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Country Misfit

I tell you... I get no respect!
Joined
Feb 8, 2013
Messages
1,221
Location
Augusta Ga
I know some of yall are mechanics,welders,police officers.I know Mr.Tripper sells real estate,how about the rest of you?I did paint+body work for about 13 years,then did commercial electric work for about 6 years.Then drove a 18 wheeler for about 9 years.Rental maintenance for the last couple of years.
 
Job that I still love and pays the bills - electrical engineer & lighting designer for commercial construction projects. Started as a draftsman straight out of high school in '78 and been in the business moving up ever since.

Job that would be perfect lead in to a fun semi-retirement - automotive photographer!
 
Electrical Engineer for Guardian Industries, also manage a Hobby shop. Pays the bills and pays for toys. Not a lot of free time right now but once work on the house slows down that will change. For now though I love what I do, just wish I didn't do so much of it.
 
I've been a trucker for 29 years, the last 18 as a owner-operator of my own truck. And like Rev Grimes, I may be looking to get out of it in the next year or two, but not because of the insurance, but more and more stupid regulations and electronic logging devices. If they pass what I think is coming, all commercial trucks will have to have a electronic logging device installed, and we will have to go strictly by their stupid hours regulations. There will be no way to make any money in the industry anymore. I'm hoping to get into the office doing something.
 
- Went to school for body, frame and paint. Worked in a shop for 15 months... miserable dirty work, quit that nonsense. :mad:

- Wrenched at a real "service station" for a couple years. I liked it, but my back said otherwise. ( hockey injury)

- Went to an RV dealership's service shop and soon became their welder. (Thanks to my training in frame repair) I did that for 6 or 7 years, then partnered with a few co-workers and started our own RV business. I left the business after 3 years... "personality conflict" to put it mildly. :p

- Left town (angry) and took an extended "vacation" in Beautiful British Columbia. I worked at a boat manufacturer (fitting and rigging) for 8 months and really liked it, but it wasn't "home".

- Came home and took a welding job in a stock trailer shop. (livestock trailers) Built a trailer a week for three years and left for greener pastures...

- Tanker-trailer manufacturer - Mostly petroleum trains but many styles, shapes and applications. Good union job, 99% aluminum work, learned the TIG pretty well, stayed there 15 years until my body (again) said NO MORE. :(

- "Retired" for a couple years. Flipped some cars, fixed some cars and did small welding jobs at home including boat prop repairs. (Thanks to a friend's dormant equipment which I had in my little backyard shop... until he sold the whole mess last year. Good riddance!)

- And finally... I took a contract to move and renovate new space for a small local blind manufacturer. (Residential and commercial window coverings.) I had 6 months to do it at my discretion and "pace". When it was done, I was offered a permanent position as their installer/service/maintenance man. I've been doing the job for a year and I've been offered the manager's position when that person retires later this year. I'm not wild about this "career" but I have to do something with my sagging, broken frame and it'll keep food on the table.

Sorry. You didn't ask for my life's story, but you got it anyways. :D.

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Retired so I check in on this forum, work on my never ending Dodge
project, design and cut Metal projects using CNC plama table, play with my grand kids, cook dinner every nightand try to keep my bride happy. She's the bread winner.

I used to have a heavy equipment repair shop for 25 years.
Everything started going computerized so I got out.
Then worked in the construction industry as a general contractor for 15 years.
 
Can I just list what I don't do?

My main thing is excavation & demolition work.
I am more geared towards industrial salvage but I also do land clearing and open drainage work.

The next biggest thing would be my hauling. I just do it enough to keep busy when the excavator work is slow.

Then I do some small fabricating jobs. Nothing major, just simple repairs usually.

And ya can't forget the parts wheeling and dealing.

So basically I do what I want lol
 
Have worked in auto repair shops for most of my life. Owned a shop for the last 15 yrs, untill problems with my partners were too much and I left. Took a job working for a fleet shop been great love 4 10s, just got promoted to shop foreman.[cl
 
After College in 86 I was a field service technician fixing and installing computer systems for a couple different companies until I was laid off in 08.

09 and 10 converted a portion of our property to a small farm.

Since 2011 I've been selling computers, tablets etc for one company. Work 1 day a week at the local hardware store and run our small farm. Not much time to do other projects. Sad part is that I'm busier than ever making what I was 20 years ago in an economy that costs twice as much to live in.
 
i was an alky for many years
and in between benders i did all sorts of home construction
roofing/painting/plumbing/carpet,framing/concrete yadda yadda yadda
then i quit boozin and became a window washer
then became a janitor
and thats what i do now.:rolleyes:
i needed to find work that i can do with this spinal arthritis and no education

my gal makes 3 times what i do.
 
I've been a commercial carpenter ever since I got out of high school ('91) lots of fancy lobbies, law firms, cabinetry, etc. I like it, it pays the bills, I've even won awards over the years.The funny thing is that I'm not really into woodworking outside of work, I like metal, cutting,welding,bending,painting etc.
Occasionally I'll do a hydraulic or air-ride set-up on a car-truck for some side cash,but mostly I work on my own cars/trucks or friend's rides for free.
 
Various low paying jobs until '95 when i began driving over the road. Got to see it all except ND. Now i just steer an end dump from gravel pits around Phoenix to Yuma and back usually two to four times a week. I take the two lanes as much as possible and look for old tin. It keeps me awake and somewhat alert. :rolleyes: Enjoying these posts. Hey Sam, i'll be your friend.
 
yall have some interesting jobs.Bamamav,I know what you mean,I was a co.driver,but to many rules for me+getting worst.I got tired of getting pulled over,just to check my log book.
 
Did a full pull with ma bell. Retired with 30+ years. Been working steel on the forge for quite some time and got into making knives about 8 or 9 years ago. I've about retired from that now. Just finishing up some projects left to do. Got to be worse than working for a living again....since retirement, I haven't had a day off. I keep things together on my place out in the woods and work on projects alone right now.
 

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