On this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, I sit down with Canadian technician David Rodrigues. For nearly 20 years, David has been mastering his craft on Hondas and Acuras. This is not just a career recap. It’s a deep dive into legacy, leadership, and the reality of working flat-rate.

David shares how he started through co-op, landed a rare apprenticeship, and became the go-to diagnostic tech. But then he left. Why? Leadership that didn’t fight for his time. And when he returned, everything changed.

In this episode, we cover:

🙋‍♂️ Why being the best technician in the shop can feel like a curse

🙋‍♂️ How he diagnosed a TLX that only failed in the rain

🙋‍♂️What real support from a service manager looks like

🙋‍♂️How a good shop foreman can make or break a dealership

🙋‍♂️Why boring jobs make the best money

This is for the tech who wants more. More respect. More growth. More meaning in the work. Don't miss this conversation if you’re leading techs or trying to become one worth following.

Chapters:

0:00 The technician’s legacy

3:00 Hot Wheels to Hondas

10:00 Earned Apprenticeship

17:00 Dealership promised everything, delivered nothing

26:00 Diagnosing the impossible TLX

33:00 Shop foremen make or break it

42:00 The boring jobs pay the best

45:00 Best advice for every tech

49:00 Work-life balance isn’t one-size-fits-all

If you're a fixed ops director, service manager, Technician, BDC trainer, SaaS Founder, Service Advisor, or automotive professional looking to understand the future of dealership operations, this discussion offers valuable insights.

🔔 Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more in-depth conversations with industry innovators.

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