Flat Rate Tech Podcast

Tech, Flat Rate Life Media™
  • 3.0 (2)
  • AUTOMOTIVE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

If you are an Automotive Mechanic or in the industry this is the show for you! The #1 automotive mechanic podcast! We talk about the good and the bad.  Flat rate is broken. We’re done staying quiet. The Flat Rate Tech Podcast is the raw, unfiltered voice of real dealership and independent shop technicians. Hosted by a working flat rate tech and the author of Flat Rate Life—the book that exposes what it’s really like to survive in this trade—this podcast pulls back the curtain on the automotive industry. Every week, we call out the truth behind flat rate pay, toxic shop politics, unpaid diagnostic time, tool debt, burnout, and the constant pressure to “just hit your hours.”If you're a tech, mechanic, or service advisor who's tired of the lies, this one's for you. No sponsors. No filters. No corporate polish. Just the truth. Disclaimer:This podcast reflects personal opinions based on real-life experience in the automotive repair industry. All names, locations, and identifying details have been changed or omitted to protect privacy. The views expressed do not reflect those of any current or former employer, coworker, dealership, or manufacturer. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. If you recognize yourself in this podcast… ask yourself why. Produced By Flat Rate Life Media™

  1. 3D AGO

    When Master Certified Becomes a Punishment

    The new book is out "The Grey Mechanic" Link below The Grey Mechanic Book  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKVGDSPM They tell you that master certification is the finish line. That once you hit that level, the stress eases up and the money finally makes sense. That’s not how it works. In this episode, I break down what really happens after you become master certified. The heavier workload. The nonstop problem cars. The unpaid diagnostics. The expectation that you’ll fix everyone else’s mess while your own numbers quietly fall apart. You become essential and invisible at the same time. Too valuable to promote. Not valued enough to protect. Expected to lead without authority and carry the shop without support. I talk about why “big bucks” doesn’t mean anything when you can’t turn hours, how bad management survives by leaning on strong techs, and why so many master techs end up burned out, isolated, and questioning whether being good at this job actually worked against them. Competence shouldn’t be a punishment. But in this industry, that’s exactly what it becomes. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    10 min
  2. Starting Over Doesn't Scare Techs. Being Wrong Again Does.

    FEB 2

    Starting Over Doesn't Scare Techs. Being Wrong Again Does.

    Starting over doesn’t scare techs. Being wrong again does. This episode is about the moment when leaving one shop and going to another starts to feel heavier than staying, and why that happens after you’ve been in this industry long enough. It’s about burnout that shows up quietly, experience turning into hesitation, and what “starting over” really means when you’ve already done it before. If you’re still showing up, still doing the work, and quietly questioning how long you can keep going, this episode puts words to that space. The Grey Mechanic is out now on Amazon, and links to the book, free resources, and manager training are below. https://flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com The Grey Mechanic Book  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKVGDSPM Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    9 min

  3. JAN 26

    If You Walk Out, Stay Out.

    Is your manager clueless about why techs are leaving your shop?  go to flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com and click the manager link. Print out the form and put it on his desk. This is what will change your shop.  New book is coming the "Grey Mechanic" will be out soon! If you related to the last one wait until this one comes out.  This industry is a joke and it’s rigged against technicians. You’re told to trust management, trust the manufacturer, trust the process. Then your hours get cut, your pay changes, and you’re blamed for numbers you don’t control. Flat rate is broken on purpose. Corporate doesn’t care. Manufacturers protect the brand, not the techs fixing their mistakes. Managers smile, lie, and throw you under the bus. The Grey Mechanic Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKVGDSPM Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    11 min

  4. JAN 19

    The Only Thing Keeping This Trade Alive

    This trade is being held together by technicians who are burned out, under pressure, and tired of being ignored. We’ve talked for years about why techs are quitting. Why morale is dead. Why good people are walking. Why nothing ever seems to change. Complaining isn’t the hard part. Fixing it is. Over the last year, I’ve been building something quietly, not for techs to buy, not for sponsors, not for clicks, but for the people who actually control what happens in the shop. It’s a straight, no-b******t briefing for managers that lays out what technicians are really dealing with in the bays and why shops keep losing people. If you’ve got a manager who claims they want change… If leadership keeps saying they “don’t know why techs are leaving”… Or if your shop swears everything is fine while people keep quitting… There’s a flyer linked below. And on the QR code.  Print it. Put it on their desk. Walk away. No arguing. No explaining. No putting your name on anything. If they care, they’ll scan it. If they don’t, nothing changes anyway. This isn’t about selling techs anything. It’s about getting the truth in front of the people who have the power to fix what’s broken. Here is the link to copy or click the QR code on the YouTube video episode.   PRINT IT OUT AND PUT IT ON THE MANAGERS DESK. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hNZc-b54eIayclL-Y400wlOwuxOGgQgJ/view?usp=share_link Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    9 min

  5. JAN 11

    When “Professional” Really Means Shut Up

    “Be more professional.” That’s the line. And it’s b******t. Every time technicians speak up about unpaid labor, flat rate abuse, or unsafe pressure, the same word gets thrown at them. Unprofessional. In this episode, I talk about what that word actually means in THIS industry. Why it has nothing to do with skill, quality, or doing the job right. And how “professionalism” gets used as a leash to keep techs quiet while the system keeps taking. Technicians are already professionals. The problem is the industry punishes professionalism the moment it costs them money. Have you ever been told to stay quiet, take the hit, or stop having an attitude when you called out something wrong? This isn’t about acting better. It’s about why the people doing the real work are expected to give it away for free. Listen before they tell you to be “professional” again. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    5 min

  6. JAN 5

    NEW YEAR. NOTHING CHANGED

    It’s a new year. Same shop. Same pressure. Same lies. Labor rates went up. Budgets went up. Expectations went up. Your pay didn’t. They changed the wording. They call managers “leaders” now. They hang balloons, push culture slogans, and talk about productivity. But nothing actually changed for the people in the bays. This episode breaks down how pressure flows downhill, why techs are still being squeezed harder every year, and why the industry keeps blaming technicians instead of fixing the system that’s breaking them. If you’re tired of hearing promises while watching the same b******t repeat itself, Welcome to the club. Nothing changed. And that’s the problem. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    14 min

  7. 2025-12-29

    We Were Lied To. There Is No Future

    We were lied to. We were told to work harder. Buy more tools. Stay loyal. And somehow it would all work out. This episode breaks down why being a good technician was never enough, why flat rate keeps techs unstable, and why there was never a real future built into this job. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    9 min

  8. 2025-12-22

    The Promotion That Never Comes

    Dealerships love to talk about “growth” and “training” for lube techs. What they don’t talk about is how many of them never leave the lube rack. In this episode, I explain why so many lube techs are promised a future that never shows up. How “just give it time” turns into years. Why moving you into the shop isn’t always in management’s best interest. And how this cycle keeps pay low and turnover high. Any lube techs watching BEWARE of the SCAM. Don't be a LIFER in the Lube Shop. Support the show THE BOOK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK654G57 Follow the Facebook page Follow the instagram page-- Flatratetech_podcast Check out the website Flatratetechpodcast.weebly.com FlatRateTechPodcast@gmail.com Don't Forget To Rate And Review! Thanks For Listening, and Thanks for your support! Tech

    11 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

If you are an Automotive Mechanic or in the industry this is the show for you! The #1 automotive mechanic podcast! We talk about the good and the bad.  Flat rate is broken. We’re done staying quiet. The Flat Rate Tech Podcast is the raw, unfiltered voice of real dealership and independent shop technicians. Hosted by a working flat rate tech and the author of Flat Rate Life—the book that exposes what it’s really like to survive in this trade—this podcast pulls back the curtain on the automotive industry. Every week, we call out the truth behind flat rate pay, toxic shop politics, unpaid diagnostic time, tool debt, burnout, and the constant pressure to “just hit your hours.”If you're a tech, mechanic, or service advisor who's tired of the lies, this one's for you. No sponsors. No filters. No corporate polish. Just the truth. Disclaimer:This podcast reflects personal opinions based on real-life experience in the automotive repair industry. All names, locations, and identifying details have been changed or omitted to protect privacy. The views expressed do not reflect those of any current or former employer, coworker, dealership, or manufacturer. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. If you recognize yourself in this podcast… ask yourself why. Produced By Flat Rate Life Media™

Information

  • Creator
    Tech, Flat Rate Life Media™
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Flat Rate Tech Podcast
  • Show Website
    Flat Rate Tech Podcast

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