The Mechanics of Jack Rich

The Jack Rich company itself, located in Frackville, Pennsylvania, has been around for decades, dating all the way back into the historic 1950s. Primarily known for their HVAC services, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, as well as their industrial lubricants and heating oil, they have made great business. Customers are especially fond of the fact that they will deliver their products to the customer, but has anyone stopped to ponder about how these products get their location in a timely manner, even when things do not go as expected? Behind the scenes, the diesel mechanics for the company are working vigorously to fix the trucks in order to keep business moving smoothly. Without them, Jack Rich would not be the company they are today. 

The Outside of the Building

From the outside, most would not even think that this building would secretly contain several trucks inside. Located off of an old, soiled backroad, the compact building stands alone surrounded by a dense forest all around it. The trees bare from the brutal winter weather; the snow gently spread over the forest floor like a blanket. Teensy tracks are seen lightly in the snow from passing creatures exploring the area. There are even trucks nicely positioned outside of the building, some older looking and some newer looking, patiently waiting for their drivers to come pick them up to go to their job sites. One would think that the building may just be used for storage, some may even think the building could be abandoned, but you should never judge a book by its cover!

Some of the tools scattered on the ground

Once you wonder through the front door, you will see that this place is actually a diesel mechanic, not an abandoned building, or a storage unit. At a first glance, the walls are bare. No pictures or signs are hung. The empty walls make the atmosphere feel cold and drowsy, and it even has an unwelcomely vibe to it. Though it seems this way, the employees make the atmosphere bubblier for their customers. Aside from the walls, contrasting tools can be seen scattered all over the shop. Some on shelves, some on the cold, concrete ground itself, more in massive toolboxes colored with divergent colors, and even on the trucks themselves. As you step deeper into the shop, the aroma will suddenly hit you. A combination of dirt, oil, and gasoline makes up the scent of the shop, like any other mechanic. In the shop, there are three mechanics, that's it. Jarod is the manager, as well as an employee, and then there is Tyler and Max, who are both employees. "All of us get along well. Max is very quiet and reserved, he doesn't talk to us much. He just does his own thing and gets his work done, which I'm not complaining about," explains Jarod, with his brown beard hanging down with small metal shavings scattered throughout it, showing how hard he has been working. Glancing over at Max, his short blond hair swiped across his forehead, and his overly big, inky grey cargo pants dragging along the ground beneath him as he goes to grab a tool. "I got into mechanics from a younger age. My father taught me how to fix cars properly and how to look for issues. After learning the basics of cars, I moved to learning about diesel vehicles and trucks. After I learned as much as I could, I applied here and got the job. I chose to work here since it is a small place with only us three, which I liked," Max renders softly. He turns around to finish changing a flat tire and brake pads on one truck brought in earlier that day. Jarod is now removing the bumper of a truck to take a look at the wires located underneath it. He hovers over, realizing a majority of them are ripped apart. He grunts under his breath, indicating that this will likely be a long fix. 

Tyler's toolbox located in his area

Each of the employees have their own spot in the shop where they keep their toolboxes, tools, clothing, and other supplies needed for work. They do not have to stay in that one spot though, they move around to each other's area, and around the shop looking for truck parts and such. "Running around the shop all day can get tiring. I feel like I'm getting up every five minutes to go find another truck part or a tool I forgot to grab," Tyler clarifies enthusiastically, his long brown hair hanging over his ears after removing his Carhartt hat. His overalls loosely cover his body, doing the best they can to keep dirt and dust away from his clothing underneath. "Especially when I am working on re-wiring trucks, I always need at least 10 different tools to fix it. I would consider it my least favorite repair to do, it is so tedious and time consuming," Tyler describes while laughing faintly. They each work on one truck, and they continue working on that one truck until it is completely finished. Only sometimes will they have two or three trucks to work on at once. No matter what though, they make sure to get these trucks fixed, so they are ready for use.

Even though Jack Rich customers get their products in a timely manner, these mechanics are the ones capable of making this happen. Behind the scenes, they are the ones who we should be thanking for making sure we get these things that we need for the year. By fixing the trucks used for delivery and making sure they are safe, they set the company up for success.