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Message started by ZAR on 02/13/13 at 20:47:51

Title: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.....
Post by ZAR on 02/13/13 at 20:47:51

you discover it's a blessing.

As I've told here before, I make my living driving. Almost always have it seems. From hauling farm supplies and custom field work to hauling auto parts,propane fuel delivery,dump trucks hauling rock,dirt and sand,and for the last eight years doing pickup and delivery for a major tractor and mower shop here in Kentucky.

All that changed about a month ago! We had a guy in the parts department retire at Christmas and being in the slower season the bosses let it ride a while until a few weeks ago when they decided to pull me off the truck and throw me into parts,all without asking me if I even wanted the job!

Understand I was a farm kid growing up,and have never been happy trapped inside. I tried that early on in a couple of factories and again in my 30's as a desk jockey. Just about killed me!

Anyhoo........ after almost four weeks in the parts department I can honestly say that yes,I do miss being out on the road but I'm not missing pushing,pulling and dragging dead equipment onto trailers. I don't even miss fighting the slick roads and stupid traffic too much. I do miss the freedom of setting my own routes and all the customers I met on my rounds.

BUT........the parts manager is a great young guy. He is patient and has given me considerable leeway in learning the ropes. He not only listens to my ideas but solicits my advise based on my years of dealing with equipment out in the field. Due to all my contacts I've made over the years he assigns many of the odd parts requests to me,knowing my contacts broaden the scope of outlets for parts we may need.

I've also been able to take advantage of Stihl Equipments online training courses for dealership employees and have already completed and passed several of them! I've also been able to delve into sales a little bit,and have sold a few pieces of Stihl,saws,blowers and trimmers.

Something must be going right. My wife even comments on how I seem more confident and happy! Go figure!

So yeah, I feel blessed! Even though the pay is the same as when I was driving,being able to do the Stihl training and all the other learning is an added benefit.

So I just wanted to let you folks know sometimes what seems like a royal &%*#ing just might be the start of something new and better.

Or,to quote the "Father of Soul'......"I Feel Good!"

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by Serowbot on 02/13/13 at 21:59:06

:)...

Nice to know,.. not every shakeup is a shakedown...

;)...

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by PerrydaSavage on 02/14/13 at 00:32:27

Congrats man! nice to hear a that things are going well for you!

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by raydawg on 02/14/13 at 03:34:06

Good for you. It all about attitude.....
Some folk look at life with a frown, always negative, and they think others are the reason why. Some have a smile, and others return that smile, and life reflects that accordingly. Our "trials and tribulations" will better us if we view them as opportunity, not punishment.....

Thanks for an uplifting post!

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by MMRanch on 02/14/13 at 06:55:58

ZAR

Well you know you moving up in the world when instead of going to the folks the folks come to you ! ; ;)

Is that a 96 in the picture ?

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by Pine on 02/14/13 at 08:26:48

Congratz!

I dunno... all the parts guys I know seem to make dern good money, and while they are inside.. its not like they sit at a desk all day.

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by WD on 02/14/13 at 16:26:47

I drove commercial from 7/99-10/01, and then from 1/07-1/11 and pretty much hated every minute of it. Except for when I was in my sleeper truck with a refrigerated load. The gen set hums/vibrates just right to send me directly to sleep.

I'd love to have another parts counter job, did that from 5/05-12/06. Hated the shop, loved the job. Money was crap but...

Now I'm either working on the computer or on the farm... which reminds me... I need a bunch of stuff for a 1958 John Deere 1020UL... 3 cylinder gas burner... and a Stihl 036... and a Stihl 015... ;)

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by ZAR on 02/14/13 at 18:08:45

Thanks guys! I guess timing really is everything. Right now I'm riding the wave and soaking up the sunshine,but being realistic enough to know I could wipe out anytime.(hmmmmm ::).... must be having a Beach Boys/Jimmy Buffett moment ;D ).

MMRanch....yep,a '96 I picked up last june. It had 8400 miles on it June 1st,after my ride today the clock shows 14,020 miles. If my luck holds we will have a pic of two yellow '96s at the Dragon Run! The pic below is before I changed to the Dakota Chubby saddlebags.

Pine.....you're right about the desk..that belongs to the PM but I do have a barstool around there somewhere. I don't see it often though :( .As for the "dern good money"..... $10.50/hr after 8 years with the company ain't great,but there are folks making less so I'm not bitchin'. Hopefully there's a kick coming soon!

WD........I've only had one long haul,a dedicated run to northern Indiana and back home every day. The worst part was getting around Indy! Everything else has been local stuff where I was a driver/service/sales guy. That's not easy but a lot better than OTR!
And about those parts....our color is Kubota orange so I can't help with the JD but the 036 and 015 ;), who knows.As long as the parts ya need are not NLA.

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by WD on 02/14/13 at 21:10:10

Local Memphis area sod hauler, then a Pacific Northwest heavy export container hauler. OTR? Not a chance...

Kubota? Hows about some L1501 (JDM museum piece) stuff? Or F3060?

Stihl 036 is from 1996 or 97. The 015 is even older... the kids at our local Stihl shops get a "We made those?" look on their face when I bring the saws in. One even tried to tell me the 036 with perfect compression had a cracked cylinder because it is old, a real German made saw, and he was scared to work on it. Pretty much ANYTHING 015 except the bar, chain, fuel lines and spark plug have to come from an "obsolete parts warehouse"... ;D Which sucks, vibration finally broke the front handle loop. Great limbing/topping saw, another real German made. US made Stihls are like US made Husqvarnas... badge engineered Poulan junk...

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by Face on 02/16/13 at 20:57:21

I've been standing behind the front counter in the parts dept. of the local Peterbilt dealer for 14 years. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it, but all in all it's a great job. I'm not stuck to a desk, I meet lots of ........interesting.... people, and make a comfortable living. I hope you like parts sales as much as I have, it can be a mental challenge at times, but there's a sense of acomplishment when you figure something out that no one else can, and a sense of pride when you know you got the customer what he needed, not necessarily what he asked for. ::) Take as much free training as you can get, and have fun with it!

Good luck, and congrats. ;)

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by MarcosS40 on 02/17/13 at 03:42:39

Things sometimes work out well in the end.

I'll be starting my 11th year at Economy Auto Parts here in S. Williamsport, PA. We're a privately owned Carquest affiliate. My Position here would best be described as a Counter/Driver. I am on the Counter as needed and pick up the slack for the drivers when they get behind. We do not do retail. We're a Wholesale/Jobber store. We have about 150 shops as regular customers and have 5 drivers making deliveries daily. We have 6 ph. lines and 3 countermen. I've seen all six lines lit up at once many times. It keeps you hopping, but I really enjoy the work. Have made lots of friends over the years. I hope you enjoy the work as much as I have. Good luck to you!

Title: Re: Sometimes when you think you're being screwed.
Post by ZAR on 02/17/13 at 16:26:29

Face......the mental challenge is a big part of this change working for me. I really enjoy searching for and finding those parts made of "unobtainum".
Likewise,the customers keep it "interesting",same with the guys back in the shop!

Marco...... we of course supply parts to our own shop,but also sell over the counter to retail walk-ins and to other smaller dealerships and independent shops. We carry 12+ lines so our inventory is something else!