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Post Info TOPIC: Dennis Patrick - Shop Foreman


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Dennis Patrick - Shop Foreman
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Hi all, my name is Dennis Patrick. I am a Shop Foreman for VTA (Valley Transportation Authority) in San Jose, California. We repair the busses for daily operation. We have 440 busses, 3 yards with repair shops, 1 overhaul and repair shop and 1 body shop. I have been working for VTA for 34 years, started as a mechanic then lead mechanic and know a shop foreman. When I started working at VTA are busses had only 2 speed transmission and big relays that ran the electrics.

Now are busses have 6 speed transmission with 2 speed are overdrive. And the electrics system has 7 computers to run the entire system, even the turn signals are run by a computer.   

 



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Dennis Patrick


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I have a great deal of respect for Mechanics. I had a boat of a 77' T-Bird that was super easy to work on but now a Prius with so much wiring and electronics your head will spin. Now I don't know what I'm doing. I can still change the oil though.

Are those suckers breaking down all the time or are they fairly reliable?

I'm assuming you're into motor sports as well? (Your avatar)

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David Patton
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Clan Lamont Society of North America


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David wrote:

I have a great deal of respect for Mechanics. I had a boat of a 77' T-Bird that was super easy to work on but now a Prius with so much wiring and electronics your head will spin. Now I don't know what I'm doing. I can still change the oil though.

Are those suckers breaking down all the time or are they fairly reliable?

I'm assuming you're into motor sports as well? (Your avatar)




 

David,

 

At work, we put on 354,000 miles a week that’s 1,416,000 a month. We keep are busses for a minimum of 12 years, we just got rid of 40 busses that were 17 years old. When we first get a new bus it take about a year to get the bugs out. Then they run good for a some time. We are always working. We have road call every day some small like tightening a mirror to more major ones like have an engine blower up.

 

For fun, I have 3 Motorcycle 2 dirt bikes and 1 street bike, a Honda XR650R, Honda XR400R, and Honda VTX1800R. I go with friends to Dove Spring HOV area in the Mojave Desert 2 times a year for a week each time and ride dirt bikes we have a blast.   

 

 



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