Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines. Includes mechanics working primarily with automobile or marine diesel engines.
šKey Responsibilities
- ā¢Use handtools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, pressure gauges, or precision instruments, as well as power tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding equipment, or jacks and hoists.
- ā¢Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.
- ā¢Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
- ā¢Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
- ā¢Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
- ā¢Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.
- ā¢Examine and adjust protective guards, loose bolts, and specified safety devices.
- ā¢Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.
š”Inside This Career
The diesel mechanic maintains heavy vehiclesārepairing trucks, buses, and heavy equipment, and keeping the diesel-powered machines that move commerce running. A typical day centers on diesel repair. Perhaps 75% of time goes to repair work: diagnosing problems, replacing components, rebuilding engines and systems, performing scheduled maintenance. Another 20% involves diagnosis and testingāusing electronic diagnostics, troubleshooting systems. The remaining time addresses documentation and parts management.
People who thrive as diesel mechanics combine heavy equipment expertise with diagnostic ability and the physical strength that working on large vehicles requires. Successful mechanics develop proficiency with diesel systems while building the electronic diagnostic abilities that modern trucks demand. They must handle vehicles that are much larger than cars. Those who struggle often cannot handle the physical scale of the work or find the shop conditions challenging. Others fail because they cannot master the electronic systems that control modern diesels.
Diesel mechanics represents heavy vehicle maintenance, with mechanics keeping the trucks and buses that transportation depends on operating. The field serves trucking companies, transit agencies, and equipment owners. Diesel mechanics appear in discussions of transportation maintenance, heavy equipment careers, and the workers who maintain commercial vehicles.
Practitioners cite the demand and the compensation as primary rewards. Diesel mechanics are in high demand. The compensation is strong for skilled technicians. The heavy equipment work is satisfying. The variety of vehicles provides interest. The industry is essential to commerce. The skills are transferable. Common frustrations include the conditions and the scale. Many find that shop conditions are dirty and noisy. The vehicles are massiveācomponents are heavy. Electronic systems have increased complexity. Fleet expectations for uptime are demanding. The physical demands are significant.
This career requires diesel training and certification. Strong diesel knowledge, diagnostic ability, and physical strength are essential. The role suits those who want heavy vehicle careers and can handle the scale. It is poorly suited to those unable to handle heavy components, uncomfortable with shop conditions, or preferring smaller vehicles. Compensation is good for skilled diesel work.
šCareer Progression
šEducation & Training
Requirements
- ā¢Entry Education: Post-secondary certificate
- ā¢Experience: One to two years
- ā¢On-the-job Training: One to two years
- !License or certification required
Time & Cost
š¤AI Resilience Assessment
AI Resilience Assessment
Low Exposure: AI has limited applicability to this work; stable employment prospects
How much of this job involves tasks AI can currently perform
Likelihood that AI replaces workers vs. assists them
(BLS 2024-2034)
How much this role relies on distinctly human capabilities
š»Technology Skills
āKey Abilities
š·ļøAlso Known As
šRelated Careers
Other careers in installation-repair
š¬What Workers Say
44 testimonials from Reddit
Update: tech fired in middle of timing job
Update: apparently the last time the manager spoke to the customer he said the truck would be done this morning (Monday). So right after I discovered my universal harmonic damper installer doesn't work on 2.7 ecoboosts, the customer called to find out if it was done. The manager is on vacation all week so the advisor got to deal with the angry customer. Consequently the service advisor just turned in his 2 week notice.in the meantime I'm waiting for a pulley installer to be delivered tomorrow. I got the chains, actuators, and oil pump belt done though.
Would it be pretentious to wear these?
I got some ASE certifications last year and I wanted to get some patches for my shirts. A bit hesitant, don't want to rub people the wrong way or look pretentious at interviews.
Got fired from my dealer today!
So thereās a lot of people getting fired today as I see, and Iām here to add to that lol but Iām a regular tech and just got fired from my dealer due to āperforming at an unsatisfactory levelā So, where Iām at, I get paid hourly, however there are bonuses when my proficiency/flat rate is above my actual hours and my numbers are GREEN, so weāre incentivized to stay above 100% at all times. However itās been very slow, and Iāve stayed clocked in because at this rate, Iāll get paid more doing hourly than my flat rate hours by a large margin. So, while others clock out and get paid less, I just stay clocked in and get paid normally. But you can already tell that this company HATES that move, because essentially theyāre the ones losing money, not me. I know what Iām doing, Iām very thorough, I donāt complain, I donāt create drama. Iām just there to work and listen to my music, I rarely even talk to anyone there, I literally just mind my business and do my work. Itās been slow, the lube techs have been getting all the preferred services for whatever reason, and us techs have been stuck with recalls and diags with declined repairs and recommendations. So fuck it, Iāve just stayed clocked in, cleaning, doing my modules. The company is making millions, Iām not sacrificing my pay for them. Because of that, Iāve been in RED. Doesnāt matter if my proficiency is 92%, hell even 99%, itās still on RED. So management spoke to me a few times about being on RED and lecturing me about time management and all that. I did and continue to do my best but bro, I got a family to feed, Iām the head of the household Iām the ONLY breadwinner. So after a time, I got fired today! Lowkey a bummer, but it just goes to show you that they donāt care about you. All they care about is numbers. With that being said, Iām done being a tech. This is an incredibly under-appreciated job and a very unforgiving one. My uncle introduced me to an opportunity a while back, and I believe this is a good time to try that opportunity. Keep your heads up! Keep moving forward! God is good all the time! And all the time, God is good!
Go to professionals
Had a customer come in ask me to do a tune up for him, I told him the price and got hit with "Why the hell would I pay a woman that much when I can do it myself." Three days later her comes back with 3 intermittent missfires XD this was my favorite of the repairs.
One of Those Days That Reminds You Why the Quiet People Matter
Had one of those long, greasy days in the shop where everything feels heavier than it should and nothing wants to cooperate. Midday Iām fighting with a suspension job that looked like it had survived a decade of salted roads and zero love. Iām annoyed, hungry, and ready to let the torch āsolveā the problem. Then one of our senior techs, the calm, no-nonsense guy who rarely says more than a few words, walks over. He watches me struggle for maybe ten seconds, then just says, *āHold it like this,ā* and shows me a trick he probably learned back when these cars were still new. Suddenly the job that felt impossible is done in minutes. It hit me afterward how people like him are everywhere in essential work, the folks who donāt get any spotlight, donāt complain, donāt get thanked, but carry entire industries on their backs. Someone mentioned this project called źŠµŠ¾Ńź²ŠµźŖŠ¾rtŅ»źŠ°rŃÕøÖź®bŠ¾Õ½t that documents the lives of people in jobs like caregiving, recycling, and trades, the kind of work nobody notices until it stops. And honestly, it made me think of guys like him, the invisible backbone of the shop. Every place has that one person who keeps things running, not by being loud, but by quietly sharing decades of experience when you need it most. So Iām curious, just for conversation: Who was the quiet backbone in your shop, past or present, that made you a better tech without ever making a big deal about it?
Part 3: Tech got fired in the middle of a timing job... It lives!
Part 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/mechanics/s/UfcTFovDSz Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/mechanics/s/FdsNSMEvL3 It sounds much louder in the video. In person it's smooth and quiet. Successfully test drove for 20 miles. The customer picked it up. I double and triple checked enough that I'm sure it won't be back. I did get a brief chance to talk to the customer. I didn't go into detail. I simply said "Sir, I want to thank you for your patience. I was asked to step in in the middle of this project to make sure it was done correctly. I did the best I could and I'm confident you won't need to bring it back until your next oil change." He thanked me and said he will be changing his own oil. And we had brief conversation about the decision to make a wet oil pump belt instead of a chain. When the manager gets back, if he still has a job, I'm going to explain why I need a raise, but won't plan on leaving until I see what happens with management and staffing. This experience has given me much more confidence in my own abilities. I got into the automotive field late. I'm 32 and have 1.5 years of automotive experience. I used my past work at a lawn mower shop after high school as my work experience to get my ASE certifications, as they were required with my hiring here. So on paper I'm a "master" but in reality most of my experience has been gained on my own vehicles. Thanks for all of your comments!
Just got fired.
Definitely a lot of my fault, some on a level of personal disdain from new GM. Old GM gets pushed out about 2 years ago. Owner hires a new guy who installs buddies from his previous employer in all departments and puts some tech friends on the line, firing 5 guys in one day. Anyway, 2 years later and I have made it well known that it was scummy of them to give all the gravy to their friends on the line leaving the rest of us that had been their for 10+ years with brain damage diag work and the occasional recall. I failed to recommend of failing wheel bearing, or that was their reason for firing me. I hadn't been written up prior to this, so that's why I feel it was a mix of personal beef and my own shortcomings. Not really interested in wrenching anymore, for anyone, anywhere. Any of you guys switch careers, and if so, into what line of work?
REPLACE SERVICE ADVISORS WITH THOSE TOUCH SCREENS THEY HAVE AT MCDONALDS
I understand why service advisors exist but god damn man why do they get paid so much to be the most annoying middle man. Today one of our new service advisors (heās ānewā as in he used to work here then left and came back) tried to second guess me on if a car really needed rotors as opposed to just cutting them. Not only did I take pictures of the rotors and send through the p/a but I told this jackass to his face that the rotors couldnāt be cut. Iām a flat rate line tech and it just blows my mind that some glorified secretary wants to question me when Iām the one who works on these cars every day. He did some other shit that pissed me off today and now heās not aloud to come to my bay to ask stupid questions but this all just made me think like why do these guys get paid so much? Right now a lot of dealerships (including mine) are in a drought so us techs are basically eating off of what we sell but we can only sell this shit if the service advisors do their job which a lot of the time they donāt! It blows my mind because they get a commission but will wait 4 hours to call the customer. Most of the time they donāt even call them they just send a text. What kills me is that itās such a one way relationship man they always ask for favors but what could they really do for me? āI got your back manā ok so does my dead homie and he canāt do a damn thing for me. Now there are good service advisors and they are incredibly valuable but they are rare! A good service advisor works with you and doesnāt get in the way of you because they understand that this is a team effort but what sucks is those service advisors usually have to pick up the slack of the bad service advisors and donāt get the commission for selling another advisors work. Idk man I could go on forever but Iām curious what you guys think about it. How important are service advisors and should they make as much money as they do?
Mechanic here my knees are shot, workās backing up, and Iām the breadwinner. Need advice
Iāve been a mechanic most of my life, spending most of my days on concrete, crawling under cars, dragging parts around. Lately, my knees are killing me swollen, stiff, grating with every move I make. Getting up and down from a job has been tough, and itās really slowing me down. Delays are piling up, customers are complaining, and the cash is slipping away. This is the worrisome part because I am the primary breadwinner in my household. It is especially stressful when things are not going so well at my job. On top of my knees, my back hurts, my hands are numb from all the equipment, I am tired even though I am getting plenty of sleep, and the stress is giving me headaches. It feels like my body is depleted, but I donāt have a choice. I have to keep working in order to survive, but my job is consuming me, which is making all of this even worse. Going to doctors and therapy is a waste of my money and time, which I don't really have, because changing careers is not a possibility because people rely on me. Are there other mechanics/tradesmen who might know what the situation is like, how to cope with your body betraying your need to provide, even when your bodyās not playing along? Just seeking honest advice before Iām faced with a choice Iām not yet prepared to make.
Another one bites the dust
I just clocked out from my last shift as an automotive technician. I was able to put in and work my last two weeks here.I feel bummed out because I really wanted to make this work. Iāve been a tech for 7 years and started from the bottom. Iāve always liked working on cars and still actually enjoy it,but this industry as a whole needs to get the pay system and other issues figured out. I gained a lot of knowledge over the years and it sucks I wonāt do what I like to do as a job anymore as well as not see my shop crew that I got along with. Iām leaving for an electrical apprenticeship and Iāll actually be making a little more than what I was currently making, Which Iām looking forward to but I still feel like my passion was being a mechanic. I did look at other shops prior to switching careers but it seems like itās the same issues everywhere just different locations. Although I am leaving I am interested in seeing what the future holds for technicians and mechanics in the industry as you might have heard of ceos commenting (or just one ceo at the moment) about not having enough technicians in the industry, maybe there might be changes happening at some point.As for all of you Technicians and Mechanics I wish you all good luck and a better paying automotive career than mine.
Fucked up, might be fired. Feel like a fucking idiot and a child.
I'm a lube tech for Hertz Rental Car. Me and another coworker at my shop, let's call him M, don't get along at all. I crashed out. Now I'm suspended without pay while the company investigates. I feel like a dumbass. Context: I'm fairly new to the trade. Got a lube tech position to start my career. He is an A level technician. At first, we got along fine. We would laugh and joke and he would help me and whatnot. This continued for 11 months. Then, suddenly, he began to indirectly mess with me. Nothing crazy, a lot of little minor things that by themselves, I'd brush off. But he did so many of these minor things that it was really getting under my skin. All of it is dumb petty bullshit and I hate it. I usually work in the bay thats right next to the tire balancer and tire machine because I do a lot of tires. Then, he started clocking in early and using that bay, forcing me to work across the shop and roll all my tires over there to do them. A little annoying yeah, but honestly whatever. I don't really care. There's bigger issues abound. I always parked my car in one spot the past year in the lot. Now he takes that spot. Whatever. It's a damn parking space. Who cares. I'm one of the few people who organizes the oil filter shelf for all our different makes. He messes it up constantly on purpose. I've seen him do it. OK yeah that's not cool. Getting annoyed. I play chill lofi music in my bay at a soft volume since we can't wear headphones. I ask everyone if they think it's too loud, they dont care. M decides to get his radio and blast his music across the whole shop. Bruh. I make a mess in my bay during oil changes sometimes, but always mop up and clean at the end of my shift. M antagonizes me for being messy. Fuck you dude, whatever. Among other things. This then continues for about a month. I tell manager, he says he'll handle it. Does nothing in 2 weeks. Go to corporate HR and explain. They sit me and manager down and tell him to fix it. He agrees. Does nothing in 2 weeks. I remind him. Says OK ill fix it. Goose egg. Get fed up and make a formal harassment complaint to corporate. The next day, everything that can go wrong is going wrong. I wake up late and get into a fight with my mother. Almost get run off the road on the way to work, arriving 15 mins late. Discover I have 4 sets of tires to mount. Get set up, the tire balancer is broken. Ask boss what to do. Boss says mount the tires and then put the cars back in the line to balance them later once machine is fixed. 4 tires on a Malibu mount and balance. The tire changer breaks on me also. At this point, I just completely and utterly crash out. I throw the tire iron onto the floor in frustration and cuss up a storm. It bounces outside. I then go out to grab it and I see M staring at me with a really smug look on his face. Lash out at him. Cuss him out. Ask him if he has any more dumb shit to say to me that he already hasn't, if he's happy that I'm upset, among other things. He doesn't reply. I come into work today and get told I'm suspended. They will contact me once the investigation is finished. Ask what exactly is on the table. They say they will have to find out. Could be termination, could be nothing. Could be docked pay. Could be further suspension. I feel like a fucking idiot. This is all so dumb. This is all so fucking dumb. My stupid mouth and my stupid temper issues got me in trouble AGAIN. It's happened at every single job I've had. Have I improved? Yes. But its still there and I hate it. I hate that I let him get under my skin. I hate that I couldn't keep my cool and crashed out. I'm a grown ass man. This is childish. This is elementary. This is playground bullshit. I hate my fucking temper. I hate my fucking mouth. I hate my fucking stupid mouth that doesn't know when to shut up. I hate all these problems I've caused myself. Sped home today. Hit 125mph on the interstate in a Honda Accord. Locked myself in my room for close to 3 hours now. I feel like I'm about to blow a fuse. Doing all my calming exercises. Gonna go for a drive and hope that clears my head. Hope I dont wreck my car. Thanks for reading.
Seriously question.. What are we doing?
So seriously Iām getting tired of seeing people working for scraps in this industry. Trash benefits, horrible wages, clock held over your head all day and being required to keep up with changing technology every year and from what I see people are working for maybe 3 or 4 dollars more per hour then before inflationā¦ Fortunately I got out of this rut and found my way, doing this work for myself but that doesnāt change the fact that if things donāt work out for me Iām back at square one. We need to seriously step up, shops charging 180/hr and complaining about paying a guy more than 30/hr, claiming high rent etcā¦ Sorry itās not our fault you made a bad business decision by renting and not buying.. We need to seriously wake up, leave your job go find a new one, retell co workers what you make. SPEAK UP!! Half of the problem is these old guys who have been working for chump change at the same place for 30 years so they wonāt pay a ānew guyā more then what that old guy is making because he will have a fit but he is the one who kept his mouth shut for 30 years. We need to come together and make some serious change because this is getting insane. 9/10 will agree with me but there is always that 1 who sticks up for this trash career because he is in a good spot but doesnāt realize if he lost that job or business closed he would be back to square one again. The only upside is job security, of course we can find a job anywhereā¦ But itās all trash jobsā¦ The only change I see happening if we donāt do something is when so many people leave the industry the world will have trouble keeping up so they will have no choice but to pay up. Name your price if you will? But why does it have to be this way? Why did we get to this point? What can we do to make change? If Iām missing something please tell me but I been in this business a long time and talked to a lot of people and 99% hate this and wouldnāt recommend it to anyone. Yes of course, āif you donāt like it leaveā well now people are starting to when you can make as much as a Union apprentice in another trade starting out for the price they want to pay you to be a skilled tech. Itās 2025 letās come together and shake this up!! If you agree drop your opinions below and feel free to share this as we need to have everyone on the same page or nothing will changeā¦ And nothing has changed but all we can do is try!
Question for American mechanics
If I'm being paid flat rate on top of having to buy my own tools, I basically work for myself, I'm my own boss. I'm not gonna be anybody's bitch. Writer's taking a timing belt waiter? Fuck that. Boss cutting my hours to give discount to customer? Fuck that Stay late? Fuck that Picking up tires? Fuck that I only get paid on cars I work on Like why do you guys endure all these bullshit? With all the technician shortage I heard I thought you guys will have more leverage. Edit: I'm not American. I am paid salary. I am curious why most American mechanics just suck it up. Where I'm from, boss actually buy the tools, and we got paid on the times we're not working, so we don't have the leverage here
Heavy Duty Fleet Technician, can I answer any questions
I started my wrenching career on automotive. Worked at a Ford dealer and recieved various certifications. I ended up taking a small pay cut and starting over at a refuse company (trash trucks) now I mostly turn wrenches on equipment. Most of my time is on the road service calls. Maybe I can answer some questions or even give advice to some of the younger guys. Im mid 20s and this field has allowed me to buy a home in SoCal. Love Heavy Duty Fleet work š¤šš½šš½
Moving too quickly?
Pic of a job i did for attention Hello all! This is my first ever post (I'm also on mobile, please be gentle) So for some background, I (27M) am currently a technical instructor for a certain German manufacturer at a certain tech college (being vague incase anyone I work with sees this haha) I started in the automotive industry around 2019 working as a basic maintenance and repair tech at a mom & pop shop while I was doing college, no real diagnostic work other than identifying leaks. It wasn't difficult work and it paid the bills during school so I didn't really have a drive to pursue it as a career. Then Covid hit shortly after and I dropped out of school to try to wait it out and avoid online course work. Now with school out of the way, I ended up putting my efforts into my automotive skills while I waited out the pandemic. About a year in I moved with my GF to a different city and found a used car technician job at a Nissan dealer (very lucky after realizing how hard it is to find a job at any dealer in the area with my experience at the time). I used my time there to practice my diag skills, go to their training, and get my ASE certifications. I focused a lot into electrical and drivabilty diagnosis and ended up getting my A6,7,8 and L1 ase certs in just under 2 years there. I moved around 2 other dealers(both different brands) in the area chasing better offers when I suddenly got a call out of the blue from my local tech school asking if I was interested in a position as an instructor. After a few rounds of interviews I got offered the position since my credentials fit pretty much exactly what they were looking for to fill in a specific advanced course in their school. While I would make a little less, I thought it would be a pretty good opportunity so I took it. As soon as I started at the school I felt in over my head because while I had the credentials, I just didnt have the skills/experience to really back them up in a practical sense. I stayed focused, however, and learned as much as possible while they were training me and I felt like I did pretty well when I was left on my own. My student surveys were really good, I got all the rest of my ASEs, and the management seemed to really like. They liked me so much that when one of the instructors for our post-grad premium/luxury German manufacturer program left suddenly, my name was put into consideration. (This was just 4 months after starting at the school mind you) They ended up making me an instructor for that program and I had to learn a whole bunch of new things really quickly since I never actually had any experience with this brand. I tried the same process as when they first hired me, but there's just so much new information that I have to master enough to teach it, and its getting overwhelming at times. They threw me into this program about 3 months ago, and they already have me leading classes solo and I feel just unbelievably out of my comfort zone that im not sure if I can continue. I only had around 4ish years of experience as a real technician before becoming an instructor, and now im supposed to be a manufacturer specific technical instructor? For a brand i never worked with??? Sorry for the long winded story of my life, but I just want to see if theres other techs/instructors here thay have gone through something similar and if they can offer any advice. Am I moving too quickly into areas I shouldn't be in? Should I got back into the field and get more experience? There's just so much stress thay I can't seem to think clearly any more. TLDR: I am a very young instructor at a tech achool for a premium/luxury German brand that I have no experience with. I only have 4 years of real technician experience at other dealers, and while the management seems to like me, I feel way too in over my head and I'm wondering if anyone else has a similar experience and if they're able to offer any advice. (Im not sure if a post like this violates this sub's rules, I just didnt really know where else to ask. If it does I'm sorry, I dont mind this getting deleted)
You know what? This career may suck sometimes. But atleast we will always have a job.
Iām seeing all the white collar people struggling to find jobs. Especially the computer science jobs. This job may suck but atleast itās always in demand.
Officially left the automotive industry
Well I finally decided to let go of this industry. Did it for about 8 years. Worked up from a Lubie to a full certified dealership tech. Officially decided I am joining the Air Force. Going in hoping to get my footing in the aircraft technician space, A&P license all that while Iām in. I used to love this trade and used to love modding my cars or watching car content (donut, top gear, hoonigan) but the whole auto / car scene feels so broken. This trade drained me, stopped loving cars. Sold my big turbo focus ST loved it to death, just is expensive to be in the car scene these days. Wanted to stop wrenching all day then trying to just drive home but had issues with my car, etc. Bought a basic Tacoma after a few years and slowly lost my passion for anything to do with cars. Flat rate is not a great pay system and the lack of career movement upwards (donāt want to be service manager / shop owner). Not to mention I have about $17k of tools invested. But to all those who continue I wish the best. Itās a thankless job. Donāt regret it but when I first started wishing I listened to all the people who said donāt get into the trade. TLDR : Retiring from auto trade after 8 years to join Air Force.
Spend the least amount possible on tools
My quick two cents on tools. Started as a kid, always been into cars, always bought the cheapest stuff at first, slowly got more as I progressed career wise. The dollar store stuff is abysmal. I do both diesel & automotive and run my own business now. Almost everything tool truck like Snap on is not worth it, over priced, but just nice to have. I am partial to MAC precision torque wrenches, and all their ratchet the have a smaller foot print and better feel The overseas clones have become just as great as tool truck brands. No tool box over $2K is really worth it, a box is a box, marketing would have you to believe you need a big tool truck brand box. My customers like that I have a clean place, clean box, etc, it shows professionalism but they donāt care if my box was SNAP ON or SNAP OFF. I would occasionally ask customers what they thought of my shop and boxes, news flash 99% donāt care. I like tools from big box stores, Milwaukee hand tools, Klein, Princess Auto / Harbour Freight. Their warranty process is great. Speciality tools to turn a 1 hour job into a 10 minute job from the tool truck are always worth it, but the overseas clones come out just as fast and are just as good for a 1/3 of the price. Buy what you like, but the best place for your money is in your pocket. Only buy what you need, I have tools I bought 7 years ago and never used once. Humble brag, i just turned 30 and I have more tools than the average mechanic, in the high 6 figures dollar wise. I wouldnāt do it again, Iād rather take that money and enjoy life. Donāt finance tools, if youāre really in a pinch, ask a buddy, family, etc for help. Cheers š
Does anyone else get a little annoyed with the pay for others in the car business?
Maybe im just a little peeved, but when salesmen and advisors who literally know nothing or the bare minimum about automotive in general getting paid 50 percent or double what were getting paid its a little frustrating. Advisors who constantly ask the Forman or techs what this part is or how to explain something to a customer. Or sales not being able to do a single thing on their own such as inflating tires or putting plates on, when they just read the spec sheet of the car and convince people to just buy that car today. I get it, their jobs aren't always easy too dealing with the public, I entirely understand that. But they dont have to spend thousands on tools they cant write off on their taxes, or spend a year or more of their lives going to school. Every year we need more tools, we need more training, we need to know how these brand new models work more than the sales team. Yet they all get commission, thousands in bonuses, and we maybe make 50 or 60 hours a week if we're lucky? If its not slow and we actually get gravy work and not warranty bs. Im beginning to think this career isn't worth it, not like how it was 10 or 20 years ago. Which is a shame because I do enjoy what I do.
How much are mechanics paid vs the hourly rates charged?
First off, Iām not a mechanic, but I spent about 4 years turning wrenches in a service station that did light mechanic work. I was paid an hourly rate a little over minimum wage. Enough to survive on in the early ā90s. I have a son who has helped me with shade tree work in the driveway. Now heās in high school and thinking about this as a possible career. I see all these posts and comments about how little mechanics are paid these days, but I also regularly see shop rates starting at $150/hour and mostly going up from there. I know that doesnāt all go to the mechanic doing the actual labor, but Iām wonderingā¦ how much do you realistically get paid relative to the labor rates? Can yall explain the pay structures for this as a career? ETA: wow! What an incredible discussion. Thank you all so much! Iām going to share this entire thread with my son.
Iām done!
In over it. So early into my job history I started off working white color and always kept cars as a hobby on the side, never went to school or anything. However Iāve had tons of project cars, build engines did wiring etc. does this mean Iām a good mechanic at all ? Absolutely not, however I had a willingness to learn and I wasnāt an idiot with some of this stuff. However I recently joined a shop a few months ago, and Iām tired of this game. First off my foreman is beyond horrible and has extreme anger issues, will get mad over the smallest things and cuss you out. He doesnāt help out at all even when we are busy, he finds ANYTHING to complain about and is never satisfied. You can scrub the floors spotless, and will still find something to be mad at. And now itās somehow turned into where it seems like everyone in the shop has something against me. One of the other managers who has his ASEs but has never picked up a wrench to actually do anything in his life thinks he knows it all, and thinks heās better than everyone. Listen I get it, I understand that Iām the new guy and Iām suppose to get picked on etc. but why ? This shits not worth it, I can go flip burgers at McDonalds and make the same if not more. There is 0 incentives to even trying in this career anymore, Iām so over it. I have no desire to even try anymore.
Universal Technical Institute
5 things I wish I knew before going- \#1 If you are moving from another city or state to attend, do not use your new address in any of your onboarding paperwork, use your address from before you moved so you can get a relocation grant. I made this mistake, and my financial aid adviser told me far too late and there was no going back. \#2 Do not use compass rose housing unless you want to pay around $1200 a month to share a bedroom with someone and also share the same apartment with another bedroom with two more people. find a roommate/roommates and a place on your own. \#3 Do not buy the overpriced snacks or drinks from the self service marts in the hallway, they will rob you. use the compass rose office, they have a popcorn machine, mini fridge with water bottles, Gatorade, soda, and the table lifts and there's snacks in there. when you walk in simply say "just getting a snack" it is something promised to you in orientation, but most people forget about it. \#4 If the school tells you you're getting a "refund" from an overpaid student loan Distibution, and you get a check for several hundreds, or even thousands of dollars either in the mail or even directly into your bank account, do not spend it, they will be asking for it back and if you are unable to give it back you will have your $850 snap on voucher taken away from you and still owe the school. \#5 go to every career day, even if its for something your program may not seem aligned with, you absolutely never know, plus they normally feed you, have free energy drinks, sponsored goodies like tire pressure gauges, tape measures, pens, hats, ect, and so many recruiters and people in the industry you can talk to. btw I went to the Orlando location so it may be different in others. at the end of the day, this school is taking a lot of money from you so look out for yourself and try to get the most out of it, in class as well, a lot of the teachers are super good and you can get a lot from them if you choose to. also use your snap on tool discount while going, thats the cheapest youll ever get it.
Something positive for once
I came to this sub to chat with fellow mechanics about my career but 90% of it is just bitching and moaning and as Iāve found a good shop with nice people I want to share some of the positives in this line of work and specifically at my shop. I see way too much āleave the industry it sucksā and I think it has more to do with the shop than the industry. Iāve been a mechanic for almost 2 years and am looking forward to getting certified. I have done engine repair, suspension, brakes, almost everything short of transmission repair. I really like my job and I think telling everyone interested it sucks is killing a lot of dreams ā¢ People is #1, I have enjoyable and skilled coworkers, we buy each other lunch often and telling stories and cracking jokes, and still turning hours well over what we worked ā¢ I hear a lot of shit about flat rate pay but the flat rate is much higher than any of my hourly positions as a maintenance tech and I turn around 40 hours a week all the same anyway. Making way more money and even if itās dead my guarantee has it so I make more than I did hourly ā¢ My shop pays non productive time, so when thereās no work you can still make money doing housekeeping and fixing stuff around the shop or doing training for ASEās or HR ā¢ People also talk a lot of shit about buying your own tools but I see it as a way to have your own way of making money but doing work directly with other customers, and on top of that itās nice to have your own tools that you can organize and use efficiently, as a flat rate tech itās really nice to have that convenience I think this industry is getting a bad rep to both customers and mechanics alike through bad shops. Your toolbox has wheels, if you donāt feel right but you like turning wrenches find another place to do it
New to the tech lifeā¦ why is the payment structure so convoluted?
Generally, when you work somewhere, say a computer technician, for instance you either get paid a salary or hourly. You never get paid period/flag.. why canāt mechanics either agree to an hourly or salary wage like literally any other position? To me it seems unfair to do it any other way, but Iām new and I donāt really understand things fully yet.
The other sideā¦
I hear a lot of people complain about this career. Hell, when I see young people asking about it, I warn them off, telling them if it isnāt a passion, to go into aviation or some other field with better pay and less demanding on the body. I myself have an injury that limits me. I canāt wrench full time anymore. Not even close. Now I work up front. I have spent the last 2 weekends working on a project. It was a real puzzle. I had to reassemble a job another guy started 18 months ago. Missing parts, all the bolts in one box. I spent 23 hours over 4 days installing heads on an engine I had never worked on. (3.0 Chrysler Ecodiesel) I help out in the shop when I can. Do a small job here and there on busy days or when someone calls out sick. But doing this big job, man I miss this career. Hearing it fire up for the first time, oh that felt good.
Are there any other salaried mechanics here or is it as rare as Iām being told?
Iāve been at 3 shops over my 12 years of wrenching. I have been salary at 2 of them: the 1st and the 3rd (current). I keep being told that no mechanics are salaried. Just curious. FWIW they were/are all independent shops. 1st was mostly an engine repair/replacement shop, 2nd shop (the only hourly one) was a trans shop and the current is general repair.
Owner just got divorced over cheating. What's gona happen to my job?
Yep title says most of it. Small shop, just 3 of us the boss me head tech and a apprentice. The boss is going thru with a divorce that he caused. I in my 20 year career have never had this happen and hes being tight lipped. Should I be looking for new pastures or put a life vest on and hope this works out?
Feeling like a have been
I was a mechanic for 10 years, the last 8 working in Heavy Equipment. I loved the field, liked working in the shop but the 16 hour days 7 days a week was killing me and causing problems in my life. I now work for a company that is popular in the high reach side of equipment as one of their technical support guys for just under a year, so now my job is to tell other people how to repair the equipment and not be the one repairing it myself. I'm still extremely young when it comes to who are in these types of positions, but was hired based on my knowledge and experience. Doing tech support for my company was also always my end goal as a equipment mechanic, I just didn't think I'd achieve that position so quickly in my career comparatively speaking. Recently I have been starting to feel like a "have been", and no longer a mechanic. I don't work on cars on the side because I hate everything about cars. I joke to my family that im going to buy a run down piece of equipment to wrench on just so I don't go insane. I definently am overthinking my career path because everyday I wake up and go to my office and stare at my entire collection of tool. Some days I wish I could hop in a truck and get some window time while on my way to a jobsite. My post isn't so much about advice or anything, somewhat a rant. Just wanted to finally get that out there.
Why I'm leaving the automotive industry
Hiya M(22) in the Uk here currently just finished my apprenticeship as a classic vehicle technician specialising in a German brand however already leaving the industry I've always dreamed of. Obviously turning spanners is never really the most glorious job however I always hoped it would keep my happy and be able to provide for me to just exist well money wise, but realised neither of these will be possible. Plagued with being underpayed, lack of holiday and no job progression after 4 years of working as technician 3 of which at my current place of employment. I've gained skills such as machining, welding and general bodywork however don't get payed as much as anyone in those professions. I also have to utilise my engineering degree for custom fab and design. However with the workload and skilled work there's no sight of a matching salary no matter where I could go as a technician, so I'm looking elsewhere and have found a new career I'm working towards, it's boring and it's IT but I'll have time to do the things I love and the money to support it. I just can't see any way to stay a technician. Just wondering if anyone's made the transfer out of being a mechanic, is thinking about doing so, or has no will too. Any discussion is welcome!
Can I make almost 80k as an automotive technician
Iām 21 and I want to drop out of college and become an automotive technician I wanted to get an AAS degree and hopefully as many certs as I can I donāt know what to specialize in to make the most money but cars and hands on work always been the mentality for me do you think I can make an 80k salary in 4 years or is that just wishful thinking
Manager offered for me to transition to flat rate
Ill try to keep it brief but just want to pick your guys brain if I give you my situation/context. I'm going to be 35 years old. I used to be a chef and hated the hours and nature of the work. I thought auto tech would be more interesting/rewarding given the flat rate system I could hopefully get into one day, also the open weekends and day light hours were what I needed for my relationship and life. Went to school for auto tech for 1 year. Learned some stuff but it was a lot of bullshitting around reading the textbook and dealing with bunch of clowns in the class who didn't want to be there. I began looking for work as a lube tech and after a lot of denials I stumbled into a VW dealership and the guy gave me a job. They were desperate for good workers and techs, he started me at 22/hr without any experience and then bumped me to 25/hr within a couple months. Dealership is in a pretty well to do area economically and the shop labor rate is 219.00 hr. Now its been about six months. Im starting the first couple weeks of "fast track" training at VW at one of their facilities and my boss asked me if I want to become flat rate. Personally I think it would be a pretty big mistake without a guarantee of weekly salary. I think I've probably become a burden as far as labor cost is concerned and if I transition to flat rate I wont even make 20hrs a week unless Im fed jobs I can actually handle. I think if I went flat rate I could probably fly by the seat of my pants and figure it out but it opens the potential to complete economic disaster if I dont figure it out. What do you guys think?
Is it common to not receive overtime?
Okay so started working for this shop and I got my pay stubs and I haven't been receiving any overtime, and I stay an hour or more everyday. I was under the influence I was hourly, and then I see my pay stubs and there's zero overtime on my checks. Is this normal? Still getting used to the hourly pay. Edit: I'm familiar with overtime laws in my state, I was a mobile mechanic who recently went to a shop, I'm a b tech. I'm recently asked to see my pay stubs and realized even though I stay late almost every day(6-10) hours ot a week, my checks all say 80 hours. Almost every tech in my shop is salary with bonus's for flagged hours. I opted for hourly when I started. On the flip side my boss is fantastic and does a lot of little stuff to help us. So maybe it evens out? Idk I'm just trynna see if this is a common experience. I've only ever worked on a pulling unit or for myself. And that's an overtime heavy job.
Iām thinking of leaving
Hey guys Iām 23 years old, which I know is young. But at my age I want to get ahead. I know alot about cars, and Iāve done all sorts of work. Building engines, suspension, wiring etc. I do not know everything, but Iām fairly comfortable with enough. however because I donāt have any on paper experience most shops wonāt hire me past a lube tech. I enjoy working on cars, but Iām starting to think maybe I should just keep it as a hobby. I have experience in cooperate, and itāll be faster for me to go back to my old work place and move up and make more money. Iād say in less than a year, if I work hard in my old corporate job I can easily make a comfortable salary. Itās just that the work would be boring, and feel like āfake workā being a mechanic I you my friends and I feel accomplished at the end of the day. However the hours; and pay isnāt worth it. As well as the fact in burnt out of being a lube tech. Whatās your guys advice ? For me it would be ideal to find a small mom and pop shop who trust me and that pays decent.
What steps did you take to move away from flat rate?
Hello all. 25 year old dealer tech here, looking to move away from dealerships and flat rate in general. While Iāve learned to play the game of flat rate and have been successful, I want to get away from in to find stability. So my question is, how did you all go from flat rate to hourly/salary? (preferably with good benefits as well). Iāve seen itās common to go into fleet, public service etc, but I havenāt seen much on this sub as to how. Specifically looking for advice on industries to enter, whatās certifications to get, where to make connections.
What about benefits?
Salary is brought up a lot, but what does everyone get for benefits? 10 days vacation after 2 years 15 days vacation after 10 years 3 days of bereavement 2 sick day 0.25% 401k match up to 4%, ie you put in 4% and they match 1% max
Going from Flat Rate to Salary
So Iām a tech for Subaru for about 2 years, all my Skill groups complete making some nice money. However just got a job offer for a private shop with higher end cars. Iāve only worked on Subarus but they asked me what kind of salary Iād want. Iām not sure what to say and figured let me ask around. I know my way around a Subaru and basic Japanese and some Americans with the occasional forum search for a euro. But these cars are high end, I know I shouldnāt sell myself short but I also donāt want to go to high For reference Iām making $35/hr flat rate Anything helps, and any similar stories help too!
Shop talk
To get this started i want to say thanks for reading this. Criticism positive and negative is welcome. Im 21, 1 year at my current shop. honda/acura only independent shop. (the salary here is not substantial enough for a career long term for me and my goals) i have gained lots of experience here and i believe they will set me up good for the future. My question is - am I bitching and moaning and this is a sob story or run as fast as I can? The work is steady, I am 1 of 3 techs including the boss. I work about 36hrs a week. Customers are super loyal. weāre married to most of the cars that come in. I am on track to make 48-55k this year. (More than I have made before) I make 50% commission of the shop hourly rate. We get 1 week off for the 4th of july and about 2 weeks off for xmas. I only work on hondas and acuras. I do not receive a flag sheet so i dont know how many hours i am getting flagged for each week. I pull cars in all day to check stuff for free. Pre purchase inspections and multi points all day for free. Many other things for free that I shouldnt do but i basically haft to. $40 labor for a diag to hook my computer up. No benefits no health no dental no vision. No week paid vacation on my own terms. Only bonus pay for the weeks off that I mentioned before. I make no spiffs off parts. Me and the other tech do all the oil changes. They will never turn a car away. Sometimes i do waiters while doing waiters. I am expected to figure out the problem (customer concerns) to make my recommendations. No time is approved until recommendations are approved (majority of the time). I spent 4hrs diag on a car to make my recommendation just for the ticket to get given to the other tech that they upsold a 105k mile service on and decline the other stuff. The boss does not know how to use his words. Communication is terrible. He does not like to talk to customers. lets the secretary talk to all the customers. He does all the pricing and estimates. More than positive he guesses at a lot of the labor times. Shows up late every morning. Filters tickets and turns as many hours as me and the other guy taking most of the good timing belts and ac work and other good stuff. leaves us with some good stuff but a lot of bullshit. If theres a issue The parts are never to blame. The communication thing is the worst. Labor times dont make any sense sometimes mostly short and parts prices are 400+% markup. No extra time ever for any reason. I am not in control for how much time is approved for any job. Theres more that im leaving out not on purpose but you understand whats going on and I do too mostly. Im not perfect i make mistakes sometimes im still learning i am not a master tech by any means and honestly nobody in the shop is. tell me, Do i have it good or bad?
What do you guys use for video inspections?
Work at an independent shop. We aren't required to do video inspections but have the ability to add photos and videos to our tickets. I do occasionally if I feel it's necessary but my boss has been asking for them more and more. I'm salary so doing them doesn't bother me, what does bother me is that I have to use my personal cell phone to take hundreds of pictures of broken cars that I then have to go and delete all the time. Also, I'm not a fan of using my expensive mobile phone as a glorified digital camera. I'm sure work would be happy to provide us a solution but just curious what everyone else is using so I could give them some suggestions. Ipads? Digital cameras? Dedicated phones just for inspections? Our program is pretty shitty so any picture you take, you then have to go into a browser on your phone, go to the shop webpage, and upload photos from your phone. It's a pain in the ass since most of the inspection is filled out on a PC.
Pay rates at Ford?
anyone here that works at a ford dealership as a Technician how much are you making? Hourly, flat rate, maybe even salary? P.s: I just got hired at ford, starting at $15/hr as an Oil Technician
Switching shops
So, as the title says i am looking at switching shops, my current dealership pays 22hr, 23.17 flat rate, but we have full benefits, 401K, life insurance ect. The shop i am looking at switching to has none of that, but the pay is salary at 1k a week. Not exactly sure what to do, was hoping to get some advice from people who have done this before.
Opinions
Hi all looking for advice or to hear your similar stories. So I am an auto tech with 10 years of experience , inspection and emissions licenses for my state.i have been at my current job for a couple years, just a small independent shop with a few employees in the country. It was a easy place to work at first and felt appreciated. However here recently things have changed. The owner has alot going on with expanding the business and hiring a new guy to work there.. And recently we have been switched from salary to flat rate. No real warning, just learned about it on a Friday and came in Monday to a totally different pay scale. I have never asked for a raise and no benefits, 1 week vacation...and now with flat rate making less when I run into a rusty bolt or a faulty part which is often in the independent world. Also there's no real system in place to keep track of hours.i have no clue what im making day to day until payday. Only ever did salary jobs ..and now feeling rushed to make the same paycheck as the last 5 years. Guess im just trying to hear from others and figure out if its time to jump ship.
Moving shop
Long story short, ive been called up and poached for other shops. What should i look for when moving shops? Is fleet work harder than everyday cars? I got a 2nd home where i work now so only thing that can improve is salary and distance with potential for more upskill. New shops are offering minimum 13k per year aud more, promising good culture and the lot too.
Curious About Education Pathways for Automotive Technicians in Different Countries
Hi all, was reading u/JJJJust 's post about ASE certs and job applications and it got me wondering about what the actual requirements are for Automotive Techs in different countries. As a Canadian we are made aware of the US system and ASE certs, and I believe we can apply and test for them. But we are told this in trade school by an instructor who inevitably tells us that our system is better. Personally, I'd rather hear about it from actual Americans, our best friends and neighbours. Is there a nationally recognized trade qualification in the US? Are there a lot of differences between states? Are there "traditional" or formal 3-4 year apprenticeships with requirements for work and classroom hours? Are there mandated emissions or safety inspections for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and vehicles being imported from other jurisdictions? Do these require certain certifications or "tickets"? What about doing warranty work at a dealership? What type of shops pay the best? Payment plans. Salary, flat-rate, hourly, or hourly with flat-rate "bonus"? Are there union shops in your area? Public or private sector? Lastly, Do you think trade certifications are pointless, and have nothing to do with a technician's actual skill and ability? Or do you think that making certifications optional, or splitting the trade into "microcredentials" suppresses wages? I'm happy to talk about the Canadian system. I hold a Red Seal as an Automotive Service Technician. Quick googling tells me that the UK, New Zealand, and Australia have similar pathways to Canada, but I'd like to hear more. I'm also very curious about South East Asia and Western Europe. Or anywhere really.
Hey guys I need help and any advice will be appreciated!
Iāve been doing this for 4 years and I have gained a lot of experience and lots of tools. Right now Iām doing performance like bolt on mods, blowers, engine builds, and lots of heavy line which I love doing. However there is a lot of shakiness with the doors remaining open and Iām working 50 plus hours a week just to get a 40 hour work week salary and I havenāt gotten a raise in a year. Iām very dedicated to what I do and my work and take a lot of pride in what I do. However I got a new offer where I would have a lot better schedule and pay which I will probably take but itās specializing in euros. I like euro cars as I have an m2 and Iāve worked on some but how different is it jumping from domestic to euros? At the end of the day itās all nuts and bolts but are people just scared of working on euros? Is there a huge learning curve with euros and a lot more understanding or am I just over thinking this? Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!!! Keep on wrenching!!!
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