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fatboy
USA
1361 Posts |
 Posted - 01/18/2010 : 17:54:47
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| I've always lived by a simple philosophy in this industry, an old tank foreman told me 25 yr.s ago when I left tanks & got into the service end, " Always teach 'em what they need to know, but never teach 'em the tricks! " |
.......... Jumpin' Jack Flash, It's a gas! Gas! Gas! ------The Rolling Stones |
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APS Equipment Sales Mgr
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2010 : 16:12:03
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| I agree!!! |
Mike Morgan
National Accounts/Operations Manager
APS International Inc.
1-888-889-2993 Office
MikeM@apsinternationalinc.com |
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Alexweb8
366 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2010 : 23:07:12
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Heck, yeah! quote:
Originally posted by Kperlow
77 is easy compared to a veeder root in a dual bennett.
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clyle
USA
196 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2010 : 21:32:28
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| I thought once you hit 45 they put you in the office, or maybe ordering parts and answering the phone. lol |
Chris |
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timkpeci
USA
82 Posts |
Posted - 05/16/2010 : 08:33:32
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Chet and Jim Smith can relate to this. They have a few years on me. Started in June 18 1973. First year in the business boss sent me in an Elcamino with the back end full of 99.9 computers. Price of gas was getting ready to go over 49.9 and the computers had to be changed out. Who would have ever thought.
Wrestled with the old heavey simeese twin pumps to install the new wayne duo2 pumps with 3'' and a five gallon bucket withe to fit a union. No Flex back then.
Mobil had the brite idea to come out with the round pump years later. They were real fun to move around. Stainless steel sharp as razor blades.
Braking concrete with the sludge like Chet sez.
No leak detectors back then. Just find where the gas or bubbles are coming up thru the cracks, dig down, find the leak. Find a piece of pipe that would hold good threads so you could pipe in a horse shoe with a union so you could get the line back together.
Dig an old 2000 gallon tank up by hand so you could replace it with a used tank that was repaired by a crazy son of a bit**** that would devaporize a tank with a torch and then weld a patch on the hole. Before the tank would go back in the ground we would paint it with that black costic stuff.
OSHA was't around then. The boss would send you out to install a tank and tell you to save on the sand so you would dig the tank hole straight up and down. Back then you would learn to read the cracks in the asphalt on top of the tank hole and listen for the dirt flaking in the hole. Hear dirt flaking get to the center of the hole. Good reason for OSHA.
Working in Ilinois finding a leak. One of the guys said that the water taste like gasoline. Next day water was pure gas. That was about the time when EPA started coming alive.
Vapor just came out and the only thing they would tell you is that it gets piped like a vent and it goes under the pump.
I have broke in a lot of people thru the years and found out that the guys that had been around for three years new everything. Once they hit the seven year mark you couldn't teach them anything anymore. They wouldn't listen so you would let them go til they screwed up big time, and when they hit the eleven year mark they would see the same thing you would. Seen it time after time.
Install the new better than ever ET pumps (Gilbarco highlines) Back then you would run the conduit, pipe in the station, pour the concrete, set the pumps, wire everything, program the Gilbarco consoles, explain to the customer how to work the console. And then walk off the job proud of the work. Now the operater digs, the hole and ditches construction guy does his piping, the electrician does his wiring, and the serviceman starts the system up.
Installed a lot of multi product dispenser. Heavey but they were square based unlike the simeese twins.
I quess I got lucky. Only had one small ditch fire started from cutting an island with a concrete saw.
Bring back memories anybody.
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Kperlow
USA
2711 Posts |
Posted - 05/16/2010 : 08:51:10
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| Do you still have the El Camino? |
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eros
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2010 : 18:19:13
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| Being an older tech, 62, I have kept up with all the new systems. Always learned the newest things on my own. If I were a younger tech now I would seriously look into all the electrical and alternative fuel installations I could learn. I believe the industry is going to change dramatically in the next 20 to 30 years. Plug and play refueling of various fuels, gas, electrical and solids. it should be an exciting time for you young techs, but you will need more advanced training. There will always be a need for multi talented people. |
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ZMiller
USA
1320 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2010 : 11:53:17
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So there are some wise "Old Ones" on this forum.
I'm glad to hear that someone else remembers those old "Mobil" rounds. They had interesting reset chain drives. The lamps in the plastic tops were always a challange. Like the Chevron Hallmarks you never knew what guts were in them untill you opened one up. |
There are two theories to arguing with a woman:...neither work!
“It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something really stupid to say and then don't say it.”
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merkfalc
43 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2011 : 19:58:34
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| I understand the complaints of the older guys not liking the fact that us new guys don't always get into all aspects of the trade but so what? There are so many aspects to our job that it would be irresponsible of the service company to expect everyone to know everything. When you can tailor your costs to fit the job, i.e. digging ditches vs wiring vs programming then you are able to reduce your costs. It also provides jobs for the people that either can't or don't want to learn the more technical aspects. I've only been doing this for a couple of years and have learned mostly on site. I don't run into very many techs in my area but the old dogs are more than willing to help when I have a question and I always appreciate it. All that being said with my company we have to at least know how to work on everything including coke machines and coffee pots and I don't know of any other techs that do that |
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Cleanfuelstech
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2011 : 09:12:24
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| I am pretty young... I'm 25 have been working in the fuel business since I was 16. ill tell you that if i need an answer of if i am stuck in a rut on a site... i don't call the help line or some 1 800 number... i call the senior techs who have broken everything you can break... and fixed everything you can fix... with a hammer... pb blaster... wing nuts and a 3/4 wrench |
Andrew E. Thompson
Supply and logistics
Clean Fuels National |
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20plustech
10 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2011 : 00:38:46
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| I have been doing this for a long time. I have always told the young techs and my kids, to learn everything you can because you never know when you are going to need the knowledge. I am 43, certified on Passport, Ruby Sapphire, Gasboy fleet plus(Orpak), Gilbarco Trainer for Dispensers and V/R TLS-350 and 450. Next week I am going to be certified on Gilbarco DEF dispensers. Just because we have been in the buisness a long time and can work on a Southwest MPD (Older Techs know that Brand) doesn't mean we can't learn the new equipment if we are willing to learn. Why stay with a company that won't keep there techs trained. Then again I've been there myself. I hate it when a new tech who doesn't know crap wants to make what I am making and doesn't want to put the time in to get it. |
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Superdad
Canada
4 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2012 : 21:24:34
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If these young ones ever go to a shell site for a radiant issue and shell help desk ask them to locate the[{blue box (tiger)]they are likely to go find the recycling box lol.
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I am a certified Gilbaco, dresser wayne, veederroot,etc... tech |
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podczaski
507 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2012 : 11:47:47
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| Too old to rock'n'roll...Too young to die !....I feel we get more return teaching the old dogs new tricks, than expecting the young ones to act like responsible employees. Maybe it's just because of my age (50), and my experience, remembering how it was (sound like my dad lol), when I was the first and only tech for the company. Sometimes I feel like the young guys aren't even smart enough to know they've pissed their pants after they have, and when the finally realize it, they want me to change their diaper for them...all I do is shake my head...smdh (did I get that right?) |
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J060
USA
113 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2012 : 12:32:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Superdad
If these young ones ever go to a shell site for a radiant issue and shell help desk ask them to locate the[{blue box (tiger)]they are likely to go find the recycling box lol.
Radiant still uses Tiger... |
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Gas4U
USA
156 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2012 : 10:51:48
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| Older Techs Have The Heart to Work Younger Techs Want to Load Software and go Home at 5:00 this was not how it started out in the Old Days I Worked on Air Towers, Fixed Clogged Tolits, Patched Holes in The Parking Lots,Fixed Gas Pump Proggramed Cash Register,Fixed Printers, Did Tile Work, Hunge Doors, Fixed A/C Units and Heating Units, and Worked on Ryco Car Washes as Well as Reclaim Systems, Pumped out Water out of Tanks in to 55 Gallon Drumbs. Now a Days I Cant Even get any Work How Sad This Type of work has turned out. |
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