Truck Driving Jobs

MichiganDriver · #1 07-09-2012, 02:25 AM

Back in the day, I lived in Florida for a few years and Georgia for a few years. Are they still making about 75 cents on the dollar compared to the northeast? Or to put it another way, do you put off work (when possible) until you're in a certain area?

firebird_1252 · #2 07-09-2012, 03:24 AM

i try to get as much as i can done as in michigan. i got a great mechanic in nj just pricy.

GMAN · #3 07-09-2012, 03:41 AM

I don't have any work done on the road if it can wait until I get home or to a mechanic that I know is honest and fair with rates. I have a local guy who will work on my equipment for $65/hour. That sure beats $100+/hour that most dealers and shops in some areas of the country.

repete · #4 07-09-2012, 04:32 PM

We have a dealer here in Rochester that's not satisfied with $100 per hr, they still inflate the hours and in some cases charge for parts not used and labor not performed! It's not hard to figure out who, they have a large corner lot near I90/390 and sell tow trucks ect and have a couple of custom show trucks.

GMAN · #5 07-09-2012, 04:48 PM

I prefer finding independent shops on the road, when possible. I have a few that I have used over the years who were fair with me in the past and I will go out of my way to do business with them should the need arise and I am in the area. I also remember those that I feel have ripped me off and will avoid them at all costs.

MichiganDriver · #6 07-10-2012, 01:51 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I've been nursing a 4 speed automatic transmission that started slipping in 4th a few weeks ago and I thought I might have a couple of weeks to plan for the repair. Well... I made it to Brooklyn from Michigan without too much trouble but I was only carrying 1,000 lbs. I'm returning with at least 7. (my capacity is only 11.5). Anyway I didn't make it out of NJ before 4th gear died and took reverse along with it. My delivery is in Cleveland and as I understand it, remanufactured Allison AT545 transmissions (lol school bus trannys) are distributed out of Columbus or Detroit depending on serial number. I'll crawl under the truck tomorrow and get a serial number and make some calls. I'm either hanging out in Columbus for a few days or limping back to Michigan or stuck somewhere else waiting for a gopher to fetch the tranny.

$65 in southern TN sounds excellent GMan. I wonder if that's the going rate there and in GA.

GMAN · #7 07-12-2012, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichiganDriver

Thanks for the feedback. I've been nursing a 4 speed automatic transmission that started slipping in 4th a few weeks ago and I thought I might have a couple of weeks to plan for the repair. Well... I made it to Brooklyn from Michigan without too much trouble but I was only carrying 1,000 lbs. I'm returning with at least 7. (my capacity is only 11.5). Anyway I didn't make it out of NJ before 4th gear died and took reverse along with it. My delivery is in Cleveland and as I understand it, remanufactured Allison AT545 transmissions (lol school bus trannys) are distributed out of Columbus or Detroit depending on serial number. I'll crawl under the truck tomorrow and get a serial number and make some calls. I'm either hanging out in Columbus for a few days or limping back to Michigan or stuck somewhere else waiting for a gopher to fetch the tranny.

$65 in southern TN sounds excellent GMan. I wonder if that's the going rate there and in GA.

I am very sorry to hear about your transmission. At least it is still driveable. I know a couple of local shops that charge around $65/hour. The big dealer shops are almost twice that rate. Another rip off these shops hit us for is "shop supplies." I refuse to do business with any shop that charges a flat rate or percentage for shop supplies. Some charge the fee whether they use anything or not. When these places charge $80-140/hour for mechanics they can pay for their own shop supplies. Good luck finding a transmission at a fair rate.

MichiganDriver · #8 07-12-2012, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMAN

I am very sorry to hear about your transmission. At least it is still driveable. I know a couple of local shops that charge around $65/hour. The big dealer shops are almost twice that rate. Another rip off these shops hit us for is "shop supplies." I refuse to do business with any shop that charges a flat rate or percentage for shop supplies. Some charge the fee whether they use anything or not. When these places charge $80-140/hour for mechanics they can pay for their own shop supplies. Good luck finding a transmission at a fair rate.

I made it to Youngstown, OH and 3rd started slipping. So with 4th gone and now 3rd slipping it was time to get off the road and throw money at it before I'd have to pay a tow truck too. I'm at one of those $100/hr official Allison Transmission fix-it shops. At least with a reman tranny, installed by them, I'll have a 2 year warranty.

I've had good luck over the years with junk yard stuff in cars and that's what I'd really like to do. But that would run $500 and at least 6 hours labor, and then oil and filters, and then if it didn't work I'd be in a worse jam.

I'll tell ya what though, if I were a young guy, I wouldn't be posting on this forum about where to go to truck driving school, I'd become a diesel mechanic, put in a few years somewhere learning the ropes, and then open up my own shop.

GMAN · #9 07-13-2012, 12:48 AM

Some of these mechanics make very good money. If you had some training and truck you could do very well with road calls. The guy that does most of my work locally is almost 70 and works every day. He no longer has any family so he just works.

MichiganDriver · #10 07-13-2012, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMAN

Some of these mechanics make very good money. If you had some training and truck you could do very well with road calls. The guy that does most of my work locally is almost 70 and works every day. He no longer has any family so he just works.

At almost 70??? I'm impressed.