What do you hate/love about mechanics?

Where you at, So. side or No. side

 

Why would you need a trailer hold enough oil to do 15pms? Do you see a lot of owner ops. that just can't do an oil change or inspections? You going to cash in on 15pms before returning to the shop in any one day.

Look, the mechanic business is a business just like any other. They can and do go bust all the time. Just cause you have a skill does not mean you can profit off it. Don't believe me, check out how many low milage service trucks are at any one action, and I bet not one of them will have two 300 gallon tanks on them needed to do 15pms on a big rig.

Just like trucking, there are many aspects to the mechanic business one can specialize in. If your looking to cash in on PM just who are your customers. The one man trucking outfit is doing it himself, or hitting up the TA or Speedco where he can do double duty with a shower and dinner. Fleets beyond a few trucks are going to try to hire on a mechanic themselves and keep the costs in house. Now in basing your business off of PMs you have to find just the right customer that has a couple of trucks, no mechanical knowledge, and yet leased his trucks without a service contract. That really narrows the field in any market. In my area I would starve doing that. Bust of luck to you, but you sound like so many of the drivers that get on this forum and think they are just going to get a truck, a trailer and start up a business with no regard to what market there is for that business.

 

Just a little advice here. When you do field service and are done hand the customer a bill. They have the option of saying I am not paying driving off and there is nothing you can do about it. It becomes a small claims court matter. Even if your awarded judgement doesn't guarantee you payment. No you cannot block them in or take possession of the vehicle in any way. I have always been a heavy equipment field mechanic with an incurable trucking habit. Just be careful about jumping through a hoop is my only advice

 

Company I work for had a brand new F550 custom built strictly for PM services. Granted we work exclusively on our own fleet but I agree it is a waste of a truck when it comes to doubling as a practical setup for repairs as well.

 

Have you ever considered carrying a visa machine and requesting a deposit up front for those "fly by night" customers?

 

A guy around me has a made over bread delivery van. He has it set up just for oil changes and pms . He will write up defects with the truck/equipment but doesn't fix anything .

 

I just wouldnt do anything without references or known customers toward the end but my reputation had earned me the right to be choosy. I didn't pick Cooter to be my nickname it was given to me. There is something in that itself. I sold the business last summer I can't work on anything in 500 mile radius or 7 years unless I own it. Course a few I never billed anyway

 

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Sure, large enough fleet can dedicate a mechanic and service truck for PMs thats not the point. The point is this guy has his head in the clouds thinking he is going to sell 15PMs a day. 15PMs in service truck environment is even funnier. 15pms to O/O's out of a service truck a day - Wow, just wow. As analogy, to me this sounds like the multitude of drivers that fleece on to Mega on there way to competing with C.R England some time next year. A bit of exaggeration, but not much.