Auto Repair Careers

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Yep. Ain't nobody getting out alive lol..... Risk and reward. We can even go a step beyond a physical beating a Blue collar man takes and talk about the number of Alcoholics I have met in my lifetime who are business owners. Literally so mentally stressed out being the big man that the only way to cope is with a Bottle... Let that sink in....

JW
Small business any more isn't worth it except for bragging rights. If you have an auto business that's even worse, the amount of money you pay in overhead is ridiculous. One that may be good is windshield installs, you work out of your van...

i would imagine to make $$$ it comes down to how many windshields can you do in a day...:)
 
You will lose money as a business owner at that kind of wage plus providing medical benefits.......it's just the harsh reality.
Yes you will I’ll in the beginning but if you are in business you need a 5 year plan to keep It.
 
Small business any more isn't worth it except for bragging rights. If you have an auto business that's even worse, the amount of money you pay in overhead is ridiculous. One that may be good is windshield installs, you work out of your van...:)
I work out of my Toyota Highlander and I do actually rent half of a large auto repair shop that is separated by a wall that I used to do some airbag work in and also ADAS calibrations but I have since filled it up with old school Mopar projects so now I exclusively do everything at the body shop.
 
The biggest issues are most young people are not interested. Second is no one is willing and patience of new people learning. Third as there are a lot of 30-40 year olds looking for a job but they have families now and can,t possibly work for low $$$. If you want a good man for life it’s going to cost you in the beginning. Hourly rate are going up Mc Donald’s starting at 15.00, Amazon 22.00, shops at 19.00. Get a 40’s year old guy and be very patient start him off at 20.00 (remember he has a family) have decent medical insurance pay for some classes give regular raises and you’ll get a loyal 20/30 year employee.
Auto mechanics never made good money not working for someone else anyway. if there was good money to be made young people would be interested. When I got out 12 years ago, I made 40 grand a year, now I'm behind a desk making 65 plus. No Im not a manger in the auto business, I changed careers . Auto is a hobby once again thank god :) its fun when its a hobby.

P.S. I know there is a smartass out there who will say " my brother in law makes 75 K a year at the dealership" well good for him, can he make 75 K a year every year for 20 years for a consistent career salary? Id bet not.
 
Yes you will I’ll in the beginning but if you are in business you need a 5 year plan to keep It.
Most aren't willing to take that risk as let's face it a shop can lose money for years teaching the guy and then when he is actually starting to make you some money he get's swept away by a better deal or whatever the reason and your back to square one again.......seen it time and time again.
 
Most aren't willing to take that risk as let's face it a shop can lose money for years teaching the guy and then when he is actually starting to make you some money he get's swept away by a better paying deal or whatever the reason and your back to square one again...seen it time and time again.
I went thought that in my career... I worked for a Ford dealership 88 though 92. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, if it didn't come in on hook, nothing to do. I would spend 5 for gas, 5 for lunch, and loose a 20 playing poker in the break room in the course of a 10 hour day. Lucky to get 2 oil changes and 2 0r 3 state inspections thrown my way all day. I learned that the service writer had his favorites/who he was taking care of. I had spent several years in machine shops, plant maintenance in textile mills, wide variety. I simply got board of running the same parts again and again. Thats how I ended up a dealership. Anyway.... a couple of times a vehicle would come back with the same problem again and again. The "favorite" of the service writer had got it out but only for a short time. One service writer took a chance on me and told me the history of this vehicle and said "I'm turning this over to you. Find the problem and fix it!". I did (patting a younger self on the back). Then the guy that had gotten so much training and education from them left to another dealership. I was called into the owners office with service mang'r that one service writer and told... "You have been found to be as good as / maybe better than David (who we lost). I'll never know how much Ford training that guy got but I figure he could sign into any Ford dealership. Anyway... We'll pay of training, transportation, hourly wages, and all, but only if you will sign an agreement to stay here for 2 years. "NOPE! I aint signing ****".
As soon as I learned there was a opening in a local machine shop, I went back to that.
The pool gets deeper... Little over a year later The boss at machine shop says, "you have a phone call up front". I go to the phone and its the Ford dealership office manager. "You have money in our retirement plan that we need to sort out". I'm like can you mail me something?. She says nope. You'll need to come here. So I get off at end of shift and go there to find the are locked and loaded. Before I can sign the 1st piece of paper here, the dealership owner, a different service writer, and different service mang'r are waiting to talk with me in a adjacent office. She says, "Mr.*** wants to talk with you". I go in, shake hands and sit down. Dealership owner who I knew asked "What will it take to get you back on our program?". I said "Look... these automobiles keep changing year after year. So two years from now, Will I need to sign agreement?' Forget I asked. Feck all that. I'll just stay when I am. Bottom line... One can't learn everything. If you job hope and learn a whole lot, in the end you'll just take some of it to your grave Unless you post it on line LOL.
 
I said it was an unfortunate situation but after looking at it for many years I would just look to hire someone that someone else has helped learn the trade and would be considered fairly experienced so that when he came to work for me he could hit the ground running and we both could hopefully make money.


The problem with an apprentice is they want full pay when they don’t know anything. They do something once or twice and then they think they have mastered something. Kids are the worst at this. No patience. And learning should continue at home. Read and learn everything you can. That is the last thing most of these guys want to do.
 
Kids today are worse across the board, they act like they are your equal, all the while they want the same pay, they want you to "teach them" also they want you to do the crap they dont want to do . In short no respect for the veteran guy who is mentoring them during their "apprenticeship" I generally dont take crap from any of them. As far as I'm concerned at 18 you are an adult. Time to act like one.
 
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The problem with an apprentice is they want full pay when they don’t know anything. They do something once or twice and then they think they have mastered something. Kids are the worst at this. No patience. And learning should continue at home. Read and learn everything you can. That is the last thing most of these guys want to do.
I'm not going to red x you because I agree partially, I at 43 am a machine shop apprentice. I am the head bench guy & learning other stuff. I realized that I hated what I was doing and make about half of what I made before. But I love what I am doing now & never ever assume I know more than I do.
My boss is very happy with me, since previously he had highschool kids try to do what I'm doing with bad results. It does have to do with my studying & desire to do it & I want to be the best at everything I do. So I agree, it's just not a blanket statement that apprentice want what they don't deserve.
 
I'm not going to red x you because I agree partially, I at 43 am a machine shop apprentice. I am the head bench guy & learning other stuff. I realized that I hated what I was doing and make about half of what I made before. But I love what I am doing now & never ever assume I know more than I do.
My boss is very happy with me, since previously he had highschool kids try to do what I'm doing with bad results. It does have to do with my studying & desire to do it & I want to be the best at everything I do. So I agree, it's just not a blanket statement that apprentice want what they don't deserve.
Well, I commend you for learning something new. It isnt easy to start new things throughout life,but at 43 you are in a good spot age wise. Also it isporbably a situation where you'll find work anywhere (geographically) its a trade where there aren't many machinists around
 
My grandson is currently in the Ford Assest Program in Virginia on a Fords scholarship. He graduates next July and is currently number 1 in his class. When not in class he works at a Ford dealership in Richmond, has his own stall, but still has a mentor should he have a problem he needs assistance with. He's currently making $20 an hour and will get z large raise upon graduation.
This is his chosen career and he seems to be thriving ate it.
 
I'm not going to red x you because I agree partially, I at 43 am a machine shop apprentice. I am the head bench guy & learning other stuff. I realized that I hated what I was doing and make about half of what I made before. But I love what I am doing now & never ever assume I know more than I do.
My boss is very happy with me, since previously he had highschool kids try to do what I'm doing with bad results. It does have to do with my studying & desire to do it & I want to be the best at everything I do. So I agree, it's just not a blanket statement that apprentice want what they don't deserve.


Lol...you made me laugh. Thank you. I don’t consider a 43 year old man an apprentice. You’ve lived long enough to understand enough of the world to figure things out without having your hand held. Evidently you are on a new adventure and that’s good. I also know older men, with a house payment and a family apply themselves much more than a guy say 20 years your junior. Congratulations on your new career. But it would be hard for me to call someone your age an apprentice.
 
My grandson is currently in the Ford Assest Program in Virginia on a Fords scholarship. He graduates next July and is currently number 1 in his class. When not in class he works at a Ford dealership in Richmond, has his own stall, but still has a mentor should he have a problem he needs assistance with. He's currently making $20 an hour and will get z large raise upon graduation.
This is his chosen career and he seems to be thriving ate it.
i wills ay this, after dont the Auto repair business for 20 years, i dont regret it. i retired from it at 40, but I started during High School days really working at full service stations when they were still around. I still maintain my own vehicles as well as do the mopar thing. if the young guy is into it i wouldnt tell him otherwise. I wills ay though once the learning curve is done and you are a master, its not that it gets boring,but your salary maxes out, couple that with being flat rate nad a bad economy, the customers can be tough also. In the end if he starts his own business thats where hell make out to full ptoential IMO. Ford dealers are privately owned but corporate, it used to be that they treated people as disposable, this was back when the "auto trade" school were pumping people out . Not many kids going to school for it now im thinking.
 
Uggh. I have a story like response for every recent post here. From a 30 year plumber in plant maintenance dep't handing me a turd, to bringing home printed CNC machine programs and Fanuc control manuals to learn what every G code and M code means. I'll just be proud that I learned to write CNC programming over time, got away from the manual machining, and never handed my rookie/helper a turd during my 10 years in that.
I have a brother, 8 years younger, who got all his knowledge in tech school (electronics) and Bosch LLC. Being in field failure analysis when ABS came out, he would need to board a plane at any hour and go any auto plant, anywhere. Today he is still at Bosch, earning more money than I ever imagined earning. He has been courted by others, considered, but stayed.
Nobody ever handed him a turd. Education is the key to a stable future. Never stop learning.
I'm going to keep all this in mind. Bro will be here Thanksgiving. Time to ask him what would you do? Smear it all over his back or just drop it under his shoes? Those small choices can be as important as the big ones. Good luck to all. Try to have some fun doing what you do for the legal tender.
 
Lol...you made me laugh. Thank you. I don’t consider a 43 year old man an apprentice. You’ve lived long enough to understand enough of the world to figure things out without having your hand held. Evidently you are on a new adventure and that’s good. I also know older men, with a house payment and a family apply themselves much more than a guy say 20 years your junior. Congratulations on your new career. But it would be hard for me to call someone your age an apprentice.
Glad, you had a laugh.
I guess my best asset is my willingness to learn.
I did just get a pay raise, that my wife was disappointed about. Just had to say, babe it's not forever....but she's unemployed and we also take care of her mother. Worries of the world disappear when I get to work & that is great.
 
Lol...you made me laugh. Thank you. I don’t consider a 43 year old man an apprentice. You’ve lived long enough to understand enough of the world to figure things out without having your hand held. Evidently you are on a new adventure and that’s good. I also know older men, with a house payment and a family apply themselves much more than a guy say 20 years your junior. Congratulations on your new career. But it would be hard for me to call someone your age an apprentice.

If you are new to the trade you are a apprentice till you have 4 years of college or 8 years in the trade. Also what this means if you have worked at your job and it’s a trade of any kind you are a journeyman and should receive pay and Benifits as such! Working Any job for 8 years you are a professional at it. The man that does the work is the least paid thru the whole process.
 
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