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

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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