Rashad Thomas

About Rashad

• 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.”