Tired

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.

Mike L said:

When I started wrenching it was maintenance and pm’s on a truck fleet which was good

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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.

92U 3406 said:

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.

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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.

Mike L said:

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.

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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 said:

Not me. I have grown to hate working on trucks and truck drivers wear me out! Nothing like unwanted help and unsolicited advice.

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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.