Now you can be a part of it! Required fields are marked *. The technician to vehicle question is asked many times and there is always someone who will say it should be X vehicles per tech. But there is no real industry formula because there are too many variables, such as: Number of locations; use of outside vendors; PM intervals; detailed PM requirements; miles between PMs; domiciled or non-domiciled vehicles; age of the equipment; warranty work internal or external; tech experience and quality; and size of the shop. Owen added that outsourcing 1020 percent should be included in calculations of staffing needs. To answer the question of vehicles to technicians ratios, I suggest that you look at previous averages, set a goal so at the end of the day you can perform like a leasing company, which is lean, not so mean, and efficient. The Work Environment tab includes the number of jobs held in the occupation and describes the workplace, the level of physical activity expected, and typical hours worked. Median annual wages for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians in May 2021 were as follows: In May 2021, the median annual wages for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows: Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31, Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. f cf`apa`vdbT1b`QlhsjAQCNPASF&>ffe90oQ7(8hPtes0ycoN~n7@s??o Z@@j88: ! Black women: 6.2%. (Illustration: Shutterstock & Richard Aguirre). Technician A says that the power steering pump . endstream The estimated total pay for a Vehicle Technician is $55,631 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $51,429 per year. $29.57. How to reasonably assess mechanic staffing in a public sector garage is an often-posed question among government agency fleet managers. <>/ExtGState <>/ProcSet [/PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] The number of maintenance technicians at a transit agency is based on financial constraints, fleet age, annual miles, powertrain type, how much work is outsourced, and a multitude of other key factors. They usually work for railroads, public and private transit companies, and railcar manufacturers. 4 0 obj By taking an approach that is less focused on the VEU model and more concentrated on our people, their known abilities and anticipated workload, we have found more value in not utilizing the VEU model to justify staffing requirements but rather empower managers to justify staffing in relationship to the enterprises needs. These service technicians use diagnostic computers and equipment to identify problems and make adjustments or repairs. But there is no real industry formula because there are too many variables, such as: Number of locations; use of outside vendors; PM intervals; detailed PM requirements; miles between PMs; domiciled or non-domiciled vehicles; age of the equipment; warranty work internal or external; tech experience and quality; and size of the shop. 2023 Government Fleet, Bobit. Other elements that impact labor demand include usage levels, operating environment, and fleet assignment practices (i.e. %PDF-1.5 % PHW, I'd like to hear more about your program and I'm sure others would also. <> If an agency does all its maintenance in one location then using the tool once is sufficient. . /Contents 4 0 R>> The median annual wage for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was $53,770 in May 2021. Rail car repairers specialize in servicing railroad locomotives, subway cars, and other rolling stock. National estimates for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. The number of people employed as Automotive service technicians & mechanics has been growing at a rate of 0.0547%, from 762,427 people in 2019 to 762,844 people in 2020. If we drop the gear ratio to 3:1, however, the driveshaft only has to spin at 6150RPM. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. In May 2021, the median annual wage for all workers was $45,760. Here is how you know. JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. Metro Magazine, Required Hours - Heavy Repair and Overhaul, http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/173927.aspx, https://www.transitwiki.org/TransitWiki/index.php?title=Bus_Maintenance_Staffing_Calculator&oldid=4266, Caltrans Division of Rail and Mass Transportation. What is the actual industry standard ratio for trucks:technicians? Agricultural production requires the use of increasingly complex and sophisticated software-driven farm equipment, which is expected to create demand for farm equipment mechanics and service technicians to maintain the equipment and to train customers in its use. High school courses in automotive repair, electronics, physics, and welding provide a strong foundation for a service technicians career. Because vehicle and equipment technology is increasingly sophisticated and computerized, some employers prefer to hire service technicians who have completed a training program at a postsecondary institution. Overall employment of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians is projected to grow 8 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. However, high school graduates often need further training to become fully qualified. (937) 290-0529 info@crashcoursevillage.org. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each states websites where these data may be retrieved. These workers drive trucks that are specially equipped with replacement parts and tools, and they spend considerable time outdoors and often drive long distances. Additionally, organizations that do not actively manage labor reporting tend to lose hours during the year. This process involves calculating the number of annual hours available to mechanics to devote to wrench-turning activities. Remember that only repairs conducted by employees in the existing staff worksheet are included, so outsourced work should be left out. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,900, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $78,280. For example, if historical labor hours for a class of 10 dump trucks were 400 per year, the average labor demand per year for each vehicle in this class is 40. Mechanics who work primarily on large trucks and buses are described in the profile on diesel service technicians and mechanics. VEUS EXAMPLES Each sedan represents 1 VEU. They are most effective when used for a fleet that consists of one vehicle type. hb```I,, Technician B says that the CVT does not shift but continuously varies the gear ratio as needed to maintain optimal speed and torque. (our oldest route buses are 1995 with the spares being 1994's after our newest arrivals are put in service), I GUESS IN A PERFECT WORLD 15 TO 20 BUSES PER MECHANIC WOULD BE GREAT, HOWEVER 30 TO 35 IS CLOSER TO REALITY IN OUR DISTRICT. The data is broken down into statistics like vehicles maintained per technician, FTE technicians per vehicle, and annual maintenance hours per 10,000 vehicle miles. Performs a variety of assignments such as replacement of failed parts or equipment, test, operation and maintenance of . (T/F) True The reason the question is asked often comes from managements assumption that the shop has too many peoplebecause the costs are running high. Thursday, September 8, 2022. Repeating this process for each class and type of vehicle yields the total average annual labor demand for the fleet. The Job Outlook tab describes the factors that affect employment growth or decline in the occupation, and in some instances, describes the relationship between the number of job seekers and the number of job openings. in our city owned fleet we have 400+ buses. In addition, techs may be asked to deliver loads during peak periods or driver shortage times. The secure and easy all-access connection to your content. Senior Member. Tire inflation is very important to the safe and economical operation of any vehicle. . Leasing companies or maintenance providers only do the basic maintenance, basing their numbers on the formula of maintenance and not the hours such as those your own shop may schedule, although they will, when asked. Updates include the replacement of diesel fleet assets with zero-emissions alternatives. Senior Member, thomasvista2012 Rope Rescue. Please contact your hosting provider to ensure that an up-to-date and valid SSL certificate issued by a Certificate Authority is configured for this domain name on the origin server. Trainees advance to more complex work as they show competence, and they usually become fully qualified after 3 to 4 years of work. Although the whole idea of VEUs was first created by the U.S. Air Force in the 1970s, the idea is becoming more utilized by both the private and public sectors. According to Randy Owen, senior vice president and co-founder, using VEUs allows fleet managers to justify staffing requirements through a quantitative process, rather than experience alone. Second the backup vehicle ratio must be adequate to ensure minimal disruption in service. The difference clearly would be best met through additional outsourcing or overtime rather than hiring another mechanic. In this example, the labor demand is 10.3 mechanics (14,950 total annual demand for labor hours divided by 1,456 average labor hours available per mechanic.) By Randy Owen college hockey assistant coach salary; hesi exit exam score range; memorial care covid vaccine fountain valley; ellers funeral home kokomo obituaries; cierra sutton obituary The detail entered here will be reflected in the detail of the tools outcomes. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians typically do the following: Heavy vehicles and mobile equipment are critical to many industrial activities, including construction and railroad transportation. hbbd``b`6 +3`c$A NqgXf dU@ #F> Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, and other industries. What we used to accept as reasonable ratios no longer applies. Hourly Rate. While mechanics are typically paid for 2,080 hours per year, exclusive of overtime (52 weeks x 40 hours per week), they are clearly not available to work on vehicles this number of hours. endobj Mechanical skills. This can lead to frustration when a fleet manager attempts to justify their staffing requirements, as it is rare in my experience that municipalities and private companies meet the national averages published by industry studies. At one time, a simple measurement was used to determine if a transit agency had adequate maintenance technician staff using a basic bus-to-mechanic ratio. During busy planting and harvesting seasons, for example, mechanics often work six or seven 12-hour days per week. Input cells are clearly labeled and color-coded. Most work for dealer repair shops, where farmers increasingly send their equipment for maintenance. We respect your data and privacy. <> They work with a variety of vehicle components including engines, brakes, air-conditioning, suspension, transmission, security and sound systems. Small engine mechanics inspect, service, and repair motorized power equipment. The subsity is limited however, to vehicles 10 . The projected percent change in employment from 2021 to 2031. Several factors impact the calculations of labor demand and supply. This only includes bus mechanics and technicians, not facility maintenance staff, mechanics who deal only with non-revenue vehicles, or supervisors. Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. a. Bonus. To investigate these discrepancies, the research team conducted two rounds of interviews with transit agencies. 2016 Bus Maintenance Survey: Shops Still Dealing with Electrical Learning Curve. Truck industry content for fleet owners and managers, - Detroit introduces Detroit Connect Video Capture service, - Synop, Geotab announce EV charging integration solution, - Michelin Connected Fleet delivers new suite of fleet-management solutions, Explaining the truck operating system thats spanning makes, models, The importance of flexibility in truck maintenance, ADAS in truck winterization plans, Geotab, Cummins partner to enhance OTA connectivity, Maintenance to keep your heavy-duty truck wheels going round and round, Inside the intelligence that powers truck powertrain efficiency, Setting heavy-duty truck service benchmarks, Freightliner M2, SD Plus Series launch updates its medium-duty truck offering, Truck cruise control technology that looks at the road ahead, Four ways A.I. 17 In Charlie Long's material he recommends a staffing level of about 13 buses for each "wrench turning" mechanic. As the stock of heavy vehicles and mobile equipment continues to increase, more service technicians will be needed to maintain it. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with diagnostic equipment to find the source of malfunctions. Today, significant R&D investment is going into the development of electric trucksprobing the possibilities of untested powertrains in hopes of producing a product that meets application needs. Women of color made up a fraction of employees in the industry: 16. If someone determines that the body count is too high, you may be asked to defend your staff. For example, he noted that all technicians and mechanics are not equal when it comes to their experience and ability to work at a standard pace. The percent change of employment for each occupation from 2021 to 2031. Mall, K., & Sekera, J. Perhaps you would be willing to write an article about it. 929 0 obj <> endobj So you want to write for Fleet Equipment? The first round of interviews was extremely detailed and covered agency profiles and service data, profiles of maintenance facilities, fleet inventories, maintenance times and requirements, maintenance workforce roles, and training practices. Service technicians usually work indoors in noisy repair shops. It depends on various factors, example; Is it a fleet cars or pickups or busses or trucks or a mix? Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. A Vehicle Technician inspects and repairs vehicles so they run safely, efficiently and reliably. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must maintain accurate service records and parts inventories. Serving Car & Truck Fleet Management Professionals, Serving EV Intenders & Professionals In Commercial & Public Fleets, Serving Corporate, Executive, & Financial Managers Of Large Commercial Fleets, Serving Leaders In Fleet Mobility & Emerging Technology, Serving Public Sector Fleet Professionals, Serving Medium & Heavy Duty Commercial Truck Professionals, Serving Transit Bus, Private Motorcoach, & Passenger Rail Professionals, Serving School & Pupil Transportation Fleet Professionals, Serving Vocational & Service Fleet Professionals. Generally, more experienced service technicians specialize in field service. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Technician A says that the output gear will be going faster than the input gear. Prior to co-founding Mercury, he held positions as the chief of fleet management for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and as equipment management director for the city of Charlotte, N.C. Conversely, he said, a complex and maintenance-intensive piece of equipment, such as a refuse collection truck, might require the same effort to maintain as 10 standard sedans. Another method of determining labor demand is using a technique known as Vehicle Equivalent Unit (VEU) Analysis. Maintenance activities not included in the previous sheet are entered here. Methodology While a 70-percent of payroll hours (i.e., 1,456 hours per year) measure is a commonly used benchmark, each organization should calculate its actual performance based on detailed time-keeping records. Physical strength. This question can be answered by sampling repair task times against industry labor guides (ALLDATA or Mitchell On-Demand) and/or internally established time standards. Transit Cooperative Research Program. (Illustration: Shutterstock & Richard Aguirre). For more information about careers and training programs, visit, National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians, Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines. According to Vanson Bourne, average industrial downtime costs are 250.000 USD per hour, according to field service and IT decision-makers. Rather, fleet managers have reported staffing levels at their shop have been the same for years and none can recall how the staff size was originally determined. 15. endobj One VEU is equal to 1015 labor hours, with technicians being assigned 100120 VEUs. The effect on labour profits is then: Labour sales. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); HTML tags allowed in your comment:

, The Premier Product & Equipment Magazine for America's Municipalities, Predicting repair staffing, maintenance needs with VEUs. For more information, visit www.darrystuart.com or email comments or questions requests to Darry at: [emailprotected]. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians frequently lift heavy parts and tools, handle greasy and dirty equipment, and stand or lie in awkward positions. Today, a computer is as essential as a socket wrench and the number of maintenance technicians needed to maintain a modern fleet can be difficult to measure. shared use or take-home vehicles). November 9, 2009 This tab can include information on education, training, work experience, licensing and certification, and important qualities that are required or helpful for entering or working in the occupation. What kind of outsource work couldnt be achieved by regular fleet staff ? Chad Fay, director of fleet operations at Centuri Construction Group in Phoenix, Ariz., shared pros and cons of employing VEUs, from a personal outlook. On the supply side in addition to the available productive hours factors already discussed factors to consider include mechanic training and skill levels, maintenance management practices, work rules (dictated, for example, by collective bargaining agreements), parts provisioning practices, and shop considerations (e.g., facility location, size, layout, condition, equipment, and tooling). Many public transit buses are in service well beyond the FTA minimum requirement of 12 years, 500,000 miles. What is the tread depth, are there recaps, what is the damage? Additional troubleshooting information here. Once the labor demand is quantified, the number of productive hours available to service the fleet must be determined. A team working for Transit Cooperative Research Program developed the Excel-based Maintenance Staffing Calculator to help agencies calculate optimum staffing levels. White women: 17.5%. Of course you do. In these cases it might be a good idea to perform separate analyses for each location. Which technician is correct? The Director does everything else (even training). Offered by vocational schools and community colleges, these programs cover the basics of diagnostic techniques, electronics, and other related subjects. Asian women: 1.7%. Technician B says the ratio is 3.86:1. According to an article by Moog Parts, rack and pinion steering works by using a gear system to translate the steering wheel's circular motion into the linear motion needed to turn the wheels. More critical skills and qualifications that pay well. This tab also covers different types of occupational specialties. Diesel service technicians and mechanics inspect, repair, and overhaul buses, trucks, or any vehicle with a diesel engine. Then, additional hours must be deducted to account for time a mechanic is at work, but occupied with activities other than turning wrenches such as meetings, training, shop cleanup, etc. MOT preparation and inspections work on vehicles and trailers. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. This can be as specific as the agency wants, with vehicles broken down by broad category (35-foot buses, cutaway buses) all the way down to year, manufacturer, or other specifics. Performance & security by Cloudflare. For more details about job openings for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, consult local heavy and mobile equipment dealers and distributors, construction contractors, and government agencies. Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians with similar occupations. attacks or slurs, hate speech, demonstrably false information, excessive profanity, or that are thinly veiled promotions for a product, will not be approved. The More Information tab provides the Internet addresses of associations, government agencies, unions, and other organizations that can provide additional information on the occupation. - We are at about 23 buses per mechanic, and even though we have a number of A/C equipped buses we make it work because of our relatively new fleet. Local offices of the state employment service also may have information on job openings and training programs. Main shaft With new labor-intensive engines, various fuel types, highly sophisticated electronics, and an increase in preventive maintenance frequencies, many maintenance managers realize they need to hire additional staff. %PDF-1.5 % TCRP Report 184: Maintenance Technician Staffing Levels for Modern Public Transit Fleets, identifies existing tools and practices used to determine optimum maintenance technician staffing levels and provides an analysis of variables that influence maintenance technician staffing needs.