Lincoln Tech Grad Pioneers Uber Partnership
Business models are constantly changing. The typical 9-5 work day is no longer typical. Uber is a great example of this and even states it on their website: “Drive when you want. Make what you need.”
As an Uber driver, you choose your hours depending on your schedule, and what works best for you. Lincoln Tech graduate Zach Smith noted this and developed a groundbreaking company of his own. Best Mobile Auto & Diesel was founded by Smith with the intention of servicing the cars of Uber drivers. He pitched an idea to Uber focusing on service and support and was chosen over multi-million dollar companies to contract directly with the ride-share giant for mechanics.
How does the Best Mobile Auto & Diesel Partnership with Uber set them apart?
Smith attended the University of Florida before his lifelong passion for cars and mechanics drew him to Lincoln Tech’s Denver, CO campus. After completing his Diesel Technology training, he went on to receive a Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State. Having worked all over the country, Smith was familiar with the landscape of garage business plans and he liked the earning potential that was there.
Best Mobile Auto & Diesel started as a mobile service company. They would fix Uber drivers’ cars remotely – at their home or the side of the road, if needed. This convenient mobile service is now available in five cities in Colorado: Fort Collins, Boulder, Aspen, Frisco and Colorado Springs. This was so successful, Best Mobile opened a service garage in Denver, and now they’re the only dedicated Uber garage bay in the country.
Boasting a multicultural staff of men and women, and with the goal of expanding nationwide, Smith and his business partner, Zach Wilson – another Lincoln Tech grad – take pride in their early accomplishments. They sat together at the same table in their intro class at Lincoln Tech, and found they had common interests. Smith took to heart what he recalls hearing at orientation: “Look to the left and right of you – that could be your employer one day, or your employee.”
From a Lincoln Tech Student to a Lincoln Tech Employer Partner.
It has all come full circle for Smith and Wilson, as they now attend Lincoln Tech career fairs as employers seeking qualified technicians. As Smith notes, “Lincoln grads have experience with innovative technology.”
Not only are they seeking graduates to hire, but they are also interested in having instructors bring students to the garage as well. Smith has also been actively networking on social media (find Best Mobile Automotive and Diesel on Facebook!), saying Lincoln “has helped us build relationships and connections. There’s a level of trust with Lincoln instructors and the curriculum.”
Smith embodies all the characteristics of a Lincoln Tech grad: innovative, driven, and passionate about what he does, and he’s an entrepreneurial success story. “We’re businessmen. Our fathers were businessmen,” he says of his partnership with Zach Wilson. “We never slow down.”