12 years ago I couldn't be more happy going to work as a mechanic. For the most part I enjoyed just about every day on the job. In the last couple months though I've just lost every bit of interest in the job. I don't know if that's just a normal part of life/getting older or if this is a sign its time to pursue a new career?
I burned out, tired of the same things, same faces, etc. Retired at 59.
That's kind of where I'm at. Just too young to pull the pin and retire lol.
Time for a career change. When I get fed up I plan to try industrial maintenance for a while.
I did the industrial maintenance thing right after collage, ugh, I was plant engineer too, so double ugh. You get tired of working in the same plant day after day, more politics, office nonsense too. We still do a lot of industrial stuff though but all over for different places, and it's a nice mix in with the utility and heavy equipment repair.
Honestly debating about applying at the railway. Always been a bit of a foamer and life is too short to be miserable lol.
There was a guy named Nick Leonian (sp?) who was on the internet once upon the time, and worked in Canadian railroad shops. Also brodiesel who is a member on here did a short stint at the railroad near here IIRC. I think it made them old and grouchy real fast but I bet you could reach them if you tried. I kind of like the hanging-out-a-shingle gig, just make sure you charge properly, hopefully you see what your existing shop charges, try to keep it in line because they charge that for a reason.
I hear that a lot from my buddies around my age. I don’t know the answer. I’m trying the shingle thing. One year into it. Just had my first “board meeting” with minutes and everything, at my CPA. For IRS requirements. Kinda losing my motivation. Hard to get paid and I get tired of hustling work. I tried to pursue a career with the UP in the early nineties. I was lacking six months experience, got on with a Cat dealer instead. Six months later the RR union contacted me and offered a dispatch. But, I was having a good time at Cat. IDK. I don’t know anyone happy at the Alaska Railroad. Extreme politics.
Let’s all get together and start up a strip club.
You think you got labor problems now?
Vetech, I always thought a topless bait store with beer and snacks. All of us would drive a 100 miles to buy a dozen nitecrawlers, just cause...
It’s normal. I even go through phases where I’m just sick of it all, but it passes.....at least it has to date. I’m 57 years old and the only retirement I will have is what I can create for myself. What I have been staring at the last 2 years is my customers retiring. 5 longtime customers of mine have retired with those businesses ceasing operations just last year alone. I feel too old to replace them and definitely don’t have the physical strength and endurance I had even 2 years ago. I’ll keep pushing for now....but I see a change in business coming sooner than later.
I’m all for it as long as you don’t mean us members here have to do the stripping and dancing.... As far as the original question, I think no matter who’s doing what, everyone gets to that point every now and then. All’s you can do is look around at your other options or just put your head down and plow through. No matter what it is you’re doing it’s going to happen at some point, it’s just a matter of how much you can take and how much you need to make...
I’ve been wrenching for 12 years now. About 9 in I burned out. Was at a dealership that was a mess (trying to be nice) and I spent most of my week using a laptop to diagnose issues and do paperwork, not pulling wrenches. A family friend made me a job offer to maintain his fleet of trucks that I couldn’t refuse and I quit on the spot. Only lasted 8 months there, the burnout got worse. Hate trucks, and hate working indoors. Was pretty nervous going independent. Been on my own almost 2 years and it definitely was the change I needed.
Im 63 and freedom 85 is getting closer by the day. I know how mean about getting tired. My shingle has been hanging out for over 30 years now,its getting pretty faded.
I've been the journeyman for a long time. I've run five different shops and was working as a service manager for a dealership for about a year at that point and hated most all of that time. I saw a need for machine inspections and pitched the idea where I was working. They of course said I was worth more to them as a manager so I pitched the idea to another dealer. They said yes as long as I was not their employee. It didn't take long to see you can't make a living on just that so I did repair work as well. Then I started getting calls about wanting to know values, so I started looking for some training for that. Joined a professional society and have been learning new things every day since. Every day is something different. I draw social security now so don't have to work the usual minimum of 40 billable hours a week. Five or six days a month is plenty. I have my aches and pains but I'm not tied to an easy chair. My advise is to look at the gray areas on your tree of skills for other limbs to crawl out on. If you can work on yellow iron, you can work on nearly everything. But maybe you don't always need to do manual labor. You will have a wealth of experience that people will pay for. In the mean time, take a long vacation as soon as society starts opening up again.
FWIW I suffer from tiredness far more when I'm not working than what I do when I am working. Maybe that's why I'm now on my 3rd retirement..... Do I need counselling.?
More than likely You need counseling but I doubt it has anything to do with retirement
I dont like my job the worst part is i dont have a boss. If i had a boss here that would help out when something needed to be figured out it would be alot better but the owner is not that guy. Its very hard to almost impossible to find parts now days. I spend more time on the phone than i do working.I need a fuel tank the easy button was spend 3 times the money so thats the way i went with. The KW parts guy said they had one in the warehouse so i could have it in 3 days. 4 days latter he now dosesnt know when he can get me one. Its no problem to find another job here but is it going to be any better? If i was younger i would try the RR. I worked in a Rail car repair shop and knew several guys that work for the RR i know its not the same every wear but i have never heared anyone talk bad about it.
Probably have to run it by hand until we could afford some girls....
I can see the marquee... The Full Service featuring the HEFendales.
I know a baker been at it five years until yesterday started throwing pies, another guy running a septic pumper he started liking the smell after five years will never change his job. Everyone either really likes or really dislikes their job--either way if one is out of work and hungry they will gladly grab a brush and start cleaning toilets and some will start to like it even for a meager amount of money-hunger has a way of changing most peoples minds.
If i had a job were i didnt have to order parts ,do so many things that did make scents and got some days off i would work for alot less money.
I think it’s normal to get tired of doing the same job every day unless you can find new challenges and keep learning. That’s really tough to do as a mechanic because most jobs become very repetitive if you work at the same company for a long time. I’ve been fortunate to have a good base of customers but I also see many of them retiring . I think that’s ok because I always complained I had too much work to do and wouldn’t mind winding things down. More time for the grandkids.
One of the things I like about being a mechanic is that I rarely do the same thing twice. When I started wrenching it was maintenance and pm’s on a truck fleet which was good because I had little experience and it wasn’t a high paced job. Had time to mess around and learn how things work. Eventually I got bored and moved on. Being an independent mechanic I rarely work on two of the same brand. It’s hard to become an expert in anything that way but it helps to become a very well rounded mechanic.
I think Truckshop has found his man. LOL
Not me. I have grown to hate working on trucks and truck drivers wear me out! Nothing like unwanted help and unsolicited advice.
I agree. I love trucks but really not interested in working on them anymore. Not unless its mine lol. Don't even get me started on drivers hahaha.
Could NOT go back full time shop mechanic. Not enough money to draw me in and too much arthritis to be much value at it now. Tech has taken over but hard part wrenching still exists, no mechanical mechanism is faultless where new is Not always better. Local JD Dealer has been asking if I need to work, several roadies around here have offered positions and I said NO unequivocally to all. Not sure I wouldn't end up punching some drivers/operators in the mouth. At this point in life I retired from mechanic full time 20 years ago, just my own crap since that point and is enough to keep me weaned away from actually trying it again. Burnt out on power station next as got stupid of Requal testing and inane Fire Brigade training requirements. Wanted the staff trained as full time fire fighters not just initial brigade members. Tests occurred every six weeks, when got to that level of trickery to instill failure levels to meet quotas by outside regulatory concerns became too much to deal with.
im sure we’ve already been a part of this scenario- I’ve got the hood up and I’m looking at something on the engine. 2-3 drivers are behind me all offering suggestions on what is wrong and how I should fix it. I need a tool so I turn around and the crowd has to part to let me out. I head for my box. The crowd closes in around the engine. I get a tool and return. The crowd parts, lets me in, and closes in behind me all while offering new suggestions about why I’m wrong and they know what the problem is. Nope. Not going back. I can feel my blood pressure rising as I type this. I’ll take a crappy day in the woods wallowing through mud any day.
Of course two things you have to keep in mind. 1. I get paid by the hour to do this 2. If it was fun they would not have to pay me to do it
Burnout for me was in inverse proportion to appreciation. Suggestions for improvements, or polite observations of shortcomings were not only not met with thoughtful consideration, typically they were met with hostility. As to age, I am now looking back at over forty years of various jobs associated with heavy machinery and repair, including some time in tugboats and also industrial manufacturing. None of it was of any real value in my opinion, I was just a warm body that could have been (and often was) replaced by the next guy in coveralls. So yeah, some of you I hope will look back with pride and fond memories, but for me, not so much. I honestly couldn't tell you what I would do different if I had the chance to do it over again, except maybe change high schools before they put me off going any further, technical school would have helped, especially engineering I think. hydraulics. Most memorable parting of the ways, with an owner that had told me a couple years into the job, that the shop had never made him a dime, it was just a drain on the company. Five years in after some real shakeups and growing pains he came to me in my shop office to complain, and I quote "****'s not getting done!". I calmly informed him as to the why and wherefore of it which did not satisfy him at all. "You have a bad attitude!" he sez. I just smiled a little and said "Craig, I didn't come here with it." End of story.
Best one I had. One driver had his fan coming on constantly one day. Him and another driver were following me around the shop, suggesting checking the A/C, coolant strength etc. Didn't say a word in response, just walked around the front of the truck. "Its plus 15 Celsius out, you don't need the ####ing winter front on" while removing it from the grill. The reaction was priceless when they tried to come up with reasons I was wrong.
Lantraxco, I had an equipment stupidintendant tell me one time my bad attitude was causing problems for the other mechanics. Ok, we'll see. So I started calling all the other wrenches to apologize. Not a single one of the 15 new what the hell I was talking about. Next day I caught him in his office, with one of the vice presidents, and apologized. Told him I had seen the light, and now I was back to being a team player. He just smiled big. Then I told him from here on out I'm playing for MY team. And I did, no more free extra time, no more trying to help him do his job. And I lived happily ever after...
I have been burnt out a couple of times. It was the industry that I worked in (road construction). And the last time I quit working on heavy equipment for 3 years. I don't much appreciate being treated like I'm company property and to sacrifice my family time to make other people's bad decisions look good. When working in construction my skills weren't appreciated and I was just a means to an end. I now work where my skills are appreciated. The one problem I have is when you are the man that can get it done. Then you are passed up on promotions. Nowhere have I worked wants me to train the next generation and that's frustrating for me. I am getting to a point where I'm not wanting to work as hard as I used to and training someone would be ideal and beneficial to the company. They just expect that when you walk in the door you should have all of the skills that I have. I only have these skills from experience and learning from my predecessors mistakes. Although I like where I am working now. I feel the burn out coming. I feel that if my skills are only appreciated because I make them money. And if they aren't needed to train the next generation to make them money. Then it might be time to keep my skills to myself and buy a service truck and exploit my skills and take them with me into retirement. I have the means to get that truck but I am not confident enough to jump in. I have customers wanting to hire me on the side all the time. I wouldn't steal work from the company that I work for and turn them down. I do however try to offer my services on anything that my company doesn't service. But they balk at what I charge by the hour and my minimums. That doesn't boost my confidence to venture out on my own. It's a vicious cycle and I think any and all of us get burned out. I am now putting my trust in God to get me through it all. And to let me know if I need to buy that truck. That is what gives me the strength to make it to the next day. The grass is always greener on the other side, but more money and different atmosphere doesn't always make it better. In the end you are the one responsible for your own happiness. Money and different employment will not change your heart. It's merely a distraction from the inevitable of not having inner peace. Good luck and I certainly understand how you feel. I wish that I had some profound advice that would give you the piece of mind you are looking for, but I don't. The only profound advice that I have and I certainly understand the criticism and sarcasm that comes with it. Is to seek God and ask for that peace.
Working for somebody else I think a big factor is how they treat the employee's and how everybody gets along with one another. It's a lot easier to get along instead of always looking over your shoulder. Of course there's always one who likes to try and make him self look better by complaining about other employee's. A good foreman or boss will see right through it and tell them to worry about their own work and not someone else's. A good boss is also someone who's easy to talk to and will switch things up if employee's are getting a little bored with something. When the boss likes the suck ups or is always on your case is when you need to start looking elsewhere. I'd take a cut in pay for better working conditions any day. You can put up with some crappy jobs when you're at least appreciated.
Mike L, all the respect in the world to Truck Shop, to each his own. But I have found that nothing rolls off the tongue as easy, and feels so good to say, as FU*K trucks. And for the most part, I have found the only thing in the world dumber than a truck driver is 2 of them...
Paul, I’ve only been on my own for 21 months. Took a leap of faith and tried to keep my debt low just in case I failed. Once I bought my truck and loaded it I spent probably 10 days just riding around in the truck and introducing myself to anyone who had equipment. A lot of days I would get hired on the spot. I did not go to any customers of the dealer I previously worked for. BUT- word gets around. And my phone started ringing. From a bunch of the dealers customers. A bunch of them were sick of the dealers prices and some low quality work among other things. Now I didn’t steal them away directly but I’m not dumb and I’m not passing up work. My name is mud at that dealership and if I need Info I can’t call them and ask. It was refreshing to be my own boss and make my own decisions. I schedule work when I want and if I need a day off I take it. I still bust my ass to keep my customers up and running but I’m not owned by anyone. If you’re thinking of making the leap and have the means- then what’s really stopping you? With a major shortage of mechanics in America there will never be a shortage of work.
Mike, I will most likely take that leap of faith. I have been doing this for a long time and the one thing that I have learned is. It doesn't matter if you are a dealer and have access to all of the secrets. They are plagued with parts changers and the customer knows it. A few things are stopping right now. I have some debt and would like to take care of it first and I don't want to spend what I have now to get debt free. I figure in about two years I would be debt free. I like you want to do this with little to no debt at all. The other thing stopping me is the taxes. I don't have a f@$king clue of how to avoid getting into trouble with the man. Nor do I know the tricks used to write of expenses to keep my income from being taxed into the oblivion. I have done some homework on the subject, but the only thing that I learned is. Most anyone in the tax business doesn't have a clue either. You can ask 10 tax preparers the same question and get 10 different answers. My dad got hung up with the tax man and owed a million. He eventually beat it down to 10% of what it originally was. I really don't want that headache. I want to fly right and rat hole as much money as possible until retirement. Stay tuned and I will let you guys know if I have a pair.
I’m still learning the paperwork end of this business but what I did was buy quickbooks and watch some YouTube videos. Then I had a trusted family friend recommend an accountant. Is he the best? Probably not but he handles my taxes and if I have a question about money he’s only a phone call or email away. Also before I made the jump I had pm’d a member who’s not on here much anymore who is independent and asked a bunch of dumb questions. HEF has been and I hope will continue to be a great resource.
Been a wage earner all my career. But I know, the only way to keep more of your earnings is to be the owner. Our gov't system is all about the wealthy and connected. They have the political connections to get the tax and business rules to benefit them. They have the political connections because they contribute to their election. I'm retired from wages now, but have a small business that produces a small income (not enough to live on) yet produces a much larger tax benefit. I'm using the rules set for the powerful, though I'm a nobody. A few current observations: ...The trade unions supported Bidden yet he canceled the pipelines and banned drilling, throwing thousands of union members out of work. Who controls the unions and benefits from this ? ... The renewable energy industry is taking money from the gov't and individual consumers. Without the tax benefit, most installs aren't profitable. My electric bill has a "renewable energy" surcharge. Why am I subsidizing the wealthy through taxes and wallet? ... Electric vehicles get $7,500 tax credit , while areas suffer rolling blackouts due to electric shortages. Who benefits from electric vehicles ?
Boy's There isn't any Of This **** that's really rewarding-Let's get real about this subject. Any of you notice I don't comment in any of the So Called BiG term YELLOW IRON threads. You know why? I worked that years ago , 215's, 225's, 235's, 245's, 953's 963's, D6, D7, D8, 570 up graders, Ingersoll and Raygo but that crap is so obsolete there is no reason for me to post. Oh yeah working in muddy slop, fingers, toes about froze off plus some smart ass hard hat wearing operator knows it all except which end of the grease gun to use. Just as bad as working trucks and being around drivers. All full of **** right up to their brow. Worst are farmers they always come in wanting free information, don't ever want to spend any money to have someone else repair it, Something for nothing. I had a farmer some years back bring his truck to the shop just for me to look at {Fu@king arrogant know it all, he could fix anything knew everything} BC II engine constantly huffing blue out the stack he was just sure as hell his kid had screwed up changing the air filter and dusted it. I stood there listening to it and noticed no real blow-by, then I noticed something else. It had at one time a ether start. I asked him pointing to the 1/8" grease Zerk screwed into the aftercooler did you do that? Oh yeah he said-I needed to plug it off. I then turned to his 17 year old son and asked him have you been coupling the grease gun to that? Yes sir he said dad told me to grease every fitting. And how long have you been greasing that fitting? Two years was the reply. The dad embarrassed as all hell rips his kid a new one. I stopped him-maybe instead of being a cheap ass you should have bought a pipe plug for it plus explained how to grease and do maintenance to your son instead of yelling at him. It's your fault he was only doing what he was told-DAD. I have dealt with all kinds worked all aspects of repair. There is dumb asses everywhere you go, dip **** bosses, and dishonest dealers or companies at every turn. I have had 28 jobs in my life, I learned early on it's reason the tool box has wheels. I was notorious in the last town I lived in, if someone got in my face they better be standing 6 feet away out of range. I had a boss that that thought he was pretty tough-I hurt him really bad. I've never regretted it.
Truck Shop, I whole heartedly agree with everything you said. Whether it's trucks or yellow iron there's always a expert telling you how to do your job and what the problem is going to be. I personally don't like to work on trucks for. For one the truck shops around here pay crap wages or flag hours. Flag hours are great if you been there long enough and kissed enough ***. But usually you starve and the service advisor will figure how to screw you on your rate. And secondly I think they are harder to work on. But I will work on anything if you are paying me what I want. For me the worst customer are automotive. They are cheap!!!!! They don't want to fix dick, and they think that you will build a engine for beer. Plus they blame you for everything that goes wrong with the car after you worked on it. I had a guy blame me for his muffler falling off after I changed his starter. I will work on anything but someone's truck or car. F@#k automobile owners. I will clean toilets before I would even look at someone's car if I needed money. (Would make more money too)
Ide be happy to school you on the necessities. There is another here that has been "thinking" about it also
just reinforces my statement about this place being a great resource. Guy once told me “you don’t need to know all the answers, but you need to know where to find the answers.
Yes, no doubt about that. Great, helpful people that have more knowledge than a service manual.
You make good friends here also.
I agree
Just don’t trust Dmiller. LMAO
I agree 100%. My response to most questions - "I dunno. RTFB (Read The F'kin Book)." When asked (like Mike L) why i don't have all the asnwers in my head - "All I need to know is where to find them or who to ask. That's the difference between me & you. My head isn't full of useless information which enables it to be far more efficient in diligently searching for the information that I DO need at any specific moment in time."
If you'd ask my wife. My head is full of useless information. I told her from the day we met that I know everything, I'm always right, and nothing is ever my fault. She's tested those statements over the last 13 years. And I rarely lose. She's slowly coming around to the idea that I am always right and I know everything, but she won't subscribe to nothing is my fault.
Sometimes what you think is the most useless information is the most valuable to someone else. I worked in a shop with a guy that was from the UK. He wanted me on his trivia team because I knew who Captain Scarlet was. Nobody else had a clue. There's stuff I'll kind of remember from the past when it's brought up and on another forum I've been called out because all I know how to do is look stuff up. If I didn't have some recollection I wouldn't have a clue to where to look it up. I tend to remember things from a long time ago a lot better that things more recent.
Be satsifed with two out of three and quit while you're ahead is my advice. There are two rules in our house. Rule 1 says I'm always right and Rule 2 says in the unlikely event of me ever being wrong refer to Rule 1.
Kind of like, I'll believe you this time but never lie again.
My take on going the lone wolf service truck route, charge just a little less than the stealers, but a little more than most of the competition. Make sure the quality of your work is well worth your prices. NEVER drop your rate. Don't discount. If you feel the need to give a customer a break, drop an hour here or there. If customers get the idea you will work cheap, first off, you will ALWAYS have to work cheap, and some of the better customers will avoid you because YOU don't believe you're worth more, so why should they think your quality is top notch? Lot of human nature involved. Charge fair for travel time, cleanup, research, parts ordering, parts trips, etc. Don't work for free. Don't overload your schedule, especially at first. Pick your jobs. Let the cheap guys take the nasty crap, hold out for the good jobs with good customers. Somebody has a machine down emergency and wants you to work a weekend, add 20% or whatever, make it clear up front. Then take a day off midweek to get some rest. As far as taxes, lots of different ways to go, but I take a percentage (mine is way different than yours will be because I do mostly parts sales and manufacturing) of all my receivables and split it off into a separate bank account, then have my bookkeeper do my quarterlies. Adjust your percentage as needed. At the end of the year if you owe a chunk more after the quarterlies, next year bump them up. I file with Turbotax and try to make sure my numbers at the end are in the green range of businesses my size in my type of business for profit and expenses, makes audits a lot less likely. Expense EVERYTHING you can, and plow money back into the business for assets, tools, equipment, etc. If it ain't making you money, don't buy it. Buy used when it makes sense, let somebody else pay the depreciation. And expense it all in the year you buy it, forget depreciation if you can. JMHO, YMMV
I've always pondered the idea of going on my own but honestly I'm not sure I'm quite at the skill level needed to be successful.
100% agree lantraxco
I hear that a lot from guys wanting to go independent. I don’t think I’m much smarter than average but My work ethic is above average and mama didn’t raise no quitter. I am stubborn to a fault and refuse to give up.
I can't let the machine beat me. Maybe its because I'm in the industry and I see how many independents are already out there. Seems a little intimidating to try and carve out a piece of the market for myself.
I've read some of the advice you have given on this forum. And I think that you could make a go at it. If you have never worked in the field then I would do that first. In the field you have to make what you have work and be able to think out of the box. As for being efficient will depend upon how well you can troubleshoot. I haven't had a customer complain about how long the repairs take. But they will certainly won't have you come back if you wasted their time and money swapping parts. And self motivation is key. No one is going to make sure that you get up and go to work. And no one will drive you to finish what you started. If you can do that then you have what it takes. Everyone here knows that there are more parts changers than skilled mechanics. And the customer knows it to. That is motivating me to make the leap of faith. Customers want their equipment fixed quickly and done right the first time. It doesn't matter if you're one of the big players. It just matters if you can do it right and do it now. I think that I am selling myself on the idea even more.
I guarantee there’s a place for your skill set out there. Charge a fair rate, under promise, over deliver, and you’ll have more than enough work to stay busy. It only takes a handful of good customers to keep one mechanic busy.
If you are good at what you do, honest with your customers, do what you say you'll do, show up when you say you will, and most importantly have good communication with customers, you'll do just fine. Don't get me wrong, EVERYBODY has a story about some cheap ass know it all no paying SOB, you figure out real quick who you'll work for and damn sure who you WONT work for ever again.
My dad had a customer that stiffed him for 10k. We went and found his dozer and removed the tracks until payment was received. The customer called the sheriff while we were removing the tracks. Sheriff wouldn't let us leave with the tracks because we didn't sell him the tracks. But he didn't say we had to put them back on or near the machine. So we off loaded them on the other end of the field. Since this customer had burnt many bridges he had no one to put the tracks back on. He finally paid my dad and asked him to put the tracks back on. My dad cashed that check and never answered his calls again. My dad had another customer stuff him on a engine he built. That engine was repoed with cutting dikes and a gas axe. He got that payment and was paid to install it back. Can't do stuff like that anymore. The deadbeats have more rights than the honest working man.
" I don't know, but IO know where to find out" The exact words I used to a boss after he made the mistake of asking the shop "expert " and getting ten minutes of the guy hum-hawing. This was aircraft instruments, I wakjed him over to the Ohver haul manuals and said this is the fount of all knowledge.
Well said!
Have researched projects over to a fault, will go back and review what need to in process of a project then ask of those I know have more knowledge than I as to what ifs and admit to it. Know not everything do Not wish to know everything and am a font of seemingly worthless information that at times has had benefit for someone else.
This X 100 If your waiting until you think you know enough, you will never do it. Right on spot!
I did it but did not put all my efforts towards that, had I done so would still be working as retirement would still be distant financially. Thirty years ago was hard to make enough to pay the bills, would still be trying to catch up or be inundated as was coming after I left mechanic. I see all too many overwhelmed by volumes and no one else approaching to take off some load.
Some helpful advise to those of you thinking about it. Keep in mind I had NO advise when I started and flew by the seat of my pants.......so consider this a jump start if interested. 1. The most difficult part of making the decision to go self employed is exactly....MAKING THE DECISION. I was no different than you, I liked the steady paycheck, the bennies, paid vacation and sick. My biggest problem was I had no where else to go......topped out in pay. Is it scary......of course it is, but its scary working for a company that doesn't value you plus the constant fear of a lay-off or firing. I decided I wasn't going to leave that in someone else's control. I made the jump when I was 27 years old with 9 years experience. 2. I had a good customer base of my own while working for the last dealer. They didn't contact my service manager, they contacted ME directly. I thought about self employment for 2 years before I did it.......How did I get that push I needed you say? I told EVERYONE of my customers that I was going self-employed. I didn't ask for their work, I just made them aware that I was no longer going to be at the dealer. You know how many of my customers called me when I started up? EVERY ONE OF THEM. You are not stealing work if they are contacting YOU. 3. I had 6 months of bill money saved before I started. I bought my first truck and paid half down. I knew that it would take some time to get my customers set up, get the truck set up, get the office system efficient where I could do it, and to also wait on receivables to come in. The first 3 months is the toughest.....but if you have money put back or bills paid forward, you wont look back at that point. 4. Get a CPA as soon as you start. The IRS loves new businesses and if you do you taxes yourself, your just begging for an audit. CPA performed taxes are 20X less audited on average. Ive been self employed for 30 years and have never been audited. 5. You HAVE to be diversified in this business if you are self employed. There will be economic situations that will curb one or more parts of this business constantly. I have customers in oil and gas, dirt construction, highway and paving, building construction, county government, and dirt pits. Regardless of what the economy does, there is always one or more of them that are not effected. This carries you through those tougher times. 4. DO NOT SELL YOURSELF CHEAP! If you have heavy experience, price yourself within 20% of the dealer rate. If your good and treat the customer right, you will have to beat them off with a stick. Customers want quick service, but they want value and a proper repair. Make yourself available 24/7 when you start off.......yeah I know that sucks, but you have to put yourself where you are willing to do whatever it takes to make that customer happy. It will greatly benefit you in the long run............then you can pick and choose jobs once you have a solid base. 5. I have gotten "taken" many times, IT HAPPENS. Its money I lost due to not having policies with new customers. I had to implement certain "rules" with new customers. All new customers that contact me get a free quote on the repair they need. If they approve I demand 50% up front before I turn a wrench.....and the other 50% upon completion. If they are not willing to do that.........WALK AWAY! This is the first red flag that they cant afford it. Learn from bad experiences and adjust your protocols going forward. 6. Do not be afraid to ask for your money. You earned it..........do NOT let customers stretch you. If you do, they will always do it. Have a firm pay date and stick to it. 7. Check and see if your customers will require insurance and what those requirements are. The insurance is expensive, so you have to make sure that the work you do for those customers that require it is enough to cover the cost of the insurance X 10. I have found that companies here usually have the requirement, but they also will "skip" that if necessary to get what they need done. My suggestion is to have the insurance the first 2 years. 8. The object of the tax game with our wonderful government is to not show a profit. You HAVE to spend gross profit dollars to keep your net taxable as low as possible. WAYY to many ways to do this that are perfectly legal which I wont get into right now. Its possible to live like a KING and be "BROKE" at the same time. Remember, the government will be in your pocket constantly and they modify the tax laws literally every year to gain more income from working folk........this again is why having a CPA is very important! 9. Don't panic if work gets slow because it will. Always make sure you have money set back. Use that slow time wisely to make other business contacts and check in with customers you may not have heard from in a while. Believe it or not, they are impressed when they feel like you are available and actually give a dam about them and their business. Enjoy those slow times with your family. 10. And lastly.......TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE LITTLE GUY. I don't know how many times my smallest customers carried me through bad economic times. The Big companies look out for only themselves and when things get slow they don't "need" you. Your small companies can relate as they are in the same boat as you. They want to see you succeed as much as you want to for yourself. In closing LOL.......I could write a book on this, and the above is just a few main points of many as you learn in this business. For me, when I started it was all about the money. But after 30 years of self employment....its more about FREEDOM and being your own man. To be honest, I would have it NO OTHER WAY and have never looked back.
One thing I found is that once you are putting all the repair and parts money in your pocket instead of the living wage you get from your dealer boss your net worth increases dramatically. Yes you have buildings and equipment but when you’re done it’s still yours. I figure I would have had to work 30 years at the dealer to get to where I am on my own in 12 years. If bill working for dealer makes 100,000 a year and has 60,000 living expenses he has 40,000 to blow. If Jon working for himself makes 200,000 a year and has 60,000 living expenses he has 140,000 to blow. That’s without the tax difference of bill paying 30% personal tax and Jon only paying 13% corporate tax. Plus all your tools and equipment are a write off. These are just rough numbers but you get the idea.
Well said Vtech63, great job putting that all together....can we use your business model for the strip club??
Ill check with the boss/wife
Agree that you should never feel bad about asking to paid for work you did. Taking money up front requires you to be bonded. This is where a lot of people have been taken by so-called contractors. Not saying anyone on here is a bad contractor. I think a better policy is progress payments if it's a big job. I lawyer could help with this. I think being a mechanic involves some specific parts to the contract such as who buys parts. As far as what to charge, you should be able to find out what the going rate is and be close to that. Undercutting can give you a bad reputation. Don't sell yourself short. When I did landscaping I needed to raise my rate and my dad said if people complain about $40/hr. they're the same people that would complain about $35/hr. so why not get a little more if they're just going to complain anyway. Also worry about the jobs you have more than the jobs you might get or don't get. You're not going to get them all but some customers may wait until you can get to them.
For some reason I don’t think the strippers are going to tolerate the wrenches, prybar javelins, and f-bombs being hurled at them daily. Also hitting them with a hammer to make them work again is not only aggravated assault with a deadly weapon but also against employment laws.
Our strippers are going to be gorgeous, athletic types that could beat a perverts ass down if necessary. All we have to do is sit back and watch the entertainment.....one way or the other. It’s a win win!
Well, the first thing we need is a location for the club. I’m thinking something islandish to draw tourism dollars. After doing a search, I believe I have found the perfect location. What do you guys think?
Nice little Atoll
My buddy "Roid Rage" went from being a full time bouncer to club owner. You think you are tired now? Try employing super-hot wimen that know they are super-hot and want to be paid for being super-hot. It's fun for awhile, but it won't be too long until jumping off a very tall building looks good.
Athletic beats skinny every day of the week. Pass. I hate flying. I'll take a boat trip though so long as I'm surrounded by bottles of rum.
You make a lot of very good points here. I will add one. The dealer rates are covering, health, welfare, and retirement funds, besides wages, overhead, and profit. Make sure you pay yourself a good wage. And then take as much extra profit as you can and put it into a retirement plan for yourself. This is the one step that many fail to fund while self employed. With the tax deferred plans available today you can stash up to around $100,000 a year. At some point you will want to retire and the best way is to do it well.
As I posted before, the tax laws are set to advantage the wealthy and powerful. There are tax advantages to have your "company" provide benefits to "THE" employee (you). It may include some sort of retirement plan. Ain't that grand... the gov't wants you to save money for retirement. And gives you a tax credit to do it. My employers didn't have a retirement/savings plans without some $$ benefit to them. Remember, the wealthy & powerful have tax professionals to keep them between the lines and in front of the iron bars of prison. You need them too.
Employers love deferring wages into retirement plans. After all, if it is pre-tax there is no workers comp, nor is there a SSI match on the deferred funds. There is a huge saving to a corporation realized by only a keystroke on the computer and a bank transfer to a different fund. And the employee whom defers all he or she can wins also.
This is bad because I was a Teamster driver and a IAM truck mechanic but....what's the difference between a teamster and a puppy?? The puppy quits whining after six months On the other subject of getting burned out , those of us in northern climates i.e. canuckistan.. always seem to get really disgusted this time of year after the 438th time you get a nice slushy, salty deposit in your eye, ear, or laying in the snow/slush out in the yard because some f##ktard can't get his brakes to release, but trucks/transportation have given a lot of us a pretty good paycheck/benefits and used to be a pretty fun club to belong to before they implemented al the new rules and regulations and sucked all the fun out of it..That being said, I am also 57 and after 34 years of this crap, my body hurts every day especially in the cold and I can't wait to pull the plug, and it's getting close......
Forgot to post this last night but it makes me chuckle when I think about it..When I started wrenching on trucks many moons ago I was the youngest guy in the shop, was a sponge for knowledge, and was full of **** and vinegar...Now I'm the oldest guy in the shop, soak up beer like a sponge, and **** vinegar..
Years ago I worked is southern Florida and there was a topless donuts shop. It was in the same shopping center as a strip club.
Only plain donuts?
Those filled donuts are hard to carry along with two mugs of coffee on a nude only beach. Takes a real man to carry a dozen donuts.
Who would be eating donuts and drinking coffee on a nude beach? It would probably be the odd one out fully dressed worried to show the world what he doesn't have.
In my admittedly limited experience, most nudists are the ones that should not be
I just read where Coos Bay was starting up a nudists colony.
Its never the kind of folks you find at spring break parties lol.
Really bad idea, the local women drink beer at the beach, salt air makes them swell up like blimps and when the wind blows they get sand in their Schlitz. Not a pretty sight
Sounds like they have a personal problem.
wonder how you keep the gnats off at nudist outing
LOL @ this thread
Same thing with leggings and yoga pants, most wearing them shouldn't be.
Most are like seeing two full grown racoons fighting inside a cotton mattress cover.
Butt looks like two polar bears fighting.
Yoga pants....the best AND worst invention ever!!!
Yup, some should be clad in a Burqa regardless of religion!
Funny thing is----------------80% of women are not looking at you guy's with a gut and plumbers crack saying {OH Baby}. It works both ways and the ones on the Sandals ad {Stop Dreaming it is not going to happen not even a chance}. A bunch of Charlie Browns.
It does work both ways. I think the message is that people should have some awareness about what they're wearing. The teenagers wearing their pants really low is another good example. If you want attention there's better ways of going about it.
Much of it is fad. Then you have the identity/lifestyle types. Such as the construction worker that wears safety colored shirts and jackets 24/7, they want people to know their occupation and crowd they hang with. Same for the one in the photo below-identity/lifestyle wants everyone to know he's a Harley biker. But really what does a Harley represent? IMO it represents the American motorcycle. How it ever got tangled with looking badass, lowbrow or representing P.O,W.'s well any number speculations could happen out of that. But a person can own a Harley and still be presentable riding it. It's kind of like young guy's wearing pant's low in the butt, they want you to know they identify with gang bangers. Wearing a hat backwards that just tells me that person sticks his head in the plate when eating his beans and weenies and doesn't want the bill in the way. Silly
Yeah I do not fit molds, lifestyle types or wanna be any particular except not note worthy to research any deeper. Work boots or Sneakers, jeans, basic pocket T Shirts and yes 60s dumpy gray and sour facial features. So sue me!! I do not fit any identity seeker just a Old Mechanic and Older Industrial worker. Have a Goatee as am a Old Goat'ee, and got tired of the beard look I had thirty years ago. Normal Haircut, At one time Gal Friend talked my into a pony tail Long hair, got wound up in a creeper wheel end of that. See the poor P'sywhipped jamokes with "Man Bun" hair do's good for them, makes them appear as P'sywhipped or worse. Common terminology Saddle horn for 'Cowpoke Rides' or saddle horn so his partner can hang on, etc etc.
With a lot of people you mention motorcycles and they automatically categorize them as the Hells Angles or another gang that are up to no good. I have an MX track and there are a lot of business owners and very successful people in all kinds of different jobs that ride but because it's motorcycles they get a bad rap. Oddly when they have a monster truck show or something and have the little kids on 50's ride around, everybody loves them. A dirt bike rides down the road and people complain but quads seem OK and nobody cares if it's a snowmobile. The guy I bought my land from caught a local kid riding in one of his fields. The kid shouldn't have been there but didn't cause any damage or try to get away. He called me up because the kid said he knew me. He didn't want to call the cops because a lot of farmers have quads and ride on the road. You can't have it both ways and farmers get a pass for riding illegally on the road. The steward of the natural area was trying to blame me for people riding illegally in the natural area. He even suggested people are coming to the track and then going down the road to ride in the natural area. I said I should be helping the problem, not making it worse. I said nobodies going to drive out to the track in the middle of nowhere so they can ride in the natural area. It's locals that are doing it and nothing to do with me. He even suggested he could start a petition to close my track. Not likely, the land was rezoned specifically as an off road vehicle park. You can't blame me for an pre-existing problem.
Man buns, what the heII are they thinking! Just saw the story below looking for something else. I agree if a teacher assistant is uncomfortable with an attractive student, they're in the wrong profession. B.C. dad angry daughter’s turtleneck and dress outfit was deemed inappropriate for school | Globalnews.ca
Most of it is terminology that is obnoxious [Man Cave-stupid, Man bun stupid, Man this Man that. Along with the identity issue goes the language issue of trying to sound in the age. Everything is worth researching. Didn't aim that at you dm and not going to sue, but Why is it people go to length to look tough when they own a harley, it's not really done with any other cycle brand. Don't shave or shower starting on Wednesday for the ride on Saturday. Pew.
I worked with a guy that had a real nice Harley touring bike but he was growing a goatee and always playing with it, wearing Harley shirts and the chain on his wallet trying to look tough or something. I don't get it, must be an image thing but if you have a Sportster you're not worthy.
When are you guys giving relationship advise? LOL
I do wear leathers(Weather and Safety) generally have a Harley Labeled hat on(Have a 3X Melon Head and the ones they used to sell fit well), wear boots but again more for safety but the batheing part, I shower at LEAST daily on the road, road grime just Nasty HOWEVER, wearing same jeans for two or three days was not below my capability. Was just kidding on sueing TS!!! Creede CO, 2012 ride out there, and NO was not riding under a Helmet, Ballcap stayed on Just Fine. RGU slick air stream and could ride I-70 at 75 mph bill forward hat never tried to lift. And YES I am a OLD fud. Wife took photo, our friends/Co-worker other side of me.
Nothing wrong with wearing leathers when riding. The idiots in shorts and short sleeved shirts are in for a world of hurt if they go down for whatever reason. Road rash is painful. I'd take being a little warm and wrecking a jacket over road rash any day. I personally would never ride without a helmet whether it was the law or not. You never know what might happen and some people in cars have a real dislike for motorcycles.
Well my next item of Identity/Lifestyle is going to be about people dressing up in garb that's dated to 1880. Cowboys and a two gun rigg'in. LOL
My advice: No relationships. Eventually you pay all women to leave, one way or the other. Only honest ones give you the price up front. They're talking about making that legal again here in OreeGone.
For the most part I don't think relationships are worth the effort. I'm usually much happier when I'm on my own. I've lived through 2 major natural disasters. First thought each time as crap was hitting the fan was thank **** I don't gotta worry about tracking down a wife and kids.
I'm a big fan of boobs and 'giners , but the rest of that machine is broken...There's not much I can't fix but that's one of 'em
For you fellas that need a guide.
https://i.ytimg.com/an_webp/bbpGkrV...N7i5YEG&rs=AOn4CLDV51DTfUB_qTVyKt8Rl9vu755Uew The full gospel ^^^^^ I have obviously forgot how to post a video.....***?
My advise--post more videos.
classic!
I wonder if it was legal every were how it would affect how woman act and think and how it would change men.
This thread has certainly gone full circle ... but I have enjoyed the read
Take a look at Japan... as I understand it, for Japanese men only thank you, it's a walk in service available as a regular business, and they typically have a nice catalog listing available servicers. Or so my Japanese coworkers a few years back led me to believe. They were amused at the idea of being arrested here for paying for it.
There is something to be said for Soft Small Slender Females being amorous/affectionate without ties to males.
This is a old joke Guy gos to Japan on a buissness trip and gos to see a hooker there going at it and she starts yelling"gama sul"he dosent know any Japanese so he things every thing is going good. The next day he gos to play golf and one of the Japanese hits a hole in one he starts yelling "Gama sul " Gama Sul' the Japanese says "what the hell you mean wrong hole"