Why not doing your own repairs will make you go bankrupt.

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by kay_ray, Apr 1, 2023.

  1. kay_ray

    kay_ray Medium Load Member

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    Dealership these days dont hire good mechanics that can look for a problem and fix it. They go for an easy fix and charge premium rate on that.on one of my old truck that was under warranty the stealership charged 1 hour of labor to tighten the clamp on steering pump reservoir when the problem was bad steering pump that was blowing out seals and clamps that i diagnosed. Warranties are only good if you blow an engine ,axle or something major .
     
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  3. OscarGoldman

    OscarGoldman Light Load Member

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    I have had no issues with my dealer in 10 plus years....

     
  4. bzinger

    bzinger Road Train Member

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    1. I'm leased to a carrier that works on my truck for 93.00 an hour .
    2. If I get in a tight spot the bosses check book is open but I've only used that option once in 6 years of being with them and that was for 30k.
    3. At 60 years old I'm no longer capable of taking the physical beating doing my own work ....knee and shoulder issues .
    4. When I'm home I've got better things to do than wrench on the truck .
    5. I need tax deductions .
    These days I change lights and grease the 5th wheel , clean the interior and that's it .
     
  5. kay_ray

    kay_ray Medium Load Member

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    Thats what i do for any major stuff too . But having a bit of mechanical knowledge to change a blown hose,cage the brakes or diagnose and change a blown fuse/headlight goes a long way.
     
  6. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    Seeing how I had payments last year when I worked 251 days I don’t see how it “costs” me any more money just because the truck is in the shop instead of my driveway. I spent my time working on old trucks when I had them, now I’d rather spend my time on other things. It’s nice getting home, cleaning out the fridge, turning the batteries off, going out a couple weeks later to give everything a once over, turning the batteries on, and going back to work.
     
  7. kay_ray

    kay_ray Medium Load Member

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    Most time the shops are out 2 to 3 weeks specially dealerships these days. For a simple fix not everyone can put their truck down for that long . Its pretty convenient having a good shop that can get you in fast and do the work right at reasonable price and looks like you have one of those shops close to your house.
     
  8. DUNE-T

    DUNE-T Road Train Member

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    It's like taking a German car to a dealership when it's out of warranty. Nobody in a right mind does that, everyone goes to independent shops
     
  9. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Another benefit of working on your own junk. Is when ur working on whatever broke , you can get eyes on the rest of the truck and trailer. Take notes on what may need to be changed in a couple months or something to keep an eye on in the future or something else that may need to be fixed right now... Plus while im under here. I may as well grease everything up and top off fluids if needed. Or replace a couple broken zipties or tie up something sitting against the frame, switch tires from winter air to summer air etc etc
     
  10. Ffx95

    Ffx95 Road Train Member

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    All we got now is technicians not mechanics. They plug the computer in and if the computer doesn’t tell them what’s wrong they don’t know what to do. The old school mechanics are dying off sadly.
     
  11. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    I live an hour away from the local dealer and if something comes out while I’m on the road I call them first. If it’s nothing major then they start getting what is needed so that when I get home I can come in and get it taken care of. So far on this new truck everything has been working as it should so I’ve only been in for a couple recall items and some software updates.
     
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