cav551:
That is going to be a very, very big IF indeed. Wake up and smell the coffee.
There is another thread on here in which the OP has been quoted £13.50 for 15 minutes by a main dealer.
If you think that you and your mates are going to survive on less than £27 hr and give these hard nosed hauliers the service they want, then I am sorry to say that you are living in cloud cuckoo land. Whoever supplies the hundred grand will be expecting a return on the capital involved; you won’t be doing that when you are consistently making a loss.
Get somewhere near matching that main dealer’s rate and you stand a chance, but that hundred grand will not have been any where near enough to acquire the premises and equipment you will need. Even if everything goes well you will never have a comfortable level of work, it will either be too much so that you don’t achieve the revenue that the jobs are worth because you have turned them around too quickly, or you won’t have enough to keep busy earning.
At least I wont be a thief like most of these SOBs are.
So the best you can do is pick me up on my keyboard skills On the plus point at least I know how to repair trucks …Sadly you can’t say the same …Can you ■■? Now no lies
Ok smart ■■■ why have a cam sensor,why have prime numbers in a gear box,what formula do you use to find the volume of a sphere and using algebra transpose 4/3 pi cubed to v /4/3 = ? to the cube root.
Waiting ?
To the original poster, I run a independent mobile / workshops - HGV repairs company - I thought CAV551’s reply you received had an excellent description of what we, as an independent, will typically offer as a level of service and commitment to getting the job done.
I spent many years aspiring to the level of service and expertise that a main dealer surely offered, before slowly realising that we were actually doing it better! I’ve taken on a fair few contracts who have left main dealers to come to us who mostly come to us not for the price - but because they don’t feel that the dealer is offering a good level of service. (Although the fact that our labour rates are approximately half of what the dealerships are is a nice bonus) Additionally we spend a lot of time calling around to get the best deal on parts prices making sure at all times that the parts are of a good quality, because it comes back on us if we have to do an untimely replacement of a failed part.
I know and collaborate with several other independent workshops in the extended area around us and I know all of them work hard and long hours making sure their customers vehicles are back on the road for when the customer needs them. (As do we! - in fact we had a 9pm finish the other night due to a customers trailer needing a bent landing leg replaced before being allowed to be loaded onto a Portsmouth ferry)
So in conclusion, I would agree that you don’t need to pay dealer prices to get a dealer level of service. Try your local independent!
Having used main dealers, independent commercial vehicle workshops and haulier who does outside work. I’ve had better service and far lower bills from the last 2. But I know people who use main dealer serving and are happy with the service.
I think you’ve got to ask for recommendations around your local area, you might have a really good local main dealer or a really crap independent workshop. I’d get several opinions and see if the same name comes up.
And still no answer from the daf “technician” that knows it all>
1 the cam sensor tells the engine what stroke its on (one does not want diesel injected on the exhaust stroke does one)
2 Prime numbers are used in the diff and box so that all teeth come together in a set random sequence (you keeping up so far)if you used non prime numbers each tooth would only match with its even counterpart (not rocket science)
And 3 ?
Bking:
If and its a big “if” I could find a few local hauliers who would back me in a HGV repair centre,OK a hundred grand,myself and experienced people I know could undercut “main agents” costs by more than half.
The problem is “trust”
I need to be payed on the dot,Not just for me but for the people who work with me (not for me)I Im talking about people with years of experience not some “technician” who thinks changing a wheel or tyre is below him.(go into any “main agent” and ask a technician to change a tyre(not a wheel)
Most of these tossers couldnt pull back their own ■■■■■■■■
I don’t think you’d need a 100k mate, sounds like you’ve already got the tools and know how, is it what you actually want, or you gonna stay under the dealers wing for your last few years?
Tell you what mattwood If I can raise some money I will go for it.After watching these"main" agent clowns the whole scam does my head in.
I know that we all got to make a living but these rip off merchants really do take the ■■■■.
Dont get me wrong I aint no “whiter than white” but when you see what these “experts” get up to it really does disgust me.70 quid an hour for a “tap tap” and not allowed to roadtest the truck!
Comment the other day “why do you need to roadtest the truck you have looked at the brakes”
Now if these experts expect an answer to that question then it really is time to get out the job
Bking:
If and its a big “if” I could find a few local hauliers who would back me in a HGV repair centre,OK a hundred grand,myself and experienced people I know could undercut “main agents” costs by more than half.
The problem is “trust”
I need to be payed on the dot,Not just for me but for the people who work with me (not for me)I Im talking about people with years of experience not some “technician” who thinks changing a wheel or tyre is below him.(go into any “main agent” and ask a technician to change a tyre(not a wheel)
Most of these tossers couldnt pull back their own ■■■■■■■■
I don’t think you’d need a 100k mate, sounds like you’ve already got the tools and know how, is it what you actually want, or you gonna stay under the dealers wing for your last few years?
Tell you what mattwood If I can raise some money I will go for it.After watching these"main" agent clowns the whole scam does my head in.
I know that we all got to make a living but these rip off merchants really do take the ■■■■.
Dont get me wrong I aint no “whiter than white” but when you see what these “experts” get up to it really does disgust me.70 quid an hour for a “tap tap” and not allowed to roadtest the truck!
Comment the other day “why do you need to roadtest the truck you have looked at the brakes”
Now if these experts expect an answer to that question then it really is time to get out the job
I could not agree with you more about this. The idiot management is turning down extra revenue for work which would have come to light if only the vehicle had been given a proper road test. The roller brake tester does not run both wheels at the same time so is incapable of picking up a brake pull to one side which would be observed if the vehicle had been driven. Try a manual test one day like the old class V private bus and car MOT procedure …‘lead and lag’. Also very illuminating sometimes to put the rear axle on the shaker plates.
Taken to a ridiculous limit they are saying that the only defect that needs to be picked up is one when the vehicle isn’t moving… so that does not include checking that an ABS/EBS light goes out when the vehicle starts moving
Bking:
If and its a big “if” I could find a few local hauliers who would back me in a HGV repair centre,OK a hundred grand,myself and experienced people I know could undercut “main agents” costs by more than half.
The problem is “trust”
I need to be payed on the dot,Not just for me but for the people who work with me (not for me)I Im talking about people with years of experience not some “technician” who thinks changing a wheel or tyre is below him.(go into any “main agent” and ask a technician to change a tyre(not a wheel)
Most of these tossers couldnt pull back their own ■■■■■■■■
I don’t think you’d need a 100k mate, sounds like you’ve already got the tools and know how, is it what you actually want, or you gonna stay under the dealers wing for your last few years?
Tell you what mattwood If I can raise some money I will go for it.After watching these"main" agent clowns the whole scam does my head in.
I know that we all got to make a living but these rip off merchants really do take the ■■■■.
Dont get me wrong I aint no “whiter than white” but when you see what these “experts” get up to it really does disgust me.70 quid an hour for a “tap tap” and not allowed to roadtest the truck!
Comment the other day “why do you need to roadtest the truck you have looked at the brakes”
Now if these experts expect an answer to that question then it really is time to get out the job
I could not agree with you more about this. The idiot management is turning down extra revenue for work which would have come to light if only the vehicle had been given a proper road test. The roller brake tester does not run both wheels at the same time so is incapable of picking up a brake pull to one side which would be observed if the vehicle had been driven. Try a manual test one day like the old class V private bus and car MOT procedure …‘lead and lag’. Also very illuminating sometimes to put the rear axle on the shaker plates.
Taken to a ridiculous limit they are saying that the only defect that needs to be picked up is one when the vehicle isn’t moving… so that does not include checking that an ABS/EBS light goes out when the vehicle starts moving
Another parting shot from these dicks was and I quote
Your problem is that your “old school” And at the bottom of this statement was that I care too much about the vehicles I work not enough to the bottom line on the balance sheet.
I cannot work like this.Just one more instance I loaded a defect that a vehicles night heater was not working.
My “manager” says to me “does it matter”?
So let this pillock sleep in a tin box at zero degrees for a couple of nights then see if he asks “does it matter”
The whole job has gone to [zb].
Your problem is that your “old school” And at the bottom of this statement was that I care too much about the vehicles I work not enough to the bottom line on the balance sheet.
I cannot work like this.Just one more instance I loaded a defect that a vehicles night heater was not working.
My “manager” says to me “does it matter”?
So let this pillock sleep in a tin box at zero degrees for a couple of nights then see if he asks “does it matter”
The whole job has gone to [zb].
[/quote]
In other words what they are saying is that the only jobs that you are allowed to do are ones in which there is a good profit in it for them. No wonder they won’t let you blow up tyres on service, the compressor is so knackered that they know it’ll take between half and three quarters of an hour to do the job. The penny really hasn’t dropped with them that the workshop is the SERVICE department and that means DOING the ■■■■■■■ job.
The vehicle came out of the factory with (hopefully) all its systems working, the fact that it is now four or five years old is not an excuse for them not to be all still working.
Thinking back I can recall having a slanging match with a so-called manager because I refused to alter an inspection sheet From ‘GV9 drivers seat in dangerous condition’ to ‘report only’. A spring in the seat cushion had broken and was poking through the top of the cushion. The vehicle was on dealer R&M contract.
The real problem is that from a one hour PDI service,I got to get the vehicle in, inspect it.“E” workshop it and put my name on the line.
Now from this 70 quid per hour you got to pull my 12 an hour,at least 7 office staffs wages, a Dealer principal(whatever that bollox is) and costs of operating the garage eg lights insurance etc etc and it cant be done.
Now if you cut office staff by 85 % you might make a viable company but that would never happen would it.
Paper shuffling is paramount.
A load of parasites that live off the bloke with the truck and the bloke who fixes it.
Another thing i have learnt in this game is never let a large company dominate your “throughput”.They start to “own” you and drive other valued smaller companies onto the "when we can get round to you “list”
Then all of a sudden they “negotiate” a “preferential” lower rate because they got you by the balls.
Be it a company with 5 trucks or 5000 they all get treated the same and if the “big boys” think that they can squeeze you you can be dammed sure they will.And if you have lost the rest of your regular customers they “own” you.
Better to ■■ these parasites off and deal with people who you can trust.Let them go else where if you provide a good service they will be back,dont let them screw you.
better to make a reasonable return than let these pigs dictate their terms and end up working for a loss and dancing to their bloody tune.
And if they dont come back what have you lost?
If you provide a good service,dont take on more than you can handle and most important look after your staff then you will probably never be a millionaire but at least you will be able to sleep nights.
norb:
Just a little bit to add to cav551 post which was excellent…In a dealership ,you will also have the lads who are quiet happy doing servicing ,and have no wish to get involved in technical issues…Though you need allsorts to make a workshop operate ,personally I detest servicing ,and having done DAFs Master Tech course I am quiet happy that I may do a handful of servicing a year …Again as cav551 stated ,I generally do not worry about times ,it’s more of getting a first time fix,more so with how they are getting more complicated …Another thing that can hinder so people progressing ,is once someone has done a job once ,the gaffers generally always give that job to said person as they done it before successfully …EURO 6 being an example ,a lot of faults may be the first time a dealer may have saw it …So Master Tech gets it ,due to (again as cav says) Their thought process is different and they will look at inactive errors for a clue ,if there is an intermittent fault…Sadly not all manufacturers are fully trained before a new model is launched…Due to dealer standards ,new starts are quickly sent on relevant courses when they are available
Should have been a politician.SOB who knows jack.
But I got the “certificates”
Had some clever sob the other day with a stuck trailer hub told this “technician” too use a fork truck.Thick sob asked “why”
Dumb pillock.Any of you "clever " boys know what the hell Im talkin about?
Ive used forklifts for many things i shouldnt off but never to remove a stuck hub whats your trick?
norb:
Just a little bit to add to cav551 post which was excellent…In a dealership ,you will also have the lads who are quiet happy doing servicing ,and have no wish to get involved in technical issues…Though you need allsorts to make a workshop operate ,personally I detest servicing ,and having done DAFs Master Tech course I am quiet happy that I may do a handful of servicing a year …Again as cav551 stated ,I generally do not worry about times ,it’s more of getting a first time fix,more so with how they are getting more complicated …Another thing that can hinder so people progressing ,is once someone has done a job once ,the gaffers generally always give that job to said person as they done it before successfully …EURO 6 being an example ,a lot of faults may be the first time a dealer may have saw it …So Master Tech gets it ,due to (again as cav says) Their thought process is different and they will look at inactive errors for a clue ,if there is an intermittent fault…Sadly not all manufacturers are fully trained before a new model is launched…Due to dealer standards ,new starts are quickly sent on relevant courses when they are available
Should have been a politician.SOB who knows jack.
But I got the “certificates”
Had some clever sob the other day with a stuck trailer hub told this “technician” too use a fork truck.Thick sob asked “why”
Dumb pillock.Any of you "clever " boys know what the hell Im talkin about?
Ive used forklifts for many things i shouldnt off but never to remove a stuck hub whats your trick?
So you got a stuck hub that needs to come off and you got a fork truck?
So you ■■? or is this a little too “technical” for you.
You wrap a chain round the hub ,you fasten the chain round the forklift tow pin and you give it a good pull.
Or you do as most “technicians” do ,Stand there with your finger up your ■■■ and get sod all done.
The hub has to come off so get on with it instead of expecting somebody else to solve the problem.
