“We will manage it!” With this statement, Burkhard Dietz has taken a heavy load off the shoulders of many customers – and also his colleagues. Dietz works in the Leipzig Workshop Management Team (WMT) and is the “Competent Person Lead” (CP Lead) for mineral oil cars across all of Europe. He is in constant contact with GATX’s customers and internal Engineering and Sales Departments. Even when things start to heat up in Leipzig, he always remains calm and maintains a good sense of humor.

Burkhard Dietz represents GATX’s brand: This graduate engineer has been dealing with railcar maintenance and cleaning since 1992. Today, Dietz awards contracts to certified ECM repair workshops, checks repair work, and supervises workshop activities and maintenance.

At his home, at his desk, and in the workshop
Today the 64-year-old is the CP Lead for GATX’s 14,000 mineral oil cars in Europe. He is the key contact for international leases and returns, and responsible to enhance this special railcar fleet and monitor regulatory compliance. In addition, he prepares the Engineering Change Report: This report is necessary when customers have specialized wishes for their cars. In such cases, Burkhard Dietz identifies risks, investigates whether the desired change(s) is relevant to the approval of the wagon and ensures all regulations are complied with related to the modification. This experienced railcar specialist is always present from start to finish!

Sharing knowledge
Dietz’s colleagues benefit from his extensive experience: For several years, he has passed on his knowledge to the workshop team during internal training courses. As a result, it’s hardly surprising to hear “Burkhard is the best” across the mineral oil railcar refurbishment community. According to many, Dietz never loses his nerve, always thinks positively and finds solutions, and remains humorous throughout each day. He is a “port in a storm” for his workshop colleagues, GATX’s customers and Sales and Engineering Departments.

When asked what he likes to do best at GATX, Dietz replies, “the organization of new rentals and the adaptation of the railcars to meet the wishes of our customers. I enjoy very much talking with the suppliers, organizing the required parts and supervising modifications. Because I love hands-on work – a pure desk job has never been something for me!“

A team player who speaks his mind
Burkhard Dietz is also well known for speaking his mind: “My job is exciting and full of variety. But not everything always goes as one would actually like it to. Then speaking frankly is very important.“ His approach always includes humor and composure. Dietz has overcome many hurdles with his thoughtful approach – always together with the Leipzig team and his many colleagues throughout the GATX organization. He influences his younger colleagues with his wonderful spirit which also helps to ensure a strong succession for GATX’s future leaders.