automotive mechanic

operator

yardman

concrete laborer

driver

Thomas Concrete

I started here as a Diesel Mechanic Apprentice in April of 2024 with no experience on Heavy duty trucks and only minimal experience with mechanics in general, mostly just theory. I had no tools, but was blessed with their program where tools are purchased for me and I pay it off over 2 years. Worked out pretty well.

Since I really want to make a career out of this, I've been studying and learning as much as I can; tricks of the trade, theory on how and why things are done the way that they are, torching, welding, electricity, engine design and engineering, transmission theory, mobile HVAC. And, I've been rewarded for it. Studying and working hard made it easier to get my DOT inspection & Brake certification, my section 609 and the respect of my foreman and management. And with all of those things together, I was promoted to Mechanic 1 in 1 year.

I owe a lot of that to my Foreman, who has answered every question I've asked and taught me every trick he can remember, but is humble enough to learn something new even from me. In general the fleet-side management has been good to me, and helped me grow as much as I can and I have nothing but praise.

In general the workplace culture from my perspective as a mechanic is that when things are slow, it's okay to pace yourself, but when something goes down, it's go time. I've been granted a very good work/life balance, as work can't really follow me home, which is nice. My only gripe really is that some of the production management is a bit too lax on cleaning, which can make life hard sometimes.

All-in-all, a lot of the days end up blending together after a certain point because there's only so much to these trucks, once you get it though, it's cake. The only really though part is when you have to fight 6 months worth of concrete build up just to get a bolt off.



I was hired as a diesel mechanic in the gastonia shop on union road.   I got to work on time, my boss was late as usual,   one of the most experienced drivers there was mad.   He wad upset because he had to drive another truck because his truck had to be pm.   He and his boss blamed me.   I explained to them that i don't schedule the pms.   That was my boss.   They called district manager and my boss wanted me fired for this.   I found out then that he wasn't supposed to tell me what to do and sit in the office while I did all the work.   That came from district manager.  They made me move to the Charlotte shop on Graham street.   Then one day it snowed.   They sent me home on Wednesday because of snow
  They told me to call in Thursday  because we can't pour concrete in the snow.   I did as I was told.   Friday i called in because of black ice on the roads.   I had never been out sick or late to work the entire time I was there.   I was fired Monday morning.   My boss there would do the same thing to me.   Let me do all the work while he slept in the office.   I was given no reason for being fired.   This is how they treat a mechanic with 20 yrs of experience.   They use the buddy system.   If you goof off and kiss you know what they will love you.  If you work hard like i did,  they will fire you. 
 


Mixer Driver...1wk...training provided with a trainer very uncomfortable since your trainer will be in the truck with you right on your left shoulder...was put in a older truck that didn't have a/c...they are very keen on having cleAn trucks not just inside the mixer but on the outside as well...most of my downtime I was washing the truck...it was a older truck with foot controls that was primarily used as a spare but I was assigned to it...day consisted of going to different construction sites pouring Concrete some areas were very tight and difficult to maneuver in, moving around to different spots..after pouring you wash down mixer on site...travel back to plant and reload in between time you are cleaning the truck...takes time to learn how to pour correctly whether fast or slow and making sure not to hit construction workers or anything with the shuttes...everyone was friendly and encouraging but after a week I quit..and went back to my job where all I had to do was drive..

 Thomas Concrete was a great place to work, and I’m genuinely grateful for the time I spent there. From day one, I felt welcomed and supported by both management and coworkers. The company places a strong emphasis on safety, teamwork, and doing the job right, which made every day feel purposeful and professional. I appreciated how leadership listened to employee concerns and worked to improve processes, making it clear that our voices mattered. The training I received helped me grow my skills and confidence, and I always felt encouraged to learn more and take pride in my work. My coworkers became more like family, and we looked out for one another on and off the job. Thomas Concrete also offered fair pay and solid benefits, which showed they value their employees. Overall, my experience was positive, and I would recommend Thomas Concrete to anyone looking for a stable, respectful, and rewarding workplace. It’s a company that truly cares about its people and the quality of work they deliver. 

Get your experience and leave!!! The only thing great is the guaranteed hours and other drivers who are helpful.  
Safety is not a priority with this company as much as they claim it is. The trucks they have you start off in are old and not safe. I’ve been stranded a few times. And yes they do know these trucks have problems yet they still put you in them. 
 I’ve been to areas where management is there for you and some who couldn’t care less about you and your safety. Not to mention most are rude and petty for no reason. If you have a problem they get annoyed. 
Majority of the jobs you go to are pump jobs, which isn’t all too hard. 
Most jobs you go to people don’t speak English and can’t communicate directions to you which makes it more complicated.
Hours are crazy. Never know when you start or finish. You could start at 4am and finish at 6, the next day start at 6am finish at 6pm. You just never know. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Comrades with fellow employees, bc you will spend your entire days with them, not your family. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The unappreciation of management while consuming your life with delivering concrete. They can care less about your personal life and family. Long work days are expected.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Buddy Buddy system. If you know the right guy, you can get any position. I'm willing to bet you could Okey doke your way all the way to the top, if the right guy knows you 😉. Certain jobs aren't posted so prepare to eat cheese if you DON'T know the right guys. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Long days, at random start times. Typical work shift is from 10-15 hrs  a day. You get 1 days notice about your next day schedule. The good thing is you can rest on Saturdays and some  Sunday hrs, until you have to come in Sunday night to start your week over.

This place has no policy in place no help whats so ever rules change like the wind and when there is an error especially in miami (cony) or parts manager they will find a way to blame you. Parts manger will stress you out with sayings like this is a big deal making you stress more the place is disorganized management will want you to accept fault at something they did and not take blame for anything they do. New parts guy crashed a truck but again if your likes no big deal right. But if you are an employee that does not kiss you know what and do your job then your targeted numerous people are leaving because if you notice all managers are of a skin tone not blk even though i have management skills and managed people if you need a passing through job this is the place because if your not liked you are out the door and your work skills are over looked to a novice that never managed people and

Guaranteed hours if due to weather or what not. quarterly safety bonus. may work 4 or 16 hours a day or even overnight or not at all, you will find out when to come in(or not to) to drive anywhere from 10 to 24 hrs before you report. may be sent home when others are still hauling to have DOT required reset to drive at night or next day, depending  on hours drove or coming in. Basically everyday you don't know when you are leaving to go home or come in the next day.can not plan actives or family time. work is not hard. check load, drive to job, pour out, clean up and leave. can also stop to eat or small break on the way back to plant.

What is the best part of working at the company?
You do your job they leave you alone

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
To me if we have an early pour, I don’t particularly like, and I never did like waking up extremely early

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The plant that I’m at is great the Supervisor is great and basically like I said before you do your job, they leave you alone

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
If there’s a lot of pours ,you are quite busy, but for me, I like the long rides to get to the job and then of course you have a long ride back and you can stop in for coffee ,soda. Just get it get out and get back to the plant and like I said, that’s part of your job. You do your job and they leave you alone at the plan I’m at anyway. But in general, I believe it’s like that at all the plants.

I worked at Thomas Concrete for Approximately 2 Years and learned a lot about the Concrete industry and how to mix Concrete and pour slabs. Most of the time it was a fun job with the exception of 3rd shift hours on occasion. Was fired in Oct 2015 because I couldn't be at work at 0200 because I was still on my vacation in S. FLORIDA. I INFORMED MANAGEMENT THAT I COULDN'T MAKE IT BACK IN TIME FOR THE JOB SO I WAS FIRED! UP until that point I was a loyal worker and always worked overtime to help the company out. Pay was $16.84/ hr at the time of being fired. Not bad by Upstate SC standards. I'd go back if I moved back to SC as rate of pay has increased since then.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Automotive mechanic 27 salaries reported	$31.88 per hour
Operator 10 salaries reported	$21.15 per hour
Yardman 9 salaries reported	$20.46 per hour
Concrete laborer 11 salaries reported	$22.90 per hour
Driver 13 salaries reported	$25.65 per hour

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