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
214 episodes
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 ...
When “Professional” Really Means Shut Up
“Be more professional.” That’s the line. And it’s bullshit.Every time technicians speak up about unpaid labor, flat rate abuse, or unsafe pressure, the same word gets thrown at them.Unprofessional.In this episode, I talk about what ...
NEW YEAR. NOTHING CHANGED
It’s a new year.Same shop. Same pressure. Same lies. Labor rates went up.Budgets went up.Expectations went up. Your pay didn’t.They changed the wording.They call managers “leaders” now.They hang balloons, push culture...
We Were Lied To. There Is No Future
We were lied to.We were told to work harder.Buy more tools.Stay loyal.And somehow it would all work out.This episode breaks down why being a good technician was never enough, why flat rate keeps techs unstable, and why there...
The Promotion That Never Comes
Dealerships love to talk about “growth” and “training” for lube techs.What they don’t talk about is how many of them never leave the lube rack.In this episode, I explain why so many lube techs are promised a future that never shows up.<...
Starving in a Billion Dollar Building
Techs starving in a billion dollar building. No work. No hours. No pay. Meanwhile the dealership flexes its giant showroom, overpriced labor rate, and “look at us” bullshit while the guys in the bays are wondering how to pay bills on five hours...
Super Tech Scammers and the Managers That Protect Them
Every shop’s got that one “super tech” everybody’s supposed to worship. The guy who somehow turns 90 hours every week, never gets comebacks, and magically has every gravy job routed straight to his bay. Yeah. That guy. The one who games the sys...