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Joined
Oct 16, 2025
Messages
9
Location
Aurora, IL
I’m with ATMI Precast in Aurora, IL. We have a great team that keeps our equipment running every day, including gantry cranes, forklifts, spotter trucks, end loaders, and compressors.

We’re looking to add multiple Vehicle Mechanics who know their way around hydraulic, pneumatic, and DC electrical systems. Welding skills are a plus. This is a full-time role with steady work and a solid crew.

If you’re local or know someone near the Chicago or Aurora area who has this kind of experience, please send me a private message or reply here.

Thanks,

Eugene
[email protected]
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
6,045
Location
Subarctic Backwoods Trailer Park
Occupation
Big trucks is what I know. HAZMAT is what I tow.
Sounds like a pretty good gig.

What if the judge took a driver license away and the applicant is unable to pass an UA. Is that going to be an issue?

Are recent felonies OK?

Asking for a friend. I’m helping him get his life back together.
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
6,045
Location
Subarctic Backwoods Trailer Park
Occupation
Big trucks is what I know. HAZMAT is what I tow.
Welcome to the HEF, Eugene. Good luck recruiting. I suspect you are probably another desperate HR person.

Maybe with some SHRM creds, trying to fill positions and meet a quota that will never be achieved. Last week you were terminating US citizens at a IT firm and replacing them with H-1B’s from India. This week, trying to hire some greasy mechanics.

But, if I’m wrong. Let me know. Let’s talk shop. What’s your favorite engine oil flavor?
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
6,045
Location
Subarctic Backwoods Trailer Park
Occupation
Big trucks is what I know. HAZMAT is what I tow.
In all seriousness. I welcome an intelligent discussion about recruiting. We get HR people posting on a regular basis, trying to recruit us grease balls.

Often, we provide very good advice. I took a break, when I was at the dealership, to become a SHRM nerd and recruit Technicians for a couple years. During the 2004/2006 Idaho construction boom. Before it crashed. I’m intimately familiar with recruiting large numbers of Techs and I became very good at it.

With that said, the HR people never stick around. They get frustrated with recruiting and switch to payroll, or something. Become a generalist or a prison guard. IDK man.
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
6,045
Location
Subarctic Backwoods Trailer Park
Occupation
Big trucks is what I know. HAZMAT is what I tow.
I don’t want to sound conceited, but anyone of us can get a job, anyplace we want, in 2025. A clean DL, clean UA, no felonies……
Shops in my AO don’t test for weed anymore and a few felonies are OK. Facial tats, too.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,224
Location
WWW.
Climate--there is that little issue, most don't want to live in extreme conditions.
They want a boat, wake board, bikinis strutting around, bbq with brew in hand.
Dressed in weather proof carharts just doesn't sound all that attractive to many.
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
6,045
Location
Subarctic Backwoods Trailer Park
Occupation
Big trucks is what I know. HAZMAT is what I tow.
My point was, some of these companies with contracts to fulfill, with late penalties, are throwing crazy money around in an attempt to poach mechanics. Yes, include less than ideal geographies and it becomes very challenging.

I’m not sure how well it’s working. The local Caterpillar dealer recently did a recruitment blitz, so did a couple trucking companies with Fed contracts. Great opportunity for a young, sharp Tech to get ahead financially.

It appears to be the only way to recruit, today. We saw this coming and made a lackluster attempt to prevent it. It won’t be fixed in my lifetime. It will require a generational approach, at this point.

I think Caterpillar had the right idea with ThinkBig. I have no idea how successful it is today. I’m too far behind in that world.

Never a better time to have a few skills and a decent work ethic. I could probably get those facial tats I’ve always wanted and still get a job.
 
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