Why they stay, why they leave

Why they stay, why they leave

Although eclipsed by the shortage of over-the-road drivers, many fleets are still having problems attracting andetaining qualified maintenance technicians

 

It was almost ten years ago that USA Today ran an article titled “High-tech skills give auto mechanics more power.” In the article was a reference to a graduate from the automotive maintenance program of a technical college who was hoping to find a job for $25,000 to $30,000 after a worrisome search. Wasn’t he surprised when more than one dealer offered him a signing bonus along with an annual salary close to $40,000 with unexpected fringes?

The USA Today article did mention that the companies making those kind of offers were automobile companies, not trucking firms. It was BMW, for example, that made the offer of a position paying $38,000 per year, a $1,500 signing bonus, help in finding an apartment and additional specialized training.

It was also about 10 years ago when a well respected fleet manager added a personal story to a discussion about reasons for a shortage of diesel technicians. He told the tale of a young automobile technician who got paid for changing into a clean company-supplied uniform. He then went to work in a comfortably heated and well-lighted service bay that was cleaned the night before by an outside janitorial service. He had the opportunity to work as much overtime as he wanted and, as a result, was able to earn upwards of $90,000 annually. When he was ready to go home, he was paid a half hour to shower and change back into his own clothes. The narrative was likely accurate as it turned out that the young man was our narrator’s son-in-law.

So what’s this nonsense about a shortage of technicians? With numbers like that, who would expect that there might be any kind of shortage of maintenance technicians? Most graduates with bachelor’s degrees only hope for jobs like that, and most aren’t courted when they graduate. 
 
Common characteristics
Could it be there’s some kind of not-too-obvious difference between the value of automobile technicians and truck technicians? It certainly seems that a person who might aspire to work on trucks would have the same kind of interests as one that might want to work on cars.

The difference seems to lie primarily in one’s point of view. We may not really have a shortage if we were able to change that viewpoint. Darry Stuart, president and CEO of DWS Fleet Management Services and the current general chairperson of the Technology and Maintenance Council, says, “I don’t necessarily believe that there is an overall shortage of truck technicians. I do believe we have an issue in developing and retaining them. Technicians in the oil fields in Canada make upwards of $200,000 a year. If you go to a Cadillac dealership, you’ll find technicians earning $80,000 to $100,000 annually. It’s a shame that an automobile technician can make $80,000 a year, and we have all we can do to pay a truck mechanic $50,000.”

So why do they leave?
Stuart’s concern about compensation levels is certainly valid, but even he says it’s not all about money. It’s much more about being happy, proud and secure. A recent industry research study indicated that the two greatest challenges our industry will face in the coming years is a shortage of qualified personnel and responding to advances in technology. These two, of course, might really be different aspects of the same problem because, as Stuart suggests, many political, economic and social changes have been caused by advances in technology.

So when he asks, “Why do they leave?” he answers his own question with a litany of reasons. Very important among these is that many management techniques that once worked well may no longer be effective in dealing with a workforce made up of 18- to 25-year-olds, a group he calls the Nintendo Generation. These are people who grew up playing video games on fast computers and experiencing the high rates of positive reinforcement such games provide.

He has much to say on the problems of management. We’ll only touch on a few, but most of his concerns can be lumped under the general heading of lack of managerial training. Too often a technician gets promoted to his next level because he or she performs better in the shop than his or her peers. This continues until a new shop foreman or director of maintenance is needed. You take your best technician and make that last promotion up to his or her level of incompetence. In a single step, you’ve taken your best technician off the floor and likely messed up operations.

It would be tough to blame our new boss. He was never groomed to be a manager. He doesn’t understand that you can get far more done with a carrot than with a stick. Too often, sarcasm is the favored tool of a manager. When there are shop meetings, does he try to establish a relaxed atmosphere or is there tension in the air? Maybe a couple of pizzas would help. It’s much easier for staff members to talk openly when the atmosphere is relaxed. Only if a manager understands a problem can he try to solve it.

Even company owners can cause unrest in the ranks. Picture a technician who came in to work the swing shift and, in doing so, knows he is missing his daughter’s first recital. He just starts on his first assignment of the day when the big boss pulls into the shop driving his wife’s red Porsche and asks our tech to wash it. Really a good move for shop morale! Happily such situations don’t happen too often, but we’ve all heard of such unfortunate circumstances, and even once is too often.

Stuart also addresses the shop’s working environment. First, recall the shop environment in which our $80,000 automotive technician works. Now take a good look at your shop to see if you can compete with that warm, clean, well-lighted shop. Do you have enough heaters to keep the temperature comfortable all the way to the shop floor, and is that floor clean? Remember that technicians are often working on their backs. Are your company supplied shop tools and equipment –– diagnostic tools, floor jacks, drop lights, bench grinders, shop air systems, presses, vises etc. -–– in safe condition and good working order?

Too often when something goes missing or breaks, technicians simply don’t have the time to look for it or repair a broken item. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have an established procedure for techs to report shop equipment problems and know that they will be quickly corrected?

Do your technicians have secure lockers and a clean locker room in which to shower and change clothes? Since they generally don’t have the time or means to go on a two-hour lunch at the golf club like some of the bosses, do they have a lunch room with drinks available where they can relax with colleagues during meals? 

Just as comfortable cabs and well-maintained equipment help retain drivers, shop technicians appreciate a clean, well-lighted work environment. “Our customers have told us that having a new floor coating not only helps make the shop look better, they have noticed a significant increase in employee morale and productivity,” says John Carafelly of UCoat It, a manufacturer of epoxy floor coatings. “Technicians take pride in the work that they do, and they don’t want to work in a dirty environment. Once a shop floor gets painted, you’d be surprised how the whole attitude of the shop changes –– you can see the pride the technicians have in working in a nice shop. Studies conducted by the U.S. Air Force show a 35- to 45-percent increase in light reflection properties with coated floors compared to uncoated concrete. They also found that coating floors made a much safer work environment, since leaks could be spotted and cleaned up immediately.”
 
Why do they stay?
As long as employees know that their compensation is competitive, that they are fairly paid for overtime and receive differentials for undesirable shifts, they generally won’t leave a position for an incremental pay increase. Stuart tells us that good technicians aren’t looking for all that much. They want opportunities for training, and they should be paid for mandatory training sessions. They want to work in a clean and safe environment for a solid company. They appreciate recognition for accomplishments and a reasonable work schedule. They want a good supervisor who listens when they have something to say.

We’re fortunate to work in an industry that offers many opportunities for technician training. For one of the most extensive resources available go to s18391.p525.sites.pressdns.com  and click on the “Equipment Directory” button on the left side of the home page. There are many companies that provide wide-ranging material on the web. By way of example, visit www.rotarylift.com.
Technicians need to know that they can grow in the company. A simple pat on the back goes a long way, but you need to do more. You need to offer them a career plan and follow it. 


The Need to Outsource
Open spots in the shop technician roster often result in gaps in the technical competence of the fleet’s maintenance department. As a result, the shortage, though often eclipsed by the shortage in over-the-road drivers, is affecting the ability of many fleets to maintain their equipment in the way they would like to do. One effective option to fill the void is outsourcing.

Oren Summer, president and CEO of FleetNet America, says, “When a fleet manger is faced with the necessity to outsource some of his maintenance operations, it’s important that he finds a vendor that specializes in the needed skills. Once you find a qualified vendor, communication becomes critical, preferably through the Internet. If you feel like you’re losing control about what’s going on, your vendor is not providing you with enough information. You should be completely comfortable with what they’re doing.”

He sums up saying, “Put your in-house technical expertise to its best use. You can use your people in more productive activities than they would be doing if you didn’t outsource.”

For more information about FleetNet America call 800-438-8961 or visit fleetnetamerica.com.


Why They Stay
Southeastern Freight Lines, based in Columbia, S. C., has a reputation for being an excellent employer, so we called the fleet’s manager of technical services, Jim Boyd. His first reaction was to say, “The loss of an employee is devastating to us, but, frankly, it’s very rare for someone to leave us.” 

He went on to describe many programs that will most certainly keep their employees at the fleet, but more importantly, are designed to help their technicians grow professionally and make them feel more a part of a team. These programs can broadly be organized into training, recognition and communications –– only parts of which can be described here, because each is quite extensive.

Training: One of a number training programs Southeastern offers is called ACE Certification. The acronym, which stands for Associate Continuing Education, is comprised of 16 self-paced modules on a variety of subjects. Technicians study the ACE material on their own time and then take an on-line test on company time. After passing all 16 modules he or she is certified for three years; then the program must be repeated. New material is regularly added and updated as needed in the modules.

Recognition: Below are just a few of the formal programs designed to recognize employee accomplishments.

Every year 16 technicians from throughout the system are invited to come to Columbia to compete in the company’s own skills contest. 

Every year two technicians are sponsored at the Technology and Maintenance Council’s SuperTech contest. 

The fleet holds regular cookouts for shops that have achieved six months without any on-the-job incidents. 

The fleet sponsors technicians in state and local maintenance activities. 
The company has employee-of-the-month, employee-of-the-quarter and employee-of-the-year awards.

Communications: Among the various communications activities at Southeastern is its Survey, Discuss and Implement (SDI) program. This is an annual opportunity to grade both his or her supervisor and the company, and, according to Boyd, these ratings are taken very seriously. In fact, a supervisor who falls below a given level is required to prepare a plan of action designed to make sure the score is corrected the following year.

Boyd says, “The use of the training that is provided in conjunction with our diagnostic capabilities empowers our technicians to make the proper diagnosis and repair of problems. This creates a sense of accomplishment and professionalism. We see ‘team building’ going on in many locations. The associates seem to feed off of each other, creating a new sense of accomplishment.”

 

You May Also Like

Want to know more about telematics?

Take our survey to tell us what you know, and what you want to know, about truck telematics—and win a gift card.

Take our survey to tell us what you know, and what you want to know, about truck telematics—and win a gift card. Take the survey here.

Watch: Finding the right truck tire balance with IMI

A look at IMI’s recently released its Equal Flexx wheel balancer, which reduces wheel end vibration and improves fuel economy and cost efficiency. Watch the full video here. Related Articles – Watch Fleet Equipment’s On the Road webseries – Are you ready for the ELD mandate? This infographic might help – Minimizer releases Slick Plate

Watch Fleet Equipment’s On the Road webseries

Fleet Equipment is turning on its out-of-office messages, setting voice mails and hitting the road, cameras in tow, to talk to the industry’s best and brightest equipment manufacturers and bring you an inside look at trucking’s latest and greatest. We’re calling it Fleet Equipment’s On the Road, a video web series that follows our truck traveling

Fleet Equipment On the Road Column
Are you ready for the ELD mandate? This infographic might help

Omnitracs LLC has created an educational infographic, entitled “ELD Benefits Beyond Compliance,” to provide fleet managers and drivers with pivotal information about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) highly-anticipated electronic logging devices (ELD) mandate. In advance of the mandate publish date, the easy-to-read infographic sheds light on benefits of the pending government regulation, while

ELD-Benefits-Beyond-Compliance-featured
Minimizer releases Slick Plate

Minimizer‘s new Slick Plate promises to get rid of grease. Made of poly plastic, the newest maintenance line product, the Slick Plate, removes the need for grease and prolongs the life of the fifth wheel. Less friction also makes for easier handling and maneuverability, the company explained. Related Articles – VDO TPMS Catalog features expanded REDI-Sensor

Other Posts

Bridgestone launches all-position steer radial

Designed for severe service and on-highway applications, the R244 All-Position Steer Radial Tire from Bridgestone Commercial Solutions was developed to meet the demands of dump truck and concrete mixer applications with trucks that spend a higher percentage of time in on-highway use. The tire’s wide base ribbed steer pattern, the company noted, performs in both

Mack delivers Capitol Christmas tree

After a journey of more than 5,000 miles, a Mack Pinnacle delivered the 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree to the U.S. Capitol. The tree traveled from the Colville National Forest in the state of Washington to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, making stops in communities across the country. The 88-ft. Engelmann Spruce was hand-selected

Mack Trucks named Stephen Roy North American president

Mack Trucks Inc. announced that Stephen Roy has been named president of North American Sales and Marketing, effective Jan. 1, 2014. Roy has led the company’s aftermarket business since 2008, and will succeed Kevin Flaherty, who is retiring after more than 40 years of dedicated service.

Freightliner Custom Chassis showcases bus chassis technologies

The newest version of the S2C commercial bus chassis from Freightliner Custom Chassis (FCCC) can be powered by a 300-HP Cummins ISB 6.7 engine rated at 660 lb./ft. of torque. The S2C chassis is designed for cutaway bus bodies.