Diesel Shops Should Be Printing Money… So Why Aren’t You? [E259]
About this episode
Diesel shops have a built-in advantage—complex work, longer diagnostics, and predictable workflow potential—but many owners don’t translate that into higher tickets and stronger margins. The episode breaks down why shops undercharge (weak inspections, inconsistent documentation, and advisors lacking confidence selling complex jobs) and how to fix it with clear pricing, tighter scheduling, and protecting diagnostic flow. It also challenges labor rates to reflect technician skill, and pushes owners to audit repair orders and review marketing actions.
- “Volume without margin is just organized chaos.”
- “If your ARO doesn’t reflect the work, your process is broken.”
- “Busy is not a business model.”
- “Diesel shops don’t lack opportunity—they lack execution.”
- “If your pricing doesn’t match your capability, that’s a decision.”
- “Throughput—not car count—is what drives profit.”
- “Fleet work should support your business, not control it.”
- “You’re not running a schedule—you’re reacting to it.”
In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why diesel repair shops should be outperforming general repair shops—and why many aren’t.
From underperforming ARO and mismanaged fleet accounts to scheduling inefficiencies and weak marketing strategies, this episode uncovers the operational and leadership gaps holding diesel shop owners back.
Chris shares practical strategies to improve profitability, increase efficiency, and fully leverage the built-in advantages of diesel specialization.
Diesel shops have a built-in advantage—higher ticket potential, specialized expertise, and strong demand.
So why are so many still struggling with profitability?
In this episode, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down the operational, pricing, scheduling, and marketing mistakes that are holding diesel shop owners back—and what to do about it.
If your shop is busy but not producing the results it should, this episode will challenge how you’re thinking and give you clear actions to take.
The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.
Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo: https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/
Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/
If you would like to join their private Facebook Group, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind
Connect with Chris:
AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching
www.aftermarketradionetwork.com
940-400-1008
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae
Email Chris: [email protected]
The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/
Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion
Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life.
The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level.
The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching.
Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest.
Speak Up! Effective Communication with Craig O'Neill: Develop Interpersonal and Professional Communication Skills when Speaking to Audiences of Any Size.
throughput
"[254.8s] So let's talk about scheduling and throughput. [257.7s] This is a big thing where diesel shops bleed time. [296.9s] That's the work in progress screen. [296.9s] Because throughput, not truck count, is what drives profit."
Throughput just means how much work your shop gets done over time. If you can finish more jobs per day, you usually make more money even if the number of trucks stays the same.
Throughput is how much work a shop can complete in a given time—think “jobs finished per day,” not just how many vehicles show up. In diesel repair, higher throughput usually means more billable hours without adding bays or staff.
scheduling
"[254.8s] So let's talk about scheduling and throughput. [265.8s] And if your scheduling isn't tight, one bad decision can choke your entire shop. [280.5s] You're not running a schedule. [284.1s] You're reacting to it."
Scheduling is deciding when each job step happens. The goal is to keep bays from sitting idle or getting stuck on one job so other work can keep moving.
Scheduling here means planning when each job phase happens so bays aren’t tied up unnecessarily. In a diesel shop, scheduling affects how long diagnostic and repair activities occupy the same limited bay space.
bay time
"[262.8s] They're less predictable. [264.1s] They can lock up bays for days. [287.9s] They control bay time intentionally. [290.2s] They protect diag flow."
Bay time is how long a truck sits in the shop’s service stall. If one job holds the bay too long, other jobs can’t get in and the whole shop slows down.
Bay time is the amount of time a vehicle occupies a service bay. Because diesel jobs can take longer and be less predictable, controlling bay time is crucial to avoid locking up bays for days and starving other work.
diagnostic flow
"[286.1s] They break work into phases. [287.9s] They control bay time intentionally. [290.2s] They protect diag flow. [292.2s] And they manage their whip screen aggressively."
Diagnostic flow means how smoothly cars move through the “figure out what’s wrong” step. If diagnostics get delayed, the rest of the repairs can’t start on time either.
Diagnostic flow is the steady movement of vehicles through the diagnostic process (testing, diagnosis, and handoff to repair). The point is to keep diagnostics from getting blocked by repair work so you don’t stall the whole shop.
work in progress screen
"[292.2s] And they manage their whip screen aggressively. [295.3s] That's the work in progress screen. [296.9s] Because throughput, not truck count, is what drives profit."
A work in progress screen is a board or dashboard that shows what jobs are currently being worked on and where they are in the process. It helps the shop spot delays before they snowball.
A work in progress (WIP) screen is a visual tracker showing which jobs are currently in progress and what stage they’re in. Managing the WIP helps a shop prevent bottlenecks—especially when bays are limited and diesel jobs take longer.
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.