I just DIY on my own cars, and I give massive respect to the pros. I can't imagine doing that work all day every day. Incredibly tight spaces, brittle plastic parts that just snap, all the specialty tools, etc.

You get burnout real quick turning wrenches all day unless you really love it and even then most of the time compensation isn’t there to make it more tolerable

I quit 3 years ago from being in auto industry for 12 years.... Now I sit in ac and program ecus bcms and repair them.... Its life changing from how I was treated... I hope dealers and shops start valuing their workers because it's getting thinner...

Apply for forklift company’s, take home van. Starting at $35-$40 a hour , I just took an offer for $40 a hour.

Heavy equipment as a lube tech pays about double. I wish you the best Justin!

Wish you the best man. The honesty and transparency is refreshing.

Straight facts! You couldn't have explained this industry and its workings any better. ❤

I quit shops long time ago and went to ride parks as mechanic like disney and universal, better benefits and pay over $30. Now I do diagnostic repairs as fun on my time off

Thank you for serving our country for 17 years!

I just left a dealership after just under 2 years to work for a tire shop. One upside was I had almost all the tools I needed right away. Another is like you mentioned the pay, I know I'm getting a base pay no matter what as opposed to the up and down of flat rate. Good luck with whatever you do going forward!

Come to HVAC / refrigeration commercial, it will change your life like you’ve never seen before. You’re rewarded very well for your hard work.

We always need medium and heavy truck mechanics in the field. I will never go back to being a full-time auto technician.

I feel your pain Justin. The mechanic/technician shortage gonna shake up this industry.

I've been a mechanic for 26 years I Finally opened my own shop I would never ever sell my tools unless I was desperate but then I Would just Stay desperate because I wouldn't have tools to make a living the reason I've spent a couple $100000 on tools over the years $800 a month between snap on a matco For 15 years was so that I could make my own living for myself someday and always have the equipment to fall back onNow when I'm When I'm in a pinch for a tool I'll go to Harbor freight or sometimes I make them. I see your point it's a hard line of work. I didn't graduate high school I started working on cars when I was 16 I charged a $150 an hour from my time. To each his own sorry to hear you're having Hard Times but I would NEVER sell any of my tools. Unless Unless it was something I have not used and have no need for and someone else does and is willing to pay me for.

Keep your head up Justin , hope you push forward and come out on top. Im glad to say ive paid off all my tools a few month's ago and only buy maybe 1 tool every other month. Ive been blessed to pay off my truck last week. Made more money last year than i ever have. Also this year looks good. But alot of long days. Prayer's for you and your family for good health and success. I believe in you.

I also walked away from the industry after 40 yrs, my body is broke. Got rid of almost everything

You should consider becoming an aircraft mechanic. The four major carriers start their mechanics at almost 40/hr and five year top out is almost 70/hr. Flight benefits and great medical. Minimum tools will get you going. I’ve been a tech for 24 years. There’s a lot of techs retiring and there’s a need for more. Glad you’re making videos again. Good luck.

You’re an inspiration man and I love how you express your struggles . We all have them and we all go through these rocky times in life . With kids life is 5x harder. Good luck to you man I’m in the same spot .

Keep up the videos bro, you were one of the first people I seen wrenching years ago. I gained confidence to try diy jobs from listening and watching your videos. Stay strong 💪🏻

Wrenched for 30yrs and got a bad back out of it and it sucks.Retired now and I’m very happy now.

What you are going thru is becoming more and more common than it should. Yeah, I know we don't like to be in this position. Justin, you always been able to pull through as a true warrior. Yeah, I do still think about you and wish you the best always. I'm glad to be able to see you here. Hope for a good opportunity opens for your truly. God Bless you, my man.

Dude, I'm stoked that you are uploading videos regularly again!!! We should hang out again soon. Keep the videos rolling and of course keep on keeping on 🤙🏼🏝🍻

Dude, you got this. Have a positive outlook and you will achieve those things that you are destined to achieve. Nobody said life was easy and not fraught with pitfalls but if you're strong enough - you will prevail. Hang in there and your path will be made visible to you shortly.

Awesome work brother with the explanation on this conversation. It helps alot of people that hasnt had the opportunity to work this field. Awesome discussion 👌👌👌👌

It is a whole lot of things that are evolving right now. Mobile Technicians are becoming more and more a viable option. No shop cost. You keep most of the profit minus Insurance of course. Harbor freight is your friend with the affordable Jack and Jack stands. Go to someone’s house and do a break job and make all the profit.

I remember I started community college in 2009 with basic automotive. We got handouts from some of the big name tool trucks for starter auto tech kits. It was somewhere around $5-8k with a student discount. That was insanely gut punching.

As always Justin, a very personal and honest video. Thanks for sharing.

Quit automotive after 8 years, went to heavy diesel and am never gonna look back. 2 years into diesel and am making double what I was in automotive.

Should look Into HVAC. The best techs that I trained have been mechanics. I have a two month course this September. Your welcome to attend no charge.

As a fellow mechanic of almost 10 years i hope it gets better. I gave up the thought of having a family because it's such an upside down field.

Great video!! Thanks.. i am gonna share this video with a 17 year old youngster that wants to be a tech. I've been wrenchin since 1987 as a transmission tech. 8 years ago I started doing general repair. I've spent over $60.000 in tools on top of my transmission tools..

4:27 that ❄️ 🔥 huh

Hey dude, just keep pushing. You might want to try San Bernardino City Police department. I always see that they're hiring and that it's maybe not the hardest department to get into.

Try joining a school district as a mechanic. They provide all the tools you need. I work for San Bernardino School district and the district buys everything you need to fix the vehicles they have. And they pay $38hr with full benefits

that part about the scan tool stopped me cold from ever buying snap on again

Thanks for keeping it real with us

Awesome brother don’t get discouraged

One thing I can tell you is that you’re a lot more informative and interesting than most people who make a lot of money doing KZfaq full time. You could probably crank out “top 5 tools you need from Harbor Freight” and “top 10 things every white belt should know” type videos twice a week and do pretty well, lol. People love that stuff. I’d watch it 😆.

$1,500 set of Craftsman tools (w/breakage guarantee) can do everything a $6,000. set of off-the-truck tools can do for a lifetime. Forged steel is forged steel, skip the 24k gold tools. Use the tool properly and it won't break or get buggered up anytime soon.

I've been working on cars for 11 years. I love learning something I never knew before every day and never knowing what im getting myself into. Heck, the other day, I did a 3.3 hr oil pan R&I on a Ford. The engine and transmission had to be separated to fit the pan back in 😂

Former Marine infantryman here...Semper Fi Leatherneck keep ur head up!

I work at Costco in the Tire Center as a Michelin Tire Technician and make $29.90 an hour. But I had to be with the company for over 10 years to get that amount. It's not upon being hired as most people think. Plus the store has there own tools. I don't have to worry about buying tools which is a plus. Less to worry about buying tools. I work on everything from Tesla's to other EV's. The experience I get from that along with programming is a plus.

Wrenching was always an ends to a means for me personally. Being a Mechanic is tough work and you have to master HVAC, Electrical, Welding, Machining, Programming and Diagnostics which are all independent jobs outside of being a mechanic. I finished school and moved on but I kept all of my tools and it is fun to do it as a hobby these days. I started to hate it as job. I think once you get established being an LEO you will find your love again for wrenching. Fire Service and the Medical field pays my tab now (Fire Medic and RN) but I love working on my Harley’s and Jeep. Keep knocking on the door and you will find a spot as an LEO. Good Luck.

I respect this video on so many levels keep ya head up dawg and keep pushing 💪🏾❤️💯

Been a casual watch for a long time. Can’t say any of this is surprise to me. I mean that without judgement, just an observation. We all see hard times, we all come to crossroads at one point or another, we all see hardship, financial or otherwise. One thing I will not do is sacrifice my children’s well being, or way of life at the expense of excuses and ‘soul’ searching. I hope you figure it all out sooner than later.

Thanks for the video... Keep pushing dude.

Bro, you're doing the things that make a man a real man. No regrets.

I’m a mechanical engineer. It’s all about material properties. I buy my tools at Walmart and Harbor freight because I understand that quality is not determined by its price. Understand that tools are tested and passed quality testing. Also, it depends on how u use it. If u treat it like it’s your last tool then it will last forever.

Dang dude! Semper fi!!!

I remember when I first started getting tools I had to get a dented craftsman box and craftsman tool from sears (socket sets for $10) this was 30 years ago

Hope it all works out,and you can do what you want to do.Been in maintenance of some form most of my life,and I am burnt out on it.But its what I know,wish you the best and thanks for all the great videos.

Glad to see you back on youtube again. Where are you at now? Thanks and hang in there!

Dude Justin, good to see you posting again. Thanks for being so honest in your videos. Have you looked into working for a fleet? Usually set hours, pay in the $30-$40, your only customer is the business of the fleet. I moved from automotive into fleet work years ago and it was one of the best decisions. Hope it works out 🤙

Very interesting video and as a former dealer tech, I get it! If you are open to it, real estate companies love mechanics because they are trainable and can handle various trades work in relation to buildings. I’m a building engineer in Raleigh, and the job has been easy to learn and your day is alway different. I still kept my tools to do side work on motorcycles (another industry for car guys to go into that is easier on the body)…Semper Fi devil!

LOL, yeah people can be nasty Justin!! The coolest thing I saw for me was when I still was a Tech at a Buick Dealership, we had the Head DEA agent in our area bring in his new Park Avenue and he wanted Cop lights installed, he brought me the whole kit and left the car with me, during the process of installing the lights I had to get into the trunk, when I opened it up there was a ballistics vest, a M16, an ammo can of 5.56, a 45 auto and shoulder sling and a couple of boxes of .45 rounds!! When he came in the next morning to pick up the car he Nodded and smiled because he knew I saw his arsenal!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Brother, you're still married, raising children, served our nation. You are doing more for our future than so many of us. I ask God's blessing on you. That He opens a door for you that's a great fit!

Try getting into heavy duty fleet work. It’s been my experience that bus companies city transit and motor coach will hire guys from the car side. I’ve seen them hire guys with no tech school and no experience and pay them pretty good, our C techs start at like $28.

I'm glad you picked big o cause I use them and love there Bigfoot tire series! Good job on the video brother!

There is nothing wrong with you. Your growing as a human being. You honestly look healthier than in the past and very centered.

Dude, take the expressway and become a mobile wrench, there are always people stranded on the side of the road. A friend of mine is doing it and works whenever he likes, makes a decent amount of money and feels great helping others.

There is zero reason to buy anything from the tool trucks. Don't fall for the hype again that paying 10x more than reasonable alternatives like Tekton and others of that level (including ICON and some Pittsburgh) is worth it. The tool trucks have priced themselves past anything that makes any sense at all. Don't be a chump for them. When a mechanic or DIYer can pay 10-20 % of the tool truck prices and get 75% of the quality, that is the smart move.

This is terrible I am sorry for you brother, God bless you and your family

I feel you man, I'm going through a job/life transition right now too. Fortunately I got a decent severance so I can take some time to think about things and figure out next steps. But it ain't fun! I thought I was going to be at my last job until I retired to be honest. Leaving it was a real curveball.

🙏🏿 I’m praying for the best for u brutha

thanks fr answering this question lol

I completely understand your situation . I had to step out of wrenching on a full time basis about 2 years ago. I enjoy wrenching buy it is a cost. The shop owners are there to make money and techs are their tools who they use to make that money. I've been there, paying child support which had me working 90 hours a week for years. When that obligation was paid in full, I was ready for a break. Now I'm raising 4 girls on my own. I sold almost all my pro tools for reasons that accommodated my situation. In your area, you should look into industrial mechanic job or even maintenance for big property management companies. Some pay you high wages I know schooling & training is something nobody wants to start over doing but plumbing pays good, HVAC pays great with the least amount of physical stress or even being an elevator tech is a high paying job. Just some things to look into. Sometimes changing directions takes time but it gets you to the point in life that you want to he in

hey man I feel for you, Im in riverside county and I have family in the sheriffs department and the best way to law enforcement at your stage is to apply for guard at the prisons and to work up the ranks there or transfer into a street deputy after a year or so once they see your worth. Guards only make $1 less an hour then a beat officer, it is super safer and the benefits are the same my cousin is about to retire at 55 and is going to make more in retirement then he did working. Oh yea, they are desperate for help.

Harbor freight tools cost 40% of tool truck tools. Savings accounts exist, you don’t have to pay 60% more so that you can get get the premium back when you sell the tool.

Whats up brotha! I dont know about your area , but where im at service managers and maintenance supervisors are coming in close to 100k per year. Less strenuous on your body. Look into some of the big companies , ryder, penske, frieghtliner

Go wrench Brother and make content your a natural at both whether you like it or not, it seems you have a good family at home to support you as well, so live your best life while tolerating the little things you may not see yourself pursuing in a perfect world but are the best fit for you. Peace to you and yours!

Exactly 💯 correct about the tools and the Trade.

100% agree on resales of tools. I go to garage sales and estate sales. Harbor Freight tools no one wants. Snap-on is 1/3 to half if nice.

How about a county job like mechanic or state job...or water district... They have pensions!

I feel like it’s definitely hard to transition to another industry. I left being an automotive mechanic after 5 years and jumped back to being a factory mechanic. Better pay and benefits and I don’t hate my job anymore

Nice vid but But ya shocked me with wage bracket in cally I live in north east and make about 150k a year over 50 and hour flat rate. Our lurbe guys make 20-24 and hour hourly. Didn't know it's so bad on west coast.

Justin I wish only the best to your future! Big O at least provides you a paycheck.

yes. you did answer a lot of questions.

I could see you teaching at a local CC for automotive with your background. Have you considered becoming a smog technician?

Good breakdown and explanation, what a challenging industry. Wishing you the best man!

Have you considered working for a forklift company. Work van is provided and you take it home and you don't need much tools.. best of luck

This is the damn truth. I did HDR and equipment engine overhaul for 15 years. I now move and install medical equipment across the country for the same take home pay as the HDR. I feel like I make more than double now not having a tool bill over my head. And I never even got the $20k snappy tool box.

I got tools I never used but plan to keep them for life. Stuff comes in handy when you eventually need that one socket or wrench in the set. I DIY everything I can.

You are well spoken. One of the phone in technical assistance services would probably hire you. I don't have a clue what they pay.

Yeah, im a factory mechanic now. I was a car and heavy truck mechanic for 23 years. Dealers, gas stations, and fleets. I never knew I could get a fleet job with a pension. Wish i did. I could be retired already. Instead now I spend all my money on medical bills instead of snap on. I feel your pain brother.

Have you thought about joining a diesel fleet? Hourly pay and most PM. Praying for you and your family

Hey Justin you made excellent choices bro, i have a family as well, keep up the good video content 👍

I've been watching you since near the beginning of your channel. Go fleet. For a mass transit or school district. You'll make atleast double minimum wage in CA, most are Unionized and won't have to play the flat rate game or deal with shitty shops. And you don't need that many tools since 70% of the work is "inspections" or "preventative maintenance". I used to be a european line tech and now barely touch 10% of my tools beyond a basic socket set and wrenches. And I was outfitted to work on Mercedes,BMW,Mini, Audi/VW, Porsche, etc. So those other tools haven't been touched in awhile, But I still keep them so I can pivot back into European if I wanted to change it up. And stay out of DEBT. Staying clear of debt for years was key allowing me to save up money. With money, I now have options. I can move anywhere, put a down on a house, pay for large purchases in cash without leveraging debt, or open my own shop when I'm ready to take the risk.

Don’t feel bad brother, I’m a concrete finisher. I feel exactly the same way.

20 years at the dealer as a driveability tech and the entire industry has changed so much man. I opened a small shop at home about 12 years ago, and specialize in Honda and Toyota. Plenty of work to turn away the junk. It's tough, but not like the stress that that dealer brought man. Those places sucked the life right out of me. I made some of the best money I've ever made, and not even close to making that now after everything is payed, but I absolutely don't care. I'm living, and sometimes if I want something, I just have to wait and save for it. Best of luck moving forward man. When I left the dealer I'd been at, they told me I was making a mistake, and they had people standing in line for my job. Turns out they were right, but all those standing in line couldn't get it done. Turns out close to 100 years of experience quit that same dealer soon after. Seasoned, awesome A techs that could fix anything walked out because of the demand they put on us. I'll bag groceries before I set foot back in an automotive dealership. Hope you land something and make millions dude.

Glad I do shipping and receiving for a commercial refrigeration company that builds custom vessels. Started at $20 less then two years later I make $25 an hr top out at $30 an hr then have to go salary. Work 45 hrs a week weekends off have full coverage and retirement two weeks vacation and 40hrs of pto. Never went to college just worked in factories. Only debt I have is a car payment that’s paid off in 20 months.

Brooo I told you lots of times just get your class A you’ll get it like 6 months and you can get a local job, you’ll make more money and way less stress, don’t have any dui or accidents?? Your good to go man, you don’t need to do OTR either to get experience just do like Robertson or something crappy until you get experience like 6 months to a year, you’ll make more money and less stress just trust me and do it

I recently sold my ICON ratcheting wrench sets. Sold within hours after posted them.

U should look in into a fleet mechanic. I made the switch after 8 + yrs in the auto dealerships and two independence shops. Im now a hourly HD tech for a beer distributor. Work mon - Fri. Off weeks with health benefits and tool reimbursement program with the company. Also receive free beer from time to time one Best decision I made. it helped me rejuvenate my drive to still keep wrenching.

Have you thought about getting your CDL? I work Mon through Friday 10 to 12 hours a day and average about 85k a year. You can’t smoke the wacky tobacky, so beer and whiskey is your friend

Do not go back into auto mechanics, take your mechanic skills to a different field, like industrial. No one that works on a car should be paid less than $25/hour and master techs should be paid $50/hour minimum, salary pay. A 2 year Registered Nurse makes more money than that.. Go look at any dealership's mechanics and what they drive, 98% of them are driving 20 year old shitboxes because they can't even afford a car payment. Tells you all you need to know

I turned wrenches at a small repair shop for five years or so after going to a training school, using my GI bill which was a joke.. went to a tire shop for another five years while my student loan went into default..now I'm a federal employee doing housekeeping at a VA facility..now I'm paying into a fed pension and 401k..my hands haven't been this clean in years and my aching back doesn't ache as bad anymore 😊😊😊

Plus you end up with tools that you buy that you use once or twice. Then you break/damage or loose a tool on the job, that really paid well.

Dude, I have a Mac single drawer tool cart that is yours if you want it, keys included

Minimum input maximum output “ the motto of 99% of all shops

Justin, first of all, thank you for your military service. I won't recite my CV here because this isn't about me, but I've had two careers that resulted in a pretty diverse background. WRT auto mechanics, I'm just a DIY'er pretty much my whole life. My stepdad was a mechanic who also did a lot of body work on the side for a used car dealer in town, and he taught me a lot. I also learned a lot from my other technical experience. But with all that, carburetors still kick my ass. I need some kind of training course in carburetors on small engines--lawn mowers, weed whackers, chainsaws, log splitters, rototillers, generators... One thing I didn't hear you mention about working on cars that frustrates the hell out of me working on my own cars is how the EPA will change an emission standard, and then the car manufacturers have to scramble to come up with something to meet that new regulation that isn't even really a law (but that may change soon if SCOTUS strikes down the Chevron doctrine along with how they have just ruled 6-3 that the ATF ban on bump stocks is unconstitutional and that ATF overstepped their authority!) These things the car manufacturers come up with to meet evolving EPA rules are often not well designed and not robust enough for the environment they reside in under the hoods of cars/trucks or underneath car/truck gas tanks, next to extremely hot exhaust pipes, etc. So after a few years these emissions control devices fail--sensors, valves, etc. Then you get a fault code and a CEL. The fault code may or may not tell you exactly what component failed. But it could also be a bad connector somewhere, or a wire that melted against an exhaust pipe or rubbed through and shorted against some other metal component. Not all states have emissions testing required to renew tags like California does, where I lived for 28 years after the Navy took me there. If you have a CEL you MUST repair the cause and clear all codes before they will even test it. But even in states without testing, I think it's still unwise to continue to drive any vehicle with a CEL without at least determining that the cause is not something that will either destroy an engine/transmission, or severely impact fuel efficiency and performance. And then if you ARE driving around with a CEL caused by some minor failure, you won't know if something much more important fails that could destroy an engine. But what's even worse is how manufacturers will change the name of something from one year to the next--it's nearly the exact same part and same function, but they call it something completely different, and even "expert" troubleshooters can't keep it straight. The most recent example of this was the EGR valve control on our 2015 Ford Edge. I've forgotten the details now since I figured this out myself and fixed it several years ago, but I cannot imagine any reason for that crap other than to discourage DIY'ers and small shops from troubleshooting and repairing emissions problems. I've also noticed from a number of videos now where mechanics in various shops have seen a lot of things being done by manufacturers these days that make cars either almost impossible to work on, or make it where you have to disassemble half the car just to replace certain common wear parts that have always been easier to replace--and all of this being done ON PURPOSE to discourage DIY'ers and probably even smaller shops from doing certain repairs. They want you to take them to the stealership, and I can say after a couple of experiences I've had with stealership service centers and their poorly trained and inexperienced "technicians", I'd sooner cut off my damn hand than ever take a car back to their shop for work--never mind how relatively expensive they are. Then there is the quality of parts. I grew up in the 70s, and for most of my life I could trust that if I went to a locally owned parts store or even an AutoZone type store and found the right part for my car, it would fit and it would work fine, with quality comparable to OEM or near. But after a couple of experiences with Chinese made CRAP like out of round brake drums that made my truck vibrate like there was an earthquake, now I only go with OEM parts and buy them from reputable online dealers, or from NAPA.