Looking into different tech schools for diesel mech and have a few options for me around my home town. I'm currently in active duty and will be leaving this next year, I'm looking at using my GI bill. That's one of the most important aspects for me at this point is what would be paid for. I'm hoping someone has gone through this type of situation and can help me with some of these questions. Seeing that most schools only want your money and don't always have the students best interests in mind I want to see of I can get help from the real world.


I'm in the process of contacting UTI in Irving Texas and as well as a local tech school called Texas State Technical College. Both of them have diesel tech programs and I have one friend that went to TSTC and am in some contact with him but he has no info on the GI bill stuff.


I know that both are able to work with VA and utilize GI bill but have yet to find the actually numbers in regards to what I might be out of pocket if. I have about 60 college credits through TSTC already and hoping that UTI will be able to take some of those and put them to the Associates of Applied Science degree or other degree around the same field that usually goes with mechs.




Other concern: While I am set on doing diesel tech I have no where near the experience with it as I do gas engines. I know the just of diesel engines but want all the fine tuning of the new age designs and computer tech that comes with these kinds of schools. The other thing is both of these schools specialize in the industrial diesel engines like 18 wheelers, tractors, and generators. Going to this type of school I would think that a diesel engine is a diesel engine and regardless how big they are, they are basically the same. Would these schools be able to train me enough to be able to work with the everyday drivers trucks like the Ford Super Duty, Dodge Cummins and Chevy Duramax? I want to say yes, but just not positive and have not really asked any of my friends back home that do this on a daily basis yet. I thought I may have some good input from this forum. The main reason I ask this is that I have a family auto shop that I will be going back to after my time in the military and I feel that taking the classes for diesel tech would help out the shop once I get my cert for diesel mech. My father already has certs for auto mechanic but has never tacked the diesel side. He works on diesels daily and I'm hoping that I would be bring more business with this kind of cert as well.


Any and all help it greatly appreciated. Thanks.




-Alex

 

diesel is a diesel to me but the mechanical and electronic versions do differ a bit


I learned on my JD 430 Yanmar engine that didn't run back in 2008 and then bought a 95 F350 7.3 this April. I have worked on 2 strokes, lawnmowers, cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles and more over the last 30+ years and a lot of what I learned in the beginning has helped me today except for some of this computer stuff you need scanners for.


The todays diesels have even more computer controls on them along with DEF and Smog reduction equipment.


hope you get to learn a lot with what you choose, its fun to fix things.

 

Interesting question, I went to UTI in Arizona for a bit. After a few months I realized I wasn't being taught anything I didn't already know and that some of the things being taught were downright wrong. So me and my hot head took off.

I think the first question is this, is the goal to learn something that will help at the shop. Or is the goal to get a piece of paper that says you know something? If it's the later then you really just need to choose a place by reputation, costs, and what they can do with your credits. If you actually want to learn those specific things maybe another path.

Going to a place like UTI is going to eat up both your GI Bill and your time going through rudimentary stuff, going at the pace of the dumbest student, and teaching you the big rig stuff you have no interest in.

I'm no expert on this as I didn't go down that path but I remember technical schools and manufactures offering classes on the specific topics your interested in. That may be a much more practical path if the only goal is this shop.

However if you want something with career options, that piece of paper from UTI and some skills on commercial/large equipment may well do you a chunk of good in the long run.

Option Z... If this shop is doing ok and all your really after is the skill not the certificate then learning on the job could very likely be the most efficient. Grab some books, an internet connection and a truck that needs work and just go to it, best way to learn IMO. This could let you use your GI Bill for a dream/easy going job completely unrelated to getting your hands, shoulders, and back busted up.

 

Thank you both for the reply.


I am pretty set in the path I want to take with the job. Iv been doing it pretty much my whole life and my dad shop is doing pretty good and eventually I wouldn't mind retiring his old *** and paying his retirement while I take the business over. I will learn tons from him while on the job but he never specialized in diesel though.


I have the GI bill and am a couple years shy of being able to pass it on to my wife or kids so I need to use it or I essentially lose it. All the reviews I have read over the past year or so have been 50/50 on the UTI schools. Some in cali and a some around texas. The bad reviews kind go with what you're saying @BruteFord but like I said I need to use this benefit somewhere. Hopefully when I do get to talk with some of the schools financial aids they will be upfront with me about the tuitions and fees that come with me using the GI bill. I read a review made back in 2012 that the GI bill only pays half of the tuition, which would be a no go for me.


I would like to hope for the best and regardless what school I end up going to I get some good teachers and can teach me some things I don't already know or at least be able to expand my knowledge into the diesel world. And to answer your other question, I do need to get the certificate. In order get the business of the local and bigger insurance companies he needs to have at least one ASE certified mech at the shop. So the ASE cert is a must have for me.


Thanks again for the feedback.

 

Last I looked into it ASE certification does not require any proof of schooling. It takes two things, a written test they give and proof of two years experience.

 

yea iv looked into the quals to be eligible for the test. Im not too worried about the ASE cert that is easy, more so the things the school would cover compared to OJT. Regardless what anyone says, there is a difference between what you can learn in class vs OJT.

 

IMHO, this is what I would look at......

#1...placement success...and talk to those who have been placed and see if they like their jobs......crappy employers will use schools to fill the continuing worker replacement requirement....schools should be aware of this and advise you as well

#2....diesel, great but I would master the electronics.......as vehicles becaome more complex, troubleshooting will be foremount.......those who have successful track records and system expertise will earn the highest $$, not just for today, but for the future

#3...employer training.....ongoing is the key, Jaguar probably has one of the best training programs out there.....after you graduate from their school, you are paired for 1 year with a master tech..........

#4....ongoing training.....online is fine for short tech updates but, reader shops typically loose their mechanics for up to 3 months a year, just to keep up.....I'm not saying that this isn't done virtually, but, robo online training is not going to keep you where you need to be.

 

thanks @Beechkid ill keep that in mind.