mobile mechanic rates

mike_belben · January 17, 2019, 04:48:23 PM

Those of you bush mechanics out there, where are you located, what are your rates and what are you primarily working on? Are you independant or an employee, are you mostly at your shop or someone else, or job site etc etc. Just whatever you think is pertinent to know really.

I said i was available 3 days a week for this quarry and he mustve thought i said 80 hrs a week. I need to find a bit of an exit without burning the bridge and am really just a service body away from having a lot more leeway to that end. The place is burning me out.

snowstorm · January 17, 2019, 07:10:18 PM

they put you in a truck with no experience. do you know how lucky you are? as they say thats trucking. we have a mega snowstorn coming. if my guys and i need to work 30 hrs straight up we will done it many times. only stop for fuel. my trucks are not as long as a semi but they are 14ft wide and only work in the worst weather......thats trucking

mike_belben · January 17, 2019, 07:14:27 PM

Do they run 30 hrs straight for $10/hr?

I am the only person in his employment that is legal to run tractor loads of his product out of state at all, which is 90% of his income. He cant keep any established drivers for more than a week. A real driver doesnt want to spend 3 extra hours dodging scales on a flat rate haul because the boss doesnt want to shell out for a pair of steers with tread.

I kinda think he is the lucky one. I can go back to my normal life. He called me, not me called him. I said im a mechanic with an A license and need to stay close to home. 500 miles a day is not what i signed up for.

snowstorm · January 17, 2019, 07:25:36 PM

i ran trucks over the road. i always told the drivers avoid the dot if you can. we were always heavy hauling water. ct was bad dot knew everybody by name. i had a driver that wanted to come home right now from ny. told him to wait they will have a reload within 3 hrs. he points the truck north 500 miles empty. that was the end of his job

snowstorm · January 17, 2019, 08:20:11 PM

i was talking to a guy last week that worked for a john deere dealer in northern maine. he said the trouble with running the service truck was i was always either to hot to wet or to cold. he was telling about changing a hydraulic pump on a buncher. says it took all day every bolt came out hard. the high temp of the day was -40

bushmechanic · January 17, 2019, 08:52:30 PM

Well I'm located in eastern Newfoundland, Canada and I always work for someone else. I can go home at the end of the day and forget about everything...not my problem! I have thoughts about going on my own, but then my day or week would never end. I spent years out in the field ( where I got most of my know how) and now I prefer the shop as Snowstorm has pointed out, constant temperature and dry. This year I spent all summer in the woods, operating forwarder and harvester plus repairs, I stopped just before Christmas and now I'm at a shop for the winter repairing boom trucks and cranes. I won't move the toolbox for less than $30.00 an hour, if I can't get that I'll go on the welfare! To each his own but if I was in your shoes I would tell the employer your situation and if he's not willing to work with you move on. I don't know what the going rate for truckers is in the states but $10.00 seems pretty low, most guys up here get $20.00 plus. I know you look after your kids ( good on ya for that!) but the guy's skidder your repairing needs it for tomorrow and he doesn't give a hill of beans about your needs! Again to each his own but I suggest some hard thinking and talking with the wifey before you pull the trigger, good luck in whatever you decide.

barbender · January 17, 2019, 11:12:32 PM

I know you're in a low wage area, Mike, but if I am losing already low wages for something like the boss not putting steer tires on (double whammy), I'd have to be starving to death to keep at it.

mike_belben · January 18, 2019, 04:44:59 AM

Funny story. I breakdown on the way to work and am jacking my truck up to check spindle nut. A log truck pulls up and stops, stranger gets out. We chat. He is the last driver for the place i am at now, quit last month. Fills me in on a boatload of lies that im getting verbatim. Its 25% of linehaul. Yeah, on ancient rates. Oh this that and the other is gonna change soon. All the same stories. The owner is a con man.

He dont know i know, but this breakdown either gets me a company service truck and a mechanic job or i go drive log truck with the dude i just met. He said they need 3 more drivers, trucks are waiting. take the rig home every day and make my own schedule. 3hr haul pays $150.

Im running 8 to 13 hours for that plus wrenching. And the truck is uncompliant across scales every day.

God always sends what i need when i need it.

stavebuyer · January 18, 2019, 05:21:20 AM

You have only been there a very short time and hate the job. Move on. CDL Drivers are in short supply, particularly ones who are able or willing to do more than put fuel in the truck. Only thing in shorter supply is people who can fix things. Drive a truck and start a part time shop at home. Invest in yourself and write off the investment against your driving wages.

mike_belben · January 18, 2019, 06:12:32 AM

I dont hate it, but Youre probably right. I sure dont like helping crooks.

ilog4u2 · January 18, 2019, 08:44:01 AM

Quote from: mike_belben on January 18, 2019, 04:44:59 AMGod always sends what i need when i need it.

He sure does....

OntarioAl · January 18, 2019, 09:17:47 AM

Mike
You are playing Russian Roulette sooner or later you are going to get caught .I don't know how the fine structure works down there but up here the driver's fines are onerous . Ten dollars an hour will not go very far.
Walk away no run away from this job as quick as you can.
My nickel's worth
Al

mike_belben · January 18, 2019, 11:17:04 AM

Yeah i been through the ringer with DOT, they dont play. Ive argued that pretty hard with this guy. Im planning my escape as we speak.

mike_belben · January 18, 2019, 08:40:52 PM

Log truck job said i can start monday. If i heard him right he said 2 loads a day at $280 is what most of his guys are doing. That works.

Perfect timing, since my first fulI quarry check bounced this afternoon. He came to the house to give me registration for a service truck and $900 cash when i was only owed $664. Ive been through that trick before and said no thanks. gave 2 weeks notice and parting on good terms. I made it clear that i'll bust my butt on whatever is best for him during that time, but if i work the two weeks and dont get paid, i will simply walk into his quarry and take property of an equal value at a date of my choosing.

Eventually i expect his equipment to be getting dropped in my yard for repair at premium rates. If he doesnt go to prison for embezzling the volunteer FD anyways. Glad to separate my name from that.

dgdrls · January 20, 2019, 08:30:51 AM

A bit late to the thread, glad to hear you have another path.
I think many of us have been in similar situations with whatever
career we have chosen, lip service and late or no pay.

have a great first week,

D

mike_belben · January 20, 2019, 08:50:33 AM

Thanks man. I dont expect to retire at this next job either but it'll help me chip away at building the business my dad always wanted, and ive been working on most of my life as well. Hopefully its a reality for my kids. We relocated to tennessee knowing no one, so if i bounce around at a few short term careers, its fine. Just expands my future customer base. Lord'll place me where he wants one way or another.

thecfarm · January 20, 2019, 10:32:05 AM

I am always saying,if you are not happy with something,be it a job or a partner,do something about it.
I worked with a guy that hated his job. That's all I would hear for 12 hours. :( I kept telling him quit,life is not worth it. Do something else. I probably told him to shut his mouth a few times. ;) :( Heard this for years. Finally he did quit. I saw him at the bank.

He came up to me all smiles and pumped my hand. He was a changed man,I could see it. He was smiling and happy. He told me I bet I quit 100 jobs before I found the job I liked. It was joy to talk to him. Yes,if you need a job,that is diffeant. Been there,done that. I was at one job that did not pay nothing. Could not afford to take a day off to go look for work. :

Finally I had to do something. I had no money working,so might as well take some time off to look for a job.
Sounds good for you. Hope all goes well. ;D

woodmaker · January 20, 2019, 03:22:01 PM

Mike , I only wrench on my own stuff, but I have a good friend who does mobile mechanic work,as well as working in his own shop. He has a f 7000 service truck with welder ,compressor , torches ,air tools, etc He is a great welder and fabricator. I think his current rate is $70/ hr and he is as busy as he wants to be most of the time. I know rates are different between N.H. and Tenn.

mike_belben · January 20, 2019, 03:55:28 PM

I have torches, onboard air and 1" impact. No mobile welder but i have a 250amp mig and a syncrowave 300 tig. Powermax 1000 plasma cutter and a 4cyl diesel 3phase genset. All the hand tools, big jacks, autocrane. ability to make what i need and all that. i am scheming on a service bed for the F250. Its slow and ratty, got welded diffs and has an 87 octane habit, but it starts in zero weather and will get to where your gear is busted.

Up in mass a typical small machine shop was getting 65-75/hr in the front door and having to pay 20-30/hr for employees with high turnover. There were a lot of machine shops, ive worked in a few. Down here theres pretty much only two in town, and its $90/hr in the door, but $10-15 to work there. Hmm.

Everyone has equipment here. Everyone. The wages are low but there is a skilled labor crisis. Im 39. So few men my age where i live that dont have a drug problem. Everyone else is as busy as they wanna be. There is a wage ceiling, but you can have another job in an hour. I did.

When i get all the equipment under one roof im gonna be an expensive man. Im paying a mortgage worth of storage fees right now. When thats over, i can live well on $500 a month until i get cancer or whatever. Wont be much need for me to leave home. The garden is gonna get big and to get me out of it'll cost ya.

Bruno of NH · January 20, 2019, 05:56:41 PM

I'm no mechanic
I wish I could find an independent guy to work on my tractor and other stuff.
I have the dealer now.
Would rather pay someone who works for them self.

barbender · January 20, 2019, 06:54:09 PM

I think the rate for a well equipped mo uke heavy mechanic is around $100/he up here.

mike_belben · January 20, 2019, 07:50:31 PM

Barge hasnt posted in a while. Hes probably got a mobile guy draining him to fix a stroker chain right now ;D

Southside · January 20, 2019, 08:58:37 PM

Knowing Eric he is busy digging up some ore at one of his pits which he will personally smelt down into the necessary repair links to fix that de-limber chain you speak of, after he gets the store closed up for the night. ;D

nativewolf · January 20, 2019, 09:13:02 PM

That or his GF caught him sleeping with her sister and is chasing him down the street with nothing but his bathing suit, he got a bit of frostbite and is in the hospital.