The reality of being an auto mechanic
Over the weekend I had a few minutes to sit down in front of the tv, something that rarely happens on the weekends. I stumbled across a show where a guy was talking about why so many auto mechanics are leaving the car business. I don't know who this guy was, but he definitely hit the nail on the head. Every single thing this guy said was spot on and exactly what I see every single day.
I'm a third-generation mechanic, my grandfather owned a Willys dealership, my father owned a service station, and I've been turning a wrench since 1985. In that time, I've worked at a salvage yard, a few dealerships, a couple independent shops, even ran my own shop for about 8 years. Now I'm turning a wrench in one of those small-town garages that work on everything.......cars, trucks, farm machinery, pretty much whatever. I work alone; I can't find anyone that wants to cross train on multiple brands, let alone types of vehicles. But, I guess I like it that way. It's peaceful and quiet in the shop. I have a great bunch of customers that come in every day. Some just to say hi, some drop off fresh baked cookies from time to time just to be nice. On the very rare occasions when I take a sick day, a few of them call to see if I'm ok. I like that, it feels like really be valued as a part of the community.
With all that being said, I really understand why no one wants to work in this field. The pay sucks, there's no benefits, even at a dealership, and then there is the cost of the tools. It's extremely common to invest between $50k - $100k just in tools..........most of which are obsolete after a few years, so that never ends. The reality of being a mechanic is that if you choose this line of work, plan on having a side hustle. Most of us turn a wrench nights and weekends at home. I did it for years, now I just help out my wife at her sewing shop. I don't really get paid for that, but thankfully she makes enough so we can make ends meet. Then there is the reality of the cars, technology changes constantly. Skills that we spend years learning are useless when the next model roles of the assembly line. Then there is the part that no one talks about, this line of work is hard on your body. We all develop back problems and arthritis. Skin problems are inevitable from the oil, grease and solvents we use constantly. Pain is just a constant part of the job, cuts, bloody and bruised knuckles, burns.......that's every single day. Then there is the whole Flat Rate scam. I've never worked in a flat rate shop and never will. It's just another way of screwing the mechanic and the customer.
I could rattle on forever about this, but I won't. All I'm going to say is, If you have a shop or mechanic that treats you right, PLEASE thank them for what they do! It's a tough line of work to be in and we rarely feel appreciated for the hard work we put in and the sacrifices we make.
I'm a third-generation mechanic, my grandfather owned a Willys dealership, my father owned a service station, and I've been turning a wrench since 1985. In that time, I've worked at a salvage yard, a few dealerships, a couple independent shops, even ran my own shop for about 8 years. Now I'm turning a wrench in one of those small-town garages that work on everything.......cars, trucks, farm machinery, pretty much whatever. I work alone; I can't find anyone that wants to cross train on multiple brands, let alone types of vehicles. But, I guess I like it that way. It's peaceful and quiet in the shop. I have a great bunch of customers that come in every day. Some just to say hi, some drop off fresh baked cookies from time to time just to be nice. On the very rare occasions when I take a sick day, a few of them call to see if I'm ok. I like that, it feels like really be valued as a part of the community.
With all that being said, I really understand why no one wants to work in this field. The pay sucks, there's no benefits, even at a dealership, and then there is the cost of the tools. It's extremely common to invest between $50k - $100k just in tools..........most of which are obsolete after a few years, so that never ends. The reality of being a mechanic is that if you choose this line of work, plan on having a side hustle. Most of us turn a wrench nights and weekends at home. I did it for years, now I just help out my wife at her sewing shop. I don't really get paid for that, but thankfully she makes enough so we can make ends meet. Then there is the reality of the cars, technology changes constantly. Skills that we spend years learning are useless when the next model roles of the assembly line. Then there is the part that no one talks about, this line of work is hard on your body. We all develop back problems and arthritis. Skin problems are inevitable from the oil, grease and solvents we use constantly. Pain is just a constant part of the job, cuts, bloody and bruised knuckles, burns.......that's every single day. Then there is the whole Flat Rate scam. I've never worked in a flat rate shop and never will. It's just another way of screwing the mechanic and the customer.
I could rattle on forever about this, but I won't. All I'm going to say is, If you have a shop or mechanic that treats you right, PLEASE thank them for what they do! It's a tough line of work to be in and we rarely feel appreciated for the hard work we put in and the sacrifices we make.
