Is it better to become a diesel mechanic or trucker these days?

Mechanic if you own your own shop.


Oil changes alone will make you more than a trucker. 10 of them at $550 a pop and your pulling in $150-180 per job profit your looking at some good money.


This is comparing owner op to mechanic with own shop.

Comparing company driver to employed mechanic your looking at company driver making more as well as owner op.

 

Good mechanics are harder to find than good drivers.

 

Make money changing oil? I don’t think so…..

Shops make good money fixing problems that nobody else can and getting people back on the road fast and done right the first time.

To do that you need experience, training and the tools all in the proper order. None of which are cheap or easy to come by.

Either one can make a good living. Both take a lot of effort and time to perfect.

 

for oil change only? A lot where a truck can enter and exit, $1000 worth of tools if not less.

you can add more tools for easier work like brakes, suspension and others.

I was at a shop 2 weeks ago and all they did was trailer repair and minor truck work. Had over 20 trucks parked waiting.

 

I disagree bud, any shop I go to for oil change is usually a day wait atm. Specializing on one thing can get you a customer base that can be worthwhile for a one man show.


Oil changes are the easiest job on a truck and owner operators will pay a bit extra for no wait time.

 

It’s okay…

Oil changes and PMs are cut throat. Truck stops and lube centers drive the prices to the basement. Professional shops are forced to compete with rates just to get trucks in the door despite providing superior oils and filters compared to a quick lube center. The real profit for shops on a PM comes in the form of repairs found and sold to the customer from the inspections performed during the service.

 

I second that finding someone who can diagnose this current truck technology & get you back on the road with the problem being solved quickly is very rare. Yes you can do it but that skill didn't just come over night.

 

I agree cut throat but more of an issue for 1099 company owners who want price over quality. The shops I know charge materials plus hourly no set price. They figure labor about an hour or that’s what the book says. So no matter the cost they still make labor.

now moving onto to suspension work, I got charged book rate for leaf spring, but the guy doing it did it in 1/2 hour. That’s where the money is.

Owner ops who trust the mechanic doing the work don’t mind paying a bit extra for the quality of the work done.