Wrench Turners Podcast

What separates a good mechanic from a great one? Is it technical knowledge, experience, attitude, leadership, or the willingness to keep learning?On this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, host Joshua Taylor sits down with Jamie Wright, owner of GLW Diesel Service and Repairs in Alberta, Canada, to discuss nearly 20 years in the heavy-duty diesel industry and the lessons he's learned along the way.Originally from the United Kingdom, Jamie started his career working on heavy equipment before moving to Canada and progressing through the ranks from technician to shop foreman, shop manager, and eventually business owner.Together, Joshua and Jamie explore the realities of working in the trades, the importance of developing the next generation of technicians, and why becoming a successful mechanic requires much more than knowing how to turn a wrench.In this episode, we discuss:Why attitude, work ethic, and humility matter when developing apprenticesThe importance of mentorship and strong shop leadershipWhat automotive technicians should know about transitioning into heavy duty dieselCareer opportunities beyond traditional truck repair, including industrial engines, generators, and heavy equipmentWhy continued technical training, particularly in electrical diagnostics and diesel aftertreatment, is essentialHow shop owners can identify performance challenges and help technicians improveThe mental and physical demands of working in the fieldWhy sharing technical knowledge benefits the entire repair industryMaking smart investments in tools, training, and career developmentProtecting your hearing, eyesight, knees, shoulders, and overall health to build a sustainable careerJamie also shares how creating educational repair content has helped him connect with other technicians, solve problems beyond his own shop, and build a community focused on helping one another succeed.Perhaps most importantly, Jamie reminds us that investing in yourself means more than buying expensive tools. It means protecting your body, developing your skills, taking care of your mental health, and surrounding yourself with people who help you grow.Whether you're an apprentice, journeyman technician, shop foreman, service manager, or business owner, this conversation offers practical lessons for building a better career in the automotive and heavy duty repair industries.Episode Chapters00:00 Meet Jamie Wright of GLW Diesel02:12 From the UK to Canada's diesel industry04:49 What apprentices need to learn14:11 How leadership shapes the next generation21:57 Automotive vs. heavy duty diesel repair27:55 Diesel career opportunities and technical training34:34 The physical and mental challenges of field service36:52 Learning diagnostics and managing technicians41:00 Understanding technician performance45:29 Building a business and sharing knowledge through social media56:14 Investing in yourself and your career1:01:36 Protecting your health for a longer career1:06:35 Closing thoughts and connecting with JamieConnect with Jamie Wright and GLW DieselWebsite: https://glwdieselservice.comInstagram: @jlw.dieselTikTok: @jlw.dieselFacebook: GLW Diesel Service and RepairsLocation: Leduc County, Alberta, CanadaAbout the Wrench Turners PodcastThe Wrench Turners Podcast is dedicated to improving the life, well-being, and productivity of mechanics.Through conversations with technicians, shop owners, industry leaders, and automotive professionals, we explore the experiences, challenges, and opportunities that shape careers in the repair industry.If you found value in this conversation, please like the video, share your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe to support the show.Keep turning wrenches, keep learning, and keep looking after yourself.

Bobby Beltz didn’t leave because he stopped loving the work. He left because everything surrounding the work slowly stole the joy from it.In this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, Bobby shares what dealership life was really like, from flat rate pressure and favouritism to unsafe decisions, bureaucracy, burnout, and the lack of teamwork inside the shop.But this isn’t simply an argument against flat rate or the automotive industry. It’s a conversation about why the same technician can struggle under one leader and thrive under another.We also explore why fleet work gave Bobby the stability he was looking for, what trade schools aren’t telling future technicians, and why leaving a bad shop doesn’t always mean leaving the trade.Maybe the work isn’t the problem. Maybe it’s the shop, the system, or the leader you’re working for.If you’re a technician questioning your future in the industry, watch this conversation before deciding what comes next.Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more honest conversations about helping mechanics live happier, healthier, and more productive lives.Negative pushes. Positive pulls. God Blessj.Follow Bobby⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Chapters00:00 Why Technicians Quit01:48 Bureaucracy Stole the Joy06:22 Leadership and Safety12:06 Bobby’s Automotive Beginning14:55 The First-Year Reality21:21 Flat Rate and Favouritism27:08 The Industry’s Broken Promise32:28 Why Fleet Work Wins39:18 Safety Over Productivity45:14 Hope for Burned-Out Technicians

Flat rate teaches technicians to treat every minute like money. But what happens when that thinking follows you home?Bryan Collins is a BMW Shop Foreman at Braman Miami and a former Lexus technician with more than 15 years in automotive. He shares the early mistakes most technicians are afraid to admit, how a supportive shop helped him learn instead of quit, and why he left Lexus to pursue a greater technical challenge with BMW.We discuss why technicians need processes, what it takes to move into leadership, how to motivate people who want different things, and why aspiring leaders should begin doing the next job before receiving the title.Bryan’s final message may be the most important: flat rate can program technicians to see every doctor’s appointment, family responsibility and hour away from the shop as lost income. Learning to mentally clock out matters just as much as being productive at work.If you’re a technician, apprentice, shop foreman or service leader, this conversation is for you.Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for honest conversations designed to help mechanics live happier, healthier, and more productive lives.Negative Pushes.Positive Pulls.God Blessj.Follow Bryanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-collins-743893b1/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Chapters0:00 Meet Bryan Collins2:19 Choosing The Trade8:34 First Year Mistakes14:41 Mentorship Builds Technicians19:40 Why Bryan Chose BMW23:46 Becoming A Team Leader27:19 Leading Different Personalities30:57 Understanding Dealership Business41:14 Foreman Leadership Challenges45:30 Escaping Flat Rate Thinking

There’s more to automotive than the bay.A lot of technicians spend their careers seeing pieces of this industry. The repair. The RO. The part. The customer concern. The comeback. The warranty line. The job in front of them.But automotive is a lot bigger than what we see from inside the shop.In this episode of The Wrench Turners Podcast, I’m joined by Jacki Lutz, Content Director at the Auto Care Association and host of Auto Care On Air, for a conversation about the bigger world surrounding technicians, service advisors, parts people, shop foremen, and fixed ops leaders.Jacki brings a perspective that a lot of dealership technicians don’t always get to hear. The aftermarket isn’t just parts. It’s training, education, content, marketing, technology, e-commerce, community, leadership, and opportunity.We talk about how employee-generated content can help shops build real trust, why personal branding matters more than people think, how simple social media guardrails can give employees freedom instead of fear, and why AI should support the human side of the business instead of replacing it.We also get into parts e-commerce, the importance of product detail, the difference between franchise and independent marketing, and why professional development matters for anyone who wants to grow beyond the job they’re currently doing.This episode is for the technician who knows there’s more out there.It’s for the advisor trying to communicate better.It’s for the parts person who wants to understand the digital side of the business.It’s for the foreman, manager, or fixed ops leader trying to build a team that can grow.Because your career can be bigger than the bay too.Negative pushes. Positive pulls.God Bless.j.Follow Jackihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jackilutz/Check out Auto Care On Airhttps://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@autocareorg⁩ Check out Auto Care Associationhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/autocareorg/https://www.autocare.org/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Chapters00:00 Soft Skills Matter01:33 Meet Jacki Lutz02:22 Finding Automotive09:27 Leadership Changes Careers10:48 Employee Content Works17:59 Simple Social Guardrails22:41 Better Parts E-Commerce24:48 Marketing The Shop26:22 AI Needs Humanity28:23 Invest In Yourself

Everyone complains about paperwork.The best technicians, advisors, and managers understand something different: documentation isn't paperwork... It's profit.In this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, Justin Gonzalez shares his journey from Apple and Lexus to leading warranty support for a growing RV manufacturer. Along the way, he learned that documenting repairs, telling better stories, and proving your value doesn't just improve warranty approvals. It can change your entire career.We discuss:• Why documentation is one of the highest ROI skills in the industry• How selling service starts with understanding the product• The mistakes shops make with onboarding• Lessons from rebuilding a struggling Jaguar Land Rover service department during COVID• How to present your value when asking for a raise• The realities of warranty administration across 24 dealerships• Why taking a moment to reset can make you a better technician and teammateWhether you're a technician, service advisor, foreman, warranty administrator, or service manager, this episode will change how you think about the notes you write every day.Negative Pushes.Positive Pulls.God Bless.j.Follow Justinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/justinremotevans/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:14 Why Automotive?05:51 Learning The Product11:28 Onboarding Matters16:28 Warranty Career Journey27:50 Documentation Creates Value38:06 Warranty Mistakes48:13 Mental Health Matters53:48 Final Thoughts

What’s the biggest expense inside a dealership?According to CFO Pete Fisher, it’s people. Not because people are the problem, but because payroll, compensation, benefits, and personnel costs make up one of the largest pieces of the dealership P&L.In this episode of Wrench Turners Podcast, Pete breaks down dealership finances in a way service managers, fixed ops directors, advisors, and technicians can actually use. We talk about month-end pressure, open ROs, payroll, comp plans, forecasts, gross profit, expenses, and why service advisors need to understand that their job is sales, not order-taking.The biggest takeaway is simple: if expenses are too high, you only have two real options. Cut, or sell more. And in a service department, selling more starts with increasing hours per RO, growing gross profit, and building a team that understands how the business actually works.This is a tactical conversation for anyone in fixed ops who wants to understand the numbers behind the store.The Wrench Turners Podcast is about improving the life, well-being, and productivity of mechanics everywhere.Negative PushesPositive PullsGod Blessj.Follow Petehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-robinson-1b216b370/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Chapters00:00 Intro01:47 Getting Into Automotive03:43 Accounting Office Reality07:15 Month-End Pressure09:16 Tracking Open ROs15:47 Payroll Problems19:12 Do Hard Things22:18 People Matter Most29:51 Comp Plans Explained35:06 Reading The P&L

What happens when a dealership develops an exceptional technician but gives them nowhere to go next?Nicholas Martin began his automotive career pushing a broom, cleaning tools, and learning from every technician in the workshop. He eventually became a Mercedes-Benz Certified Diagnostic Technician before moving into OEM technical support and dealer advisory, helping dealerships solve difficult technical and business problems across Australia.In this episode, Nicholas explains why dealerships often lose their best technicians and what leaders can do to keep them. The answer isn’t always more money. Experienced technicians need meaningful progression, greater responsibility, continued development, and opportunities to use their knowledge beyond producing hours in a service bay.Joshua and Nicholas also discuss apprenticeship, mentorship, advanced diagnostics, technical documentation, customer trust, OEM support cases, and the value of using a whiteboard to work through complicated vehicle problems. Nicholas closes with an important reminder for every technician: nobody will advocate for your career more strongly than you will.This conversation is for technicians, shop foremen, service managers, fixed operations leaders, dealer principals, and anyone responsible for developing and retaining automotive talent.Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more conversations designed to help technicians live happier, healthier, and more productive lives.Follow Nicholashttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-martin-3779b4249/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Chapters00:00 From Apprentice to Advisor02:31 Falling in Love With Cars07:38 Learning the Workshop11:48 Becoming a Diagnostic Technician16:10 Physics Behind Better Diagnostics22:48 Why Top Technicians Leave27:55 Communicating With Technical Support32:21 Technical Decisions, Business Consequences42:41 Whiteboarding Difficult Diagnoses46:58 Advocate for Your Career

Jamie Robinson almost left the trade in his first year. He hated it. He felt like he wasn’t good enough. He wanted out.Then everything changed.Jamie found the right people. He asked for help. He chased the hard jobs. He learned diagnostics. He got better one day at a time. Years later, he won the UK skills contest and went to Seoul to compete for Hyundai on the world stage. He finished second in the world.This episode is about what happens when a young tech is almost pushed out of the trade, but keeps going anyway.We talk about bad first years, shop culture, mentors, foremen, apprentices, diagnostics, and why the best techs slow down before they speed up.Jamie's best advice is simple: Don't be too proud to seek guidance.The Wrench Turners Podcast is about improving the life, well-being, and productivity of mechanics everywhere.Negative PushesPositive PullsGod Blessj.Follow Jamiehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-robinson-1b216b370/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Chapters00:00 Meet Jamie Robinson00:53 First Year Was Brutal03:39 Building Or Bullying04:42 Protecting Young Apprentices09:33 From Tires To World #215:30 Slow Down To Win18:28 Diagnose Before Touching Cars23:21 Notes Get Techs Paid28:29 Using Pain As Fuel37:12 Seek Guidance

What separates a great shop from everybody else?Patty Ruggia has spent years seeing dealerships from the recruiting side. Jade Price sees the industry from inside the workshop. Their answers point back to the same things: leadership, recognition, communication, customer experience, and the culture created inside the shop.We also get into why constantly correcting people can destroy trust, why great shops make customers feel like part of the community, and how the attitude of one leader can spread through an entire team.What did the best shop you’ve ever worked in do differently?Drop it in the comments.Negative Pushes.Positive Pulls.God Bless.j.Featuring:Patty Ruggiahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-ruggia-07913863/https://www.linkedin.com/company/autocanadaJade Pricehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-price-4675016b/https://www.instagram.com/theautomotivecapture/https://www.tiktok.com/@theautomotivecaptureHosted by Joshua TaylorListen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Chapters00:00 Season 4 Finale01:05 What Great Shops Do02:08 Leadership Starts at Top03:42 Praise Before Criticism06:49 Make Customers Feel Welcome08:49 Your Shop Has a Vibe09:57 Leadership That Spreads11:47 Negative Culture Costs12:27 The Biggest Change13:28 Closing Season 4

We spend a lot of time talking about what’s wrong with the automotive industry.So Jade Price asked a different question:What’s actually gotten better?Patty Ruggia talks about the growth of dealership support teams and the increased respect being given to technician education.Jade shares what she’s seen from more women entering the trade and how social media has created a much bigger community of technicians willing to help, share knowledge, and support each other.And the conversation eventually comes back to something simple:Maybe we need to spend a little more time recognizing what’s improving.What’s the biggest positive change YOU’VE seen in automotive?Drop it in the comments.Negative Pushes.Positive Pulls.God Bless.j.Featuring:Patty Ruggiahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-ruggia-07913863/https://www.linkedin.com/company/autocanadaJade Pricehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-price-4675016b/https://www.instagram.com/theautomotivecapture/https://www.tiktok.com/@theautomotivecaptureHosted by Joshua TaylorListen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/⚠️ Disclaimer:I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.Chapters00:00 Welcome to Earned Influence00:50 What’s Getting Better?01:29 Better Dealership Support03:36 Supporting Technician Education06:25 More Women in Automotive07:26 Mechanics Helping Mechanics08:40 Looking for the Positive11:14 Change Your Mindset11:53 Final Thoughts