diesel mechanic

counter sales representative

shop technician

service advisor

delivery driver

GATR Truck Center

This review is solely for the Sauk rapids location as I do not know how the other locations run. 
I applied for and was hired on as an apprentice body tech. I was super excited as I was given an opportunity to explore a new trade with no prior experience other than basic mechanical knowledge. I was excited to be trained and learn something new. Well this never happened. I was shown things here or there (crash courses) by techs who had pretty much the same amount of experience as myself (not much). I had to teach myself how to do everything and learn from mistakes. This isn’t a bad thing but where it hurts is your “quarterly tune ups” these are basically quarterly reviews. Your pay raises depend on you being able to reach “proficiency” and “efficiency” numbers. These numbers basically go off of how quickly you get a job done and how much unapplied time you have. They are almost impossible to match coming in as a new guy with no experience and on top of that the workflow coming into the shop is virtually non existent. No joke one day they had us outside painting pylon posts around the parking lot because there was no work. You were given mundane tasks like this VERY OFTEN and you have no choice to clock onto unapplied time to do these tasks which hurt your efficiency numbers. They often try to stick new people into the wash bay for 3 months I think as a way to test you. I declined this because the pay was ridiculous and I just wouldn’t be able to work with it. I got to skip the was bay and was placed straight into the shop where the pay wasn’t much better. My honest opinion on this place as a guy who was here for a little over a year is that it’s just not worth it. The body shop is very chaotic with no clear instruction and lots of new faces coming and going. While I was there I seen 4-5 people come in and try to play “foreman” roles as to try and get SOME kind of structure going. Parts for trucks are constantly misplaced and lost and or mishandled which hurts your numbers. Parts are also always on back order and trucks sometimes sit for MONTHS on end because of it. 
DONT DO IT. There are plenty of places hiring at far better salaries willing to train you properly and not take advantage of you. 

Work-life balance
Work-life balance at GATR Truck Center is good,
 COVID-19 put a stop to the events the company put on. It is most definitely a family oriented work place with people who care. The online  training is hard to juggle when you have a family however,  it is also manageable.

Pay & benefits
My pay and benefits at GATR Truck Center are good, it could always be better and I'm sure there are better insurance plans. However what we have works and is very comparable to most company's  there is also the sign on bonus witch is very awsome, so if anyone puts me down we both get 2000 thanks for that GATR.

Job security and advancement
In terms of job security at GATR Truck Center, I think the harder you work, the more you learn. You will never have to worry and I think that goes for any job really. GATR always makes sure we are fed with 40 hrs. Witch is good in my mind, they never send us home due to being slow or what not. They will let us leave but the test of time for me to see for myself is the pandemic we are going through now things have slowed down and we are still working . If your lazy I wouldn't recommend it but if you are an up beat self motivated individual come and check it out!

Management
In general, managers at GATR Truck Center are mostly awsome. I dont just say this cause they may read it but, I sure could use the browny points! I have no complaints other then sometimes the corporate aspect is not so fun to deal with but they do there best I honestly feel that.

Culture
Collaboration with my colleagues at GATR Truck Center is easy and works always sometimes but we get things done always when that is what I really appreciate about most of my co workers is the " what's it gonna take " factor we help eachother and make the best of the worst situations.

Overall
My experience working at GATR Truck Center I'm happy with my current employer sometimes I feel like change but I know I'm in a good place with room for growth.

CEO and next one in command are oblivious to the real day to day process and I felt they only see what has been told, more about themselves, not their core values, props to the mechanics , they are great, as to the service writers... 2 are good but parts and shipping and receiving..can't keep anyone   it's cluttered ,unorganized before I started  ...I enjoyed my job there and did more then asked of me and was let go due to attendance ,even with doctor notes....upper management is in separate building and are not there enough to see what really goes on... They offer a mentor when hired but don't say anything to them cause it will just get u fired in the end .Favoritism and dealing with inappropriate comments and advancements will get u far, or shut your mouth do as u're told to get by and u will stay employed...once u do above and beyond ...u're posing a challenge and threat and will be let go n blamed n they don't wanna appreciate the drivers who spend millions regularlybut instead overcharge n expect something in return for nothing ...pay is small, place is unorganized once again and the ones who work hard are underappreciated...  Sales n shop are great though.   High turn around rate due to low pay and non communication between different locations.   

This is a great place to get started in the industry before finding a job that's more permanent. Lots of training for the technicians, online training for parts. The people that have been here for awhile tend to be pretty negative, some have said it's a toxic environment. I'd have to agree. Some of the people that have been there awhile have major attitude problems and will be nice to you but have no problem backstabbing you either. This place is a good opportunity to get some experience in the industry while waiting for other job opportunities at competitors to open up.  Expect to spend half of your check to health insurance each pay period if you want family coverage. Retirement match is best perk I've seen. The managers of the departments are good to work with for taking time off. In parts dept lots of chaos with parts runners, and getting common parts at an off location warehouse in a timely fashion for customers or the shop.

The work environment here is generally decent and provides a stable place to build experience. Management is approachable, and communication is usually clear, which helps reduce confusion in day-to-day tasks. Coworkers tend to be cooperative and respectful, creating a team-oriented atmosphere that makes shifts more manageable. While the workload can vary depending on the day, expectations are typically reasonable and achievable with proper time management. The company also offers adequate resources to complete assigned responsibilities, which shows a level of organizational support. There is room for improvement in areas like scheduling consistency and opportunities for advancement, but overall, the workplace maintains a fair balance between productivity and employee well-being. It’s a solid option for someone looking for a dependable job with a relatively positive environment and a team that works together to get things done efficiently.

As a technician here, I’ve worked in plenty of shops where the goal is just to "clear the bay" as fast as possible. This place is different. From the service desk to the floor, there is a genuine respect for the precision and power of diesel engineering.
We are equipped with top-tier diagnostic software, which means we aren't just guessing—we’re identifying the root cause of EGR issues or injector failures correctly the first time. The management actually invests in our training, ensuring we stay current on the latest emissions standards and heavy-duty tech.
But what really makes this shop great is the accountability. If a job isn’t done to my standard, it doesn’t leave the rack. We treat every truck—from a daily driver to a commercial fleet vehicle—like our own livelihood depends on it. It’s a fast-paced environment, but there’s a real sense of pride in seeing a rig leave the lot running better than when it arrived.

Des Moines store is understaffed and with good reason. Lowest pay in the industry at every position. Hiring and staffing philosophy is hire as many cheap people as possible and hope some work out.
Was sold on the company with big promises at hiring only to quickly find out none were true.
I'm certain my experience was not unique as evidenced by the unprecedented amount of employee turnover.
I was only there a short time but every day customers would comment on how the people were always new.
The policies on breaks, clothing, etc were part military part prison.
I didn't meet the owner or upper management but judging by the comments made by all the employees they are not well thought of.
It's a shame. I really had high hopes after being hired but the incredible difference between the picture painted by the manager and the reality were like a Saturday Night Live sketch.


Benefits are ok. The pay is terrible!!! and I mean terrible. They will tell you that these are the goals that you need to hit and you may get a pay raise. I have been here for awhile and it's literally has gone from if you hit these goal every 3 months you'll get a raise to you may get one. The best part about this company is the people that I work with. Other than that that's it. The management is terrible and the president is a joke. Truth be told you can ask anyone what he actually does they will say I don't know and that's not the only position within the upper management that you have know idea what they do they are just there to be honest.  Health care is free but it's with a company that's terrible. Wish they would find a better health care provider.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Coworkers are the best thing about working at Gatr. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Unrealistic expectations placed on good employees while bad employees get away with whatever. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Extremely high turnover. Inconsistencies. Dishonesty. Can’t go to HR for issues because family member is a manager. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Run faster, Jump higher. The more you do the more is put on you. corporate pays inconsistent, show they do not honestly value good employees. Training for new people is inconsistent but coworkers make it tolerable.

Being let go from this company may have been the best thing that ever happened to me. There are wonderful people that work for this company and will help guide you through your day to day stress. Recently they have changed their management style and corporate is very top heavy. Hard work goes unnoticed, but mistakes do not. Now that I am no longer with the company I realize how toxic the workplace is. Pay is at least $5 less than competitors. They do not value dedicated/long term employees. Family environment at the CR location, but I can not speak on the others. I can no longer say that I recommend someone working for this company, unfortunately. And as HR says "Slow to hire, quick to fire." Job seekers beware.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Diesel mechanic 37 salaries reported	$30.93 per hour
Counter sales representative 15 salaries reported	$22.63 per hour
Shop technician 9 salaries reported	$28.44 per hour
Service advisor 14 salaries reported	$26.07 per hour
Delivery driver 3 salaries reported	$18.67 per hour

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