ALL News reports avoid Mechanics like were plagued "The Mechnic Shortage"

[@jacksgerman]

The only way to fix it is everyone quit.

[@MrSwinger1]

Theyll hire migrants. Can you imagine picking your car up anf if you dont speak the language they hand you a bill saying " you pay...you pay..."😁

[@hydraulics]

We used to call that a strike

[@supertec2023]

@@hydraulics there was a Penske dealership in San Diego with a Mercedes dealership and I guess they were there and they went on strike and eventually they all got fired a few years back if I recall. It was pretty messed up

[@malory8436]

Simple jobs are given to simple minds and they are praised for doing such a good job. Difficult jobs are given to gifted minds and they are critiqued and criticized by people… who are in charge of simple jobs. we do difficult jobs Mal

[@MatMcCrudden]

It took me 20 years to stop being a loyal employee and stop being nice to my employer. I just go where the money is ..

[@plupyduplupydu1369]

Bro- never stop being loyal at any cost-its maybe time for us become bosses

[@king49334]

i learned this for after 5 years. it was because they showed me their ugly side when i was young.

[@A-classic-smithy]

All that matters is the money, it's a terrible dog ass job, you're supposed to pay tens of thousands of dollars to just do your job? Most people simply aren't that stupid 😂 other trades are not like this btw, however it's slowly changing. Slowly.

[@SamLukie]

Shit job, shit pay, sweatshop conditions. Go figure.

[@Codeman86420]

Another spot on short video. I've seen the mechanic shortage news reports for a couple of years now and nothing seems to be changing. As far as I can see, all we can do as mechanics is keep taking as much training from these employers as possible to keep your value up and then move to the next highest paying shop. Always be searching for something better and leverage from your past employment. Hopefully one day these dealers will realize all of the money wasted when all they have is oil change techs and a bunch of cars in the parking lot that no one knows how to fix 😂. I'm currently watching this happen.

[@natelysy3114]

My biggest problem is having to supply every dam tool under the sun, for the amount you make, you can't afford to buy tools that don't have lifetime warranty. The whole thing is a giant spiderweb, once you get in, you're stuck. Now im just waiting for that spider.

[@hydraulics]

When i started in 1986, there was a mechanic shortage lol. Sure... a shortage of cheap labour preventing the corporations from getting richer

[@joebrenner4428]

There has been a shortage of idiot that work for free and cheap since the dawn of time ain't nothing new.

[@Wet_Willys_Wetter_Water]

A shop owner who I have a personal relationship with and consider a respectable man looked me in the eye and told me that even though his shop rate was 220 a hour, he would lose money if he paid his techs 40+ a hour. Assuming his techs work full time, each one generates 440,000 in revenue a year. (220 shop rate X 40 hour work week X 50 working weeks a year) and he looked me in my eyes and told me he cannot afford to pay his employees 80k of that. So.... What he's trying to get me to believe is that it costs him 360,000 PER EMPOLYEE to run the back end of his business. And he usually has between 5 and 8 guys working for him at all times. So he wants me to believe it costs him at minimum 100k a month for the business to simply exist. I call BS personally

[@COBRO98]

What he was trying to say is he can't pay a decent wage because it would cut into his purchase of a 3rd vacation home. No one is more full of shit than auto shop owners, most of them have hundreds of thousands of dollars stashed away while they want to pay A-techs $25/hour. I've seen this first hand so many times. I literally had a paycheck bounce & took the owner 3 weeks to get my backpay in line. The very next week he showed up in a brand new $100,000 sports car and I had my boxes loaded up by lunch time.

[@king49334]

it is because he WON'T not because he CAN'T. he wants to keep the profit to the max

[@aaadamt964]

I worked at a shop that paid next to nothing, was always late paying but managed to take their family on cruises every couple months. Other shops have fairly recently offered me $9/hr and $12/hr. Not even flat rate. Straight hour for hour pay. I'm in my 40's and started in this trade at 13. Oh yeah... my body is absolutely destroyed. Very had 2 back surgeries, cancer and have 2' of titanium, stainless, who knows what in me.

[@ex8280]

If you take into consideration it cost money for insurance, maintenance on all the equipments,disposal of toxic chem, rent and secretarial work it might just be 100K. Every little service in a business environment is very expensive. But I'm not defending your boss, he probably takes home 100K himself.

[@Wet_Willys_Wetter_Water]

@@ex8280 that's what I've been thinking about ever since. Just how many middle men take a cut of the revenue. Taxes and compliance costs. Advertising and recruiting. Training to keep the employees skills sharp. At what point does that economic transaction become untenable? Because as it stands right now, a customer is paying for someone to wrench on their car and over 80% of what they pay goes to someone else besides the person doing the work their directly paying for.

[@Beefsnorkel1337]

Lance you gave me advice a bit ago about finding a job where I can get to travel and use my automotive tech skills. I'll tell ya, cant thank you ENOUGH for suggesting all those companies by name. The past 2 weeks I've been flown to alabama and dallas, and im getting ready to hit missouri next week. they put me in cushy hotels, pay for everything and everything i eat / drink while out. get to stay clocked in while flying, the hourly is good. on par with higher end dealership flat rate pay. but i get hourly plus a bonus for everything i diagnose, its quite literally doubled my income. and the health benefits are insane and super cheap. im 34. i wish id looked 10 years ago. thanks again man. ill never work for a shitty, stressful, underpaid, long hour retail repair shop / dealership ever again. if you look at how dealership jobs are by design, they are literally telling you "we both know this wont last". they dont give you any kind of pension or retirement, the dealerships that do have benefits they are extremely expensive every month to pay for and the deductibles are horrendous. they are telling you from the start "we are ok if you dont stay long." then freak out when all they can hire are car washers and tweekers! may 2025 be our best year yet!

[@mikekotarba5828]

Could you share what is your new career and how you became qualified to do it please?

[@chrism306]

He's trolling

[@Beefsnorkel1337]

@@chrism306 lots of personal info, my face is on my profile, but yeah I'm trolling. Good ol internet

[@Lancemechanics]

Who did you end up with? :)

[@StrongerThanBigfoot]

What company you with

[@ex8280]

It's kind of crazy how expensive it is to go to a shop, only to find out our money is mostly going to the owner, and not to the mechanic you trust.

[@Lancemechanics]

And the 30 or so support staff up front. But the mechanics are always the ones nickle and dimed :(

[@NeilEnvySA]

Exactly what Happened to me. I was Paid R100 per Hour. Boss charged R650 to R700 per Hour for Labour in Workshop. I Quit in 2024. Working as a Contractor for them now. I Qoute them and if they're Happy I do the Job. Work at my House as well. Always Busy. NV. South Africa 🇿🇦

[@NeilEnvySA]

I Started Working on Cars as a Kid. Started at a GM Dealer in 1991. Qualified in 1995. Worked Hard. Tough on my Body. I get the Crumbs and Boss is taking The Big Bucks. I Left the Trade in 2024. Started Working as a Contractor. So im also done with being a Flat Rate Mechanic. That is what Killed The Industry. I Qoute on The Job and will do it on my Time. Take it or Leave it,or do it Yourself. To The Youngsters who want to be Technicians. Work for Yourselves or get another Job. Drive a Combine or do Something else less Stressfull. Take Care of Your Bodies. You Only get One. Great Video. God Bless America 🇺🇲 i Miss Montana. Left my Heart there ❤ NV. South Africa 🇿🇦

[@rodvan-zeller6360]

You mentioned wages, there is another aspect to wages it is called wage theft. A dealer tech on flat rate is at work 40 hours a week, if he flags 30 hours, is that considered 10 hours of wage theft? Good question.

[@Iseestupidpeopleeveryday]

If they get paid flat rate, which is 90% of the techs out there, they get 30hours pay. Dealer doesn’t make up the difference with clock hours. Never. The manufacturers write the labor guides. Most of us stick to it, to remain competitive with other shops. They have cut “time” over the last 20 years because of greed. Now if a shop pays a tech clock hours, its the cost of doing business. My independent shops use to pay clock hours, i made less money as an owner but with higher volume it worked. It’s all about greed and poor management in most shops. Ask a doctor or lawyer why they billed 20 hours when they only spent 2 hours of their time and 3 hours of a para ‘s time.

[@king49334]

warranty work and recall work pay nothing. not to mention other BS that go around in shop.

[@jerrykurl69]

@@king49334yup, techs getting fed, guys not doing the services, the warranty bitch not paying diag, service advisors ‘forgetting’ to pay the techs.

[@Ratkill9000]

@@rodvan-zeller6360 I drive 45 miles one way each day to work. There are days I'm there all 9 hours and not even turn a single hour because customer declined repairs, parts not available, etc. Hardly any shop pays techs by the hour. The only company that seems to pay excellent for very little work is Mercedes Benz.

[@supertec2023]

@@rodvan-zeller6360 this is very state-by-state but in California that have to pay you either whatever more your flag hours or your hours on the clock right now I make more hours on the clock than I do flagging cars and it's never happened this way in the last 38 years but it's happened this year.

[@andym1223]

I was 3 years into the industry at 21 years old, quit my dealership job last week. New cars are too complicated for what they are paying us. I’ve been running a small engine shop on the side and I’m bringing it full time next week, much easier on my body and the equipment is so much easier to work on. Flat rate and especially warranty pay is such a scam.

[@Lancemechanics]

Thanks for sharing. small engines is where its at. ive considered it many times. congrats on getting out :)

[@calebvanwyk3728]

Please keep doing sitdown videos. It’s the reason I subscribe.

[@Lancemechanics]

I will :)

[@Adam-kk7nw]

Of course, they avoided talking to the mechanic bc they're paid off by black rock

[@ogonbio8145]

I call them black water cuz they are pure shit

[@king49334]

black rock van guard. they owned everything.

[@Frumplecock]

HVAC guy here. The work is different, but can still be heavy. If you're doing residential it's pretty rough, new commercial / industrial construction is where it's at. I do my own mechanic work on the side as well. You guys got it rough, but it ultimately can depend on where you are at and who you are working for. It's hard for an individual to build the resources for a successful self-business or owner-operation.

[@austingipsygarage]

I got my automotive red seal in 1984, after 15 years of working on consumer vehicles I left for commercial truck and bus. First day I rolled my giant toolbox in and the other mechanics all looked at me weird. Turns out in Heavy duty you not only get paid more but the company supplies everything except for basic hand tools. From then on I had endless training, got my commercial transport red seal, and I got certified on every piece of equipment that I had to work on. I retired two years ago with a full pension. I wouldn't say get out of mechanics, but get out of the automotive business unless you own your own shop, even then it's a rat race and always has been.

[@king49334]

got out after 5 years. what a shit enviroment make me hate my life. not anymore.

[@rkan2]

Consumer focused trades business is generally very cutthroat, especially as a laborer. Best to avoid it, unless the consumers are richer than the businesses around you 😂

[@stvargas69]

Worked fleet for 27yrs. Moved up to supervision. Riding out my years driving a desks & computer.

[@Cody_1776]

As I type this my lower back is killing me. The company I work for does annual reviews, but the pay bumps (if there are any) come 3 months after your review. I work on HD commercial trucks. There are no more pensions here in the USA, at least it’s VERY rare. The juice isnt worth the squeeze. Im going out on my own as a mobile guy as soon as possible, I think it’s the only way to get out of “the system”. Good luck out there. 👍

[@mph5896]

Mobil guy. You want to work out of a truck? In the middle of winter (if you are in that climate).

[@Cody_1776]

@mph5896 100%. I grew up in the northeast. I can take or not take calls when it’s severely cold or heavy snow if I feel like it. I’m also ok with having bad days as self employed, as it beats bad days as an employer. I don’t want to ask for time off anymore, I want to dictate my pay. It’s my money, it’s my companies money.

[@robertm5969]

Have you ever looked into DMSO for the back pain?

[@king49334]

work for yourself is good too. no one make huge profit off from you.

[@Cody_1776]

@@robertm5969 No, but it seems like an icy hot or something. Interesting.

[@datadrivenmqb]

I was a tech for 17yrs. It always got worse, never better. And I worked for a good employer for almost all of that. Pivoted to doing mobile ADAS calibrations for an independent company for 2 years and used that plus some other side projects to get into tech/consulting doing data analytics and process automation. The tech industry pays WELL for certs. I got a few and had multiple raises and now making more than my best year as a tech. Salaried pay. With 3 weeks if vacation and every federal holiday. I wish I'd worked on jumping ship sooner.

[@VitoVeccia]

In the 70's and 80's, mechanics and shops made good money. When I started at 18 in 2001, it was the worst time to start. Cost of training, increased insurance, low book labor rates, high taxes for some states, the list goes on. I was making $8 an hour. Automotive is great as a stepping stone. But unless they bring back hand-crank windows, lower taxes, and laptops that don't need a subscription, the days of making money are gone. Unless if you get into a German car dealership, and even then it's hit or miss.

[@Official-Comments]

Hit the nail on the head about todays news. They don’t report anymore, they just present the side that gets them the clicks or whatever angle they’ve been paid to cover. Like dealers and the sales counter reps that bank up to $1.2k for an alternator replacement, all while they pay the actual mechanics $25 to $35 per hour.

[@king49334]

18$ flat back at 2018

[@nvragn]

Back in the day Freightliner sent me several times to different courses back before the interweb since then not so much. I'm starting to relize that my fleet job was the best thing. I'm only a little over 5 years with the cement company and I can't complain the money is good and what I have already in my pension is substantial. Too bad I didn't do it 20 years ago. They appreciate you way more than the dealerships. Congrats Mr on the milestone. I'm not sure how long I've here with you but I definitely enjoy your content and will continue to stick with you. I will say that I don't always agree with you but just like you said we are outspoken 😂. See you in the next one 👍 🇨🇦 🔧

[@Aaron-or6ov]

Pension? Benefits? Bonus? Affordable health insurance? These I have mentioned are not part of the automotive industry. Those videos you mentioned are 100 percent spot on. The owner or manager talks about how great being an auto tech is and how much money you (CAN) make. But not one interview with a mechanic. And if there is a mechanic being interviewed you know dang well the manager or owner is there to make sure they say the right things 😂. Side note. Love the color of the your box. Please clean it lol .

[@Lancemechanics]

Never cleaned my box when was flat rate ;) guys with shiny boxes were always compraining. :) but yeah i hope one day those things will change. There's a pension where I am now :)

[@Ratkill9000]

We are not very well compensated for our time. I drive 45 miles every single day monday-friday, $23 per flagged hour. Some days i don't even hit 1 hour. Out of all the trades, mechanics are the worst paid. Benefits don't matter if your whole check is basically going to them. Just last night i saw that the company i work for (they own multiple dealers in the area) posted the same position I've held for the last 6 years. If you have 2 years experience you start at a minimum of $25 per hour. Where as i have 6 years experience and have brand training, making $23. The automotive industry is a JOKE

[@COBRO98]

It's always been that way at dealerships, my advice is to immediately give them your 2-weeks notice and then if they don't offer to move you to $26/hour or more, leave. To get a pay raise in this industry you have to move shops. After 6 years you should be at $28-$32, I also advise you move to an hourly shop.

[@Ratkill9000]

@@COBRO98 Out here, no shop is by the hour, it's all flag. I've looked. Honestly just trying to eject out of this industry full stop. Can't recommend anyone go into it, until it's all paid by the hour like the heavy duty diesel industry is.

[@StrongerThanBigfoot]

I’m making $31 an hour after 90 days started at $25. I’m work on city transit buses. We do everything diag, maintenance, and all repairs including engines transmissions everything. I’m sure there’s a place like this somewhere in your general area

[@fishman6364]

Someone once said about me, "oh, he's the best worst employee!"

[@volks-jager]

ive been in this feild 25 years and i try to diswade any young kids from getting into the feild. the pay is abysmal for the amount of BS you have to deal with (especaily if you are rust belt mechanic). on a daily bais i get burnt, lacerated, get covered with filth and breathe in all manor of toxic chemicals. you have to buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of your own tools. many young techs are in debt up to thier eyeballs from the crooked tool trucks. the flat rate pay system should be illegal - the only auto techs making decent money are the ones who are buddies with the service manager and getting fed all the gravy jobs. you can drive a UPS truck FFS and make twice what a average auto tech makes...

[@Lancemechanics]

Well your doing a service to the younger generation. They say I'm negative or all mechanics are negative but I'd rather send a young guy off to a better future. Your right on everything you mentioned

[@ahcs2001]

​@@Lancemechanicstotally agree with you Lance! Send the young and talented to a better future! It's as easy as literally choosing anything else! 😂 (Also, I'm zero percent surprised that the media doesn't do any real journalism or investigating on what is going on, just take one side of the story and run with it right!?...) Long story short, I started my exit from auto service close to 20years ago now - I was a GM factory trained technician and quite invested in the trade with education and tools. When I left, shop rates were $135/hr...20 years later the rates are about $130 an hour! The industry has only gotten worse.

[@pacman407]

You mentioned 'the other company', but I work for, lets say, "WILSON!" as a tech and am at $42.xx/hr with great benefits and health care. I am not breaking my back for warranty/recall flat-rate pay in the rust-belt. Hopefully, these dealers and manufacturers will understand they caused this. When it was tune-ups and timing belts like it was decades ago, there was money. Now, recalls are being released before the car even get to the dealership.

[@alwaysgoodinthewoods]

Nailed it, don't forget 0 respect, treated like a crook and on the hook for friends and families vehicles! I quit because I was tired of being led on by middle management, held the carrot a little to high and this donkey aint jumping. I was with them pretty well my entire career 7 years, and they must have thought I wouldn't quit. No counter offer and the boss wouldn't even talk to me in my last 2 weeks and would look away like a child when we passed. Don't be loyal kids! hard work and time don't actually mean shit, now they say change jobs every 2-4 years or you are probably getting screwed in one way or another.... Landed a city union gig after with the pension and all that jazz, but the shift work and seniority system makes it a soul crushing gig. Was forced out of that by goofy canadian politics, but probably for the better. Depends what you are after and what you need, family/dependents etc.

[@TheDieseldog]

The shortage is driving up wages here in Illinois in the Med/Heavy truck side. Especially last couple years.

[@StrongerThanBigfoot]

I got a great opportunity working as a bus mechanic for $31 an hour. More money than I’ve ever made. Get your experience and use that to get a higher paid job in the heavy equipment industry or something other than regular cars

[@CHK-d9c]

As a mechanic tradesman in Australia i never supply my own tools nor pay for additional training unless the company is willing to pay extra $$ and a tool hire fee. In Australia we have 26,000 light vehicle mechanics short and about 5,000 heavy vehicle mechanics short nationwide. Low pay is a factor along with lenghty recruitment processes.

[@jayprosser7349]

Flat rate pay has been the disease that keeps the industry sick. $150 labor rate but $30-$50/flat rate pay for tech. $1500 for two assembled struts $300 tops and alignment on Mazda 6. Tech gets $100-150. Customer bent over so the BG guy and other wasteful spending and greed can be paid. I’d be happy to do the struts for $500 pocket $200 then send the customer somewhere else for an alignment.

[@king49334]

kind of like mobile mechanic

[@Cetaneandpoontang]

Alot of times it's hard to charge what's really needed for some of these jobs, because people still think it takes 30 minutes to change an alternator. Cars have gotten soo complicated and the pay hasn't kept up with the technology. We are now plumbers, electricians, damn near engineers, audio and video experts just to work on today's cars. We used to do a little testing, trace a few wires, find the problem and perform the repair.

[@DanielDroegeShow]

The repair bill has kept up just fine, it is the wages that lag far far behind. When they are charging $150/hour and paying $15 you have problems.

[@COBRO98]

@@DanielDroegeShow I think you meant $250/hour because that's about the average now.

[@ceeinfiniti1389]

Quite simply it's how much the industry demands of you as a technician and how little you get in return. And it's only getting worse. Overall I still enjoy my job and my position as a technician but I've been thinking more and more about what I'll do when I get out, because at some point I'll have to. I've known that since shortly after I started.

[@teagreen2220]

I love working on vehicles. I never thought this industry would be so impossible to live with. I don’t count on being a mechanic for a salary any longer. I haven’t since the 90s as a race car mechanic. So now I just work on my own stuff. Newer vehicles require a lot of expertise to work on. You have to understand electronics, fluid dynamics, hydraulic systems, and since the complications of these new cars are so individualistic it means that you must be willing to learn new stuff all the time. It is a seriously underpaid and under appreciated job. The car industry really has to stop making excuses of EPA and just produce simple cars that are reliable and not complicated such as vehicles like were produced in the 60s and 70s but with the better tolerances and materials that are possible now. We need different thinking up top.

[@keysautorepair6038]

I did hvac plumbing and been in the automotive industry and anything else is easy on your body I’m 50 and my body is broken down so bad I’m done it’s terrible.

[@Lancemechanics]

Damn sorry to hear man. Yoga has made a huge difference for me. Something to think about. I'm less sore

[@king49334]

yeah. when i was in shop. i could not do 1 pull up. now i can do 10 reps in a row

[@plupyduplupydu1369]

This says it weird-the scrap guy told me that he cant find anything from garages scrap piles anymore.

[@supertec2023]

Pay one of the biggest factors and pay is dropped dramatically over the years in terms of the ratio of the shop charges to what the techs make. When I started this dealership in 1988 the labor rate was $36 an hour. At that time the highest paid technicians were paid approximately $15 an hour. Currently the labor rate is $220 an hour and my pay is $34 an hour. And this year trying to break flat rate is virtually impossible because every time you turn around with Honda there's some kind of new recall we have so many recalls going on and most of them don't pay anything it's ridiculous. Then you throw in the electric cars that we don't want to work on no pay increase for working on them and just getting tired of doing the stuff. I'll be honest I'm flagging about 70 hours of pay. But I'm on the clock for about a hundred. And they're having to pay me the 100 hours because I'm not going to work my ass off to make them money like that. And I always tell people if there's any type of advertisement for a job whether it's Cordon Bleu for chefs or. Dental hygienist if there's a commercial for and some local college that charges an arm and a leg to get a some kind of somewhat so-so certification save your money. if you have an aptitude for fixing cars and you kind of know what you're doing no matter if you go to trade school or not you're going to start at the bottom probably changing oil and working your way up. At least doing it that way you didn't waste $50,000 going to a school you find out a job you don't like and you can't afford to make a living with.

[@supertec2023]

Can you add another thought cars of today are built like iPhones they're not designed to be around for 15 20/30 years they're designed to last approximately 3 to 5 years and that's it parts are scarce for certain vehicles and also running to parts replacement costs the other day one of the technicians was replacing the passenger side half shaft on a Honda fit he said how much do you think this part cost I said 2 to 300 he said no more like 1,200 so what's happened is manufacturers are making parts more scarce so older vehicles have to die because they can't be fixed because there's no parts your place for them or the parts are so expensive the customers won't buy them. It's like I said the longevity of newer cars things don't hold up at all so my newest vehicle is a 2007 and I won't buy anything probably newer than that I'll make it run no matter what I got to do. The other thing is always go with test drives with customers for their problems and always get the same line I bought this new car because I didn't want to have any problems and I always tell him if you had a car with no problems or very few you traded it in on a whim hoping that your car was up to the same standards of the cars that were built 15 to 20 years ago and they are not.

[@Lancemechanics]

Feel you on those Honda recalls. We had frame recalls here in the north and all the rotten recalls came in and couldn't get more then 1.5l for a inspection. Photos. Paperwork. Flushing the frame. Installing supports. Adding fluid film. my goodness Honda has become a former shell of its self :(

[@DanielDroegeShow]

I work in a non-licensed state where literally anyone can be a mechanic. We hired a guy who walked over from Taco Bell and never worked on cars. He lasted 4 weeks and blew up 4 engines before he was transfered to another shop. The business owners (120 locations) just want a warm body.

[@king49334]

good for hobby but not for making a living.

[@barrymccaulkiner7092]

Question for dealership mechanics: Which manufactures are still using wired vehicle interfaces? Which manufacturers are wireless?

[@LibertyOrD___h]

With HD equipment the cheapest expense is the operator and mechanic

[@megamyers]

It's the same in all sectors. You're overseer is squeezing you for the short term gain, no matter what you do in life. American and Canadian companies are well protected from unionizing and thus things are this way by design.

[@Gnomoleon]

Been pulling wrench for 32 years .... there has never NOT been a tech "shortage" in all those years. It's just a way for owners to sucker people in to the industry or justify tfw hiring which is crazy right now....

[@user-nr2kb3mw8i]

What places even offer pensions anymore?

[@dougmiller2937]

I personally would like to see you go to automotive places and interview people. Tom Green style.

[@Lancemechanics]

OMG lol. Just talk to the mechanics. its funny. most of the mechanics in my city are subbed to me. word got around quick. Dont want to get them in trouble :)

[@dougmiller2937]

​@@Lancemechanics Yeah I hear you I'm in a small city place too. How about perceived mental illness causes by Flat Rate, such as PTSD, OCD, workplace violence, drug use and freakouts. That would make a good video.

[@mobiletiretechs]

I switched to heavy desil mechanic after 20 yrs auto

[@Onetakelifestyle3323]

I went to drop my excursion 7.3 psd off to my mechanic yesterday. He closed his doors 😮. No diesel mechanic in town now. Just wild. He couldn’t get any good reliable techs and he was paying good 👍

[@Lancemechanics]

Weird. Guy must have been a older fella. Most of these private shops tend to just keep going solo :(

[@king49334]

old ones are retired and there no supply of good tech anymore

[@Onetakelifestyle3323]

@@Lancemechanics he’s like mid 40”s

[@Lancemechanics]

that's odd. Ive never heard of a garage closing cause they can't find someone unless the person who owns the garage had no mechanical background :/

[@Onetakelifestyle3323]

@@Lancemechanics bills keep coming I guess 🤷‍♂️

[@disknee6630]

I dunno what Im gonna do tbh. Im currently at a dealer as an apprenticeship and want to go to a different brand but at the same time dunno if I should try Caterpillar.

[@Lancemechanics]

Cat up here is always hiring. So are other heavy equipment manufacturers and equipment suppliers. Phone around. So much potential to make more money and early on.

[@northwoodsdad7506]

These same issues apply to all blue collar jobs.

[@Lancemechanics]

I figured it would relate to alot more people and multiple industries

[@rodvan-zeller6360]

Is the minimum wage in California 16 ? In California are mechanics who use their own tools entitled to double minimum wage? In California if a mechanic is at the shop for 40 hours a week is he entitled to 1280? How doe wage theft paly into this?

[@pacman407]

I left the dealers because of flat-rate. I went into forklifts and equipment, then found a fleet company that is paying well into the $40+USD within a year (starting $32.xx, $37.xx ASE's). Top out is 3 years in at just somewhere around $48-49/hr. Why would I ever go back to dealers who do not care and have to deal with flat-rate which doesn't account for rust (grew up on the West Coast and flat-rate worked 'better' with no rust)? So I can watch the arrogant GM or owner (who likely came from money growing up) walk around then complain about their 'numbers'? LOL, nope!

[@Lancemechanics]

Yep. All our skills take us to better places. I wish I switched so much sooner

[@pacman407]

@Lancemechanics Same here. The funny thing is, 13 years ago when I moved to the rust belt, a guy I worked with at the dealer, went to the company we're at now. I applied on a whim, not knowing he worked here, and we met back up. He went to the Freight side back then, now we're at the Express side. He said that if he knew I was interested and he knew I went to school on big trucks, he would've told me to follow. I should've listened back then. Young guys and gals: please take the warning. We've been through this. There are places that will appreciate and pay you well. Most dealers and independent shops do not care about you, no matter how straight faced they lie to you.

[@TheJohnbjunior]

The shortage will get much, much worse in the next 2-3 years, most shops now 2 months behind

[@COBRO98]

US is short 800,000 mechanics as of 2024, in a few years it will take 4 months to get a new engine installed. We'll see how much the public changes their tune about "grease monkeys" then.

[@leeb9988]

Own your own shop, don't work for someone else.... that is the solution. There is a massive market vacuum. Folks are hanging on to cars longer and not buying new ones, and they need repairs. Shops are back logged.

[@thomasallbee52]

100%- 30yrs in, feet hurt constantly ,hands cramp up go numb, not flat rate but low hourly with commission that pays good for easy parts hanging job but shit for skilled diagnostics or difficult high skilled jobs.guess what ,the kid who dont know shit borrows my tools to make good money hanging parts and wasting my time asking me how! While I break my brain fixing a issue that the last 3 shops couldn't for squat! Oh but theres lots of praise for a great job done, just no bonus. I taught my 3 children almost none of it just basic stuff everyone should know.didnt want them in or anywhere near a garage

[@Lancemechanics]

Breaking our brains and going home drained wondering what happened to the rest of our free time. Don't miss thay

[@RyldUp-uo3pc]

i switched to heavy equipment after 3 years in auto. went from 21 flat rate to 25/hour. doubled my income straight out the gate and now I'm making over 60/hour. also piece of advice, find a area of expertise and get good. you don't have to be the best in your shop at everything, just have to be the best at something and that makes you valuable

[@alanbeshore943]

Flat rate pay systems enable terrible business men to remain in business. Working for anyone who is terrible at running a business is always a terrible experience with terrible pay.

[@rkan2]

It is true for every profession. Repeat after me. Not enough cheap labour.

[@Ftw9669]

Well said brother

[@wolfebanenc]

Shoot i can't even get into a shop. I've been running mobile repairs for two years but can't get anything consistent

[@king49334]

shop sucks. i been there for yrs.

[@andrewallen9993]

There is no such thing as a shortage of highly skilled expert mechanics, there is however a dire shortage of highly skilled expert mechanics willing to work for very low wages.

[@macc7620]

I don't know what is going on, but I do know that they charge arm and a leg, and a lot of times they don't do it right!

[@ml-fishing1341]

Sell $50K+ vehicles all day, struggle to pay employees $50k+ a year tho…

[@Lancemechanics]

Wild huh :/ there struggling to pay for there 14th dealership!

[@criSOME1]

Consumer services vs. corporate

[@epicragegaming2016]

i just changed jobs. shop has been dead, boss doesnt do anything to drive business. wants to rip people off. then one day after many weeks he says me and the other tech need to alternate days off. sorry bud i have a family. next morning i had a new job. now hes doing it to another guy. this is why there is a mechanic shortage. greedy owners. take care of your guys and they will take care of you. crying over dollars when im doing enough work to pay my weeks wage on monday and working tuesday- friday for free.

[@chadlafrennie4065]

Wages for sure. By the time you are at a comfortable hourly rate owners are already trying to push you out for cheaper and less skilled labor

[@Lancemechanics]

yep :(

[@glenbenton4855]

women at minimum wage jobs with entry level positions probably make more

[@club_rcfuji]

Only getting worse. Yota techs getting less than half CP labor times for warranty Tundra long block replacements. Geez.

[@king49334]

how much time it pay for tundra block replacement? been a while since i was in a shop.

[@club_rcfuji]

@@king49334 I've been getting slightly different times from different dealer techs, somewhere around 13.1 to 13.7 for long block replacements (I know before that some guys were also getting extra Z-time before)

[@wildwes78]

I worked in shops for a total of about 4 years when I was 25 started my mobile mechanic business that was in 2003.get out or go mobile

[@ziprock]

Do you work with any other guys that are former mechanics? would watch more content on the subject maybe getting some former co workers on to chime in on the subject. i believe the subject should be talked about more.

[@tonylam9548]

auto mechanics are not the only field where you can find ignorance in financial investments and save for your retirement, it is not the most dangerous field anyone have to work in. Every field have its dangers. I am not impress with someone spending $100Gs on your training, since you likely prevented a million bucks of down time. This is even worse in aviation with unplanned down time. We call it AOG (aircraft on ground) and I am sure an airliner like a big jet make more in the air per hour than a mining machine underground. Unless they have to, they also work at a snail's pace. Do you really want to take this plane across the ocean after it was worked on by a mechanic on flat rate? The problem with most reporters is , they just have to write the article , send it in and get paid, there are no penalty for getting it wrong, especially when it is hard to check. It be forgotten in a week or so. Trucking been crying driver shortage for 4 ? decades. To get most trade licenses are a complex vetting process in which maybe 10% of the apprentices get through. Employers like to see people pass through some kinds of such tests before they train them in other fields rather than some green kids just out of high school. Those quick lub places do take on such kids , and they tend to strip oil drain plugs, seize engines, and other mistakes. You do not want someone that green besides you on top of a windmill or underground, at least not in peace time. If you are not already an auto mechanic, and many trade jobs require good mechanical skills, such as a electrician, I doubt they would hire you for windmills or underground, unless you have much higher qualifications, like you share a couple of lines of DNA with the windmill repair company's owner (daddy) Trades are misleading, a gas tech one, not only you need good mechanical skills but you need to be almost as skilled with electrical /electronic controls as an industrial electrician.

[@mikekotarba5828]

Pay for your own training and tooling to make yourself more valuable

[@Drunkis1337]

I paid to take all my ASE certifications. I did this for 2 reasons. I wanted to do it for myself. 2nd I didn't want to give them something they can try to hold over my head.

[@BluTechEquipment]

As a mobile/shop repair facility with multiple employees, I see a lot of people thinking it’s just a cash cow. Do you really think I’m raking in 2/3 of the revenue the shop makes? Rent, insurance, taxes, non-billable hours, admin costs. I’m not saying mechanics don’t deserve more, but the margins on service work can be abysmal, there’s much more to it than can be addressed in just a KZbin comment though.

[@Lancemechanics]

complicated for sure. I took probably a dozen courses and they all said the same thing. We never charge enough and don't charge for the stuff we should. other trades do it why don't we? actually went in with a previous owner i worked with. he took failing businesses and turned them around. first step was charging for everything untill you drove away the bad customer base and you had trained the customers who showed up to expect to pay. They were some amazing courses and i got to see alot in the industry. They don't offer them anymore lol

[@BluTechEquipment]

@ Yep, what’s frustrating to me as a business owner and mechanic, is hearing all these ding dongs think the solution is to fire up your own show and undercut the industry…

[@jasonleatherwood2172]

I fix floor scrubbers for a living i have about 20 dealers that i go to to fix thier scrubbers i can tell ya this they do not have a shortage people not doing shit sitting around on thier phones shops packed with techs some shops have 2 mechanica per bay with 25 bays….heres the kicker most of them are under 25 and i wouldnt trust them to wash my car let alone fix it

[@king49334]

young guys low pay. young guys don't have anything to start with so they can offer low pay.

[@jasonleatherwood2172]

@ lots of young girls too its so weird i have a 2 year degree in automotove technology and 15 years working at my own one bay shop got offered this job 30$ a hour 3 weeks pto and benefits i took it tried to get hired into a dealer many times they wont even call me lol had one but offered me 15$ a hour no way

[@COBRO98]

There is absolutely a massive shortage, nearly 1 million people actually. What you're not realizing is all those young zombies on their phones don't last a month, the turn over rate is worse than Mcdonald's. Why would they care when you offer them $14/hour to lift 2 tons over their head?

[@plkeyz2009]

There is no shortage of mechanics , they’re doing the same thing like they’re doing to the trucking industry and trying to flood the market for cheaper labor

[@king49334]

same with other trades. i see mexicans who don't speak english doing construction work

[@rodvan-zeller6360]

@@king49334 Pounding nails and diagnosing vehicles are not the same thing.

[@SethMulvaney]

Pretty much legal slavery

[@randomfixes]

My manager at a dealership used to loathe when I sign up for a class, it’s money out of the service department which he gets paid a percentage off it, in his mind, I am getting schooling off his pockets, of course I quit as he didn’t want to approve my schooling plus other BS new mechanics go through.

[@StringTerminator]

Well there is no shortage of any tradespeople. If there was, the pay would be double what it is now. It's simple supply and demand. Also almost no one is offering apprenticeships anywhere in Ontario. Companies go straight to LMIA to fill these jobs because they can pay less and TFW can't unionize.

[@COBRO98]

Doesn't work that way in automotive, mechanics make less today than they did 40 years ago. There's a shortage in almost every trade, that doesn't guarantee pay raises.

[@StringTerminator]

@@COBRO98 If you had a choice between paying a Toronto born and raised mechanic 60 bucks an hour, or your second choice is some dude in Chennai whose family is willing to bribe you 25,000 dollars for the work visa and then says he's happy to work for 18 dollars an hour, who are you going to hire? I shouldn't ask because I already know the answer here.

[@CS-zz2bf]

Auto techs need to unionize

[@Lancemechanics]

Yes

[@dannytam9046]

All of the other trades are unionized just go to the trade expo when they are trying to get high school kids to get them into the trades even the ontario borad of trades said unionized is the way to go all of them but auto repair they laughed at me when I said I was a auto mechanic

[@king49334]

only good thing about being mechanic is that you have ability to fix anything giving enough time and effort.

[@Ratkill9000]

@@dannytam9046 I refuse to sell my soul to a union. UAW is the cause of a lot of the issues with vehicles it seems. Nothing put together properly. Parts missing. Had one off the truck with a bungee cord wrapped around the front drive shaft and connected to the 8 speed transmission cooler lines on a Ram 1500 classic. Seen body gaps filled in with spray foam from the factory. Interior body panels rattling because they were not secured at the factory.

[@dannytam9046]

It's to tell the government that without mechanics to fix cars the whole economy will fall apart because no one will be able to go to work

[@AJ-ExoticaATL]

I graduated from UTI in 2013, worked for bmw for three years prior for a total of ten years and then opened my own shop, if you want to be a rich mechanic, you’ve got to push and push, there’s no reason why any mechanic can’t make a great living.

[@Lancemechanics]

You need a drive! Like you said push and push. Not everybody wants too unfortunately:(

[@king49334]

push through all the BS and push some more.

[@juiyuwang426]

Car owner also don't respect good auto owner or mechanical .... if you can't pay the repairs costs than don't own the car

[@jdjonesiii]

Lance, what would happen if I took my Honda in for service and called out the mechanic and told him I wanted him to do me a great job like you would your grandma and slipped him $100. Would it make any difference.

[@Lancemechanics]

@jdjonesiii bring the guy a coffee and leave donuts on drives seat and say for the guys and you'll get the best service ever. No need to slip them a 100. Little things like that make mechanics like better.

[@paulthorpe1084]

might the problem be all these people with skills dont add one more skill to their belt? freelance and independent work. you got the skills and you know what those skills are worth to the public ($150+ an hour). stop the slave mindset and use your skills in creative ways guys

[@Lancemechanics]

@@paulthorpe1084 100s of mechanics undercutting each other is even worse. So many shadetrees popping up doing more harm then anything

[@didafm]

Pensions don't really exist anymore buddy. Except for government and some major large corporations. Some employers match your RSP contributions. But a defined pension is almost impossible to get outside of government

[@king49334]

city and state job has pensions. also your local town has pension

[@Theweouthereforrealclub-]

With the way we pile on debt in the govt, the dollar will hyperinflate before those pensions pay out. People talk about the 35 trillion we are paying interest on but ignore the 250 trillion in unfunded liabilities and that number is also going to soar

[@peterfowler8044]

@@king49334 You mean like the city of Detroit :) .

[@MeaHeaR]

Mãň Bünn Êntêrs thinê Ĉhâtt

[@StarknightMT_official]

Hello, Are you interested in testing our products? We would like to invite you to test the Soft Cab Enclosure for you 2017 rzr xp 1000

[@Lancemechanics]

@StarknightMT_official sure. But can contact me through email listed on the channel :)

[@StarknightMT_official]

@@Lancemechanics Thanks, please check

[@StarknightMT_official]

@@Lancemechanics Please check your trash mailbox, as well😨

[@Lancemechanics]

Will triple check. Alot on the go atm :)

[@winningwithoutracing7811]

Old ignorant thinking. We can build a great economy on good paying government jobs, a growing financial sector, and more medical billing to grow our GDP......

[@benmayne7910]

Bud I like your Channel But the negativity from your channel is really tiring 26 years in . With 20 years with a ford dealer And I look forward to going to work nearly everyday

[@COBRO98]

Most job fields would have you retired before 26 years, I'm glad you enjoy it so much because in 2045 you still won't be retired.