0:00 / 0:00
Honest Conversations Move the Industry Forward

Honest Conversations Move the Industry Forward

Beyond the Wrench Jun 10, 2026 66 min
0:00
0:00
Immersive Mode

About this episode

Constructive conversations—online and in shops—are framed as the starting point for improving the automotive industry. The discussion moves from technician certification debates (including the value of portable, third-party credentials) to practical training gaps, tool-financing pressure, and pay-plan confusion. Video inspections and microlearning are highlighted as ways to improve outcomes and communication, while leadership is tied to trust, safety, and retention. The episode also challenges viral “30/30/30 rule” myths with cost thinking and real-world experience.

Topics: 3030-30 rule APY ASC certification ASE customer pay repair orders diagnostics electrical theory flat rate tech diagnosing vehicles on a daily basis framesnapped hands-on experience
Cars: Ford F-150
Filter:
|
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

ASE

"AndI usuallydothatinapost,likeaspiritoflikemythbustingASCstuff becausepeoplewillsay,Oh,there'snohands-onportionofthetest,soit'snotaqualitycertification,orIalsohearit'sjustabunchofcorporatepeopleinsuitsthatcomeupwiththosetestquestions,notactualtechnicians."

ASE is a well-known organization that tests and certifies auto technicians. The idea is to show you have proven skills, not just that you work in the industry.

Concept

hands-on experience

"AndtheseareallthingsthatweknowASChasthingsinplacetocircumventandgoaround,andtechniciansareinvolvedinthatquestionuhcreationprocess,andyouhavetohavehands-onexperience. [351.8s] Whileit'snotahands-ontest,youhavetohavethatexperiencedocumentedtoearnthatASCcertification."

“Hands-on experience” means actually working on cars in the real world. The host is saying certification should be based on that practical experience, not just book knowledge.

Term

ASC certification

"Whileit'snotahands-ontest,youhavetohavethatexperiencedocumentedtoearnthatASCcertification."

ASC certification is a credential that says a technician has met certain standards. The host is saying it’s tied to experience and is meant to be a trustworthy proof of skill.

Term

OEM certifications

"Everycommentwaslikenotworththepaperiswrittenon,nobodycaresaboutthat. [368.1s] OEMcertificationsareandalwayswillbeking."

OEM certifications are credentials issued by, or tied to, the original equipment manufacturer (the automaker). The host claims OEM certifications are “king,” meaning they carry extra weight in the industry because they’re specific to a brand’s systems and training.

Concept

third-party certifying body

"it'sgettingtothepointnowwhereit'sgettingabout50-50,um,wherealotofthepositivecomments I'mseeingislike,Iactuallylikehavingathird-partycertifyingbodyfortechniciansoutthere."

A third-party certifying body is an outside organization that checks and certifies technicians. The host thinks it’s helpful because it can make your certification count even if you change jobs or brands.

Term

blue belt

"Ilike tocompareittojujitsu,becauseI'maBrazilianjiu-jitsupractitioner,abluebelt. [424.6s] Um,wehaveabeltsystemforranks,right?"

In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, belt colors show your rank and skill. The host is using it as a simple way to explain how credentials can communicate experience.

Term

video inspections

"Andvideoinspectionsisagoodexampleofthat becauseI'lltalkfromlike,you know,thebusinessperspective. There'salotofgreatdataouttherethatifyouusevideoinspectionsonaregularbasis,yourcustomerpayrepairorderscanbeincreasedby20to30percent."

Video inspections mean the shop records what’s wrong with your car (usually on video) and shows it to you. Instead of just saying “it needs work,” they can point to the exact issue on camera. The host says this can lead to more approved repairs and better efficiency.

Term

customer pay repair orders

"There'salotofgreatdataouttherethatifyouusevideoinspectionsonaregularbasis,yourcustomerpayrepairorderscanbeincreasedby20to30percent. Thattellsmetheywork."

“Customer pay repair orders” are repair jobs that the customer approves and pays for (as opposed to warranty work, internal goodwill, or other non-customer-funded categories). Shops track this because it reflects how effectively they diagnose issues and communicate them. Here, the host claims video inspections can raise the share of repairs that customers pay for by 20–30%.

Concept

training

"However,theyneedtobetrainedonhowtodoeffectivevideoinspectionssotheycanactuallyreceivethosehours. Ithinkthere'ssomethingtobetalkedaboutofmaybethrowthemacoupleoftentsforthosegoodvideoinspectionsreachingthecustomerandthingslikethat."

Here, “training” means showing technicians how to do the video inspection the right way. Without that, it can feel like extra steps that don’t help. The host says training helps technicians use video inspections effectively so they can benefit from them.

Concept

opposing forces

"Wedothatwithopposingforces. IfI'mgoinglike this with just one hand back and forth on the screen,I can't be as accurate."

The host is using “opposing forces” as a metaphor. The idea is that when you use both sides in a controlled way, you can be more precise than if you’re only doing it one way. They’re applying that to how they present information on video.

Term

3030-30 rule

"Haveyoueverheardofthe3030-30rule? ... Sothe3030-30rulewentaroundsocialmediaprobablysixmonthsago."

The “30/30/30 rule” is a popular internet idea that says new auto technicians must spend about $30,000 on tools and have about $30,000 in school debt, and then they’ll make about $30,000 a year. The speaker is saying that’s basically a myth and doesn’t match real life.

Term

school debt

"thatbeanautomotivetechnician,youneedtohavethirtythousanddollarsoftools,thirtythousanddollarsofschooldebttomakethirtythousanddollarsayear."

In this context, “school debt” means money you owe from loans taken out to pay for training or schooling. The speaker brings it up to explain a claim about what it supposedly costs to become a technician.

Term

mentorship

"Whattheyhaveisaverysolidfoundationofautomotivetheoryandsomehands-onexperiencedependingontheschool,andthey'rereadytohitthegroundrunning,buttheystillneedthatmentorship,they'stillneedthattraining,they'stillneedthatguidance,uh, uh,andtheyneeditinalotofdifferentcategoriesthattheyjustdon'treceiveitininalotofcases."

Mentorship here means a more experienced person helping a newer tech learn the job the right way. The host says that kind of guidance is often missing when people start working.

Term

diagnostics

"Butasfarasbeingaccurateindiagnosticsandstuff,thatstilltakeshands-ontrainingandrepetitiontogettothatpoint. Youneedtohavethatmentorship."

Diagnostics means figuring out what’s wrong with a car using tests and careful troubleshooting. The host is saying you can’t learn that fully from school alone—you need practice.

Term

lube tech

"Iwatchedsomanylubetechsstraightoutofcollege,comeintothedealershipI wasworkinginandfinancethebiggest,nicestsnap-onboxyou'veeverseen. Theycan'taffordtofillit."

A lube tech is usually an entry-level mechanic who does basic maintenance like oil changes and other routine checks. The point here is that some people start in that role without enough training or support.

Brand

Snap-on

"Iwatchedsomanylubetechsstraightoutofcollege,comeintothedealershipI wasworkinginandfinancethebiggest,nicestsnap-onboxyou'veeverseen. Theycan'taffordtofillit."

Snap-on is a well-known brand of high-end mechanic tools. The host is saying some new techs get expensive Snap-on tool setups right away, even if they can’t really afford the payments.

Term

APY

"Theygointodebt25,35%APYbecausetheygotsoldoffatrucksomewhere. Andthenthey'relikesixmonthsintoit,like,Idon'tevenknowthisisifthisisforme."

APY is the interest rate on a loan, shown as a yearly number. If it’s high, the loan gets more expensive faster because the interest can build on itself.

Term

Ohm's law

"They can explain to you Ohm's law and electrical theory, and they know all the components on a car and how they kind of work together..."

Ohm's law is a simple rule for electricity. It helps you figure out how voltage, current, and resistance relate, which is useful when diagnosing electrical problems in a car.

Term

electrical theory

"They can explain to you Ohm's law and electrical theory, and they know all the components on a car and how they kind of work together..."

Electrical theory is the “how electricity works” background. It helps a technician test circuits logically and find where a problem is coming from.

Concept

flat rate tech diagnosing vehicles on a daily basis

"Now they got to get their hands on it on a repetitive basis in a lives shop with all the stresses that come with it to really get to that point where they're fundamentally ready to be like a flat rate tech diagnosing vehicles on a daily basis."

Flat rate means you get paid a fixed amount for each job, not by the hour. That can make the job feel rushed, especially when you’re still learning how to diagnose problems.

Term

Macuhscrewdrivers

"I spent 85 buckson asetof Macuhscrewdrivers, and Ididn'tneed Macscrewdrivers like at all."

This sounds like a tool brand name (screwdrivers). The story is basically that the speaker bought expensive tools early, even though they didn’t really need them yet.

Term

PDI

"He had come into areally entry-level position in the dealership, was more of like a porter PDI typeof person."

PDI means Pre-Delivery Inspection. It’s the step where a dealership checks a new car before it’s given to the buyer.

red F-150 2001 standard shift
Gold Pony (CC BY 3.0)
Car

red F-150 2001 standard shift

"Uh,thereasonwhythisismyfavoritevehicle,it'saredF-1502001standardshift. [3631.9s] Uh,Igotsomuchhistorywiththistruck."

That’s a Ford F-150 pickup from 2001, and “standard shift” means it had a manual transmission. A manual lets the driver choose the gears instead of the car doing it automatically.

Term

framesnapped

"Um,theframesnappedinhalfonedayatthegasstation. Ihadtofixit."

The frame is the main metal structure that everything else in the truck is attached to. If it “snaps,” the truck’s structure is broken, which is a big safety problem.

1 cars featured

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.

Explore Terms

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.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars

More from Beyond the Wrench

Still on the Floor. Still Building the Industry.
Jun 24, 2026
The CARE Movement—Right People, Rare Experiences
Jun 17, 2026
Mentorship, Career Moves, & Trusting Your Gut as a Technician
Jun 3, 2026
SkillsUSA's Real Impact on the Next Generation
May 27, 2026