Retired auto techs or left the auto industry what do you do now?

94toytruck

94toytruck

Eastcoast crawler
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
1,142
Loc
Eastern Pa
Pretty simple, I'm 30+ years in, nearly 30 years at a corporate chain shop. Kinda want out but have no real experience with other stuff as a job. Obviously the job entails a lot I do electrical, HVAC, mechanical and hydrid stuff but it doesn't directly translate to much. No one outside the industry cares about ASEs or other auto certs.

I can leave my shop for another but it's like jumping from one frying pan to another these days. I'm gonna be 50 soon so looking to get out before by body is really damaged from it. I've always thought about after wrenching but not really what to do.
 
Went into working at wastewater treatment plant that has better pay, benefits, medical, retirement and paid days off. They also supply all the tools and resources. Just have to be willing to deal with the smell and grabbing the occasional turd with gloves on...

Also not a good career if you bite your nails.
 
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Sluggy said:
Went into working at wastewater treatment plant that has better pay, benefits, medical, retirement and paid days off. They also supply all the tools and resources. Just have to be willing to deal with the smell and grabbing the occasional turd with gloves on...

Also not a good career if your bite your nails
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If you get there early enough and can stomach it you could hit there retirement too.
 
Industrial maintenance. A LOT of the stuff translates over well.

We have a couple guys that came from automotive backgrounds

Edit: I'll say that this is a HUGE range of things you could get into.

I work at a printing/packaging company. Basically everything is inside, we have heat/ac, all our **** is clean and it's easy to work on for the most part. Yes I have a lot of cramming myself into positions and parts of the machine people were never meant to be in, but it doesn't beat me up like working on cars. I've been in it for going on 5 years (no experience going in, just working in the trades as a background)and broke 6 figures last year, in a not very high cost of living area. I do electrical and mechanical. I guess a lot of places you don't do both, there's usually separate electricians and mechanics.
 
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50 is a bit late to start in the trades but I have a couple ex mechanics that work for me as electricians. Depending on what your area is like, I have one friend that went from a tech at the local dodge dealer and took a job as a pumper for an oil company. Pretty much just babysits well pads all day. I always suggest to look at jobs for the city/county/state. I know one guy that had his own business doing security system installs. Got fed up one day and took a job as a operator for the county. Now he spends his days either hauling gravel or chips during the summer or plowing snow during the winter and he loves it. Pay isn't great but the benefits are pretty top notch.
 
Mechanic translates to medical pretty ****in well, diagnostics and hydraulics, the hours and work ethic is a barrier for a lot of people, but crusty mechanics have no issue with that, and you're surrounded by sluts :laughing:




I'm thinking about shifting into electrical maybe getting on with building data centers
 
Left construction to go work at a dealer hoping to become a mechanic in 2010. Couple years there was enough to see where the industry was heading and to know I didn't want want to work in it. Stayed longer than I should have because it was nice having full access to the shop, tools, lifts, etc for my own projects, was there 5 years before I left. Ended up back in construction and then moved into office positions also in construction for the last 9 years. Saw enough of what staying in the field too long did to my uncles physically, the move to an office position very intentional. Has it's downsides though, gaining weight is much easier and it's shocking fast all the muscle disappears when you don't use it every day.
 
94toytruck said:
Pretty simple, I'm 30+ years in, nearly 30 years at a corporate chain shop. Kinda want out but have no real experience with other stuff as a job. Obviously the job entails a lot I do electrical, HVAC, mechanical and hydrid stuff but it doesn't directly translate to much. No one outside the industry cares about ASEs or other auto certs.

I can leave my shop for another but it's like jumping from one frying pan to another these days. I'm gonna be 50 soon so looking to get out before by body is really damaged from it. I've always thought about after wrenching but not really what to do.
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if you are good with technology check with the diagnostics equipment mfgs. one guy i know was a tech trainer for scanners and such. he would go to shops, parts stores training the staff on what the equipment was capable of.
 
Projectjunkie said:
I'm thinking about shifting into electrical maybe getting on with building data centers
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There are a metric **** ton around me. The hard part is finding a place to park the trailer/camper. Locally they're running 12 hour days and the RV parks within an hour are full.
 
It is normal to feel like you don't know any other skills. See that all the time, I feel that way too. But not true at all.

Is there anything you want to do?

We had a guy quite and go work a dock at like fed ex or something, he loved it for about 6 months, but then the hours got spotty and he couldn't make a living.

He went from wrenching to dock work then to truck driving at 55 years old and feels like an idiot for not doing it sooner. Did it 10 years before he retired for good.

He worked himself into a route that he was only working 6 hours a day but getting full pay. Then would pickup saturdays if he wanted more money.

Another guy quit at 56 and went to work as farm help. He said it is kicking his butt physically but he loves the work and will do it until he physically can't

My last one left at 55, he is now working at a meat counter in a grocery store. Doesn't pay as well, but he loves it, not hard on is body and he is a social butterfly so fits him well. But he has also gained 150 pounds since he started 3 years ago.
 
Are you close to the Lehigh valley? Look at going to work for a cement plant. Decent pay, get to run big equipment, lots of opportunities to different things, and generally the pace isn't crazy.
 
RunningProblem said:
94toytruck any way you could become some type of trainer? Go around and give classes on new equipment, or sell tools to mechanics?
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That's what one of our master techs ended up doing. Brand ended up hiring him direct and threw a ton of money at him to teach classes and to go around to different dealerships diagnosing weird one off **** so they could make production changes. I haven't talked to him in years but from what I've heard he ended up fairly involved in their engineering.

That guy wasn't some college educated genius or anything either, just good at diagnosing issues and turning wrenches.
 
RunningProblem said:
94toytruck any way you could become some type of trainer? Go around and give classes on new equipment, or sell tools to mechanics?
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I've been offered a few positions training in the past and declined. Pay wasn't there and lots of traveling. I enjoy teaching though and learning new stuff as well.

speed bump said:
Are you close to the Lehigh valley? Look at going to work for a cement plant. Decent pay, get to run big equipment, lots of opportunities to different things, and generally the pace isn't crazy.
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I am, north end of Northampton co.
 
My dad was an auto tech until his early to mid thirties. Moved up to writing service, and then spent most of his career as Fixed Ops Director over parts and service. He's worked for the big 3 American manufacturers, and most recently left Kia, who he was with for 7 or 8 years. He now is a consultant for a company called MSX, consulting for Mazda on the west coast. He absolutely loves it. Pay is less than he was making before, and he's gone Monday night-Thursday midday, but life has gotten so much better for him. I've never seen him this happy. Auto dealerships have got to be one of the most toxic work environments
 
If thinking about HVAC I would highly advise going commercial. Like big chillers and large units. Find a large outfit and try to get in punching tubes changing filters maintenance work. Residential is a ****show.

Everything these days is crap, you know this. Make it to the warranty and sell them a new P.O.S. Shortage on parts=customers pissed!

Commercial things are still kinda being built to last. New refrigerants are a pain.
 
Ummduh said:
Industrial maintenance. A LOT of the stuff translates over well.

We have a couple guys that came from automotive backgrounds.
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If you go this route try to get into controls. It may take turning wrenches to get your foot in the door but try to learn automation and plc’s. Pay is decent, easier on your body, and in higher demand
 
94toytruck said:
I've been offered a few positions training in the past and declined. Pay wasn't there and lots of traveling. I enjoy teaching though and learning new stuff as well.
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You're probably not going to get paid anywhere near the same as you currently are to change industries. Instead of turning wrenches you're carrying a laptop, and a laser pointer.
 
I am with the fellas suggesting industrial maintenance/plant type of work.

One thing to keep in mind is industrial work pay is biased towards the amount of risk/injury said position presents.

Have you considered doing mobile diagnostic service, sort of getting away from mechanical work and focus on troubleshooting electrical/one off type of stuff that others cannot do?

I have seen where they have a position taskrd with calibrating collision/other safety systems new vehicles come equipped with...

Someone I know has switched to a company that only does mobile diagnostic work, going well for him. Also a career mechanic that shifted gears.
Car/laptop/other diagnostic related tools.
 
RunningProblem said:
You're probably not going to get paid anywhere near the same as you currently are to change industries. Instead of turning wrenches you're carrying a laptop, and a laser pointer.
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Oh I know I'm taking a pay cut. The point is to have a life and not be hammered out after work and enjoy it. Taking less pay for easier work and be home less is kinda not where I want to go.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
Commercial (or residential) HVAC is also another translatable skill. You know the concepts from automotive hvac, and if you know how to read a wiring diagram then troubleshoot a car, you can do HVAC.

That's a route I'm considering.
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This, and if you get good at it, being an instructor at a trade school is WAY less stressful than actually wrenching.

I have a few friends that were HVAC guys (commercial) and are now instructors. They prefer it.

Also also, they run side hustles for locals on the weekends.
 
Projectjunkie said:
Mechanic translates to medical pretty ****in well, diagnostics and hydraulics, the hours and work ethic is a barrier for a lot of people, but crusty mechanics have no issue with that, and you're surrounded by sluts :laughing:
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This is intriguing....

I know a few of the WorldPac trainers (professionally only) and when they are not doing the training side, they are honed in diagnosticians. Like that's all they do, side business, truck and trailer. Seems like a solid gig, but I know many techs that excel there, so that may not be as solid as it seems.

I've looked at corporate training for my company, but it's a set salary and less than a store manager, with no bonus potential (at least within my company). As far as personal finances go, I will need more time before taking that pay cut and going that direction.
 
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