How to start a mobile mechanic business. Our shop on wheels. Mobile automotive repair business

How we started our mobile auto mechanic Business. What we do on a daily basis. Our Automotive software management. Along with scheduling and how much we make running our mobile auto repair shop on wheels.
#howto #auto #autorepair #mobilemechanic #mechanic #smallbusiness #foryou #foryoupage #capcut #cars #carsoftiktok #car #viral #trendingshorts #howto #foryou #foryoupage #capcut #car #viral #trendingshorts #reels #reelschallenge #fypシ゚viral
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Here some links to some of the prodcuts i use. If you see somehing in my video and want a link leave a comment and i will update it!
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[@petescustomcarshop]

I fix 7 to 20 cars a week. I am 2 to 4 weeks out. If I advertised I would be too busy. I do have plans to expand but for now this is how I like it.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Good stuff keep it up

[@AdkinsMobileMechanicsllc]

How do you find business? I'll be able to legally operate tomorrow but not a customer in sight

[@petescustomcarshop]

@@AdkinsMobileMechanicsllc it is all word of mouth for me. I do quality work for a fair price.

[@THE_MOTOR_MAN]

Google​@@AdkinsMobileMechanicsllc

[@NickTheMobileMechanic]

Hey bud, did you end up getting customers?​@@AdkinsMobileMechanicsllc

[@johnlong3864]

Loved the video but if you want to LOSE customers, let them find out you put their phone numbers online for everyone to see. You need to blur the customers info and repost the video. Glad you made the video though. Good info. I subscribed to your channel, keep it coming.

[@Mr2004MCSS]

Great video. It makes you realize how much goes into running a business like this.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Thanks for watching

[@jeffmiller4168]

This is by far the most useful video on this topic. Thank you so much man. I’ll stay tuned and subscribed forever

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Anytime!! Thanks for watching and subscribing

[@arthurfricchione8119]

Wow Ben I am amazed how you do all of this on your own . I’m involved with a couple of groups some for system and electronic learning and and some guys that just do diagnostics through private garages . Some guys do it all like yourself and others do actual classes which are excellent while some just do electronic troubleshooting for body shops and independent shops with no hands on repairs where others just tell the shop what’s wrong and what to order and then they will program the item and move on t the next one, but if it doesn’t fix the issue the mobile guy eats the cost of the part which can be costly !!!!!! Everybody makes their choices . As for myself I learn from reputable individuals like yourself. It’s easy to weed out the reprobates who know it all and fix nothing . Thank you for your insight and I feel your videos show all aspects of the business. Thanks for sharing and answering my questions. Like I mentioned I’m a retired aircraft mechanic mostly high performance jets and I had my hot rods but todays cars electronically over the top. Stay well and I’ll continue to support your channel 👍

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@arthurfricchione8119 Thank you again very kind words. I wish sometimes I could be just diagnosis style work but that doesn’t make the money I make doing the repairs also. And sometimes the repairs are just easier. I agree with the whole eating of the parts if it doesn’t fix it. I do that no matter what if I mess up. I hated some of shops I worked for when the owners would lie to the customer if a tech messed up. I’d quit and be on the hunt for a new place took. Finally I just went on my own so I could try to change the stigma of the auto repair industry. Not all techs are crooks. Slowly but surely some people have changed there views.

[@semperfimechanic]

Good video

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@semperfimechanic thanks!!!

[@BODABODAWORKTRAVEL]

That’s very helpful. That’s good way to operate business. Respect!

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

thanks i appreciate that. thanks for watching

[@tonybernheim8365]

Cool..Advise..Definately have connections with reliable shops in your journeys out there..Dont throw your back out doing a job that a reliable shop can help you with..Connections are key to success....

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

I appreciate that. Thanks for watching. I do like to be able to network with local shops. I send people to them and they call me for help when needed

[@YT_Revoltz]

Love the video very helpful. I just started doing mobile work with my buddy about a year ago we do it mostly on the side but do have our llc and we are thinking about going fully "legit" the start of the year. Our main hold back was basically the running the business side of things, all the paper work and dealing with taxes. Luckily my friend who i just recently reconnected with after about 10 years is an account and has offered to help us with all of that. This video took a load off my shoulders as you are a one man crew doing everything i commend you for that. I am lucky enough to have a crew to help me run everything and will take full advantage of that. Keep up your hard work after all someone has to keep all these wheels on the road!

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@YT_Revoltz Man thanks so much or all that!!! Glad to be of help.

[@Ceedub3406]

I'm a truck tech, 26 years old, went back to school and have done about 2 years at a cat dealer and now another year at a bus fleet. I'm really considering moving towards independence. I know I'm not experienced compared to some but I know there is a lot of value in what I know and the skills I have. I appreciate people like you explaining how to make their business work for them. I really believe the repair world is moving more on this direction, and even if I'm doing wheel seals and breaking down tires in a farmers field I think knowing you are in charge makes it worth it.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

I have to agree with you. I believe the independent Mobile world is growing day by day. On my local Facebook groups, I see more and more people commenting getting themselves into business, which is my competition, but I’d like to see that it gives me hope for this field. Depending on where you live for instance in my area if you’re very good with welding and working on caterpillars and stuff like that, you could be going out into a breakdown in the middle of a farm making really good money working on big tractors. So don’t sell yourself short if you’re good with big diesels and caterpillars go out there start making a name for yourself. Facebook is your friend. Join a bunch of groups in your area and when people post that they need someone start commenting with pictures that’s how I grew my company.

[@Ceedub3406]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC thanks for the reply. I'm out here in Kansas. Not very knowledgeable about equipment but there are a ton of farms and cattle operations with multiple semi trucks that pay dealership rates for all their repairs. That $200/hr might be worth it when you need someone to come out and machine your engine block, but I'm sure I can be very competitive when it comes to tires, brakes, electrical etc

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@Ceedub3406 go for it start some where and you’ll change as times goes on. The business will evolve thanks for watching.

[@masonloh1411]

@Ceedub3406. You have Diesel Bus Experience. I read you somewhere in rural. For your info in N.Y.C. Transit hiring bus Mechanics there is shortage of that. they make more than Bus Operators now 40.00?+ hr or perhaps $ 80,000 yr minimum plenty overtime to gross $100,000 some makes 150+K yr. I retired 4 yrs ago driving $ 50,000 pension if you start now at 26 you can retire in 29yrs at 55 w/ pension by that time $ 100K a yr for doing nothing. otherwise, I suggest you nearest municipal where you at for city job info or the closest city to your state could be next state. even Penske Trucking. don't go business yourself too much risk / capital you need besides rural less people/customers. good luck

[@williamosei-appiah4965]

Hi thanks for amazing work you are doing. I would like to have an interview with you on Future of repair

[@johntorres9456]

Thank you, this video was very informative and I plan on opening a Mobile Repair business and this helps a lot.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@johntorres9456 awesome thank you very much! glad to have helped! go get it you got this!

[@judih.8754]

Nice break out of how the business is done Ben. All the software seems to make a huge benefit.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@judih.8754 It really does we just got set up with a CRM (customer relationship management) it will automate all my follow up emails and texts for the office.

[@KenMrKLC]

Thanks for sharing... I currently have a landscaping business of 27 yrs but I have been into auto and equipment repairs since I was a teenager. I started in trade school and was ASE cert mechanic for a couple years after a few shops I worked in before I hated working for others. I have been researching and about to start mobile repair for auto and equipment basically anything with a motor and will be running out of a 16' enclosed. I have always kept a good tool selection and collected many diagnostic and specialty tools as I needed for my own repairs in Landscaping business. The $400 a month (software) is a bit too overhead heavy for starting but I def see me going this route. I have a good amount of contacts already I have repaired stuff in past from my landscaping shop/mechanic shop where I was setup and had lift (Check out my vids) I like the transparency and showing the ropes very helpful. I will def give you a shout out in the future maybe you can get a few more subs and get over the 1000 hump. Took me a while. Thanks Bud!

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Yea it’s up there in cost that software. But man is it beneficial. Is it a must na you can do paper quotes. I just like technology so I splurge a bit. Thanks for watching glad to have helped. I’ll go see you channel and subscribe

[@THE_MOTOR_MAN]

Awesome!! This is great!

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@Motorcycle_Man Thanks

[@fighting17chicago]

Thank you sooo much for this info. Invaluable

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Anytime

[@vmrobles21]

Best video I have seen on mobile repair ❤ thanks for the gems

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@vmrobles21 Your welcome

[@vanbraxton8422]

Ive been in business for years. Your using automation very well, NOW, the problem is If you get sick, ur business will suffer until you recover, and hopefully you will not be disabled, so you need to start to delegate, hire someone reliable so if u do het sick the company can stll run.😊

[@harveyottotech]

Thanks for the insight. I'm 6 months in to my mobile repair. It's hard right now. I'm struggling to balance how to run a business and drive car count and diagnose and fix cars, and, and, and...🙄 It's hard.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@harveyottotech It definitely is difficult to have a good balance in between all of that but once you figure out a good pattern for yourself, you’re gonna be just fine. It took me a good 68 months of changing things back-and-forth to have a good fit for my customers at a good fit for me to still have a real good work life balance

[@ChristopherRivera4495]

New subscriber great video thank you for taking the time

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Thanks for the sub!

[@Outtahide540]

Thank you for the details and I am now a subscriber. Me and my son are starting a business 2025 in Tennessee. He is the mechanic and I am supporting the startup right lol. Loved the openness with the books and that’s my question for now. What is the I deno fix forum. Not familiar at all.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@Outtahide540 thanks for the sub!! Identifix is from a company called solera. Check you thier site they have a pro site and a diy site. it basically a forum for shops so if there is a certain thing you want to look up you can see if other shops have seen it before

[@glowvid]

Thank you for sharing, helps give me an idea of what would be involved

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

glad to have helped some

[@AjsMobileAutoRepair]

Great content, I just subscribed. Do you wave the diagnosis fee if client decides to get the work done. I don’t, I feel is time already invested and the high cost of diagnosing tools. I like to hear your opinion. Thank you

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Hey thanks for subscribing!! I’m with you there we do NOT wave the diagnostic fees at all. I feel most customers just need to be educated a bit and it usually goes over much better and I gain that Customer for life. I just explain that the reason for the fee is for my 20 years of experience and training to diagnose the vehicle correctly and to do it in a timely manner without issue.

[@NextLevelAutoDiagnosticsLLC]

I live in a nice area and the majority of the Benz & Euro drivers in my area are really cheap. They like to call and try to get my opinion on a fault over the phone. I used to be nice and be helpful when my wife told me to stop diagnosing the cars over the phone. My diagnostics charge remains. Most of my customers have been to 3 of 4 shops and the problem is still there. Great info Ben. Great channel!

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@NextLevelAutoDiagnostics Thanks I appreciate it. I used to do the same. With customers on the phone. I stopped also. I typically just try to sell my self to get the diagnosis. Thanks for watching.

[@MajorGeneralDiscomfort]

I really dig the channel. I'm hoping you get more subscribers so you can get monetized.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Damn thanks!!! I hope so too. Thanks for watching

[@MaxDamage-bh2os]

This is gold!!! Do you service big diesel semi trucks? Do you deliver fuel?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

No on both just stick to basic everyday vehicles.

[@vicpetrishak7705]

I think the service trailer is much more efficient than vans or box trucks . Easier to enter and exit .

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

i have to agree. i feel i can just walk into it much easier then a box truck. thanks for watching

[@MrSuperchargedv8]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC I have a tall cargo van and don't like it much switching back to a service truck...The problem I have now is parking in tight areas since I do a lot of city work/suburban neighboorhoods where parking is limited.

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

I thought about one of those tall cargo vans also but for whatever reason I chose the trailer I like it definitely gets the job done for me, but everybody has their preference. I have some neighborhoods where it’s very tight in the houses are on top of each other, but I don’t usually ever have a problem. I usually try to park it away. That helps everybody not to be blocked or anything like that.

[@michaelgallardo395]

Thank you so much for all this great information. How does tech metric work? I see you get discounted prices for part ? My dad has a mobile automotive business and I think this would be a great way to help legitimize his business a bit better. Thanks! Any advice on work truck looking to buy one soon , thinking ram 1500?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

first thanks for watching! tekmetric is for tracking revenue and customer info like repair history and so on. it is good for understanding your margins for your tickets to make sure your making a profit. yes being a commercial account gets you a discount but these parts houses make it difficult they will most of the time sell the parts to the diy for the same price. trucks it depends what your doing. i had a f150 before my chevy 2500 it was too small couldnt handle the trailer well. so soze the truck for what your pulling.

[@armchairtin-kicker503]

Given a brick & mortar repair shop would simply refuse to release the vehicle from the property if the client refuses to pay, after work is completed, what does a mobile repair do under similar circumstance?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@armchairtin-kicker503 Keep the keys and put a lean on the vehicle same as the shop does

[@jasonhughes-y3q]

At what point do you say no? like if you are sure a vehicle needs a transmission or an engine swing. do you still say" yeah ill do it on the street" or do you send them somewhere else?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@jasonhughes-y3q I don't do big jobs like that in the field i get it towed to my house where i can be safe with it. It doesn't pay to spend an entire day or 2 at someone's home doing an engine. So once my daily route is done i can work on it at home as long as i want so it keeps my day free to make money and see more people.

[@jasonhughes-y3q]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC No zoning issues with bringing them to your home? or was there a loophole you found for your state? How did you determine the trailer size you wanted to go with? what downsides of using a trailer have you found out about that sometimes made you wish it was a van instead? What did you have to do for permits through city/county/state, and how did you find out what permits you needed for each location you worked at? How did you find insurance for being mobile? (this one is proving to be a challenge for me to find)

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@jasonhughes-y3q So being mobile here doesn’t require city licensing or permits. The state if fl department of agriculture we have to be set up with but that is even county by county. The stuff I work on here is my risk but I’m Mobile so the city doesn’t care much. Insurance I found a good company willing to find good under writers to get the policy done exactly for what I specifically do. Hope that helps some. It’s really. County by county basis. And state basis.

[@lukes317]

How do you determine what to set your parts matrix at?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Tekmetric and most other front end software services have a good starting point then you can adjust from there

[@lukes317]

any advice for just getting started? Probably won’t be able to afford those softwares from the get go. How can I price myself competitively but still fair and provide value?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@lukes317 well I’ll give you a quick answer but make sure to tune in soon. I’ll be letting everyone know when I start doing my live stream. I’ll be answering questions like this. But there’s definitely a simple calculation you can do for giving your own parts markup. Just google that on how to do the math. As far as your labor rate, it’s gonna determine by a few factors what are your overall monthly costs divided out by an 8 hour day, that’ll give you the minimum Labor rate. You’ll have to update it from there in order to make a profit. And it will probably change four or five times until you get a nice groove going, especially when you add more expenses in over the years. I have a couple newer videos up on starting a mobile service and how we did last year go check those out and I just posted a long Q&A with a guy in Reno Nevada. That’s starting out and I gave him a lot of information also. But you definitely don’t need those software’s to start. You just need to be able to write it out on a good estimate form which you can pick up at Office Depot that is designed for repair service and it’ll help you look professional while giving a customer an estimate Also, your price is going to be based on your area. You can do what’s called a local area survey meaning you can call around to multiple businesses in your area and find out what they charge and price accordingly but always know that your price is set by you not by your competitors

[@UpWrightRv]

Was it hard getting MOBILE insurance I’m trying to do same thing but rvs can’t get anyone to cover me

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

It took someone that knew what they were doing. I’ll say that my liability insurance is through a company called auto owners. My agent definitely had to make some phone calls and do some explanations on what we were trying to do in order to get it done.

[@steezgodtom]

planning on working out of my personal truck would i need to get commercial insurance or change the registration of my vehicle etc. would i also still be allowed to drive my truck for personal use when im not working

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

You’ll have to talk to your insurance agent about that. My current truck only had gotten turned into a commercial policy because my new truck weighs over 10,000 pounds before that my truck was just on a very high work use policy meaning I had a lot of coverage. But I have State Farm so other companies obviously do things a bit different. I still use my truck for personal things at times it’s not gonna hurt anything according to my agent.

[@steezgodtom]

@ ok thanks for the reply.. paying way too much for full coverage right now anyway, probably going to consult an independent broker. planning on having the truck covered in logos and numbers and what not. under 10k before tools its a 97 250hd with the 7.3

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

they wont account for the tools as weight but the policy might be different as its carrying tools. my truck doesn't carry tools so the policy is just for the truck the trailer is different as it carries the tools so it has 2 policies on it. inland marine and then basic coverage for the trailer it self

[@KasparrTV]

Can you open businesses accounts like with parts stores, with a sole proprietorship? I assume so but I have no clue

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

yes i did at first. i also got my tax id to be 100 percent correct on billing. watch where you buy from keep track of what they charge you . for instance advance auto sets you pricing by how much you spend so my pricing there is not so good compared to auto zone and oreilly. I have a few other places one is called the parts house they are for businesses also. and some of them dont give much of a discount compared to what a customer can buy it for so you will have to watch your markup some

[@JohnDoe-iu5xi]

How much do you end up paying for all your insurances and what type of insurances do you have?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@JohnDoe-iu5xi Thanks for watching I have multiple different types of insurance the truck which is way to much because its over 10,000 pounds it changed to a commercial policy from that so thats about 580 per month. my old truck i had an f150 that was only somewhere in the low 200 range. next is my trailer just basic replacement like a vehicle thats about 15 per month. my tools and everything in the trailer is on an inland marine policy for theft or accident and that's at actual replacement cost at 38 per month. next is my liability. thats 149 per month that covers me driving people cars and working on them incase of accident or fire. kind if like a garage keepers policy a brick and mortar has but combined with total liability. hope that helps mainly to keep cost down you have to be mindful of the vehicle you use. i have someone on tiktok that's bought a box truck and he is having some issues his quotes were higher then mine but all insurance companies are different ive been with stat farm for 27 years so that helps me a lot. if you are opening a mobile service that's awesome and goof luck!!!!! got any other questions let me know

[@jorgebolivar]

11 thousand a Month of overhead for a one man on mobile operation? Is your labor rate fixed to $120 hr or vary per task?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

yes and no. overhead technically doesn't include labor and other certain things typically. In this video i mention it as what i need to clear in order to pay all my bills. including my payroll and what i send to the irs for my w2 tax and my business tax. i have to say I'm very high on my expenses. so that 11k which is now 9k includes every single dollar that needs to go out. i list out all the things i pay for just not the amounts. The software alone for all my programs is a lot. someone can run a mobile service without all this and still be very profitable. but i wanted to be like a full shop and be more professional stand out from my competition and it worked out so far. and yes my labor rate is fixed at $120. the job times always change i use book time through alldata. thanks for watching and asking questions. i like answering and talking to viewers.

[@jorgebolivar]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC Thanks for engage with the viewers and open up on education. When a business is legit operated always yield profit, no questions on that. Be safe out there!

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@jorgebolivar yes sir it does. That’s for the comments

[@scottcarney4541]

​@@jorgebolivar not necessarily, people go out of business because they're being legit. Taxes are so damn high.

[@THE_MOTOR_MAN]

What part of Florida do you service?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Marion county

[@THE_MOTOR_MAN]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC awesome, I'm currently preparing for my start down in Polk/osceola

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Go for it!!!!! That’s awesome.

[@THE_MOTOR_MAN]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC yeah man im super excited!!! Nice videos

[@scubatim_fl]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC Martin County here.. I service Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County.

[@billdrift728]

From my understanding, if you add to, change a part or even spray cleaner or lube, that is now a taxable job. The only time it is not taxable is if you make an adjustment or do diagnostics without adding to the vehicle

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@billdrift728 It might be different state to state here where I’m at in Florida. You only charge sales tax. If you sell something to the customer, even if it’s just shop supplies and you sell it to them, you have to put tax on it. All the parts and the labor. If we’re diagnosing something or even doing a repair and the customer supplied the parts we do not tax the labor only.

[@scubatim_fl]

@@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC as a mobile mechanic with a FL sales tax certificate, this is absolutely correct.

[@GoodCitizen-Alertdrone]

How do you get insurance for mobile mechanic?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Which insurance? I have multiple. I have liability and a type of garage keepers. That covers me working on peoples cars and driving them. Found an agent that could get with under writing to make it happen. I have vehicle insurance written as commercial. And replaced on my trailer and tools. Written especially for what I have.

[@halvorsonmx]

I'm confused as to why you aren't doing a single member LLC then you'd just be paying self employment tax on your net profit. instead of payroll tax and everything else your total tax bill would only be about 15%

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

I am this year last few years i was a sole proprietor because i wasn't dumb and thought i knew better. I still don't know much better but i have a good accountant now. thanks for checking out the video.

[@THE_MOTOR_MAN]

​@3TsMOBILEAUTOMOTIVEREPAIR So if someone is serious about this would you recommend them being a sole proprietor or create a single man llc from the get go?

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

@Motorcycle_Man yes I would recommend the Sole proprietor. Because I feel there’s too many expenses when you become an LLC. For instance, you have to do payroll at that point, and then you have to withhold taxes from your employee and then you have to pay a portion of that employees payroll tax out of business you might not get as many good tax breaks, but depending on how much you make, depending on if you should be LLC or not accountant, that can explain everything to you and show everything to you on paper I chose to be the sole proprietor because way less expense, but I ended up making way too much money so I ended up having to turn into an LLC to help cut some of the costs on Soul proprietor is easier to run than an LLC in my opinion

[@MadnessGetsWrecked]

Did you catch your vacuum? 26:30

[@MadnessGetsWrecked]

Jokes aside thanks for the dope video and being open to a majority of things, and it really helped me understand what it takes

[@3TsMOBILEMECHANIC]

Nope it’s still on the loose daily. That’s for watching!!