Codi-Brook Robinson discovered she had a passion for working on diesel engines by accident after destroying her own GMC truck in college.
“I ruined my truck in college, which is embarrassing to say, but I just didn't understand oil changes and didn't understand maintenance,” Robinson said. “That was always something my dad would just take care of.”
A broke college student and out of necessity, Robinson decided to try and fix it herself — by watching and following YouTube videos of other diesel mechanics.
Robinson, of Meeteetse, grew up on a ranch in Texas and has driven diesel trucks since she's been old enough to reach the pedals.
She calls them the workhorses of trucks and would use diesels to haul her horse trailers to barrel-racing competitions.
As a kid and teenager, she never worked on the vehicles herself or even thought of the mechanics that went into operating the big trucks.
Then, after her major mishap in college, Robinson rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
She was determined not to ruin another truck with lack of maintenance, but couldn’t afford the hundred dollars to have someone else do it.
Robinson watched YouTube to learn how to change her oil and was hooked.
“I developed a real love for being under the hood of my truck and I wished I knew this so much sooner than I did,” she said. “Then I wouldn't have had to sell my GMC for $2,000 for parts because I ran it into the ground.”
The lesson also inspired her to teach other young women and girls how to care for their diesels and learn the foundational knowledge of how a truck operates.
She calls her small business the Diesel Dame Company.
“I think that knowledge is few and far between, especially in the female community,” Robinson said. “I love to bring that education to the table and unveil some of the mystery and make it just a lot less intimidating and a lot more approachable for girls.”
Robinson explains that she sticks to the basics and isn’t professionally trained but understands the mechanism enough that she can now diagnose issues as they pop up.
As she seeks ways to help her young protégées learn the basics of diesel mechanics, Robinson has created a truck logbook she calls “Rigfolio” designed to inspire young woman to record their truck’s maintenance records, which she calls their truck’s life story minus the drama.
“A decade ago, I had no clue about an engine and I didn't know anything about a motor,” Robinson said. “I understand the puzzle better, if that makes sense, as opposed to having zero knowledge whatsoever.”
A decade ago Codi-Brooke Robinson of Meeteetse did not know anything about how to maintain her diesel truck but after destroying her GMC in college, she started tinkering under the hood and now is teaching others basic maintenance on their diesel trucks. (Courtesy Photo) 
Codi-Brooke Robinson said that working on a diesel truck is like a big puzzle and requires paying attention to details - skills that she said girls are good at. She believes that more young women would love to work on their trucks if given the chance and is now on a mission to help them learn. (Courtesy Photo) 
Codi-Brooke Robinson was a broke college student when she destroyed her diesel truck from lack of maintenance. Since then, she has discovered a passion for “wrenching” on her trucks and has started helping other young women do the same through her business, Diesel Dame Company. (Courtesy Photo)
Learning The Mechanics
When Robinson decided to do her first oil change and watched the video, it was the first time that she realized that working on her truck was even doable.
“My main motivation in the beginning was just to save some money,” Robinson said. “Then I realized how much I enjoyed wrenching around under there and that it wasn't so hard.”
When Robinson had transmission issues pop up on one of her trucks, she again turned to YouTube. She learned how to service her transmission and spared herself the labor costs of going to a garage.
“I like having tools and being handy in this way,” she said. “I just kept doing more and more of it and just getting into bigger projects over time.”
When a project is too big for Robinson, she said she is now not totally clueless when she calls in a trained mechanic.
“I can tell them it's coming from the front end or the back end, or I think it's in my suspension, or I think it's in my wheel-hub assembly, or I think it's a battery issue or an alternator issue,” she said. “I think that base foundation can help you a lot.”
Since working on her own trucks, Robinson said she feels more confident on road trips to barrel races. When hauling her horse, she always check her brake pads and knows what a healthy rotor looks like.
“You want to be able to visually inspect those pretty quick on the road just to rule out that you're having any brake problems,” she said.
Since her college mishap, Robinson has had issues hauling her horses to events but has been able to handle it. Previously, she would have been stranded.
“We rely heavily on a truck and its performance for our sport,” Robinson said. “If something happens on the road, you can have a couple of foundational key knowledge points that help you assess what kind of problem that you're dealing with.”
Do It Yourself
Though Robinson has discovered a passion for working on her diesel, another reason she is helping others the expense of her barrel racing dream.
Fees accumulated quickly. Feed, vet bills, equine maintenance, insurance for horses, insurance for the horse trailer, and fuel costs to get to the rodeos are costly.
“If you're not actively making money at the sport yet, you have to cut financial corners wherever you can,” Robinson said. “That's where maintenance on trucks and knowing how to do some of that stuff yourself can really help somebody save that money.”
She said that knowledge is vital for the confidence to talk to a mechanic about a truck.
“You can make a decision if it is worth them fixing it or should you grab a friend and do it yourself,” Robinson said. “Knowledge helps a lot.”
Robinson said that she is passionate about helping people grow, whether it is in the arena, as a wellness coach or helping learn to wrench on trucks.
Robinson said that teaching others started when girls asked to hang out at the shop with her when she was replacing brakes or changing a ball joint.
“I started bringing some of those younger girls alongside of me while I've been doing projects,” Robinson said. “And just let them get involved.”
Robinson said she is motivated to help the younger generation so they don’t blow up an engine like she did and face challenges they could overcome if they just had the knowledge and right tools.
“My plan is to host shop clinics and teach them basic things that may help them have more confidence and be safer,” Robinson said. “It could expose them to a hobby that they wouldn’t didn't even know that they loved until someone really helped them get in there and start doing it.”
Robinson said that working on her truck is a puzzle and that girls like good puzzles.
“We're very good at being detail-oriented and a lot of these projects are very detail oriented,” Robinson said. “I'm not a diesel mechanic by trade. I just love it and I want to give others a chance to see if they would love it, too.”
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
