Schools

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Yeah, everyone definitely has their points. But here's the thing: I've been a truck driver for the last 3 years, and if you wanna know about something that gets monotonous, let me tell you. I think I'll probably check out Ivy Tech, and see what they offer. Thanks, everyone.

Trust me, I know. I have delivered pizza for 13 years and it is beyond boring! That's why I have gone back to school myself and am trying to work on an engineering degree. However, I may cut it short and go for something simpler so I can get out of this lifestyle. I can't stand wasting every night, weekend, and holiday at work anymore.

 

[megaladon6]

They changed the name from Mechanic to Technician for a reason. The new "Mechanics" don't get covered in grease anymore. You learn how to do those old things, but most of the work deals with computers telling you what you need to fix and it tends to be a clean job that doesn't involve any bad chemicals or having to dig deep inside an engine. If there are any bad chemicals anymore, you will be wearing protection against it.

If you get a job at a dealership you will be making a lot of money. You also have to consider how well this job will do if/when the economy goes down the sh*tter even more. People will always need their cars worked on, especially with the decline in new car sales, which means people need their old cars worked on a lot more.

I really don't see another job out there that is as safe as this.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!! that's some of the funniest sh*t i've ever read. tell me, what do you fix when you get a P0171 bank 1 too lean code? yeah sure it's great when you get something like an ECT CKT low code, but you still need to do a diagnosis, not just replace the ECT. or fun stuff like fuel trim, which under misfire conditionss, the O2 reports the opposite of what is actually happening. but you don't always know that there's a misfire. how do you avoid grease or dirt on a car? steam clean it first? fluid leaks, road dirt, spills, etc. mean that they're always dirty. then theres stuff like pulling fuel tanks that just got filled up. myself and every other tech i know has taken a gas showewr at some point. dealers usually pay crap, unless you can bill out 120hrs in a 40hr week. but then they give you the tough jobs (like finding shorts and weird problems) where you get paid for only a couple of hours even though it might take you 12 to fix it. people will always need the car worked on, but they'll only do the minimum necessary which is a LOT less than should be done as PM. that's why the industry is very slow right now (at least in the NY/CT area.)

 

[phaZe]

Over here you can be making a lot of money off working on cars. I know a guy who graduated UTI and is making around $80,000 a year right off the bat. He works at a Honda Dealership and is making bank. He bought a huge house, new car and has a lot of toys to play with and money left over for the basics.

If you actually take the time to find a good location you will make a lot of money for what you're doing, but if you go through and want to do performance engines and body work I doubt it will get you much right off the bat. In Washington you can make almost $9 an hour off minimum wage and most places pay you more than minimum wage. I guess it all depends on location and demand for the services.

...and if you knew the direction cars are going these days, you rarely have to do extensive work. These new cars have so many computers and sensors you pretty much just slap a really expensive computer up to it and it'll tell you either what is wrong or it will give you a good idea.

If you take the path and go to a local repair shop or start your own business you will likely have to work on cars that are new and old. So, in reality, it really depends on the direction you take your career.

 

[2000.malibu.ls]

i think ive got my mind set i want to get 4 years of mechanical/aerospace engineering, and two years at UTI in orlando.

 

[custom442]

Over here you can be making a lot of money off working on cars. I know a guy who graduated UTI and is making around $80,000 a year right off the bat. He works at a Honda Dealership and is making bank. He bought a huge house, new car and has a lot of toys to play with and money left over for the basics.

80 grand isn't that much by today's standards. I was making 500-600$ a week driving a truck this last year, in salary pay that's about 40-50 grand. If I wanted to pursue it I could have bought my own truck and insurance and easily make 80 grand a year. These are jobs you can get in the city classifieds. Some guys are making 40 grand in warehouses at 16/17 years old. If you work half a year on a rig, you can make about 50 grand. I have friends making 100 grand for 6 month commercial ship tours in the merchant marine. If you don't want college there are much better options than auto techs. It's something you do because you really like it, not because of the money.

I don't see myself making any more with a college degree than I would at a regular job because I'd always be looking for a higher paycheck, but at least I don't have to break my back and I can come home and wake up at decent hours.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Over here you can be making a lot of money off working on cars. I know a guy who graduated UTI and is making around $80,000 a year right off the bat. He works at a Honda Dealership and is making bank. He bought a huge house, new car and has a lot of toys to play with and money left over for the basics.

80 grand isn't that much by today's standards. I was making 500-600$ a week driving a truck this last year, in salary pay that's about 40-50 grand. If I wanted to pursue it I could have bought my own truck and insurance and easily make 80 grand a year. These are jobs you can get in the city classifieds. Some guys are making 40 grand in warehouses at 16/17 years old. If you work half a year on a rig, you can make about 50 grand. I have friends making 100 grand for 6 month commercial ship tours in the merchant marine. If you don't want college there are much better options than auto techs. It's something you do because you really like it, not because of the money.


I don't see myself making any more with a college degree than I would at a regular job because I'd always be looking for a higher paycheck, but at least I don't have to break my back and I can come home and wake up at decent hours.

$500-$600 a week is 500*50=$25,000, 600*50=$30,000. I make that now delivering pizza (in 30hours a week) and it isn't sh*t in terms of income. Now on $80,000 a year, I'd be driving new BMW and living in a larger house.

 

[custom442]

$500-$600 a week is 500*50=$25,000, 600*50=$30,000. I make that now delivering pizza (in 30hours a week) and it isn't sh*t in terms of income. Now on $80,000 a year, I'd be driving new BMW and living in a larger house.

😳 my math wasn't the greatest there. My boss owned 2 trucks and made 120 grand a year. After gas and insurance he brought in 90 grand - he's thirty with a house, a new porsche boxter s, and a nice bike (not to mention two 30 foot trucks). The point was an auto tech is hard work for not much money. You can make that in any decent field if you stay in a few years. Or you could make that much with a college degree and sit down in the A/C. Right now I make sh*t for income but have some hefty loans to get me by.

 

[Joono]

Yeah, that's about what I made last year; sadly, with the economy how it is, they've cut out all of our overtime. And there ain't sh*t the Teamsters can do about it. I would hate an office, though; my roommate has a business bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton, and he's been unemployed for the last six months. Working with your hands is where it's at, in my opinion.