Advertise on podcast: On The Ramp - The Independent Automotive Garage Owners Podcast.

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html To find out more about our GMS LaunchControl, head to https://launchcontrol.app Eight years ago Dave Wilson was driving lorries and doing carbon cleans at the weekend to pay off his debts. He had no trade background, no backing, and soon after, an IVA that meant he couldn't get so much as a credit card. Today he runs Drive Green Vehicle Services, an award-winning garage with staff, and he has just bought the unit next door without a mortgage. Alex and Tim take Dave back to the £2,000 carbon cleaning machine he gambled on, and work forward through teaching himself DPF work, walking away from lorry driving, building a mobile business through an IVA, saving £15k just before COVID hit, getting his first unit, and learning to price a job properly. Topics covered: - going from lorry driving to carbon cleaning at the weekend - finding his first customers on Facebook - the "what's a DPF?" job that changed everything - caring for his dad while building the business - running a business through an IVA with no credit - taking on a unit with £3,500 in the bank - why most garages are undercharging - buying the unit next door when the bank wouldn't give him a mortgage - his advice for anyone thinking of going it alone Timestamps: 00:00 - launchcontrol 00:42 - intro 01:57 - from lorry driver to carbon cleaning at the weekend 03:50 - finding customers on facebook 07:27 - "what's a dpf?" the job that changed everything 10:26 - cracking dpf regens and charging properly 13:29 - caring for his dad 16:31 - walking away from lorry driving 25:40 - joining the dpf doctor network 27:31 - networking his way into the trade 29:30 - the iva, building a business with no credit 33:08 - castrol | the race group partnership 35:45 - £15k saved, then covid 42:04 - getting the first unit 46:27 - sharing a garage and taking on dan 54:36 - who the business is for 57:45 - learning to price a job 1:02:12 - most garages are undercharging 1:06:38 - front of house, staff and the new hire 1:14:49 - buying the unit next door with no mortgage 1:23:30 - on the main stage at 1tec 1:25:50 - a tough year 1:30:32 - advice for anyone going it alone 1:31:41 - outro Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. https://beacons.ai/ontheramp #ontheramp #garageowners #independentgarage #dpf #startingagarage #ukgarages #automotiveindustry #mechaniclife #castrol

If you run a garage, you’ve probably seen a lot of adverts for garage management software (GMS) lately. There’s a reason for that. AI has made software almost free to build, so garage owners, the established players and brand new companies are all piling into the market. In this short episode I talk about where that leaves the industry. I cover why prices are falling, what MCP is, and why connecting Claude or ChatGPT to your GMS changes things. Soon your agent won’t just pull reports. It’ll create bookings, order parts and contact customers. I also explain why LaunchControl starts at £49, how one of my businesses already runs fully automated bookkeeping through Xero, and why I think the market will grow fast and then shrink back to a few key players. The big idea: your GMS should hold your data and your processes, and give you full API and MCP access so you can build on top of it. Some of our customers already have. Chapters 00:00 Why you're seeing so many GMS adverts 02:03 AI inside the workflow, and what MCP means 03:00 When AI agents start writing back to your GMS 03:41 Why we launched LaunchControl, and why it's £49 05:07 Bookkeeping that runs itself 06:25 Buying a GMS right now, and the coming shake-out 07:46 The GMS as your data layer 08:41 Customers building their own apps 10:11 Your priority for the next 12 months To learn more, visit https://launchcontrol.app

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html Ross Maitland was promised training by one employer after another. Main dealers, big independents, a contract, a handshake, none of it turned into a single day on a course. At 35 he was ready to leave the trade for good. Instead he opened Maitland Motors in Burntisland with £200 in his bank account and his mum and dad lending him the rent. Less than a year in he had nothing booked and gave himself two days before he packed it in. Ten years on he has six staff, owns the building, and has just won an award for training and development. Alex and Tim take him right back to the Yellow Pages and work forward through every garage, every broken promise, and every mistake he made on the way. Topics covered: - writing to 74 garages for an apprenticeship and getting two replies - being passed over for master tech training without being asked - a bonus scheme that punished the wrong person - finding out he was £3 an hour under the technicians he was trying to recruit- why paying under market rate catches up with a garage - starting a garage with £200 and no savings - the fleet work that saved his first year- a thousand pounds a year for unlimited training, and what he did with it - what he does differently now he employs technicians himself Timestamps: 00:00 - intro 07:56 - writing to 74 garages for an apprenticeship 18:14 - leaving the first garage for bigger jobs 26:44 - castrol | the race group partnership 29:30 - promised master tech training, then passed over 39:46 - on £10.50 an hour and £3 under his own technicians 48:03 - the two homers that made his mind up 52:24 - starting maitland motors with £200 in the bank 59:57 - two days from packing it in 1:05:20 - a thousand pounds a year for unlimited training 1:13:37 - winning the training and development award 1:20:01 - two staff, an envelope and five rules 1:30:37 - outroSubscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. https://beacons.ai/ontheramp

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit:  https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html David Simpson left school with no qualifications, got sacked from a string of McDonald's, and ended up running a tuning network with around 800 agents and manufacturing his own DPF cleaning machines. In this episode he and Sy Harraway open up a side of the trade most garage owners never see from the inside, including how tuning files are actually bought, sold and protected, and why the incoming DPF test is going to catch out a lot of cars. If you run a workshop, send DPFs out, or have ever wondered what is really on the ECU of the car in front of you, this one is full of practical insight. What is covered: Diagnosing with second-hand parts instead of chasing fault codes How master and slave tuning tools work, and why choosing a file provider matters Manufacturers locking down ECUs, and what happens when one gets cracked Warranty markers and how main dealers spot a remap The DPF MOT test and what it means for mapped-out vehicles Putting vehicles back to stock as a revenue stream Building a DPF cleaning machine from scratch Running a garage at 48% gross profit with one technician and an apprentice Timestamps: 00:00 - intro00:30 - from the army to the boot of a bmw05:21 - the £30 ecu approach to diagnostics09:14 - mobile to workshop, and the moonlight flit16:16 - selling tools, and getting stung20:25 - seven day payment terms and lending on trust27:47 - Castrol | The Race Group Partnership29:00 - masters, slaves and how tuning files really work42:20 - tuning evs and locked down ecus54:56 - the dpf mot test and stockpiling filters57:56 - the mdf box and the machine that leaked1:02:50 - taking manufacturing to turkey1:07:59 - four businesses, one workshop1:17:08 - £120,000 spent getting work for agents1:24:27 - outro Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. https://beacons.ai/ontheramp #ontheramp #mobilemechanic #garageowners #independentgarage #automotiveindustry #mechaniclife #ukgarages #trades #automotive #castrol #remapping #dpf #diagnostics

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html Marc is 25 and runs Magnet Autos in Liverpool, a third generation family garage his granddad started in 1978 after accidentally buying the wrong building at auction. He came into the business straight out of school after six months at home, took over in October 2023 when his dad stepped back to care for his granddad, and was made managing director just under two years later. Turnover has roughly doubled in three years. Tim Guidotti joins Alex on co-hosting duty for the first time, so there is a proper fleet conversation in here too: fleet versus retail margins, auto authorisation on the platforms, high spend reviews and de-fleeting, and why six technicians can run on one service advisor. If you run an independent garage or you are heading into a family business handover, this one is honest about the parts that go wrong as well as the parts that work. Topics covered: Coming into the family business out of school and starting in the back office How Magnet bought its way into fleet in 2004 Taking over in October 2023 when his dad stepped back Going from mate to boss, and the hire he regrets letting go Turning away the busy fools and £4,000 to £5,000 a week of turnover Fleet versus retail: margins, authorisation and high spend reviews Splitting workshop control from the front desk The five year plan, ramps, and why he is not opening a second site Timestamps: 00:00 - intro 01:44 - leaving school and the six months at home 07:29 - how magnet got into fleet in 2004 13:15 - the dip and taking over in October 2023 19:18 - the sultan of brunei cars 23:06 - Castrol | The Race Group Partnership 24:26 - the setup, the staff and buying the wrong building 33:02 - fleet versus retail margins and authorisation 39:15 - the numbers and turning away the busy fools 46:27 - becoming managing director 52:46 - the five year plan and adding ramps 59:36 - outro Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. https://beacons.ai/ontheramp #garageowners #independentgarage #automotiveindustry #mechaniclife #ukgarages #trades #automotive #castrol #fleet #familybusiness #ontheramp

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html Sophie Lyden works alongside her dad at Westgate Tyres in Morecambe. Three depots on one street, 40 to 50 cars a day, and no booking system for tyres. She's also better known across the trade as The Tyre Lady, and became the person the BBC called when they wanted a tyre expert. She joins us to talk about how both of those things happened. If you run a garage or sell tyres, this one's full of practical insight, and a decent argument that safety messaging is the best marketing you're not doing. In this episode: - Why Westgate doesn't take bookings for tyres, and how they cope with 40 to 50 cars a day - The stock strategy behind their biggest tyre month - TPMS, valve service kits, and the conversation most garages skip - Why she checks dot codes on every car and advises at 3mm - The crash outside the garage that started The Tyre Lady - What road safety conferences never talk about - How a LinkedIn post about a bad tyre reached 200,000 people - Getting a tyre onto the BBC Breakfast sofa - What she'd change about the MOT and the legal tread limit - ADHD, postnatal depression, and running a business through both Timestamps: 00:00 - intro 01:04 - how sophie ended up back in the family tyre business 09:11 - inside westgate tyres and their biggest month 18:31 - punctures, stock and what makes a tyre shop busy 24:51 - tyres or servicing, and which one she would keep 29:26 - castrol | the race group partnership 35:55 - the crash outside the garage that started the tyre lady 43:04 - road safety conferences, dot codes and the education gap 52:38 - testing tyres and keeping the tyre lady separate from westgate 60:37 - bbc breakfast and the families behind the campaign 66:46 - what she would change about the mot and the tread limit 75:07 - adhd, postnatal depression and understanding her own brain 83:40 - taking over the business and what comes next 88:05 - outro Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. https://beacons.ai/ontheramp #ontheramp #tyres #tyresafety #garageowners #independentgarage #ukgarages #automotiveindustry #roadsafety #mechaniclife #castrol

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit:  https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html Fleet work divides the trade. Some garages swear by it, others swear at it. In this episode, Alex and Leo are joined by Tim Guidotti, second generation owner of Ferdotti Motor Services and founder of Fleet Guy, to tackle the myths head on. Alex explains why he spent years telling garages to get rid of their fleet work, and why he now admits he was wrong. Tim breaks down good fleet vs bad fleet, the truth about labour rates, how to actually win fleet contracts, and why the data suggests retail-only garages could be facing long term decline. If you run an independent garage and you've ever dismissed fleet work, this one's full of practical insight. Timestamps: 00:00 - intro 01:04 - tim's story, growing up in the family business 12:34 - joining the business and doing the deal properly 21:52 - Castrol | The Race Group Partnership 23:05 - why alex was anti-fleet, and admitting he was wrong 29:32 - the coffee test, good fleet vs bad fleet 41:09 - winning fleet work and keeping it 52:25 - should your garage do fleet, and where ownership is heading 1:03:05 - the labour rate myth, utilisation and productivity 1:09:23 - why fleet guy exists, building an industry standard 1:16:36 - fleet guy live, plus tim joins as co-host Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. https://beacons.ai/ontheramp #ontheramp #garageowners #independentgarage #fleetwork #fleetmanagement #ukgarages #automotiveindustry #mechaniclife #castrol

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html This week it's not a story episode, it's a business one. Alex and Leo sit down with business coach Phil Brookes, who has spent his career in the tyre and garage trade, from the workshop floor to training and running parts of a national group, and now coaching independent garages. We get into the stuff most owners never get taught: pricing with confidence, knowing your real numbers, front of house, recruitment and the small marginal gains that quietly add thousands to the bottom line. If you run a garage and you have ever felt busy but not as profitable as you should be, this one is full of practical insight. Timestamps: 00:00 - intro and why business training is undervalued 01:20 - phil's journey into the trade 07:38 - growing and selling a national tyre group 13:37 - why tyre pricing is so sensitive 17:25 - pricing with confidence and the three prices 18:50 - front of house and the restaurant lesson 26:39 - why training fails without follow-up 29:11 - marginal gains and the 1% rule 33:00 - the wheel alignment opportunity 38:27 - how much profit is really in a tyre 47:56 - leading, retention and recruitment 51:09 - knowing your numbers and the benchmarks that matter 57:29 - marketing and the garage that isn't busy enough 1:04:23 - hiq, wholesale and the real tyre margins 1:06:47 - how to get in touch with Phil Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. #ontheramp #garageowners #independentgarage #automotiveindustry #mechaniclife #automotive #castrol #businesscoaching

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-... Joanne Knowles is the Event Director for Automechanika Birmingham and the UK Garage and Body Shop event, the two biggest trade shows in the UK independent garage calendar. She joins Alex and Dawn on this episode to talk about what actually goes into running them, why attending matters more than ever, and how Motivate is starting to change the way new talent is brought into the industry. If you're a garage owner, technician, college tutor or student, this one's worth your time. Timestamps: 00:00 - intro 01:14 - automechanika vs uk garage and body shop 03:00 - why garage owners should attend 07:31 - feedback, parking and the autonomous bus 09:20 - introducing motivate 12:20 - women, the ignite arena and engaging colleges 18:16 - computer science, adas and the future 21:34 - the case for cpd accreditation 25:22 - castrol | the race group partnership 26:37 - industry community, the blend and ben charity 33:15 - takeaways and how to get involved 41:13 - uk garage and body shop 2026 44:00 - outro Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. #automotiveindustry #podcast #interview #ontheramp #independentgarage

This episode is sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, please visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html Jordan from JLK Vehicle Solutions, better known online as The Norfolk Tech, joins us to share how a Covid redundancy pushed him into self-employment and how he's built one of the healthier mobile businesses in the UK. In this episode, Jordan breaks down why the trade undercharges, what it really takes to run a mobile business day to day, the value of community for solo operators, and why he's been willing to talk openly about burnout. 00:00 – Introduction 02:15 – Redundancy during Covid 06:10 – Six weeks to self-employed 08:45 – Building the business on Facebook 19:20 – A typical day on the road 22:35 – Why the trade undercharges 33:00 – Sponsored Segment 38:00 – Getting scammed, security, and working on driveways 53:00 – Diary management and parts 01:06:00 – The mobile tech community 01:10:00 – Talking openly about burnout Subscribe for more expert insight, honest conversation, and real stories from inside the independent garage sector. #ontheramp #mobilemechanic #independentgarage #automotiveindustry #castrol tps://beacons.ai/ontheramp

If you are a garage owner thinking about starting, specialising or scaling, this episode offers a clear look at what actually drives results. In this episode we cover how this specialist garage was: - Built With Clarity From Day One - Built Without Guesswork- Built With Purpose, Not Pressure - Built Through Focus, Not Expansion - Doing the Right Things Early This episode is kindly sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. Find out more about Castrol using the link below: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:42 - Early career and dealership experience 04:15 - The decision to leave the dealership 07:10 - Career perspective and Australia 10:05 - Starting The Mini Repair Shop 14:20 - Building the brand before the building 18:35 - Launching during COVID 23:10 - Finding customers in the early days 28:45 - Why specialising in MINI works 34:20 - The role of social media 40:05 - Partnerships and early growth 46:30 - Expansion vs focus 52:10 - Key lessons for garage owners 57:00 - Final thoughts

Most garage businesses start broad.General repairs. General customers. General positioning. But over time, staying general can make growth harder, not easier.In this episode, we explore the journey from a traditional town-centre garage to a specialist Land Rover business and the structural decisions that built long-term resilience along the way. We cover: - Transitioning from petrol station to full garage operation - The risk of moving from a high street location to a commercial unit - Why mastering internal workflow comes before expansion- How specialisation strengthens pricing confidence and authority - The importance of perception in building value - This is not about chasing trends. It is about deliberate evolution. - If you are thinking about resilience, repositioning, or future -proofing your garage, this episode is for you. This episode is supported by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol and how they support independent garages, visit:https://www.castrol.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 2:10 - The Origins of the Business 6:15 - From Petrol Station to Garage 12:40 - The Risk of Leaving the High Street 18:20 - Moving to a Commercial Unit 24:30 - Building Systems Before Expansion 30:15 - Controlling Parts and Workflow 36:40 - The Shift Toward Specialisation 44:10 - Becoming a Land Rover Specialist 52:30 - Perception and Premium Positioning 1:01:20 - Lessons in Building Resilience 1:08:45 - Final Thoughts

Running a garage does not come with a manual. In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Petty, co owner of JP Petty Motors, to talk honestly about what it is really like to learn the motor trade while already carrying the responsibility of running a business. Sarah did not come from a technical background. She learned on the job, asked questions, made mistakes and slowly built confidence in an industry that does not always make space for uncertainty. We talk about running a family garage, the pressure that follows you home, making difficult pricing decisions, learning when to ask for help, and stepping out of the shadows to become a visible leader. This conversation will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like they were figuring it out as they went along. Timestamps 2:00 – Coming into the garage with no technical background 5:10 – Learning on the job and early challenges 8:00 – Moving into a service advisor role 11:00 – Balancing family life and the business 14:00 – Covid and the pressure on the garage 17:30 – The moment everything had to change 20:00 – Learning to ask questions and not guess 23:00 – Knowing what you do not know 26:00 – Stepping out of the shadows 29:30 – Confidence and leadership in the garage 32:30 – Putting yourself out there in the industry 35:00 – Discovering the wider automotive community 38:30 – Information overload and staying grounded 41:30 – Running a family business together 45:00 – Supporting staff and building trust 48:30 – Growth pricing and difficult decisions 52:00 – Vehicle health checks and changing processes 56:00 – Capacity pressure and future thinking 1:00:00 – Final reflections on learning as you go This episode is supported by Castrol and The Race Group.Visit Castrol here: ⁠https://www.castrol.com⁠

In this episode of On The Ramp, Jamie shares an honest account of his journey through the motor trade.From starting out in a small local garage and working through dealerships and independents, to running his own business for nearly a decade, this conversation looks at what life is really like behind the scenes. Jamie talks openly about going mobile with very little planning, the pressure of keeping work coming in, and the reality of long hours with little reward. The episode explores common challenges many garage owners face, including undercharging, fear of employing staff, working without a long term plan, and the isolation that can come with running a one man business. The discussion also covers the difficult decision to close a garage, the emotional impact of locking the doors for the last time, and the relief that can come from stepping away. From there, the conversation moves into growth, learning diagnostics properly, working alongside stronger operators, and finding a healthier balance between work, life, and ambition. This episode will resonate with anyone in the automotive industry who has run a garage, is thinking about starting one, or is questioning what success in this trade really looks like beyond just being busy. This episode is proudly sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. To learn more about Castrol Service, visit: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/services/castrol-service.html Timestamps: 01:00 - Getting into the motor trade 05:30 - Apprenticeships and early mistakes 06:45 - Leaving the dealer and chasing money 07:50 - Going mobile and starting alone 09:10 - Running a business with no plan 11:00 - Winter work and survival mode 11:40 - First workshop and early growth 14:00 - Working month to month 15:45 - The biggest mistake looking back 19:00 - Long hours and family pressure 25:00 - Realising something had to change 29:30 - Deciding to close the business 36:30 - Learning again and rediscovering the trade 56:30 - Finding balance and enjoying the work

Modern diagnostics demand far more than plugging in a tool and changing parts. In this episode of On The Ramp, we talk about what working on today’s vehicles really requires from independent garages. The conversation covers process, responsibility and decision making in a world of complex systems, EVs and ADAS. We discuss why fault codes are only the starting point, why structure and method matter, and what happens when diagnostics is rushed or handled without the right understanding. This episode is for garage owners and senior technicians who want to work safely, professionally and sustainably as vehicles continue to evolve. Timestamps: 02:12 – Steve’s background and how diagnostics has changed 06:38 – Why fault codes are only the starting point 11:04 – Moving from parts fitting to proper diagnostic process 18:27 – Teaching technicians how to think, not just test 26:06 – Why process matters more than tools 31:42 – Charging properly for diagnostics and assessment time 38:18 – Intermittent faults and managing customer expectations 44:02 – EVs, ADAS and the responsibility garages now carry 49:28 – Safety risks and why calibration matters 56:08 – Dealer vs independent diagnostics explained 01:02:35 – The future of diagnostics and access to vehicle data 01:08:12 – Burnout, pressure and working smarter 01:15:48 – Raising standards without losing your sanity 01:22:26 – Final thoughts on professionalism in the trade This episode is proudly sponsored by Castrol and The Race Group. Find out more below: Castrol: https://www.castrol.com/en_gb/united-kingdom/home.html The Race Group: https://www.facebook.com/TheRaceGroup/?locale=en_GB