Donnie Hammett has been in the industry for three decades, but he’s never stopped learning new things. Shortly after joining Capital Volvo in Mobile, Alabama, in 2019 as a commercial diesel technician, he started taking Volvo certification courses. In October 2020 he became a Volvo master technician in engines, and he’s not stopping there: Hammett plans to follow more master technician paths in the future, further expanding his knowledge of Volvo trucks.
Hands on versus remote
Before Hammett joined Capital Volvo, he worked at different family-owned dealerships where he was self-taught and learned everything hands-on, just the way he did growing up. “If you wanted to learn something, you watched,” he says.
But Hammett has also seen the way technology has improved and made life better. While he personally prefers hands-on learning, he sees the benefits of and supports remote learning. “You’ve got that old saying, ‘If you take a couple days’ vacation, it puts you two weeks behind,’” he says. “It worked out better for me to come into the dealership and sign on and go to class, because you can multitask.” Hammett was able to return to work right after each lesson and did not worry about work piling up while he travelled for in-person classes.
You’ve got that old saying, ‘If you take a couple days’ vacation, it puts you two weeks behind,’” he says. “It worked out better for me to come into the dealership and sign on and go to class, because you can multitask.
Hammett had no trouble learning the material virtually, in spite of the faster pace with online instruction. He says the post-course tests helped him nail down his lessons. “They did their job well,” he says.
The other participants were also able to help each other if there were any questions.
Hammett was inspired to work on trucks by his uncle, Steve Webb, who sparked Hammett’s interest in the field. “He was the one who put me down this path, because I would sit many, many hours in his shop, in his house — just sit back and watch him work, listening to him,” Hammett says
Why he took the courses
Hammett has a passion for learning, and he wanted to learn more about the brand of trucks he works on every day. To Hammett, there’s nothing quite like diagnosing an issue, applying his knowledge to the situation and fixing it himself.
Becoming a Volvo Master Technician is a great way to advance a career as a diesel technician. Having extra knowledge and skill also helps the dealership and the other technicians, Hammett says.
In Hammett’s career, he’s worked on many different brands, and he says that Volvo stands out from the rest, noting the extensive mileage warranties as an example that the company takes pride in what its produces. “Now that is a company that stands behind its product,” he says.
Hammett appreciates that Volvo also stands behind the diesel technicians that work on its trucks, educating them and providing resources to help them be better at their jobs. “They’re willing to invest money and time in me as a person to educate me,” he says.