Wrench Turners Podcast

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 Bless

j.

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=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters

00:00 Why Technicians Quit

01:48 Bureaucracy Stole the Joy

06:22 Leadership and Safety

12:06 Bobby’s Automotive Beginning

14:55 The First-Year Reality

21:21 Flat Rate and Favouritism

27:08 The Industry’s Broken Promise

32:28 Why Fleet Work Wins

39:18 Safety Over Productivity

45:14 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 Bless

j.

Follow Bryan

https://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=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters

0:00 Meet Bryan Collins

2:19 Choosing The Trade

8:34 First Year Mistakes

14:41 Mentorship Builds Technicians

19:40 Why Bryan Chose BMW

23:46 Becoming A Team Leader

27:19 Leading Different Personalities

30:57 Understanding Dealership Business

41:14 Foreman Leadership Challenges

45:30 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 Jacki

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackilutz/

Check out Auto Care On Air

https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@autocareorg⁩

Check out Auto Care Association

https://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=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters

00:00 Soft Skills Matter

01:33 Meet Jacki Lutz

02:22 Finding Automotive

09:27 Leadership Changes Careers

10:48 Employee Content Works

17:59 Simple Social Guardrails

22:41 Better Parts E-Commerce

24:48 Marketing The Shop

26:22 AI Needs Humanity

28:23 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 teammate

Whether 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 Justin

https://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=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Why Automotive?

05:51 Learning The Product

11:28 Onboarding Matters

16:28 Warranty Career Journey

27:50 Documentation Creates Value

38:06 Warranty Mistakes

48:13 Mental Health Matters

53:48 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 Pushes

Positive Pulls

God Bless

j.

Follow Pete

https://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=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:47 Getting Into Automotive

03:43 Accounting Office Reality

07:15 Month-End Pressure

09:16 Tracking Open ROs

15:47 Payroll Problems

19:12 Do Hard Things

22:18 People Matter Most

29:51 Comp Plans Explained

35:06 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 Nicholas

https://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=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters

00:00 From Apprentice to Advisor

02:31 Falling in Love With Cars

07:38 Learning the Workshop

11:48 Becoming a Diagnostic Technician

16:10 Physics Behind Better Diagnostics

22:48 Why Top Technicians Leave

27:55 Communicating With Technical Support

32:21 Technical Decisions, Business Consequences

42:41 Whiteboarding Difficult Diagnoses

46:58 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 Pushes

Positive Pulls

God Bless

j.

Follow Jamie

https://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=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters

00:00 Meet Jamie Robinson

00:53 First Year Was Brutal

03:39 Building Or Bullying

04:42 Protecting Young Apprentices

09:33 From Tires To World #2

15:30 Slow Down To Win

18:28 Diagnose Before Touching Cars

23:21 Notes Get Techs Paid

28:29 Using Pain As Fuel

37:12 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 Ruggia

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-ruggia-07913863/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/autocanada

Jade Price

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-price-4675016b/

https://www.instagram.com/theautomotivecapture/

https://www.tiktok.com/@theautomotivecapture

Hosted by Joshua Taylor

Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

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.

Chapters

00:00 Season 4 Finale

01:05 What Great Shops Do

02:08 Leadership Starts at Top

03:42 Praise Before Criticism

06:49 Make Customers Feel Welcome

08:49 Your Shop Has a Vibe

09:57 Leadership That Spreads

11:47 Negative Culture Costs

12:27 The Biggest Change

13:28 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 Ruggia

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-ruggia-07913863/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/autocanada

Jade Price

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-price-4675016b/

https://www.instagram.com/theautomotivecapture/

https://www.tiktok.com/@theautomotivecapture

Hosted by Joshua Taylor

Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

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.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Earned Influence

00:50 What’s Getting Better?

01:29 Better Dealership Support

03:36 Supporting Technician Education

06:25 More Women in Automotive

07:26 Mechanics Helping Mechanics

08:40 Looking for the Positive

11:14 Change Your Mindset

11:53 Final Thoughts

Being the best technician in the shop doesn't automatically make someone ready to lead it. But across the "we fix things" industries, that's often exactly how shop foremen are chosen.

They're great diagnosticians. They're productive. They're experienced. They know the vehicles. Then one day they're responsible for leading people.

In this episode of Earned Influence, Patty Ruggia, Jade Price, and Joshua Taylor dig into what actually separates a technically capable shop foreman from an effective leader.

We talk about why communication matters just as much as diagnostic ability, why empathy should be treated as an operational tool, how trust is earned through action, the importance of one-on-one conversations, and why the difference between saying “my team” and “our team” might matter more than you think.

Jade also shares a personal example of what happened when a leader took the time to listen, understand what she was dealing with, and create an environment where the rest of the shop supported her too.

The question isn't whether your shop foreman can fix the hardest car in the building.

It's whether anyone ever taught them how to lead the people fixing them.

This is Earned Influence on The Wrench Turners Podcast.

Send this episode to a service manager, shop foremen, advisor, technician, or fixed-operations leader who wants their departments to work better together.

Negative pushes.

Positive pulls.

God Bless

j.

Featuring:

Patty Ruggia

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-ruggia-07913863/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/autocanada

Jade Price

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-price-4675016b/

https://www.instagram.com/theautomotivecapture/

https://www.tiktok.com/@theautomotivecapture

Hosted by Joshua Taylor

Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

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.

Chapters

00:00 Earned Influence

01:11 Are Soft Skills Operational Tools?

03:49 You Can't Checklist Leadership

06:55 Trust Is Earned Through Action

09:12 Leaders Have to Listen

12:43 Why Foremen Get Promoted

16:20 Communication Reveals Priorities

19:04 “My Team” vs “Our Team”

21:06 The Words Leaders Use

23:31 Humans Are Complicated

24:41 Teaching Foremen to Lead

26:15 Are We Training Leaders?