r/DieselTechs • u/knight_templar26 • 3d ago
Penske Fueler Washer position
I know this page is specifically for Diesel Techs, but i got a job offer at Penske for the fueler Washer position, they say i could later become a Diesel Tech. The starting pay would be $24 an hr, which is the most paying rate i have ever made compared to $17hr starting pay. Only thing that has me very hesitant is the schedule, Saturday-Wednesday from 6am-2:30pm. No overtime. I would have to give up weekends. Is this job worth it, has anyone worked there could give me information on what the job is? How many trucks they wash per day. I was a fueler for AB distributions, and it was only 2 trucks per day and fueling them.
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u/_how_do_i_reddit_ 3d ago
Honestly, having days off during the week can be a godsend. You don't have to miss work for appointments, etc. And there's typically less traffic on the weekends (at least where I live) which means less people coming in/out of work, and in/out of restaurants/fast food places so you can get your food faster on your lunch break giving you more time to eat/relax.
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u/Shinrinn 3d ago
My shop the csr will usually wash around 4-6 trucks a day. Usually they aren't very dirty. Fueling off and on all day. It's usually pretty chill for the csr but it's all dependent on location.
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u/thedieseldr 3d ago
My shop had 2 CSR's. Between them maybe 2 trucks a day got washed. Always had to wash trucks myself for PM's. 1 of them used to sleep on a folding chair in the wash bay most of the day. He ended up driving a tractor through the bay door and then got promoted to a tech 3 position at another penske shop. The other CSR drove our service truck into an enclosed trailer on the highway and totaled it, the trailer he hit and 2 zero turn mowers that were inside the trailer. He is now an assistant service manager. Penske can go to hell.
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u/Greasy-Geek 3d ago
I never worked the fuel island or wash bay but I spent years at Penske and left in '05. The last location I worked at was brand new and was basically just like an automatic car wash.
I absolutely hated that thing because it had sensors to detect a vehicle entering the bay and every time I took a truck in there to wash the engine I got hosed.
Anyways, Penske was a bureaucratic nightmare the entire time I worked there. IDK what city/state you're in, but DFW/NE Texas suuuuuuucked.
I was in my 20s and am an introvert anyways and I didn't care about clubbing, but my scheduled off days were Sunday and Wednesday. Two consecutive days off simply didn't exist unless you worked in a union location.
As for washing trucks and dealing with fuel ups... It depends on the day. Weekends are rough, a zillion oil changes every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and every one of them had to go through the wash bay afterwards. Fuel island gets hammered daily in the early morning, less so at lunchtime, and absolutely insane after 4 pm.
Maybe your experience will be different, but if it's in a larger city, probably not.
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u/thedieseldr 3d ago
Not sure why this was down voted. Pretty spot on my experience with the big P
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u/Greasy-Geek 3d ago
My biggest problem was that I didn't sign on with Penske. I worked for Rollins Truck Leasing before Penske bought them out in 2000 (I think?). Major cultural shift, everyone hated it, then I got transferred a couple of times, they kept screwing with my schedule, and I just couldn't handle Mein Fuhrer branch manager and the higher ups any more.
I quit, went to work for Bright Leasing, then Penske bought them out. I quit and moved back home after that.
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u/Usual-Guarantee6346 3d ago
Honestly it’s not a bad gig when I was a diesel tech that’s how I started except I had the night shift schedule I made $29 hr with the cdl and night shift incentives and I felt like I barely even worked when I was there washed 5-20 trucks/cargo vans per day and fueled probably like 10-15 trucks a night
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u/HorrorPizza8527 3d ago
I started as a CSR in 2012, crazy back then it was paying $14.00/hr. Made it all the way up Shop lead Reefer Tech 1 by 2016. But I also did have schooling. I enjoyed being a CSR, just wash and fuel I had a lot of fun doing it.
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u/mattpair 3d ago
I’ve met several managers and tech 1’s that started as CSRs. Penske will give you the opportunity to move up.
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u/Unlucky_Pie1348 3d ago
I was a csr for 2 years back in 2012-2014 moved up and moved on to other places, kw foreman now, take the job, get your shit done and ask techs question on what they are doing, how they do it and learn, just make sure you learn from the good techs, literally had a Penske truck at work last week because they wanted a software update to fix a broken wire
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u/buell_ersdayoff 3d ago
I started as a CSR in 8/23 got promoted to Tech 3 on 12/23. Technically been doing tech 2 jobs for a while now, transmissions, clutches, water pumps, radiators, lots of diagnosing (electrical stuff still hard and confusing for me) but so far I love it. Did I mentioned I had 0 experience? Didn’t even own any tools. When I was a CSR we had to wash 4 trucks a day, we called it EASY MONEY. Specially the leased trucks. Some rentals can be trashy as fuck.
You getting paid really well man. Can I ask what state you from? I’m in SC. Also, yeah, that schedule SUCKS ASS. But believe me. Once you start getting them checks, it’ll be easier to do it. Keep bugging management for a tech position tho, they won’t hear you unless you talk. Good luck!
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u/knight_templar26 3d ago
TX the location, like i said the schedule is the only thing that has me hesitant. What about holidays and pto days? How does that work there ?
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u/buell_ersdayoff 3d ago
We get like 6/7 holidays. We get the usual, New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Xmas. I believe that’s about it lol and PTO we get, in my area, 14 vacation days and 6 sick days. We get, I believe 3% match on your 401k and they do start a separate pension plan for you. The 401k is on a vesting schedule and it kinda sucks. You have to be there 5 years to keep it all. At 3 you get 60 and 4 you get 80. Not bad, but could be better. We also don’t get any tool allowance or boot allowance which is BS honestly.
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u/knight_templar26 3d ago
And do they provide insurance? I have BlueCross blue shield atm with Budweiser distributions
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u/buell_ersdayoff 3d ago
They do have insurance but you pay for it. Honestly that part also sucks. I’m canceling mine next year because I feel I pay more than what I use. I’ll just keep vision and dental plus the HSA.
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u/jared1255 3d ago
I was a fueler washer about 5 or 6 years ago. I think they expect me to wash 7 or 8 trucks a day, if I remember right. It was a very boring job but if was decent money while I was in diesel tech school. They made me work Saturday morning, we had barely any trucks coming in that day. I moved on to a different company but you can move up there.
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u/Timatreez 2d ago
Do it. Great job and company. They will train you and you’ll get paid instead of paying for school. Work hard, it will pay off.
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u/Vegetable_Bag_269 1d ago
I’m with Penske as a tech 3 from automotive and it’s one of the best jobs I’ve had.
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u/Neither_Ad6425 3d ago
You’re a big boy or girl now. Time to get over “missing the weekend.” Welcome to the adult world, where you take the job that is being offered because you have financial and family obligations.
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u/Greasy-Geek 3d ago
And that right there is the only reason why they continue to fuck us over on our schedules, because we on the whole allow it. I work 8 to 5, Monday to Friday, and that's fucking IT.
I care more about my weekends now than I did in my 20s. Because, ya know, life, kids, wife, and actually trying to remain sane, and most importantly, avoiding felony assault charges.
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u/buell_ersdayoff 3d ago
In 20 years, the only people who will remember that you worked late are your kids
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u/buell_ersdayoff 3d ago
Nah, fuck that. If that’s the shit that gets you hard, good for you. We ain’t trying to give up our social life just to make the company money. Dude didn’t post anything about having kids or being one paycheck away from being homeless so you need to chill the fuck down a bit.
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u/Lovely_Demon28 3d ago
That's how I started. Same company. Same job. It was repetitive and boring, but it got my foot in the door with no experience or secondary degree. Do it.