Flat Rate Tech Podcast
If you are an Automotive Mechanic or in the industry this is the show for you! The #1 automotive mechanic podcast! We talk about the good and the bad.
Flat rate is broken. We’re done staying quiet.
The Flat Rate Tech Podcast is the raw, unfiltered voice of real dealership and independent shop technicians. Hosted by a working flat rate tech and the author of Flat Rate Life—the book that exposes what it’s really like to survive in this trade—this podcast pulls back the curtain on the automotive industry.
Every week, we call out the truth behind flat rate pay, toxic shop politics, unpaid diagnostic time, tool debt, burnout, and the constant pressure to “just hit your hours.”
If you're a tech, mechanic, or service advisor who's tired of the lies, this one's for you.
No sponsors. No filters. No corporate polish. Just the truth.
Disclaimer:
This podcast reflects personal opinions based on real-life experience in the automotive repair industry. All names, locations, and identifying details have been changed or omitted to protect privacy. The views expressed do not reflect those of any current or former employer, coworker, dealership, or manufacturer. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.
If you recognize yourself in this podcast… ask yourself why.
Produced By Flat Rate Life Media™
Episodes
219 episodes
The Recruiter Scam: How They Profit From the Technician Shortage
Mechanics are in demand everywhere, so why are recruiters and hiring platforms making money off the technician shortage?In this episode, we expose how third-party recruiters, placement fees, and hiring apps profit from the automotive indust...
ZERO RESPECT FOR LOYALTY: When Managers Feed The New Guy Good Work
Managers feeding good work to the new techs to keep them from quitting, even when they are on a guarantee! ZERO respect for loyalty. When managers do this they are basically feeding the new techs the good work so they think thats the w...
Should I Become a Mechanic?
Should you become a mechanic?Everybody online makes this industry sound like a six-figure dream. Trade schools sell it. Managers sell it. Influencers sell it.I’m here to tell you what it actually looks like.Flat rate. Working for fr...
Desperation Hires, and HOPE
Has your shop manager ever hired in a real scumbag tech? They say "We are a teacher" yet they hire in anyone off the street to join. And all we have is HOPE.Everybody talks about technician productivity. Nobody ta...
The System Works Exactly As Designed
Everybody talks about the technician shortage.But what if there isn't one?What if the real problem is an industry that burns through skilled technicians faster than it can replace them?In this episode, I take a look at the ...
Mobile Mechanic: The Way Out?
Is being a mobile mechanic the way out of this BS and work for yourself?
THEY'RE REPLACING YOU ( AND YOU'RE PAYING FOR IT )
This episode you get the Patreon cut. Subscribe Help Support the podcast. They had this planned the whole time. The technician shortage was a smoke screen for the big VISA takeover. AI can't take our jobs, but importing cheap labor ...
Don't Be That Guy In The Shop
Do you ever ask yourself why you're still a mechanic? I do every day. Today we shoot the $hit. Some real talk and we make fun of mechanics. Don't be that old guy eating Salisbury steak frozen dinners while your project car rus...
Parts Theft
Parts stolen from the factory and also stolen from the dealerships parts employees. Theft everywhere not just from us technicians. Some employees are fighting back LOL.
Don't Be That Guy In The Shop
Do you ever ask yourself why you're still a mechanic? I do every day. Today we shoot the $hit. Some real talk and we make fun of mechanics. Don't be that old guy eating Salisbury steak frozen dinners while your project car rus...
Fords Forums Taken Down, Everything Deleted
All that information and knowledge from technicians around the country just taken away. What did they do with it? Thats what we talk about today. If you haven't got the books yet get them.
There is NO Team in Your Shop, And Training Schools Are A $30k Joke
There is no team in a flat rate shop. And training schools are a joke. Why pay $30,000 to start at the bottom anyways.
When A Mechanic Finally Snaps
Join The Patreon Link BelowThis episode is just real stories.Mechanics.Shop guys.People in the same trade…who lost their shit.
The Flat Rate Effect + Everything is the techs fault
Today there is 2 episodes in one. I been pushing towards getting the YouTube channel going and the episodes have been shorter. I know that sucks for podcasts cause I listen to podcasts all day every day. So soon there will be longer episodes co...
“Sign This or You Don’t Work Here” The Truth About Shop Hiring
Most shops will tell you there’s a technician shortage.But that’s not the truth.The real reason shops are always hiring is because techs keep leaving.In this episode I break down what’s really happening inside the bays. The revolvin...
Your Shop Is Broke And Your Tech Is Paying For It
Most people think independent shop owners are getting rich. The truth? A lot of shops are one bad month away from closing. High overhead, debt, equipment payments, and constant pressure mean many independent shops survive beca...
They Judge You On A Number You Don't Control
Go to my website.They judge you on four numbers.ProductivityEfficiencyProficiencyEffective Labor RateIn this episode we break down what each one actually means, what you control, what you don’t, and why a slow week do...
Dispatch is where techs get paid or played
Go to my website and order the NEW book 'The Grey Mechanic" I BET you can relate to it. Training is a scam. The more you know, the less you make.
When Master Certified Becomes a Punishment
The new book is out "The Grey Mechanic" Link belowThe Grey Mechanic Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKVGDSPMThey tell you that master certification is the finish line.That once you hit that level, the s...
Starting Over Doesn't Scare Techs. Being Wrong Again Does.
Starting over doesn’t scare techs. Being wrong again does. This episode is about the moment when leaving one shop and going to another starts to feel heavier than staying, and why that happens after you’ve been in this industry long enough. It’...
If You Walk Out, Stay Out.
Is your manager clueless about why techs are leaving your shop? go to flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com and click the manager link. Print out the form and put it on his desk. This is what will change your shop. New book is ...
The Only Thing Keeping This Trade Alive
This trade is being held together by technicians who are burned out, under pressure, and tired of being ignored.We’ve talked for years about why techs are quitting.Why morale is dead.Why good people are walking.Why nothing ever ...