How do/did you make a living?

[1fast4by]

Mechanic, 22 years. Ive worked corporately for Nissan and Cummins. I now manage and do training for a national repair chain.

Edited October 30, 2021 by 1fast4by

[papa61]

I worked in plastics for too many years, Several different factory positions until China became the manufacturing place to be. Mechanic at several places then Management at Travel Centers. Worked for a company that builds dump bodies and snow plows as office manager/admin. Now work for a large autoparts distributer as product support specialist. 

In other words, I've not stayed with anything long enough to get to the top or retire.  

[TGO David]

On 10/29/2021 at 10:10 AM, Erik88 said:

Just passed 10 years in various supply chain/logistics/transportation jobs. 3 weeks ago I started a new job working for one of the nations largest truckload carriers as an account manager. It's a very interesting time to work in transportation. The back up at ports, shippers and customers is quite a mess. Trucking isn't sexy but it's fairly recession proof. 

Thanks for doing your part to keep it all flowing.

[TGO David]

Electrical Engineer by education.  Used that degree to walk across a platform and get the paper. 

I've done industrial automation, low-voltage wiring plant design and installation, and all manner of IT work from small-shop to mega corporation.  These days I manage a bunch of engineers in an information security role who can still remember all of the stuff I've forgotten about or who are infinitely smarter and more talented than I ever was.

One of these days I'll figure out a way to kick the cheese habit and then I won't give a damn who's moved it or where.

 

[DJTC45]

Got 36yrs as a Pipe Welder, started when I was 18 working with my father doing Pipeline Maintenance on high pressure Natural Gas Lines in PA were I was raised. The last job I worked with him was a 36" line that stretched 68mi on our part, the rest went down into WVA. to a pumping station. I got out of that line of work for a little while. Moved here to TN and started welding for the Pipefitters Local 572 in Nashville, did that up until a year ago. I went in the hospital for some basic stents, but that turned out to me having heart surgery. Well 5 bypasses later while I was getting ready for the bypass surgery, I got digonased with stage 4 Colon and Liver Cancer. Been almost a year on Chemotherapy Treatments and they seem to be working. I had to take a disability retirement early (I'm 55yrs old) they gave me a 5yr window so hopefully I can beat this. But I can tell you this I enjoy being retired, just not this way but I don't miss crawling around in the dirt, or being 200' in the air welding. 

[gregintenn]

1 minute ago, DJTC45 said:

Got 36yrs as a Pipe Welder, started when I was 18 working with my father doing Pipeline Maintenance on high pressure Natural Gas Lines in PA were I was raised. The last job I worked with him was a 36" line that stretched 68mi on our part, the rest went down into WVA. to a pumping station. I got out of that line of work for a little while. Moved here to TN and started welding for the Pipefitters Local 572 in Nashville, did that up until a year ago. I went in the hospital for some basic stents, but that turned out to me having heart surgery. Well 5 bypasses later while I was getting ready for the bypass surgery, I got digonased with stage 4 Colon and Liver Cancer. Been almost a year on Chemotherapy Treatments and they seem to be working. I had to take a disability retirement early (I'm 55yrs old) they gave me a 5yr window so hopefully I can beat this. But I can tell you this I enjoy being retired, just not this way but I don't miss crawling around in the dirt, or being 200' in the air welding. 

Here’s hoping you beat it!

[Alleycat72]

I retire in about 12 years. Can't wait to tell the stories. I have done things for the company most wouldn’t believe. I seen some F$%ked up things also. I should probably be in therapy. LOL. 

[Moped]

For the last 9 years I’ve been a Senior Electrical Designer for a midsized National electrical engineering firm, designing switchyards and substations for large power distribution companies. 
 

Before that I was. Senior Civil Designer, specializing in water and sewer. I’ve also done subdivision and roadway design, been a survey party chief and a draftsman, both on the board and CAD. I have experience in both Microstation and Autocad.

 

[221 Fireball]

Spent 36 years with the Army, 4 years active, 32 as an Army Civil Servant. 18 years of that as a tank mechanic, but then got burnt out on being greasy, and transferred into public affairs for U.S. Army Recruiting Command HQ my last 8 years. That was an interesting gig. I retired in 2010 and haven't had a bored day yet. 

Did I mention I like guns?

[Trekbike]

12 hours ago, Alleycat72 said:

I retire in about 12 years. Can't wait to tell the stories. I have done things for the company most wouldn’t believe. I seen some F$%ked up things also. I should probably be in therapy. LOL. 

From some of your previous posts, I've come to the conclusion that you work as one of those Men In Black agents.... 

[jhc77]

Almost of opposite line of work compared to this list.  Electrical engineer by trade after getting a CAD degree in 2002. Worked in VA designing electrical systems for carrier CVN 78. Moved to TN in 2005 and bounced around until 2009 and got laid off. Had 2 kids and was a stay at home dad for 11 years. March 2020 started working for my city in Public Works. Graduated to equipment operator a few months ago. I'll likely never have a desk job again. I work in the elements every day, in blue polyester pants. I get hot, nipped by sweat bees, pick up dead 4 legged critters sometimes and run a 5 ton truck with a crane attached that can pick up a stick or move a car.  Some days stink but 99% of the time I enjoy what I do and folks around me. Wife brings in the income. I'm working for my own sanity and good benefits.

[papa61]

14 hours ago, DJTC45 said:

Got 36yrs as a Pipe Welder, started when I was 18 working with my father doing Pipeline Maintenance on high pressure Natural Gas Lines in PA were I was raised. The last job I worked with him was a 36" line that stretched 68mi on our part, the rest went down into WVA. to a pumping station. I got out of that line of work for a little while. Moved here to TN and started welding for the Pipefitters Local 572 in Nashville, did that up until a year ago. I went in the hospital for some basic stents, but that turned out to me having heart surgery. Well 5 bypasses later while I was getting ready for the bypass surgery, I got digonased with stage 4 Colon and Liver Cancer. Been almost a year on Chemotherapy Treatments and they seem to be working. I had to take a disability retirement early (I'm 55yrs old) they gave me a 5yr window so hopefully I can beat this. But I can tell you this I enjoy being retired, just not this way but I don't miss crawling around in the dirt, or being 200' in the air welding. 

you have my prayers,

[10-Ring]

2 hours ago, jhc77 said:

Almost of opposite line of work compared to this list.  Electrical engineer by trade after getting a CAD degree in 2002. Worked in VA designing electrical systems for carrier CVN 78. Moved to TN in 2005 and bounced around until 2009 and got laid off. Had 2 kids and was a stay at home dad for 11 years. March 2020 started working for my city in Public Works. Graduated to equipment operator a few months ago. I'll likely never have a desk job again. I work in the elements every day, in blue polyester pants. I get hot, nipped by sweat bees, pick up dead 4 legged critters sometimes and run a 5 ton truck with a crane attached that can pick up a stick or move a car.  Some days stink but 99% of the time I enjoy what I do and folks around me. Wife brings in the income. I'm working for my own sanity and good benefits.

As a state employee I've had thoughts of eventually transferring departments and operating equipment ( I have a background with heavy equipment).  My current income is pretty decent for a state employee, but the work can be stressful.  I've driven dump trucks in the past and get extremely bored with the repetition, but the mental engagement required by an excavator or backhoe keeps me interested enough to enjoy the work.  Perhaps when we pay off the house in a few years it will be something to look at. 

[Alleycat72]

3 hours ago, Trekbike said:

From some of your previous posts, I've come to the conclusion that you work as one of those Men In Black agents.... 

Not quite that sexy, but I'd love one of those flashy things. I do have a hobby that's kind of turned into a second job. It requires as much governmental paperwork as the first, but it's so much more fun. And..... I'm not allowed to post about that either.

[xsubsailor]

 I joined the Navy the day after my 18th birthday in '62. Put in 21 years, 15 of which were sea duty, working in an electrical/mechanical field. After I retired, I went to work for the Postal Service and worked as an Electronics Tech maintaining and repairing the mail sorting equipment at the Mail Distribution Center in Memphis. I retired from there after 26 years in 2009.

 I've had more hobbies than I care to count. Most were doing things with my hands and didn't require my traveling too far from home, wooden ship models, leather work, oil painting, photography, gun kits, reloading... etc. I would stay with a hobby until I felt competent, then move on to something else. My wife used to say "The only consistent hobby I've had was collecting hobbies"  

 

 

[OldIronFan]

Mechanical Engineer by training. Became a Machinist by trade. Made everything from tools for brain surgery to M2 Brownings. 12 hour days on concrete floors turning vise handles had their way with my joints and I got put on light duty for a while. That got me sucked into the world of ISO 9001/13485, MDSAP, and FDA CFR Title 21 part 820. Took roles from Quality Engineer to Quality Manager for a few organizations. Spent several years in Med Device and several years more in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Automotive. Current role is in the firearms industry dealing with our suppliers in both a product engineering and quality engineering capacity. 

[ReeferMac]

1 hour ago, OldIronFan said:

Current role is in the firearms industry dealing with our suppliers in both a product engineering and quality engineering capacity. 

Keep the screws tight on them! Make American guns the best darned (mass) manufactured guns out there.

[Quavodus]

Machinist in stamping die shop. Mostly do changeovers but, sharpen parts and make a lot of parts too. I've done different things over the years. I started in a garment company, worked for a transformer company, worked for Dana Corp., and even a bait company. Been in machining for the last 10 years or so. 

[BigAl52]

Trucking for over 40 years. I have driven them local and over the road. Ive worked on them and dispatched them. Im past the avg age of a truck driver so I must be on borrowed time. Biggest problem I see with the supply chain is one word. California. You talk to any over the road driver and the last place he wants to go is the Port of LA. To many rules and regulations in and out of there. Theres talk of the Guard going in there I think they should get them in there.

[Quavodus]

35 minutes ago, BigAl52 said:

Trucking for over 40 years. I have driven them local and over the road. Ive worked on them and dispatched them. Im past the avg age of a truck driver so I must be on borrowed time. Biggest problem I see with the supply chain is one word. California. You talk to any over the road driver and the last place he wants to go is the Port of LA. To many rules and regulations in and out of there. Theres talk of the Guard going in there I think they should get them in there.

I heard a trucker on the radio a few weeks ago talking about Californistan docks. He said when he goes there to pick up a load, he may be there all day waiting.

[OldIronFan]

18 hours ago, BigAl52 said:

Biggest problem I see with the supply chain is one word. California. You talk to any over the road driver and the last place he wants to go is the Port of LA. To many rules and regulations in and out of there. Theres talk of the Guard going in there I think they should get them in there.

They have forced the Owner Operators out of the ports. They are not allowing any truck over a certain age on the port property (typically anything older than 5 years old). The only people who maintain a fleet with an age of less than 5 years are the company owned trucks and guess who drives them... Union drivers. This keeps the independents and owner operators nearly locked out of the market.  

Since a chunk of the port is an official Foreign-Trade Zone there are and will continue to be issues limiting the ability to send in National Guard in a support capacity. They may be able to be used in some support capacities but Foreign-Trade Zones are considered to be outside the US commerce and Customs territory. 

[OldIronFan]

On 11/2/2021 at 10:47 AM, ReeferMac said:

Keep the screws tight on them! Make American guns the best darned (mass) manufactured guns out there.

We are under government contract so we have to maintain both ITAR compliance and source domestically (or from allied nations) as much as possible. 
Honestly I wish we were not so restricted to domestic sources due to supply chain issues. Especially raw materials since so much is not made in the US or North America. Titanium is a big one. No domestic sources period. They do not exist. China, Russia, and Japan are the three biggest producers of Ti raw product so we have to source from Japan. Even Canada got out of the Ti game. 
One of the other significant struggles is polymers. Since our volumes are considerably less than that of the automotive industry it can be tough to find domestic injection molding places that will take on our work. 

[Guest]

Left Sevierville in May of '83 for what turned out to be 23+ years of active duty time in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club, mostly in Groton and Charleston, but also Guam and LaMaddalena, Italy.  I had joined a very small rate of technician types called "Opticalman" and after "A" School, spent the next 20 years fixing everything from handheld binoculars, sextants, NVDs, Alidades, Compasses, etc. all the way up through 46' long submarine periscopes and their fairings and associated systems. Towards the end of my time in, they did away with that rate (contracted it out) and I got to be a ship's Maintenance & Material Management Coordinator (a 3MC), retired in '06 at a place here in Virginia called Surface Combat Systems Center, Wallops Island.

I changed clothes and went to work as a Lockheed Martin DoD contractor working in configuration management, the supply department as contractor lead and finally as something called the Port Engineer (scheduling equipment and system overhauls, performance testing and upgrades for our shore based Aegis and Ships Self Defense System training and development facilities overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Along the way, I managed to pick up a couple of part time jobs in gun shops, one up in CT, one here in VA. And even as a Tax Preparer (part time) for Jackson Hewitt. I'm retired (for now), but my current "occupation" is getting us uprooted from Virginia and moving our butts out to Crossville, of which I'm nearly there, one, maybe two more truckloads...

Edited November 4, 2021 by OMCHamlin
babbling more...

[45guy]

I have owned and operated a business to business barter exchange since 2003.  Better Barter INC.  

[papa61]

On 10/29/2021 at 9:22 PM, Jeb48 said:

I was into whips and chains before I retired.

like these?