Being a Crane Service Technician is more than just a job—it’s embarking on a career journey of challenge, growth, and tangible impacts. Aren Payne, a dedicated service technician from Cleveland, Ohio, exemplifies this journey.
Read and watch as Aren shares his experiences and insights into what it takes to succeed in this dynamic field. This is just one stop along the way as Aren travels to customer locations, providing essential services to keep operations running smoothly.
What’s a typical day like on the job?
A typical day for Aren starts early with a pre-inspection of his vehicle. “My day starts in my driveway. I do a tool inventory every morning. I like to do a tool check and a safety check around my vehicle,” he says. The day involves various tasks, from routine inspections to emergency service calls. “Today, we got two service calls. Our first service call is for an intermittent crane. We’ll go in and service and take care of that crane, inspect it, and see what’s wrong.”
Helping to strike that balance between strict organization and handling emergencies is teamwork. “There’s communication between us to allow us to be successful. I do have to reach out to my techs from time to time for information or for professional input that’s needed to accomplish the tasks that I’m given.”
What tools and technical skills do you use regularly
Mechanical Tools
- Wrenches and Sockets (including large sizes): Essential for assembling and disassembling mechanical components, especially in heavy-duty applications.
- Impact Wrenches: Power tools that deliver high torque, commonly used for loosening or tightening fasteners quickly and efficiently.
Inspection and Measurement Tools
- Gauges and Calipers: Precision instruments used to measure wear, alignment, and dimensions of mechanical parts to ensure proper fit and function.
Electrical Tools
- Electrical Testers and Multimeters: Used for troubleshooting and verifying electrical circuits, including checking continuity, voltage, and current flow.
Fabrication and Cutting Tools
- Welding Equipment: Occasionally used for joining metal components during repairs or modifications.
- Torch Cutting Tools: Utilized for cutting through metal, particularly during disassembly or structural changes.
Specialty Tools
- Hammer Drills: Used for drilling into concrete or masonry, often necessary for setting anchors.
- Hydraulic Jacks and Port-a-Power Systems: Provide controlled lifting and pushing force, useful for tasks such as changing wheels or adjusting heavy components.
Rigging and Lifting Equipment
- Slings, Rigging Gear, and Chain Hoists: Employed to safely lift and position heavy parts and equipment during maintenance or installation.
Digital Tools
- Service Pro: A digital work management platform that helps technicians stay organized. It provides daily job schedules and detailed descriptions of each task, allowing for efficient planning and execution of the workday.
What other skills help you get the job done?
Aren’s knack for reading the room and handling tricky situations gracefully is key in this line of work. “One of your biggest challenges is going to be customers. You’re not going to always run into the friendliest people. They’re going to be in a bad mood.” He advises, “Be as respectful as possible. ‘Yes, sir, no, sir.’ And try to do the best to your ability. And that’s all anybody can ever ask of you.”
Safety is a top priority for Aren. He understands the importance of safety measures, stating, “You need to know how to operate machinery. You need to know what safety measures to take to operate all these tools.” Safety becomes crucial due to the amount of responsibility placed on Service Technicians.
Related: Choosing Safety: 8 Safety Red Flags in Employers
Aren understands the expectations placed on him by Mazzella. “You’re your own supervisor. You run your own truck, you go to your own job. You make your own relationships with customers. These are the things that are your responsibility.” Still, he appreciates the support he receives, saying, “I have a lot of feedback from my superiors, as well as people from other departments. I’m able to reach out to anybody from my headquarters, my coworkers, or my boss—not just about work, but also on a personal level.”
Those feedback loops create opportunities to grow and learn more, which is crucial to building the business as an individual and an organization. “We are out in the field every day for all sorts of matters to keep our business growing and competing. I do feel that you will not be successful in this field if you don’t take the steps to better yourself.”
What led you to Mazzella?
Aren shared that his past military experience and knowledge of the industry made him feel comfortable applying. “I thought that my skills could cross over into the crane industry. And Mazzella gave me my first opportunity.”
It was that military experience paired with the culture and history of the Mazzella Companies that let Aren know he would fit in. “Coming from a military background, you have the advantage as far as you have your core values, you have standards – you have a work ethic.”
Related: What Are Mazzella Companies’ Core Values?
What kinds of challenges do you face in your role?
“We don’t know all the time what kind of crane we’re working on. We don’t know all the time what kind of problem we’re running into,” he shares.
Aren explains, “My roles and responsibilities are to service and maintain cranes for our customers. We are in the field, on the front lines, working daily to finish inspections and fix breakdowns.” This hands-on work is crucial in industries such as steel mills, factories, and oil rigs, where cranes play a vital role in daily operations.
Despite the challenges, Aren takes great pride in his work. “I enjoy making a quality product. I enjoy making relationships with other individuals and other companies and making my mark out there, knowing that they’re going to call Aren. They’re not just calling Mazzella – they ask for Aren.”
What industries does Mazzella support?
Aerospace: The design, development, manufacturing, and maintenance of aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and related systems.
Automotive: Automotive integrators, assembly facilities, tier 1 and tier 2 manufacturers, and stamping facilities.
Construction: Steel erection, concrete and precast, infrastructure, geotechnical drilling, bridge /wastewater/dams, GCs and PM firms, and marine construction.
Entertainment: Amusement parks, theme parks, concert venues, arenas, and performing arts venues and theaters.
Food and Beverage/Pharmaceutical: Research, production and processing facilities, distribution, logistics, and warehousing for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical offerings.
General Manufacturing: The production of goods through various processes, typically involving the transformation of raw materials into finished products.
Government/Military: Governance, public administration, and service provision. Includes Military/Armed Forces, Government contractors, and other local, state, and federal authorities.
Metals: Steel producers and processors, aluminum producers and processors, metals service centers, metal fabricators, non-ferrous producers, foundries, and scrap yards.
Mining: Surface mining and underground mining and extraction of minerals, metals, coal, gemstones, and other geological materials.
Oil and Gas: Drillers, gas producers, pipeline construction, processors/petrochemical plants, rig movers, supply houses, well service companies, and general service companies.
Power Generation: Generation and distribution of electricity and power using hydro, nuclear, coal, natural gas, and onshore wind and offshore wind technologies.
Pulp and Paper: Production of paper and paper-related products through pulp extraction and manufacturing of various types of paper and paperboard products.
Shipbuilding: The shipbuilding industry is a vast sector that supports shipbuilding and repair, boat building and repair, and barge building and repair.
Transportation/Intermodal: Railroad transportation and rail car manufacturing, tug and barge, commercial dams and levees, inland ports, break bulk, seaports, and harbors.
Wholesale: Distribution of goods and merchandise to various retailers, businesses, institutions, and other wholesalers.
What advice would you give aspiring technicians?
Aren emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and building relationships. “To gain the most success in this field, you have to do your own research and build those relationships with your coworkers to get that kind of information. This is all in-the-fieldtraining. So, therefore, your experience comes with your hard work.” He also advises new technicians to listen to their coworkers and build strong relationships with customers. “Treat everyone on location how you want to be treated.”
Aren’s eagerness to learn and grow is evident in his approach to his work. He emphasizes the importance of training, stating, “Your first couple of weeks is nothing but training. So, you just plan on learning your job, learning about Mazzella, and learning about what you’re going to be doing on your day-to-day.”
Your Next Great Adventure
From early morning vehicle inspections to handling emergency service calls, Aren’s dedication highlights the rewarding nature of his career. If you’re eager to embrace new challenges and make a significant impact, following in Aren’s footsteps as a Crane Service Technician could be your next great adventure.
