Diesel Stories Recap: Ray Clark Gives Advice to Techs of the Future

We’re pretty excited about this latest episode of Diesel Stories, and we hope you are, too! In this episode, Jacob and Chris sat down with Ray Clark, Director of Training and Development at Truck Country and Stoops Freightliner.

Ray got started young: his biological father ran a car dealership, and his adoptive father had an excavating business. “I almost think that was like the curse word if you ever talked about hiring a mechanic or somebody somewhere, a piece of equipment. It was like, ‘I’m going to buy the manual, I’m going to buy the parts, and we’re going to fix it ourselves.’”

He ended up attending Ohio Diesel Technical and then going to work at the excavating company. But he realized, “I’m really not getting any return of interest on my school that I went to, and I would really like to get to a repair shop.” During the winter, when work at the excavation company slowed to a crawl, he started taking gigs at small automotive shops around town.

Over time, Ray moved from independent shops to dealerships, eventually joining Truck Country as a service manager. His skill as both a tech and a trainer was noticed and rewarded: he ended up creating his own position and now oversees two training centers.

The podcast hits on some great subjects for anyone interested in running a repair shop, including:

• The eternal debate around flat rate vs. hourly
• Ray’s stint in local politics
• Identifying the point of diminishing returns when you’re trying to fix something
• What to do when you’re passed over for a promotion because you’re “too profitable” to lose
• The advice Ray would give to a teenager considering a future as a diesel tech

We had a great time talking to Ray, and we think you’ll enjoy hearing his stories. Grab a snack and listen to the entire podcast over here—and enjoy!