field service technician

store manager

service manager

service administrator

sales representative

RDO Equipment Co.

This company gave me the opportunity to work under an apprenticeship as a service technician/heavy equipment mechanic right after I completed my vocational degree in Diesel Technology from Universal Technical Institute. 

I was nervous at first, jumping into somewhat of a new career. Especially with my growing family, it's very frightening to make such a huge change. RDO made it easier in the sense that they were understanding and provided me with hours that worked with my schedule which allowed my wife to also be able to go to school as well. 

I would say it's a very family oriented company. Their events are great and they do take care of their employees. The turnover rate is great. Most people who work here stay here for a while which says a lot about the company. The benefits are good as well. We get plenty of great training which definitely will help expand your skillset and professional profile. 

The work is hard, don't expect to leave work clean, but I actually enjoy what I do and the team members are helpful and very knowledgeable so it doesn't always feel like I'm working. I especially like that we do get pretty involved with customers which I believe is crucial to getting the service done right the first time. Understanding their needs and being able to communicate with them helps gear the service towards satisfying their requirements and reduces the amount of times they need to bring in their equipment. Their time is just as valuable as ours. Our work orders can pile up, and trust me when I say it can get pretty hectic if and when that happens.

By far, I would rate this as the best company to work for. If I had to leave, it would only only be due to the need of being able to provide more for my family or for growth opportunities. Otherwise, if that doesn't become an issue, I do see myself retiring here. Our Fontana plant is moving to Riverside, so I'm not quite sure how growth will be affected. It is hard to gauge at this time. I am quite confident, however, that work will continue to be steady. 

If you're are looking to work as a entry level technician, at least invest in basic tools and accrue more little by little. You will need it. I can see this as a great company, to start off and/or if you're looking for a stable and permanent position. Good luck in your interview and job search.

Buddy system definetly in effect. Shop foreman is a jerk. service manager is a puppet.
They provide training.
They will screw you if they get a chance.
They will want you to obey DOT rules and regulations but not pay you to do it. Find ways to sidestep DOT regulations.
Complain that they don't have any work but fail to take care of customers.
Not enough work but continue to hire mechanics so there is nothing to do.
Work out of town for months and all they want to do is scrutinize you and your work and question you and your integrity.
Give new service trucks to people that were hired after you. [ Buddy program]
Do not provide the correct tooling that you would think a dealer had.
Expect you to purchase tools that they should provide.
Company policy says the will furnish everthing over 3/4 drive. 
They expect you to provide your own 1" impact. 
the rules are not for them just for you.
The general manager chris is a backstabing person. will call you into his office to have a conversation while he is recording it or someone is listening over the phone.
Basically a very crummy place to work. No matter how good you are or how hard you work or how dedicated you are you have to watch your back. Not worth the hassle to work there. 
Employees will go squeal to managment if you say anything negative. a bunch of whiners[ not all of them but they know who they are]. Do not trust anyone.
If you get an On the Spot Recognition just take it in the bathroom when you have to go and use it for on the spot use. That is all it is worth.They will give you a hat that is $6.00 over in the parts department and they will write $25.00 on the price tag. 
I was thinking about getting some rolls of toilet paper printed up that say ON THE SPOT RECOGNITION on the sheets and giving them to managment for Christmas. enough

As stated in other reviews this place definitely has management issues. RDO attempts to work by several company mottos, for example "we do what we say.” Management would tell employees things that would never happen and constantly lie. They will fire people for the slightest reasons, leaving the rest of the  employees to pick up the slack with no appreciation or even a thank you. It has been said before they are like a revolving door, always re-hiring and if you notice there are always job postings for the Salinas location. Shouldn’t this be a red flag? Customers like consistency in a company, especially at a company where they spend millions. Seeing familiar faces and building relationships with these customers is important for business. But how are you supposed to do that when employees are recycled on a monthly basis? The store I worked for in Salinas, CA would always volunteer us to work at other RDO locations when they were in need of help. But when we needed help management would never acknowledge it, leaving the work load on us, forcing us to stay longer and work Saturdays and Sundays. The reason why they like to volunteer us to work at other locations is because it saves them money on payroll. The pay has to come out from the location where you are working. Plus that is why management never had anyone come in to work in our location because they never wanted to have to pay extra employees. From my experience working at RDO, I felt like I had to walk on egg shells on a daily basis, I would not recommend working for this company

When looking from the outside, RDO says all the right to get someone on board with their company.  They pay competitively, there's always work, great benefits, etc.  You feel like its the right place to go. Once you get through the honeymoon phase, you start to see that the core values they promote (and literally post in every store) are merely to save face because the values don't mean anything to the management.  When I first started at RDO that wasn't the case.  As you go through your career there, more and more workload will get added to your plate because of a lack in ability with other employees.  If you struggle with your "new" workload, expect to be questioned on why things are not getting done, even though you put in 10-12hrs daily. There's no recognition for those few people in middle management who try to make things better.  Decisions that are made by management don't involve any input from the people that are directly impacted. The day-to-day understanding stops at the local branch. It often feels like decisions are made out of desperation rather than through critical thinking. The longest structure I had was about a year. With things going right (at least we all thought they were), management decided to switch up the whole structure only to have everything seem like it was falling apart and dysfunctional. This resulted in a restructure or reshuffle of personnel every month it seemed. I don't know if it ever got sorted out after I left.

This is an excellent place for semi skilled and even seasoned service technicians to advance their skill set and theoretical knowledge. Prior to working here I was employed at a local high paying union Job in the same field (service/repairs) and found it to be very intellectually degrading. The environment and opportunities at Rdo have rekindled my aspirations to excel and continue developing my knowledge in the diesel repair industry, it’s very stimulating and challenging at times but very gratifying to experience exciting growth. This company does not shy away from investing in its employees, and if I’m being honest in my sole experience, I haven’t had any other place of employment demonstrate so much willingness to invest in its workforce as Rdo, they give service technicians all the tools necessary to excel as long as you bring a Positive Can do attitude (no whiners and quitters) In my professional opinion this isn’t a good place to get your feet wet without having learned the fundamentals, if you’re new to the repair industry I would suggest inquiring about their AYF program to get a good trial by fire look at the roles offered in the service department. Overall I anticipate growing and being with the company for years to come, in conclusion the biggest thing I would advise anyone interested in applying is to be honest at all times. 

RDO Equipment Co is a well diversified company that has many different entities and is secure in the business. With that being said, each location is ran completely different from the main location out of Fargo, ND. Each experience will verify based on the management team that is in charge of that location. When it comes to the management team for the DFW Metroplex, you will find that there is a clique that is based out of their Fort Worth Location. If you are not part of the clique, you will not have the same opportunities within the company that individuals in the clique will have. RDO prides itself on following their "employee wheel" (do what they say, partnering with employees, etc). Recently there has been a management shift, which has also lead to culture shift within the DFW Metroplex department. It is toxic. They turn a blind eye to interpersonal relationships between two managers (often a manager and their subordinate), work place retaliation, harassment, inappropriate racial comments, and poor work performance. Since the change in management, there has been extreme high turnover by employees due to the management change. THIS IS A COMPANY YOU WANT TO AVOID UNTIL THEY GO BACK TO THE RDO EQUIPMENT THAT WAS HERE AT LEAST 5 YEARS AGO! They have lost touch with who they are as a company and will likely start losing more employees if things do not change soon.

Morning huddle, is nice, it's where everyone meets for a few minutes to make sure everyone is on the same page for the events of the day (people coming and going). It's also a chance to share any new and upcoming company information.

RDO taught me about Yuma's farming community, about how important those few minute huddles are to a business (it's something I will take to the next place I work at).

Management: They all work together and stand behind each other. It's both a good thing and a bad thing. I believe that some incidents that occur should be truely investigated. Not just taking the word of a the a couple of people. Especially if someone has the companies best interest at heart. Everyone has a bad day.

The hardest part of the job would be that there is a lot of work and a lot to get done. You have to learn fast to just keep going yet figure out when it's time to call it a day and go home.

Enjoyable part of working there is that when RDO comes together for little events for the work it's a fun time. Customer appreciation events are fun too.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pros:
RDO Equipment can serve as a solid stepping stone if you’re looking to gain experience and build self-reliance. The company offers exposure to the industry and a chance to develop your personal discipline and accountability.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Cons:
Unfortunately, upper management lacks strong leadership and the workplace diversity is minimal. Office politics are more intense than most places, and transparency is nearly nonexistent. The compensation does not align with the level of responsibility or expectations placed on sales staff, and the overall support from leadership is poor. Teamwork is not part of the culture — most people tend to look out for themselves rather than collaborate.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Teamwork is not part of the culture — most people tend to look out for themselves rather than collaborate.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
RDO Equipment was a valuable learning experience that helped me become more self-reliant, but the poor culture, lack of support, and weak management make it more of a stepping stone than a long-term career option.

I enjoyed working for Rdo at first. They made a lot of promises and really build you up, but after a few months, they will give you more and more work and responsibility that are not in your job description. The job is high stress and management doesn’t help. Management was barely older than I was and did not know what they were doing and how to treat people. They are always understaffed because either A. People can’t handle the stress because of overwork, or B. People realize they are grossly underpaid for what they are expected to do. Management was the laziest I have ever worked for, and they didn’t care about how much work they put on you. Very high turn over at Rdo. One time, management asked me if I had any friends looking for jobs so they could potentially hire and fill open positions. I knew none of my friends or other people I knew would want to work so hard for the pay rdo offered, so I lied and said no. I didn’t stay long. Most people don’t. That was my experience at the Watsonville location, and I heard it wasn’t much different at the Salinas location. Oh, and breaks were highly frowned upon by management.

The running joke is Revolving Door Company and there is a reason for it. Constant turnover with employees and a very weak leadership group that lacks direction and purpose is driving people away. Doing more with less has caught up to them and when poor leadership hires more incompetent management, it will take a miracle or a lot of terminations to get this company back on track. The practice of failing forward with poor leadership is everywhere in the company. Take a problem and promote them. Nepotism is also a best practice with the leadership group.
 The vodoo accounting practices make it nearly impossible to understand how you are paid and the same accounting group sends billing invoices to customers that can't understand them. Labor unions exist because of companies like RDO. You cant treat your employees and expect them to stay or be productive. Do yourself a favor, go somewhere else for employment. It is not worth the effort at RDO.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Field service technician 2 salaries reported	$40.50 per hour
Store manager 1 salary reported	$48,096 per year
Service manager 1 salary reported	$72,500 per year
Service administrator 1 salary reported	$24.00 per hour
Sales representative 1 salary reported	$50,000 per year

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