fix there PM problem it's also not on you to train there staff if they did listen and pay attention they would have already done so
If you bring someone in on your own, they should be making YOU money. Bill out $75/hr for your helper or bill the way you normally do for yourself for what he does.
 

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,128
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
what about insurance for YOUR helper, who pays to fix him if gets hurt
Very good point! I have no idea what insurance for an employee would cost. But I would say what you charge an hour for someone you hire would have to cover that and also make you a little bit over what you would be paying this person to make just the paperwork that would be involved worth while.

Your time whether pulling wrenches or pushing paper needs to make money otherwise you should register as a charity because that is what you will be!

I mean if I was to help out a small time farmer neighbor fix up his tractor that broke down while bailing hay once a year I might not charge much. But if I was doing maintenance and repairs for a farm with a couple thousand head of milkers that would be something different!
 

hosspuller

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North Carolina
Vetech: Hiring a helper will cost your client a whole lot more than assigning a current employee to you. You have to provide workman's comp, SS & Medicare, time off, hiring costs, etc. PLUS your overhead. Explain that as part of the justification of assigning the lube guy to you. Cost is everything to management. I'll bet you don't cost as much as HNC & NHG combined and get more work done in the bargain. That's why your invoices are gladly paid. The point of your coming availability reduction should weigh in favor of getting you help immediately.
 
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Vetech63

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Oklahoma
I could only hire someone as a sub. I'm not dealing with all the employee crap..........I don't have the time for that.

I did contact Cat at 7:30 am this morning (when they opened) and gave all the machine info and location to the service chik. A manager was supposed to contact me today and set up a tech to come out. Haven't heard a thing. This doesn't exude a lot of confidence in me using dealers at the moment. o_O
 

Welder Dave

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Canada
Smart large contractors have a full service shop with the right staff to handle anything from routine maintenance to full rebuilding. Sureway construction up here has over 650 machines. I remember back in 1981 when I was on work experience at a large independent shop, they did a lot of work for Sureway. Sureway wasn't that old at the time. A lot was undercarriage because rebuilding idlers and rollers was common then but removing the track frames and all the associated work was hired out. Now it is all done in house in a state of the art service shop. I am sure it saves them a lot of money doing as much possible in house.
 

sfrs4

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Great Britian
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parts admin
I'm going to have a serious talk with the general super this week. If they don't want to hire a helper right now, then I will have to bring one in myself that can at least do light repair and PM work. I will just have to back charge them for the labour time.
I know it seems a whole load of hassle now, but you have the perfect chance at helping the company and paying it forward, that lube truck lad was obviously ( from what you said) the perfect candidate to learn/nurture and guide through to being a decent fitter/engineer, if the company won't give him to you, take him! You can afford to bill at the same rate as you but pay him less, the difference pays for the accounting/paperwork involved in employing him, he gets to learn, and advance and maybe one day takeover from you. you get to have a sliding scale of work to do ( as he gets better you have less to do, and can give him the heavy stuff) they get a solid fitter who will eventually know his stuff and has been schooled in the right way to do things to keep them working and they don't have to employ him as he will be self employed
OR show him the books, show what he can earn, tell him to get a small truck with the basic tools to begin with and go self employed but to you, then as he grows he can evolve, and become his own fitter.
 

John C.

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Plenty of issues on the definition of a sub contractor. If you aren't careful and handle the situation just right, your sub might get classified as an employee and then you are on the hook for all the costs that are part of that definition. My suggestion is to just keep on doing what your are doing and keep the money flowing from their bank account to yours.
 
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