So Why Should You Care About Auto Mechanics?

Obviously, this world needs qualified auto repair technicians. So why should YOU care? You have a vehicle and it will require repairs and maintenance sooner or later. You may complain when the price is high or the inconvenience of being without a car, but rarely does one boast the skill and care that goes into a job well done; the same job that ensured protection for your children in the back seat.

Public awareness to the skills and dedication required of many of these seasoned pros is let’s say… more than lacking. I developed this resource to help promote the good that the auto repair business brings to the world. Surely, every profession has its down side and lack of gratitude so I’m not hear to burst anyone’s bubble. All I want to do is remind people that this business gets more technically advanced by the hour.

Technicians these days almost have to be the equivalent of electrical engineers to diagnose and repair most vehicles but often the pay levels and public perception of a tech is still that of a grease monkey. It’s no wonder that our youth and their parents frown at the thought of becoming an auto mechanic.

This is the wake-up call in case you haven’t figured it out yet: there are too few qualified technicians currently working now and fewer every year wanting to become a so-called “blue collar” automotive repair technician (or grease monkey?).

Here are a few real-world facts to consider when undertaking an auto repair technician career:

• Forced to keep up almost monthly with never-ending technology changes in vehicles.
• Continuously buying tools (often amassing $80k+ over a career’s time frame).
• Having the physical endurance, precision and dexterity needed to work in tight places with dangerous tools and equipment.
• Working for shop owners and customers who demand perfection but don’t always like to pay for it.
• Being labeled a ‘grease monkey’ by your customer – the same customer who just drove away with a repaired electrical problem that no other shop in town could fix. I guess if you’re an attorney and labeled “and ambulance chaser”, then it just goes with the career choice.
• Ability to leave a shop and find a new job elsewhere the same afternoon.
• Some techs make over six figures a year, most top level veterans ones averaging $60k to $80k or more.

If you’ve sense a tone of frustration, you’re correct. Being a technician myself, I’ve been through the wringer too. This industry has been plagued by ripoff artists, unqualified repair personnel and an over-all lack of industry certification and licensing requirements. It’s no wonder the auto mechanic has such a bad wrap and why fewer wish to become one. The industry brought it all on itself. But where do we go from here?

The truth is there are more hard-working and honest mechanics and technicians out there than bad ones. The problem is finding them and then providing the vehicle to tout their praises to everyone else. The best repair mechanics and technicians who “have it” earn a very good living for a long period of time.  They are out there, and I want to help them help you.

This website has a directory database that’s brand new as of the time of the post. It will grow rapidly once the word of it gets out. This directory is not to promote repair shops, but the techs and mechanics who work in them. Why? Because a garage could look like a complete disaster yet employ the best technician in the entire area and most qualified to fix your vehicle. By the way, shops are dirty because cars are dirty so get over it. Don’t let the hype of advertising clean and friendly service bays fool you into thinking “they must be good”. If a shop is that clean, they either have very efficient neat-freak employees or a lack of work to keep it clean – usually the case.

If you have a great mechanic or technician in mind, send them an email here and they will receive a welcome email from AutoTechncian.org on your behalf.