Thglimited - Heavy Industries

Daimler Truck North America

Mechanical Engineer 1

Reliability Development Group – Heavy Duty Engine Production

My hopes are up.  I officially conveyed my interest, excitement, and enthusiasm.  I was able to work into the conversation that I am not just motivated by money and that I always go above and beyond.  I’ve learned to effectively communicate and motivate those that are motivated by money and will only do $8/hr quality work.  CVS paid off!  I will be working with technicians that will only want to do what they have to and I will need them to do more for me.

Trucks come in at 7:30 AM, and that’s when the boss likes to see everyone come in.  (Flexibility?  Doesn’t make a difference, I will be there at 7:30, daily.)  To get there on time, I leave for the bus at 5:48AM.  I take the MAX to Portland and then another bus to the company.  The fleet contains 30 Trucks, 10 mechanical engineers, and 17 technicians.  Being one of the ten, I am responsible for 3-5 trucks at a time.  When the arrive in the morning, I start getting familiar with my new “family.”  I make sure to fix everything, starting with the engine and moving to the chassis.  I want to take good care of my babies.  The engine is top priority because it’s like the heart, without it, it’s useless.  But, the drivers are most concerned with the chassis because that’s what they see throughout their long hauls.  So, I can develop favor if I consistently get everything working and polished by the end of the day.  This may mean 10 hour days.

I am also working alongside electrical engineers because of the complicated interconnected systems of the engine.  Everything is hooked up to sensors and they’re the ones to diagnose those issues and troubleshoot anything wrong with the electronics.  I am also doing all the documentation of issues, as I mentioned before, to send back to the design engineers.  So, in all of this, I am developing effective communication skills with people in my field.

Last night, to celebrate, Athena and I went out for a night on the town.  We meant to take the bus and train, but it was a bit late and would take time away from our outing.  So we drove.  We learned a valuable lesson.  Parking is scarce and expensive in the big city.  We went first to Powell books, or rather “The City of Books.”  They have their own little parking garage that consists of two floors and maybe a good 20 spaces.  Tiny.  And they don’t waste any space with the ramps.  They’re seriously 45 degree slopes and are one lane.  Two signs suggest “Lights On” and “Honk Horn.”  To warn anyone above you that will surely end you without a second thought.

We ended up walking around for an hour after it had gotten dark.  Then, in our excitement of our us-in-the-big-city adventure, we got hungry and decided on Thai food.  I had seen one on our (I hesitate to simply call it) way to Powells.  We got so misdirected.  The satellites couldn’t see us very well amidst the huge buildings and our GPS was wonky.  But, we didn’t mind walking and saw some interesting things on the way to a different Thai place than I had seen.  It was yummy!

If we do it again, we’re taking the train.

Man, I hope I get this job.  We meet in person on Wednesday at 3pm.  That should seal the deal.