One path I've seen bring career success to a number of folks is a short military enlistment. There are certain skills that are in demand in both the military and the private sector, and heavy diesel mechanic is one of them. Unlike private sector, you can enlist for 2 years in the Army with zero existing skills, and they will train you. You get out once your 2 years are up, and you are now a heavy diesel mechanic with 2 years of experience on your resume. Obviously this path is not for everyone, but it is a sure way to get training and experience in a specific technical field like heavy diesel equipment, in order to jump start your career.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

Sounds like a great idea honestly.

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1998 Ford Escort ZX2 5 speed - 279,000 miles My Daily

1992 Mercedes 300D 2.5 202,000 - Pure junk
2000 Mercedes E320 Black - 136,000 miles - Needs repair

Don't forget to grease the screw and threads on the spring compressor.

After 40+ years of assorted professional mechanical experience I'll pass on what one of my first tutors told me. He said, when I informed him of my career choice, "Ya know how God made the first mechanic? He took an idiot and beat his brains out".

Can't complain about my former profession. Made a decent living, ALWAYS found something new to wonder at, learned many new skills (whether I wanted to or not), stayed in good physical shape and ended up with a boat load of tools, some of which I don't even remember what they are for.

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

I was in the next town over the other day and a fairly late model C300 pulls into the parking lot. I handed the driver a card for my MB repair shop and he asked me if I was ASE certified and I had to admit I was not but I did mention I was a mechanical engineer with 37 years experience. He said something about his extended warranty requiring any shop that did work for him hold ASE certs.

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Jim

"stayed in good physical shape"

I suppose you did not work as an auto mechanic? I can't see bending over the engine compartment all those hours be good for your back, nor breathing toxic fumes all day long. I know a friend's father who owned an auto repair shop his whole life. Don't know if related, but two years after retirement he was diagnosed with throat cancer (never smoked) and died one year later.

While I enjoyed working on my own cars as a hobby, learned a lot/ saved a lot of money over the years, I would never want to work on other people's greasy cars to make a living.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

I was thinking the same thing. I was draft age in '72. Vietnam was just too whack so I stayed out. But I've often thought that serving would have been a useful experience. I'm not the neatest mo-fo, not the best housekeeper. I gather that a stint in the army will inculcate the value of tidiness in a big way.

Aside from that I'd recommend a good Community College auto tech training program. I attended about 3 quarters, not full time at Alameda CC (a small island town near Oakland). Great learning experience. I was looking for more knowledge, was really too old to switch careers at that point. If you do a quarter or two at such a place, better chance that you'd get the mechanics assignment in the military that you want.

Or you could stay with a CC for a couple of years. I'll second what I just read above, be wary of for-profit schools. The CC I went to was a good scene. You were encouraged to bring in your own rig, put it up on a lift, a diagnose and fix problems. With good advice on hand. Good garages would come in asking for promising student to be sent over.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K