automotive technician jobs in Knoxville area??

[gorideaquad]

daniellefort, everything you stated is very true and wow that's cool your husband is a world master, takes a lot of work. Right now my husband's work pays for all th GM training and he is almost at 100% but they let him pay for ASE renewals for which they pay back once he passes. That is very good info you relayed to me. Hiknapster I hope it works out great, people know and honest mechanic who knows his job is worth his weight in gold

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by gorideaquad

daniellefort, everything you stated is very true and wow that's cool your husband is a world master, takes a lot of work. Right now my husband's work pays for all th GM training and he is almost at 100% but they let him pay for ASE renewals for which they pay back once he passes. That is very good info you relayed to me. Hiknapster I hope it works out great, people know and honest mechanic who knows his job is worth his weight in gold

It's the same for my husband. He pays for his ASE's but gets reimbursed. They've sent him to Texas, Atlanta and Orlando to do some of the special training classes too. He recently learned about the hybrids and how to repair those. Sounds like your husband is almost at the top to for GM. that's great. Theres only 1500 in the U.S. that achieve the ranking of World Class. There's a list online of their names and state they are in. I'll tell you one thing, when we went to TN and NH which is where we are moving first, all he did was walk in the dealerships with a resume, talked to the service managers and they said he had a job when he's ready for one. They will make room for him. In NH, both GM and Toyota want him but he can't decide who to work for. It's hard to find good skilled workers who are willing to keep up with the ever changing car repairs with all the technology on them today. The other guys he works with now are just happy doing the easy and routine stuff and not getting paid as much. They don't want to get further training even if it doesn't cost them anything to do it. Nobody there will touch a transmission or engine job when my husband isn't at work. they just schedule it for repair when he gets back. I'm sure with his high skills, he won't have much of a problem finding a work.... so long as the work is coming in... that's another issue.

[gorideaquad]

yes my husband is the only one in the whole shop certified to fix those Hybrids althought he has not come across them yet! World class is very elite. My husband's work is good about the training ( I think GM is on them mostly) He has 2 ASE's left to master tech. Some are master techs just by luck, it means nothing unless you have the years of hands on to back it up. Those Cadillac Norstar motors are real complex if you don't know them, for a job that pays 12 hours a crappy tech can take like 3 days to do that job if they don't know how 2 fix it. Can you beleive they laid off the shop foreman at chevrolet for no reason at my husbands, well it's because he was salary and they are cutting down on everything, they even took away the employees Nextels and removed ALL the water coolers excpet the one in the waiting room...Crazy huh?
Yes I think your statement is correct, they will make room for him if he is a master tech and 100 % certified with GM too, that is definitely in a different league and he would stand appart from someone else, i agree. My husband worked for Toyota a few years back and at that time it seemed like (at the dealer he was at I cannot speapk for others) they nickle and dimed all of the jobs, paying very little. Plus my husband is 6 foot 3 and has really wide and big hands making morking under the hodd of the Toyotas near impossible. He said that the people who build them so tight and small did not realize who would be fixing them might not be Asian men 5 foot 5! Anyhoot Great advice and I am very positive thanks to your post!! Gorideaquad in California (for now)

[daniellefort]

Your right. Toyota does nickel and dime their warranty work but where my husband works which is both Cadillac and Toyota only, the Toyato guys have more cars per day doing easy stuff so as far as hours, they probably make the same as my husband does on 1 or 2 of his jobs per day. The brand new facility they had which opened last year had to be Toyota specifications or they would not allow Toyota's to be sold there anymore. They now want every brand new Toyota shop to be built the same with the same look and floor plan. Last year everyone in the shop took a pay cut except the service department and the salemen were crying bad. They still are. Nothing is selling right now. My husband is very lucky. Because he wasn't able to get anymore pay raises (for whatever reason) or anymore continued education (because there was nothing left), his manager guaranteed him 40 hours pay each week (which really isn't used much because he averages 50 -60 a week) but it helps in the slower times. He's the only one in of the techs with guaranteed pay. Something almost unheard of in a dealership. Almost makes it hard to move away and lose that security.

[hiknapster]

The bottom line is you need to call these places and get some info. You could start here.

Beaty Chevrolet-New and Used Cars,Parts and Service, Body Shop, Areas Largest Inventory of Chevys:SUVs, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban,HHR,Impala,Corvette

You'll probably want to check the paper for jobs, too.

knoxnews.com : Knoxville, Tennessee, News, Business, Homes, Jobs, Cars & Information

[gorideaquad]

Thanks All Of You!!!

[TopMechanicKnox]

I have worked at a few different shops in Knoxville over the past 5 years. I worked at a Ford Dealer and made about 40-50 hours in the standard flat rate pay. I have also worked at 3 other independant shops and have done alot better there. The first one I was making about 80 hours a week of flat rate. The next one I was around 100. The place i am at now I get about 20% commision on all Labor AND parts, which makes a huge difference. There is noway the dealers techs are going to be able to compete with us aftermarket techs. Trust me, If you are moving here, and you are going to be a tech, do not go to the dealerships. They are overstaffed and underpayed. I hear this from mechanic friends who work at dealerships all over knox. Try a place like Pep boys, Midas, National Tire and Battery, or Firestone. You are gauranteed to make to big bucks if you are knowledgable and work hard.

[hiknapster]

My husband will not work at dealerships.

I am going to be kind and not give an opinion.

I will say that if you are an independent mechanic you work on all cars, from new to old and all makes and models. You do it all. That's a mechanic. A merit badge from a dealership is meaningless.

Well, I guess I said it.

I wonder if you know my husband?

[LookingToGetOuttaAZ]

Good morning gorideaquad, I was wondering how things are going? Have you decided on moving? Hope things are well. Take care.

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by TopMechanicKnox

I have worked at a few different shops in Knoxville over the past 5 years. I worked at a Ford Dealer and made about 40-50 hours in the standard flat rate pay. I have also worked at 3 other independant shops and have done alot better there. The first one I was making about 80 hours a week of flat rate. The next one I was around 100. The place i am at now I get about 20% commision on all Labor AND parts, which makes a huge difference. There is noway the dealers techs are going to be able to compete with us aftermarket techs. Trust me, If you are moving here, and you are going to be a tech, do not go to the dealerships. They are overstaffed and underpayed. I hear this from mechanic friends who work at dealerships all over knox. Try a place like Pep boys, Midas, National Tire and Battery, or Firestone. You are gauranteed to make to big bucks if you are knowledgable and work hard.

If you don't mind me asking, what's the difference in hourly rate in TN for top notch service tech at a dealer vs. independent shops? My husband is GM World Class Tech and has a job waiting for him when we move but just curious of the diffence in rates at the dealers up there. Down here he makes $24/hr + bonuses. He's worked at PepBoys down here as one of his first jobs and he did say there was always more work to be done but his pay wasn't as great hourly.