On this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, I sit down with Canadian technician David Rodrigues. For nearly 20 years, David has been mastering his craft on Hondas and Acuras. This is not just a career recap. It’s a deep dive into legacy, leadership, and the reality of working flat-rate.
David shares how he started through co-op, landed a rare apprenticeship, and became the go-to diagnostic tech. But then he left. Why? Leadership that didn’t fight for his time. And when he returned, everything changed.
In this episode, we cover:
🙋♂️ Why being the best technician in the shop can feel like a curse
🙋♂️ How he diagnosed a TLX that only failed in the rain
🙋♂️What real support from a service manager looks like
🙋♂️How a good shop foreman can make or break a dealership
🙋♂️Why boring jobs make the best money
This is for the tech who wants more. More respect. More growth. More meaning in the work. Don't miss this conversation if you’re leading techs or trying to become one worth following.
Chapters:
0:00 The technician’s legacy
3:00 Hot Wheels to Hondas
10:00 Earned Apprenticeship
17:00 Dealership promised everything, delivered nothing
26:00 Diagnosing the impossible TLX
33:00 Shop foremen make or break it
42:00 The boring jobs pay the best
45:00 Best advice for every tech
49:00 Work-life balance isn’t one-size-fits-all
If you're a fixed ops director, service manager, Technician, BDC trainer, SaaS Founder, Service Advisor, or automotive professional looking to understand the future of dealership operations, this discussion offers valuable insights.
🔔 Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more in-depth conversations with industry innovators.
#morethancars
If this helped, comment with your next video idea or tag someone who needs to press record. Better yet, go make something. I would love to see it.
Subscribe for episodes on:
Service advisor training
Technician productivity
Repair order accuracy
Dealership leadership and culture
Fixed Ops coaching and management
Automotive Content Creation
Event Media and Publication
Event Filmography
Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast
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Sponsored by The Bearded Brotherhood
Premium beard care products built for technicians.
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FixedOPS Marketing — Service marketing tools for dealerships
https://www.fixedopsmarketing.com
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The Lion Partnership — Consulting for service department performance
https://www.lionpartnership.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lion-partnership
DCS - Digital Communication Solutions — Digital Sales and Service Tags
https://www.dicoso.us
https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-communication-solutions/
ASOTU - More than Cars - Where Innovative Ideas In Auto Are Born
https://www.asotu.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@asotu/
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Toma - "We care about our customers."
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