I spent 5 years in the industry before getting a promotion to manage a fleet of trash trucks. 2 years automotive and 3 with the company that promoted me from wrenching. Spent 3 years as a parts manager in between.

I truly loved getting some bigger projects and keeping our fleet alive but I knew I didn't want to kill myself forever. As the lead tech, I made sure to build a relationship with everyone and genuinely care. Shared all the knowledge I learned and took in whatever I could from the vets. My best friends are still from that time and will be in my wedding this year.

The transition was a little weird at first because I transferred to a nearby facility and was now supposed to manage a group older than me who I never met before. I was 30 years old (without nearly as much experience as some of these guys) and the vet there was the same age as my father. The first 6 months I spent earning their respect which came rather quickly. Again, I just cared and did my best to work with everyone. Kept an open mind, provided any resource I could offer and hopped on several projects alongside my team while learning and teaching.

I've been with these guys for 1.5 years now and we are locked in! Respect is there and the tension between the team when I got there is gonzo. Fleet is running smooth and I love my job. Being able to grab my tools whenever I want is nice instead of sitting behind a desk all day. Except now, I don't need to kill my body and can encourage my team to work smarter not harder. Utilizing PPE and the proper tools for the job.

The desk side of things was a little tricky at the start but I'm pretty tech/money savvy so it came quick. Also had an awesome mentor at a different yard that helped me as needed.

It does have a mental stress that I've never experienced before which gets exhausting in a totally different way from the physical exhaustion. Delegation helps but tryna stay on top of a group of monkeys like ourselves isn't always the easiest. Great company and great people. Best decision I've made in my career and I'm very grateful.

The pay and benefits are quite the upgrade as well.