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October 08, 2026
From Side Hustle to Full-Time: Cody's HVAC Technician Story
Cody spent years doing HVAC work on the side while holding down a government job. When he was ready to go all in, he wanted something solid — and Trane Technologies delivered. Now a graduate of the inaugural TAP cohort, he's a full-time service technician who's still hungry to learn, and already thinking about who he can help next.
Cody started his career as an HVAC technician on the side to make a little extra money while working a day job for the Knox County government in Tennessee. Six years later, he’s a full-time Commercial HVAC service technician for Trane Technologies.
"When I made the choice to leave the county, I didn't want to go to some fly-by-night thing that might let me go in three months. I was looking for something solid," says Cody.
Everything I do is for my family. They're my reason for just about everything.
Cody Nelson
Commercial HVAC service technician, Trane Technologies
He'd already seen what solid looked like. Trane Technologies had a service relationship with Knox County, and Cody had watched those technicians up close. "They were driving good vehicles, they had good tools and they seemed so happy with their jobs. They seemed content. So, I decided to apply."
My name is Cody Nelson. I'm a HVAC service technician. Everything I do is for my family. They're my reason for just about everything. So, when I made the choice to leave the county, I didn't want to go to some Joe Schmoe thing that might let me go in three months. You know, I was looking for something solid. I like being out and about. I like moving, working with my hands. We're constantly making new products. We're coming out with new stuff all the time. I'm a nerd. I love learning. I'm in the right field to be ever learning. When I came here, I never touched a chiller or anything heavy industrial. Jamie, my mentor, has been doing chillers since the 80’s, and he can explain it to me from three different directions until I get it. And that's invaluable if you know nothing at all about HVAC or just any hand tools. This program will take you from this is a flathead screwdriver, his is a Phillips head screwdriver, all the way up through, this is how you control BAS in a whole building. You get to work on the equipment without the sun beating on your back or the winter freezing you to death. And it's clean. There's plenty of room to work. It's a great facility. I look forward to coming back for more.
Right fit, right from the start
Cody came into the Technician Apprenticeship Program (TAP) as part of its first-ever cohort, a distinction he wears with pride. The program, which takes technicians from foundational skills all the way through crew leadership, met him where he was: experienced enough to move fast, but curious enough to keep learning.
"This program will take you from 'this is a flathead screwdriver' all the way up through 'this is how you control a BAS in a whole building.' The last module is how to be a crew leader. You start from the basics at the company, to leading the team."
For Cody, that arc mapped onto something he already understood about himself: he's a problem-solver by nature, and a restless learner by preference.
I'm a nerd. I love learning. We're constantly making new products, coming out with new stuff all the time. I'm in the right field to be ever learning.
Cody Nelson
Commercial HVAC service technician, Trane Technologies
A mentor worth his weight in chillers
One of the most unexpected parts of the program, Cody says, was his mentor, a walking encyclopedia of equipment knowledge. And he was able to teach Cody about things he had no experience with before joining the company.
"When I arrived, I'd never touched a chiller. Jamie's been working on them since the eighties. I can ask him one question and get three answers. He can explain it from all different directions until I get it. And that's invaluable. You can't buy that."
Despite the resource, Cody describes himself as a self-starter — he'll exhaust every online resource before picking up the phone. But when he does pick it up, Jamie is who he calls. And one day, he hopes to be that person for someone else. "I like to learn and share what I've learned, to help other techs and also our customers. I want other technicians to know that if they’re stuck, I can help them."
A training center built for what's next
Graduating from TAP means something concrete: the coursework is done, the on-the-job training log is signed off and full technician status is official. But for Cody, it's less an ending than a launchpad.
"It's a good sense of accomplishment. It really is," he says. "I'm looking forward to just being a day-to-day tech and coming back here for more learning opportunities."
That 'here' is the new, state-of-the-art Advanced Technology Training Center, a facility that excited him the first time he walked through it. "You get to work on the equipment without the sun beating on your back or the winter freezing you to death. You can just stand here and learn something. It's clean, there's plenty of room to work. It's a great facility."
High on his list of favorite classes is the chiller teardown class. "It’s only offered here and in La Crosse. It should definitely be on everyone’s radar."
As for the longer trajectory of his career, Cody knows what he does and doesn’t want. "I'm not ready for a desk job. I'm just not built that way. I like being out and about, working with my hands. I’d like to be a senior tech or maybe an area service manager one day, when the knees start to protest. But for now, I'm where I want to be.”
The future is ours to create.
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