Rashad Thomas

Rashad Thomas

Diesel Mechanic


Ryder

Houston, TX USA


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Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Rashad Thomas

Milestones

My road in life took a while to figure out.
His father was a mechanic in the Air Force and continued in that field after he left the military; inspired him to “get his hands dirty.”
He ended up following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a mechanic in the military, which is where he learned the basics.
While there, he had the opportunity to work on tanks, Humvees, MRAPs, and the “Stryker”, a 19-ton, eight-wheeled armored vehicle.
Even though he has a background in automotive repairs, when he got a job at Ryder, he admits he found it difficult to learn some of the diesel mechanics.
Says that learning how to repair a diesel engine has been one of his biggest accomplishments because it was something he never thought he would be able to do.
He never had any formal college or vocational education and says that lacking those basic skills has made his career journey more difficult.
Enjoys the opportunities that the diesel industry gives him to learn new things and challenge himself in new ways.
Believes that the vitality of the auto and diesel industry make it one of the best jobs there is—as a mechanic, “[that job] is never going to go away.”
Keep following my journey

Career

Diesel Mechanic

I am a military veteran and experienced diesel mechanic.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Technology
Building Things

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for everyone

Research technical schools that will give you training in the basics so that when you get ready to start working, you will be ahead of the game.

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"I'll never be able to repair a whole engine. "

Challenges I Overcame

Learning Issues