Forum Replies Created
- Replies
[quote=”W00DBar0n” post=57408]One of the many reason i stayed out of the auto trade and started doing what i do now.
We have billable hours like flatrate, but we are paid for every hour we work. Basically it means that the company i work for will bite the bullet and lose some money if it takes longer then the quote, we just have to write our time card as a none recoverable lost time for that work order, or do some fancy paper work to even out the hours across all work orders.
And if it is slow(like it is now) we can do “online” training, or clean and still get paid our normal rate.
The autotrade really needs to change the way it works, or its gonna lose a hell of a lot of good mechanics fast.[/quote]it seems that even heavy side has similar sort of thing going on…some i worked with were not so good
looking down on me being from auto side…i left and went back to auto side…in US side things…things are little bit harder to work…much less pay i found
[quote=”coreychristianclark” post=56753]Don’t get me wrong…I love what I do, to an extent.
I mean…I don’t wake up every morning and go, “YAY! I GET TO GO TO WORK!”
But, when I’m there, I’m not 100% miserable.I love the engine work. I love it a lot.
Tranmissions…I’m still working on getting better at.
It’s cool to see how far I’ve come…because I can fix my own car (usually), and modify my own car. I think it’s more respectable than driving a 1200hp Porsche and saying, “Yeah…I just wrote this shop a blank check and they built it for me.”However, I still just feel technicians are just pawns of the engineers. I feel like we aren’t doing as hard of work as they are, I guess…
All we do is fix what they designed.I don’t know. If the career weren’t based on flat-rate, I’d be fine (to an extent).
I’m determined to find happiness in this career one way or another…
My career WILL involve cars. Will I be a tech in the very end?
Who knows…
But, it will involve cars…and I can use the skills I’ve gained and the tools I’ve bought to help me save money in the future.Oh…the other thing I don’t like about this career…
What does a great tech make? Maybe $80k tops? And the salary only goes down from there.
I expect to be topping out at maybe $60k…
Now, I don’t think that’s a lot for how difficult this profession is.So, I will be (maybe) topping out at $60k. That’s before taxes.
Now…think of everything that can go wrong in this business.
You can break stuff…damage stuff…etc., and that all comes out of your paycheck.My one instructor’s son is 21-years-old making $80k a year right now as a worker in the computer science field.
That’s ridiculous. No, I don’t claim that profession to be easier…but I think techs should be making that without having to work as hard as most techs do (14 hours a day in the shop, working in the heat, etc.).
Not only that…he doesn’t really have to worry about breaking stuff and having it come out of his pay. He doesn’t have to worry about the day being slow and him not turning in any hours.
I just feel like I made a bad career choice.[/quote]personally, i know someone in my family and friend that does computer engineering and computer programming for living…..let me tell you…not everything is rosy as you think…i had seen my friend working even after 11pm at his own house…because he didn’t want to stay late at work…whenever they had big project, you would have to put in 14-17 hours just to get their project done. i remember he had to be very creative with time spending with family.
my family: he can rest and play at his work but, as long as his projects are done…you are ok..if not, bye…
i know a friend in washington area that he only works 6 months of the year and rest of the year…he goes racing…nice.
[quote=”coreychristianclark” post=56753]Don’t get me wrong…I love what I do, to an extent.
I mean…I don’t wake up every morning and go, “YAY! I GET TO GO TO WORK!”
But, when I’m there, I’m not 100% miserable.I love the engine work. I love it a lot.
Tranmissions…I’m still working on getting better at.
It’s cool to see how far I’ve come…because I can fix my own car (usually), and modify my own car. I think it’s more respectable than driving a 1200hp Porsche and saying, “Yeah…I just wrote this shop a blank check and they built it for me.”However, I still just feel technicians are just pawns of the engineers. I feel like we aren’t doing as hard of work as they are, I guess…
All we do is fix what they designed.I don’t know. If the career weren’t based on flat-rate, I’d be fine (to an extent).
I’m determined to find happiness in this career one way or another…
My career WILL involve cars. Will I be a tech in the very end?
Who knows…
But, it will involve cars…and I can use the skills I’ve gained and the tools I’ve bought to help me save money in the future.Oh…the other thing I don’t like about this career…
What does a great tech make? Maybe $80k tops? And the salary only goes down from there.
I expect to be topping out at maybe $60k…
Now, I don’t think that’s a lot for how difficult this profession is.So, I will be (maybe) topping out at $60k. That’s before taxes.
Now…think of everything that can go wrong in this business.
You can break stuff…damage stuff…etc., and that all comes out of your paycheck.My one instructor’s son is 21-years-old making $80k a year right now as a worker in the computer science field.
That’s ridiculous. No, I don’t claim that profession to be easier…but I think techs should be making that without having to work as hard as most techs do (14 hours a day in the shop, working in the heat, etc.).
Not only that…he doesn’t really have to worry about breaking stuff and having it come out of his pay. He doesn’t have to worry about the day being slow and him not turning in any hours.
I just feel like I made a bad career choice.[/quote]personally, i know someone in my family and friend that does computer engineering and computer programming for living…..let me tell you…not everything is rosy as you think…i had seen my friend working even after 11pm at his own house…because he didn’t want to stay late at work…whenever they had big project, you would have to put in 14-17 hours just to get their project done. i remember he had to be very creative with time spending with family.
my family: he can rest and play at his work but, as long as his projects are done…you are ok..if not, bye…
i know a friend in washington area that he only works 6 months of the year and rest of the year…he goes racing…nice.
[quote=”jeep72″ post=56672]It’s what you put into it.School is a stepping stone to the next level. I to went to UTI and am glad I did. I now work at Cummins as a Diesel tech.[/quote]
i heard from people that uti grad had to spend close 20-30G…you could have got really good set of tools for that kind of tuition…i paid 4G for public technical college and it worked out fine for me.
it’s just like you said…it’s really depends on you and your own determination and drive.
[quote=”jeep72″ post=56672]It’s what you put into it.School is a stepping stone to the next level. I to went to UTI and am glad I did. I now work at Cummins as a Diesel tech.[/quote]
i heard from people that uti grad had to spend close 20-30G…you could have got really good set of tools for that kind of tuition…i paid 4G for public technical college and it worked out fine for me.
it’s just like you said…it’s really depends on you and your own determination and drive.
[quote=”celticbhoy” post=53845]Although I haven’t had to drop a transmission before or anything too major, I much prefer working on the ground as opposed to working on a lift. I’m 6’3 and lifts can never go high enough haha. I like the fact that these videos are from a “non-lift” point of view.[/quote]
i found that even if you had lift but, if your ceiling is not high enough to lift your vehicle away from freaking bay door…almost no point since stupid shop was built by bunch of crazy monkeys with no brains.
sucks…what is the point it won’t clear your doors…when you are so busy working…
keep taping
[quote=”celticbhoy” post=53845]Although I haven’t had to drop a transmission before or anything too major, I much prefer working on the ground as opposed to working on a lift. I’m 6’3 and lifts can never go high enough haha. I like the fact that these videos are from a “non-lift” point of view.[/quote]
i found that even if you had lift but, if your ceiling is not high enough to lift your vehicle away from freaking bay door…almost no point since stupid shop was built by bunch of crazy monkeys with no brains.
sucks…what is the point it won’t clear your doors…when you are so busy working…
keep taping
[quote=”Superman” post=56026]I work flat rate and we are open M-F. I was offered a $2/hr raise today but he wants me to start coming in at 7am, instead of 8am, and work every other Sat. No big deal I actually went to him about working Sat last weak. But the other thing is he wants me to start writing my own labor estimates. He didnt want to talk much about it today said we would talk more later.[/quote]
what kind of shop is this superman?
[quote=”Superman” post=56026]I work flat rate and we are open M-F. I was offered a $2/hr raise today but he wants me to start coming in at 7am, instead of 8am, and work every other Sat. No big deal I actually went to him about working Sat last weak. But the other thing is he wants me to start writing my own labor estimates. He didnt want to talk much about it today said we would talk more later.[/quote]
what kind of shop is this superman?
[quote=”ChevySilverado48″ post=56172]Dude, don’t feel bad I was about to turn 27 in August and didn’t know how to jack a car up, however I knew what a ratchet was, just didn’t know the sizes when it came to 1/4, 1/2 and 3/8 drive :-p
I am into Steering and Suspension class at the moment, at first after the first Electrical Class (the one where Ohm’s law is drilled in your head) I was feeling a little burned mentally… Not to mention at the time I was working overnights… Anyways… Keep your head up. It is a GREAT career to get into, and since you enjoy it, take it in stride. As techs and especially entry level techs, we are going to get shit jobs for a while, that way we can prove to our bosses that we are capable of doing the harder jobs, like engines and trannys or even electrical (which I actually enjoy btw)…[/quote]
personally enjoy electrical…when i am the only one work on it…when you have other people done butcher Flat rate repair on them…awesome…i tell the shop…get it out of here… 😛 :angry:
just wait in big shop with more than half of guys f-up and few guys left over do the do it right repair afterwards….ahahhahahaha….so sad.
just keep learning and keep pushing forward[quote=”ChevySilverado48″ post=56172]Dude, don’t feel bad I was about to turn 27 in August and didn’t know how to jack a car up, however I knew what a ratchet was, just didn’t know the sizes when it came to 1/4, 1/2 and 3/8 drive :-p
I am into Steering and Suspension class at the moment, at first after the first Electrical Class (the one where Ohm’s law is drilled in your head) I was feeling a little burned mentally… Not to mention at the time I was working overnights… Anyways… Keep your head up. It is a GREAT career to get into, and since you enjoy it, take it in stride. As techs and especially entry level techs, we are going to get shit jobs for a while, that way we can prove to our bosses that we are capable of doing the harder jobs, like engines and trannys or even electrical (which I actually enjoy btw)…[/quote]
personally enjoy electrical…when i am the only one work on it…when you have other people done butcher Flat rate repair on them…awesome…i tell the shop…get it out of here… 😛 :angry:
just wait in big shop with more than half of guys f-up and few guys left over do the do it right repair afterwards….ahahhahahaha….so sad.
just keep learning and keep pushing forward[quote=”ChevySilverado48″ post=56173]One of the kids in my program at a Community College is a UTI graduate… He says he’s gotten a lot more out of the program at the CC and regrets not taking this program first… He feels like he wasted 20 or 30 grand when he could have just spent 5 grand for a program that has a great success rate for employment.[/quote]
uti and other tv trade schools are like private run institution then…i thought they were community college…shoot…no wonder…i remember before i went to school in bcit, i stop by at private mechanic school…hahahaha…tuition was over 10k for 6 months and shop was just awesome…two hoists and 15-20 guys in the place…
end up at bcit with 4G tuition and passion of other people rub on me…that’s history…i can’t believe people buy such bs schools with 20-30G onto it…you could have bought almost all snapon and mac stuff…pretty good set for apprentice.
i will say.[quote=”ChevySilverado48″ post=56173]One of the kids in my program at a Community College is a UTI graduate… He says he’s gotten a lot more out of the program at the CC and regrets not taking this program first… He feels like he wasted 20 or 30 grand when he could have just spent 5 grand for a program that has a great success rate for employment.[/quote]
uti and other tv trade schools are like private run institution then…i thought they were community college…shoot…no wonder…i remember before i went to school in bcit, i stop by at private mechanic school…hahahaha…tuition was over 10k for 6 months and shop was just awesome…two hoists and 15-20 guys in the place…
end up at bcit with 4G tuition and passion of other people rub on me…that’s history…i can’t believe people buy such bs schools with 20-30G onto it…you could have bought almost all snapon and mac stuff…pretty good set for apprentice.
i will say.
