Advice for new Auto Techs

[GTA Matt]

Buy this tire gauge and tread depth micrometer.
Accutire

Buy this tire inflator.
Astro

Buy this wheel weight tool.
Gearwrench

When the new kid has a digital tire pressure gauge and then wants to borrow a 19mm impact socket I flat out tell them no.

 

[gearheads78]

Ah, the words that make 2016 America great! What's a stable career, especially that does not cause burnout?

A lot of old wrenches are retiring (or dying). Younger folks around here, that get training and a little experience, opens shops in a pole barn, or garage out back, turning away business (because they are swamped) and charging nearly whatever they feel like, which if their work is even halfway decent, people will gladly pay.

All jobs stink.

Agreed. If you are young , smart and have a positve attitude be the best at it you can be. With in 10 years you will be able to make whatever you want. I wrench for fun but I have been in the auto industry for many years. Most of dealer I have experienced over the last few years the majority of the good techs are 50+ 10 years from now 1/2 will be retired and there will be a huge shortage of techs.

There are exceptions but most young guys are not cutting it. They would rather play on a phone than work.

One last thing the guys I know that make the most money are the ones that look at the big picture. There are going to be jobs that pay nothing and take you 2-3 hours they **** but there are also jobs that pay 4-5 hours and once you are good you can knock out in 1.5 hrs. Don't be the guy that ******* and moans for a hour about .3 more you think you should have been paid when you could have just done it with a smile and be on to the next job that does pay good.

 

[abvw]

Pay attention to what you're doing at all times, observe and anticipate. Always devise a back-up plan.

Make sure your feet are planted and your stance is good. If you have to pull make sure to stay clear of the tool's path when a fastener unexpectedly breaks loose. If you have to push, use the palms and relax your fingers.

It is not a bad idea to have every 10mm tool you can get your hands on. This is probably the most common and problematic fastener in the trade.

 

[WhiffySpark]

When the new kid has a digital tire pressure gauge and then wants to borrow a 19mm impact socket I flat out tell them no.

Lucky you my box was treated as a community box. It's like you go on the same trucks I do buy your own ****. $20 a week ain't going to make or break you

The ones that really pissed me off are the people who smoke all day long. Yet can't "afford" anything.

 

[jrobb316]

Knee pads and lots of lube. You'll need both to make a living playing the flat **** game.

 

[powerstroker]

My advice to new auto techs would be switch to trucks as fast as you can. Best move I ever made. But in all seriousness, a good attitude is the most important thing. Be diligent, be willing to learn and figure things out. Show that you're eager and capable of getting things done.

 

[fastbike02]

Isn't it an OSHA violation if the shop doesn't at least provide cold drinking water?

Nope while OSHA requires breaks to cool off if work environment is extremely hot (It is a temp/time formula but don't ask me to remember it) but nothing is stated about providing drinks.

 

[Schurkey]

Two Words: Dental Hygienist

They spend the same two years in trade school.
They buy a thirty-dollar set of picks and scrapers. Maybe not even that.
They get clothing supplied by the business--scrubs and aprons and gloves and masks and stuff.
God doesn't completely re-design the human body every five years
They make more money than apprentices. Hell, they make more money than some seasoned techs.
They don't work Saturdays or evenings or overnight
They don't work for GM/Ford/Chrysler flat-rate
They don't have to save the old parts
There's no diagnostics.
Don't have to provide estimates
No "comebacks"
The world doesn't think of them as criminals or hacks. They get ten times the respect from the general population as auto techs

Bonus: Screaming kids get extra jabs from the pick.





Gotta be fukkin' nuts to want to get into auto repair. When I did it, there was no such thing as an overweight mechanic. None of us could afford to eat. Most of us had drinking problems, though.

Great hobby. ****** way to make a living.

 

[SK-Mike]

Got a 13 year old very interested in classic cars and mechanic work, I'll do my best to convince him to go into Nursing and become an RN. The blue collar trades pay has not kept up with other industries. Wages have become stagnant, benefits are not that great if you have any at all.

 

[90zcar]

Two Words: Dental Hygienist

They spend the same two years in trade school.
They buy a thirty-dollar set of picks and scrapers. Maybe not even that.
They get clothing supplied by the business--scrubs and aprons and gloves and masks and stuff.
God doesn't completely re-design the human body every five years
They make more money than apprentices. Hell, they make more money than some seasoned techs.
They don't work Saturdays or evenings or overnight
They don't work for GM/Ford/Chrysler flat-rate
They don't have to save the old parts
There's no diagnostics.
Don't have to provide estimates
No "comebacks"
The world doesn't think of them as criminals or hacks. They get ten times the respect from the general population as auto techs

Bonus: Screaming kids get extra jabs from the pick.





Gotta be fukkin' nuts to want to get into auto repair. When I did it, there was no such thing as an overweight mechanic. None of us could afford to eat. Most of us had drinking problems, though.

Great hobby. ****** way to make a living.

Couldn't agree with you more!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GTA Matt]

Everyone is telling people how horrible it is and I'm over here like, this ain't a bad way to make a living IF you know what you are doing. Sure, the first few years can be a little rocky, but if you listen, pay attention and are willing to learn and invest in your career, there is good, honest money to be made, and you will always be in demand. If you're a potato, don't have any initiative to do some self training and think that electronics or driveability is too hard to bother learning then yeah, you're going to have a bad time. Get out now and stop devaluing the industry.

I go against the grain, against all the cookie cutter answers. Why would I take advice from a guy who's been doing this for 30 years, hates his job, has nothing to show for it and has to wait for his paycheck on friday so he can afford to go buy a burger for lunch. If you take his advice, you'll be that guy in 30 years. Think about it. I'd listen to someone that has been successful, has a positive attitude and who is financially stable. I realize not everyones financial situation is the same, but personally, I'd buy as many of the best tools and the biggest toolbox you can while you're young and still have minimal financial responsibilities. (I'm sure everyone is gasping by now) Make some sacrifices, it will pay dividends later in your career. Those tools will make you a couple million dollars over your career. Learn as much as you can about electronics, master use of the dvom, labscope, scan tool. Fully understand how cars work, how sensors and communication works. Cars are very complex now, not only do you need to master the mechanical aspect of them, but there is an evergrowing and changing electronic side too, you need to stay ahead of the curve. The boss can go to any street corner and find someone to hang brakes, you will be paid accordingly if that's all you are willing to learn. Good techs can command their pay. If you find yourself at a bad shop, with a bad work environment and negative attitudes abound, leave! There are tons of good shops out there, tons of bad ones as well, find the right shop that fits you. Anytime you think you have everything mastered, remember, you don't know as much as you think you know, stay humble. It takes a lot of time and patience and perseverance, but it pays off after a few years in the trenches.

Oh yeah, take care of your feet and knees and back.

 

[WhiffySpark]

That posts makes way too much sense Matt. It's one of the reasons why I asked how many people commenting on this thread are actually mechanics. I've left the industry to work for my self but I have no regrets. I have a snapon box full of snap on tools and I don't regret it one bit. I enjoyed going to work. At 25 years old I was making 30 an hour with no training.

I went from $12 to $20 just from leaving one shop when I was 18 when I smartened up and took a chance. If you find the right people to work for you'll be happy with your choice. I had the right person and then things changed. New management they opened more stores etc environment compeltly changed. It went from custome satisfaction to how much more can we push through a day

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

Take pride in what you do. Don't just be a parts changer that throws generic terms around... You want to be a technician not a mechanic. Know what your talking about, and know when you don't.

The auto industry is a tough one, not for the faint of heart. It can bring the best of us down with those jobs that keep on giving. The real money is in specialties... Transmissions, engines, diesels or electrical. Then there's the aftermarket side of things.. offroad, restorations, racing... etc..

 

[jrobb316]

Was an auto mechanic for 16 years. Climbed the ladder, got my certifications, and all that ****. Simple fact is the money you output in tools, etc to do your job you won't get back. There is virtually no return on investment anymore. Auto work is in a race to the bottom right now. I don't regret, the skills I learned helped my current company take a chance on me and I'm not letting them down. The smart are either retiring or getting out. Sure it's in demand, but so is McDonald's burger flippers, doesn't make it a smart move. The stealerships have stolen your career from you. It was an honest way to make a living. Now they bend you over and take it all for themselves. 1% of auto mechanics that love their job actually work at a place that cares about them. The other 99% are giving their service writers and managers some extra service on the side to get preferential jobs and screw their coworkers. Don't let them tell you any different, most doing that are in denial.

And to add, diagnostics, electronics, etc pay the least of any repair. You routinely spend more time on the jobs than they pay. It makes you desirable but you'll starve if that's your angle. Maintenance and stuff like brakes are where the money is, and they don't need to pay 20+ dollars a hour for a guy to do that stuff.

 

[dankicksass]

When the new kid has a digital tire pressure gauge and then wants to borrow a 19mm impact socket I flat out tell them no.

He shouldn't be borrowing tools anyway. I stand by my recommendations for a new guy, these tools improve CSI.

 

[GTA Matt]

That posts makes way too much sense Matt. It's one of the reasons why I asked how many people commenting on this thread are actually mechanics. I've left the industry to work for my self but I have no regrets. I have a snapon box full of snap on tools and I don't regret it one bit. I enjoyed going to work. At 25 years old I was making 30 an hour with no training.

I went from $12 to $20 just from leaving one shop when I was 18 when I smartened up and took a chance. If you find the right people to work for you'll be happy with your choice. I had the right person and then things changed. New management they opened more stores etc environment compeltly changed. It went from custome satisfaction to how much more can we push through a day

You can easily tell who hasn't made a career in the industry. The same cookie cutter answers in every thread on the topic. "buy a small toolbox, you don't need many tools, buy china freight garbage, listen to the old broke mechanic that's been there forever". Fact is, you need tons of quality tools if you truly want to make this a profitable career. If you want to mope around in the trenches forever, then by all means, don't invest in your career, just complain about how bad it is, that'll fix it...

He shouldn't be borrowing tools anyway. I stand by my recommendations for a new guy, these tools improve CSI.

You're right, he shouldn't be borrowing, but most guys are way under tooled, even for their skill set. I've worked with tons of guys who will buy the latest gee wiz gizmo or spend $50 on jerky off the tool truck each week, but then ask to borrow basic hand tools.



I understand the difference between a guy just starting out and building his tool collection as he can afford it and a guy who will never invest in his career. The latter gets no sympathy. I started out at the very bottom, minimum wage, a craftsman tool set and craftsman box, worked hard, and now at a relatively young age, I have well over 100k in tools, all paid for, no longer physically have to work as hard most days (just mentally!), I enjoy what I do and it pays well. The only thing stopping most people is themselves.

 

[jrobb316]

Buying tools is considered a burden by most people that need to buy tools. You are correct, someone with skin in the game will have a quality tool chest with quality contents. I've always liked buying tools, even now I work with a ton of guys that won't spend anything more than HF prices on junk. I call them the crescent wrench Cowboys since that's the only wrench they own. As I said before, no longer automotive.

 

[Sanny81]

I totally agree with GTAMatt's perspective on this topic. I'm a forklift/warehouse equipment mechanic and the difference between the guys that take pride in their work and get a real sense of accomplishment when they punch out vs the guys that are just there to collect a paycheck is night and day.

And having not only quality tools, but also the correct tools is a huge advantage. I've only been at my current shop for about a year and when I first started the other guys showed me how they did jobs with whatever tools they had(9/10 the wrong tool for the job). After I got tired of their way I invested my own money into getting my own tools that were right for the jobs and it made my life so much easier. Hell out of 4 guys in my shop I'm the only guy that owns any snap ring pliers....it's crazy.

The bottom line is no one is going to hand you a good career, you have to work for it and fight for it. And if it's something you truly love to do, the effort you put in won't even feel like much.

 

[metalhead212121]

against my better judgement I'll throw in my two cents....

As someone who spent a good amount of time in this business I do see where GTA Matt and jrobb316 (among others) are coming from....

From MY stand point there AREN'T a lot of guys out there like GTA Matt that are willing to show you things to better yourself. Most guys I worked with DIDN'T want to show you ANYTHING. At the end of the day when you show your co-worker something new you're screwing yourself out of a job. (In theory) I wasn't one of those guys that did their 8 hours and went home. I tried to learn things OUTSIDE of work.. I took MEA (I dont remember what MEA stands for) classes at night.

Back to "advice for new auto techs"........

I got into cars because I had an obsession with going fast. Doing A/C work on cars? Didn't interest me. Doing stuff like heater cores? VOMIT! Working on stuff like high end German cars? I'd rather play Russian Roulette with a loaded firearm. I should have realized within the first year that working on cars for 8 hours a day WAS NOT FOR ME. After years of working on cars I transferred into the parts department. Spent many years in various parts departments. Sadly that didn't work out either. (Long sad story.) PM if you want the details.

I presently DO NOT work in the automotive business anymore. I want to say that I'm 100% OUT but the place I work at now is for a place for "lost souls." Everybody (myself included) there has a story about how they ended up there.

Long story short? Don't waste years of your life doing something that you just don't like. I'm good at lying to myself. I used to tell myself that I can learn to like doing work on A/C systems, that doing interior work/heater cores would get easier to do, that German cars weren't THAT BAD to work on.

Today was the FIRST DAY this year it was nice enough to be outside. Where was I? In the garage working on my car(s). Working on cars in your garage is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than working for a dealership or indy garage.

 

[Ricky112]

I've been in the trade a couple years now. It's different here in Canada where you have to basically oil change for a while, then find an employer willing to sponsor you as an apprentice. Then you sign up for college for a period of time before going back to work and repeat the process.

My advice? I've worked with people who are insanely smart, average, hard working, ruthless, back stabbing, and downright f'ing lazy.

Flat rate is what you make of it. Wanna make your 8 hours a day? cool. Wanna make 17 hours working 7-7? I was getting average 15 hours a day working 12 hour shifts without lunch. I'd get paid double time for working past 5:30 and do undercoating when all the other techs bitched and moaned that it smelled.

I'm not the smartest guy around but I'm willing to tough it out.

 

[Jarhead0408]

You can easily tell who hasn't made a career in the industry. The same cookie cutter answers in every thread on the topic. "buy a small toolbox, you don't need many tools, buy china freight garbage, listen to the old broke mechanic that's been there forever". Fact is, you need tons of quality tools if you truly want to make this a profitable career. If you want to mope around in the trenches forever, then by all means, don't invest in your career, just complain about how bad it is, that'll fix it...


You're right, he shouldn't be borrowing, but most guys are way under tooled, even for their skill set. I've worked with tons of guys who will buy the latest gee wiz gizmo or spend $50 on jerky off the tool truck each week, but then ask to borrow basic hand tools.



I understand the difference between a guy just starting out and building his tool collection as he can afford it and a guy who will never invest in his career. The latter gets no sympathy. I started out at the very bottom, minimum wage, a craftsman tool set and craftsman box, worked hard, and now at a relatively young age, I have well over 100k in tools, all paid for, no longer physically have to work as hard most days (just mentally!), I enjoy what I do and it pays well. The only thing stopping most people is themselves.

Well said sir.

 

[gearheads78]

good advise Matt

 

[Greg85mcss]

Totally agree. Attitude & atmosphere have a big impact on your success. I started out 4 years ago doing oil & tires at an express shop. Took me 14 months to be promoted twice & & at the top level. I bought some good tools but had to get a lot in a short amount of time so a bunch was harbor freight. I have replaced about half of that with better brands but some of it is actually decent. That shop was fun at first but most of the people I liked moved along & it ended up where everyone was negative & squabbling over good tickets. I took a step back to get into a full service shop & it's a much more enjoyable environment. People help each other & have fun without slacking off.
My advice would be to try to start out in the kind of shop you'd like to end up in. Don't waste your time in a toxic environment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wes J]

When I started working in a shop, the hardest thing to learn was housekeeping. If you just work on your own stuff in your garage, it's easy to be a real slob. You can leave your tools out and make a mess everywhere.

When you work on someone else's car, you need to learn to keep your greasy mitts off of everything. You need to learn to cover the seat when you drive it and wipe of any oil you spill.

Next you need to learn to clean up the shop. Sweep the floor every time you pull a vehicle out. Put your tools away at the end of the job or the end of the day, whichever comes first. It's a lot easier to lose something if your work area looks like an F5 came through.

Lots of guys spend way too much on their tools. Get the basics and borrow the rest from the boss. Start buying the things you borrow the most. When you stop borrowing from the boss, you can think about upgrading some of your core tools.

It's a lot easier today in the tool department. When I got stated, the Taiwan and Japan tools were awful. There weren't really any China tools. My first set of tools I ever had was a basic 3/8 drive socket set made in Taiwan under the old "Thorsen" brand. The ratchet was an awful round head thing that slipped and failed to reverse. I still have a couple of the extensions, but everything else is gone.

Craftsman was good but it was actually pretty expensive. I bought a lot of "Allen" brand tools at one time and those are all now orphans. Danaher killed the brand. They were good US made tools, but with the stroke of a pen, I was on my own.

Today, the China and Taiwan stuff is largely of good quality. The cost to tool up a pretty serious outfit is much less than it used to be. It's tough for the US tool companies who are finding if much harder to compete on quality alone. I still buy US made tools when I can, but the others have come a long way. Some tools like Gearwrench are actually better than tools you can buy from US makers.


Remember that in a small shop, every guy has to do every job. I like working on engines, but there are 100 oil changes for every engine rebuild. The simple jobs can get very repetitive and boring. I have to really watch myself that I don't skip steps when I do simple jobs. My brain doesn't focus and I can mess things up. A check list is helpful for repetitive jobs.

 

[K-Dog]

Everyone is telling people how horrible it is and I'm over here like, this ain't a bad way to make a living IF you know what you are doing. Sure, the first few years can be a little rocky, but if you listen, pay attention and are willing to learn and invest in your career, there is good, honest money to be made, and you will always be in demand. If you're a potato, don't have any initiative to do some self training and think that electronics or driveability is too hard to bother learning then yeah, you're going to have a bad time. Get out now and stop devaluing the industry.

I go against the grain, against all the cookie cutter answers. Why would I take advice from a guy who's been doing this for 30 years, hates his job, has nothing to show for it and has to wait for his paycheck on friday so he can afford to go buy a burger for lunch. If you take his advice, you'll be that guy in 30 years. Think about it. I'd listen to someone that has been successful, has a positive attitude and who is financially stable. I realize not everyones financial situation is the same, but personally, I'd buy as many of the best tools and the biggest toolbox you can while you're young and still have minimal financial responsibilities. (I'm sure everyone is gasping by now) Make some sacrifices, it will pay dividends later in your career. Those tools will make you a couple million dollars over your career. Learn as much as you can about electronics, master use of the dvom, labscope, scan tool. Fully understand how cars work, how sensors and communication works. Cars are very complex now, not only do you need to master the mechanical aspect of them, but there is an evergrowing and changing electronic side too, you need to stay ahead of the curve. The boss can go to any street corner and find someone to hang brakes, you will be paid accordingly if that's all you are willing to learn. Good techs can command their pay. If you find yourself at a bad shop, with a bad work environment and negative attitudes abound, leave! There are tons of good shops out there, tons of bad ones as well, find the right shop that fits you. Anytime you think you have everything mastered, remember, you don't know as much as you think you know, stay humble. It takes a lot of time and patience and perseverance, but it pays off after a few years in the trenches.

Oh yeah, take care of your feet and knees and back.

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