GregsHD
Senior Member
I started working at a family run truck/heavy equipment repair shop when I was 13 (20 years ago) started at $10 per hr pushing broom, cleaning shop and assisting the mechanics any chance I got to learn the trade. 3 years later I started my apprenticeship and earned $15 per hr, I got $1 per hr raises quite often as I progressed, I was a learning sponge and ended up being the head mechanic at that shop and earned $34 per hr at 24 yrs old with as much overtime as I wanted. Had full benefits as well.
I saw an unbelievable amount of "mechanics" go through that shop, the most useless were all talk and thought very highly of themselves, plus they usually had the biggest, cleanest Snap On tool chests. There were numerous cocky apprentices that lasted a day, if that as well.
When I moved I wanted to start my own business, so I did. I choose to not do certain grunt work jobs ie undercarriage etc. I keep my overhead low, no $150k Cadillac service truck, no payments, I own everything outright so I can keep my rate reasonable.
I make enough to accomplish what I want and I don't beat my body up for someone else's benefit.
I consider myself semi retired now at 33 lol! I work when I want, for who I want, pretty near living the dream!
I would say the OP wage is good considering the lack of experience. I worked over 10k hard hrs to get through my apprenticeship, learning as much as I could every chance I got. I truly earned that $34 per hour..
I ended up just challenging the tests as I didn't have time to go to the college, just had to have enough logged hrs. Ha for that matter I never went to school at all, I was homeschooled and worked for my parents home business when I was done my schooling for the day.
I learned respect at a young age, it allowed me to learn from the best and succeed, there is a serious lack of respect in my age group and younger these days...
This is all just my opinion, I'm an odd duck, I think and live differently than most people my age. I am not going to work my life away chasing the $$ I'm doing what I want to, while I'm young enough to do it!
I saw an unbelievable amount of "mechanics" go through that shop, the most useless were all talk and thought very highly of themselves, plus they usually had the biggest, cleanest Snap On tool chests. There were numerous cocky apprentices that lasted a day, if that as well.
When I moved I wanted to start my own business, so I did. I choose to not do certain grunt work jobs ie undercarriage etc. I keep my overhead low, no $150k Cadillac service truck, no payments, I own everything outright so I can keep my rate reasonable.
I make enough to accomplish what I want and I don't beat my body up for someone else's benefit.
I consider myself semi retired now at 33 lol! I work when I want, for who I want, pretty near living the dream!
I would say the OP wage is good considering the lack of experience. I worked over 10k hard hrs to get through my apprenticeship, learning as much as I could every chance I got. I truly earned that $34 per hour..
I ended up just challenging the tests as I didn't have time to go to the college, just had to have enough logged hrs. Ha for that matter I never went to school at all, I was homeschooled and worked for my parents home business when I was done my schooling for the day.
I learned respect at a young age, it allowed me to learn from the best and succeed, there is a serious lack of respect in my age group and younger these days...
This is all just my opinion, I'm an odd duck, I think and live differently than most people my age. I am not going to work my life away chasing the $$ I'm doing what I want to, while I'm young enough to do it!
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