vehicles to technician ratio

Responsibilities for vehicle technician. Performance & security by Cloudflare. An agency employee very familiar with the fleet and maintenance should use the tool, because its accuracy is dependent on getting accurate, detailed information. Fleets with large geographic service territories, such as state governments, tend to outsource a large percentage of their repair work 100 percent in some cases. 1 tech x 40 att. Technician B says the ratio is 3.86:1. Who is correct? The final worksheet provides a summary of data for all peer groups. (180 degrees) on a vehicle equipped with a steering gear with a 20:1 gear ratio. A. This lack of reporting has consequences for both the accuracy of historical repair records and for cost recovery when a charge-back system is in place. Service technicians also use many different power and machine tools, including pneumatic wrenches, lathes, and welding equipment. Common workplace injuries include small cuts, sprains, and bruises. Most heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians have a high school diploma or equivalent. Mall, K., & Sekera, J. _EY4x /hH2, Although not required, certification can demonstrate a service technicians competence and usually commands higher pay. This process involves calculating the number of annual hours available to mechanics to devote to wrench-turning activities. endstream Our self-paced distance education Electric Vehicle (EV) Technician program is designed for adult learners seeking independent study in the rapidly emerging Electric Vehicle sector. <> Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other. Contact Steve Hirano at Steve.Hirano@bobit.com. 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. Kenworth and Platform Science join forces to optimize fleet operations with integrated trucks and telematics. Troubleshooting skills. The result of this calculation for all mechanics is the number of productive hours a fleet has available. 2016 Bus Maintenance Survey: Shops Still Dealing with Electrical Learning Curve. We have 24 buses and 78 other pieces of equipment (trucks, vans, etc.). Then there are the questions involving required operational shop hours, accidents, damages, internal damages and, to some degree, the specifications of the vehicles, the number of DVIRS, type of electronic equipment. How will todays customer focus translate to tomorrows electric trucks? 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. 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. This will generally be heavy repairs like body work, brake machining, and small component rebuilds. Performs a variety of assignments such as replacement of failed parts or equipment, test, operation and maintenance of . 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. 5 0 obj The methodology is used to equate the level of effort required to maintain dissimilar types of vehicles to a passenger car, which is given a baseline VEU (sometimes called a maintenance repair unit or MRU) of 1.0. . If an agency had four or five buses per mechanic it was considered to have an excellent bus-to-mechanic ratio. What we really need is another supervisor/dispatcher for our department. 960 0 obj <>stream I think thats a great ratio if you can achieve it. Ou)d}`z)UYQ(VBfbMiQ8 a. The results of the existing, calculated necessary, and revised staff levels are compared side to side. As a consequence, fleet managers have difficulty defending themselves against a newly elected administration who suggest shop staffing is bloated and should be downsized. Women of color made up a fraction of employees in the industry: 16. Now you can be a part of it! Each program may last 1 to 2 years and lead to a certificate of completion. They also work on smaller consumer-grade lawn and garden tractors. %%EOF Input cells are clearly labeled and color-coded. 0 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. Here is how you know. 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. Comments that include personal 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. attacks or slurs, hate speech, demonstrably false information, excessive profanity, or that are thinly veiled promotions for a product, will not be approved. Tool Maintenance. <> About 23,900 openings for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Additional training needed (postemployment) to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation. hours x 44 weeks x 107.8% overall efficiency x 60 per hour = 113,520. Other elements that impact labor demand include usage levels, operating environment, and fleet assignment practices (i.e. Kenworth and Platform Science have announced a strategic partnership that will see the integration of Platform Science's Virtual Vehicle platform into Kenworth trucks using factory-installed telematics hardware. However, when I fire back more questions to help me determine the answer, those who ask me the question dont understand why I dont have a set response. There is no textbook formula for maintenance managers to determine the optimum ratio of maintenance technicians for their fleet size, as the number varies tremendously between public transit fleets. Most Likely Range. To calculate mechanic staffing requirements, the following data and information are needed: When fleet managers talk to their boss, elected officials, budget and finance directors, or city managers about mechanic staffing requirements for their shops, it is much better to be armed with calculations resulting from a coherent quantitative methodology than relying on anecdotes and stories. 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. This graphic shows the share of Automotive service technicians & mechanics employed by various industries. In these cases it might be a good idea to perform separate analyses for each location. The below graph illustrates how this technique works, reflecting VEU values based on Mercury Associates experience with hundreds of fleets across North America. Technician A says that the power steering pump . shared use or take-home vehicles). Assuming recordkeeping practices are sound, the fleet manager can determine the average number of labor hours each type of vehicle and piece of equipment has historically consumed, then multiply the result by the number of assets in each class. If past efficiency performance is close to industry standards, a fleet manager can be confident the fleets historical labor data accurately reflects labor demand. Technician a says the drive chain may be stretched, causing the noise as it hits the inside of the case. In total, more than 60 agencies of varying size were surveyed. 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. Take a look at how Geotabs data-centeric conference makes the OEM connection. Providing Quality Fire Training to First Responders. The subsity is limited however, to vehicles 10 . In addition, todays new engines require preventive maintenance every 3,000 miles, half the rate of the older, simpler engines. The average Automotive Technician salary in the United States is $53,639 as of January 26, 2023, but the salary range typically falls between $45,872 and $61,344. This tab also includes links to relevant occupational information from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must maintain accurate service records and parts inventories. 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. The Maintenance Staffing Calculator, a user guide and a Power Point presentation summarizing TCRP Project E-10 are available on TRB.org by searching for TCRP Report 184., _________________________________________________________. The average growth rate for all occupations is5 percent. The Maintenance Staffing Calculator is an Excel tool consisting of seven worksheets. . In the winter months, however, they may work less than full time. Wafler's system, which he uses through BLIG, looks at the bay-to-technician ratio of a shop and how that can be used to find its maximum production and efficiency. Excludes "Automotive Body and Related Repairers" (49-3021), "Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists" (49-3031), and "Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles" (49-2096). However, the average fleet age for a typical government fleet of mixed vehicle types should range from three to five years. Days off: Vacation? 929 0 obj <> endobj 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. Vehicle Technicians can work with different vehicles, such as cars, lorries, vans, buses and motorcycles. Modeling the effects on staffing levels of possible changes in maintenance policy - By changing the data on routine maintenance practices, agencies can what effect these policies have on staffing. Many government organizations do not have a methodology to determine how many mechanics are required to maintain their fleet. Administrator, Diesel3446 It depends on various factors, example; Is it a fleet cars or pickups or busses or trucks or a mix? Recalls, in the fleet world today, are at an all-time high; cost containment is always a concern as vehicles and equipment possess far more technology than ever before. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was distributed as follows: The largest employers of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians were as follows: Although many service technicians work indoors in repair shops, some service technicians travel to worksites to make repairs because it is often too expensive to transport heavy or mobile equipment to a shop. 6 0 obj That formula is clearly from a time when engines were less complex, most fleets were using diesel fuel, and computers were not an essential mechanic tool. It does not include pay for self-employed workers, agriculture workers, or workers in private households because these data are not collected by the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, the source of BLS wage data in the OOH. Another method of determining labor demand is using a technique known as Vehicle Equivalent Unit (VEU) Analysis. Which technician is correct? make sure you're on a federal government site. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. in our city owned fleet we have 400+ buses. - Transit Cooperative Research Program. endstream endobj startxref %PDF-1.7 Creating a chart that allows for a certain number of staff technicians to repair each class of vehicles in the fleet is a tremendous boon for municipal fleet managers. The following are examples of types of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians: Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians service and repair farm equipment, such as tractors and harvesters. 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. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. %PDF-1.5 % Of course you do. By clicking the submit button below, you are agreeing with Bobit Business Medias Privacy Policy and this outlined level of consent. National estimates for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. Babcox Media mourns the passing of Tim Fritz, longtime editor and friend. This doesn' t include helpers, parts personnel, foremen, or any other garage staff. Additional troubleshooting information here. Labor supply is 10. 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. If someone determines that the body count is too high, you may be asked to defend your staff. Put simply, using VEUs means adding up how many sedans and sedan equivalencies an agency has in order to determine how many mechanics need to be hired. 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. Previewing 48 of 59 pages. 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. Many employers send new service technicians to training sessions conducted by equipment manufacturers. What kind of outsource work couldnt be achieved by regular fleet staff ? TCRP Report 184 resources available online include the following:* TheMaintenance Staffing Calculator User Guide* TheMaintenance Staffing Calculator* An completedexample case showing how the Calculator works* A PowerPoint presentation providing asummary of the work done under TCRP Project E-10, Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2). About 23,900 openings for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. These workers drive trucks that are specially equipped with replacement parts and tools, and they spend considerable time outdoors and often drive long distances. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. The SSL certificate presented by the server did not pass validation. endobj . 2023 Government Fleet, Bobit. The secure and easy all-access connection to your content. Salaries by qualifications. Which technician is correct? Regression analyses were performed, and results include standard deviations to help judge how closely peer agencies perform on various measures. Several factors impact the calculations of labor demand and supply. Farm equipment mechanics and service techs frequently work with heavy parts and tools. Water transportation workers operate and maintain vessels that take cargo and people over water. This is usually a question that comes from a finance person talking to another finance person or a guaranteed maintenance provider quoting seeding answers in a way to obtain a new client, or a leasing company trying to take over the shops, or determining a lease for new equipment. Technician a says that the pressure should never exceed the maximum pressure imprinted on the sidewall of the tire. By aggregating the vehicles in a fleet in terms of their vehicle equivalent units, uniform standards and benchmarks can be applied regardless of the fleets size, type or configuration. Once the demand and supply of labor is known, mechanic staffing requirements can be calculated. 945 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<37BAF6D55ADF124382CB24C4417C0A4B><83C917919D77EB4E91CD4A0E46DD1A25>]/Index[929 32]/Info 928 0 R/Length 79/Prev 122727/Root 930 0 R/Size 961/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Most work for governments, equipment rental and leasing shops, and large construction and mining companies. Chad Fay, director of fleet operations at Centuri Construction Group in Phoenix, Ariz., shared pros and cons of employing VEUs, from a personal outlook. endobj A tire is labeled 215/60 R X 15 92T: the T indicates? Which technician is correct? Which technician is correct? OBD-II regulations require all vehicles manufacturers to use the same names and acronyms for all electric and electronic systems related to the engine and emission control systems. at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/heavy-vehicle-and-mobile-equipment-service-technicians.htm (visited March 03, 2023). Tech a B. The top KPIs affecting your profit and how to grow each one of them. TRBs Transit Cooperative Research Program (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. Sick days? Discover jobs. Offered by vocational schools and community colleges, these programs cover the basics of diagnostic techniques, electronics, and other related subjects. The higher costs are probably less related to the number of technicians and more related to new emissions and warranty engagements, or that the labor rate is higher than it use to be. 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). This sheet compares an agencys existing staffing levels to that of peer agencies. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. An example of challenges would be the difficulty of assigning a baseline average for the time required to complete specific tasks. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. Technician B says that the CVT does not shift but continuously varies the gear ratio as needed to maintain optimal speed and torque. Senior Member, thomasvista2012 Furthermore, 70% of the companies lack awareness of which assets require maintenance. When leasing companies quote numbers, which are normally are very attractive, it does not include all the little extras technicians may be asked to do. Public Works fleets with a concentration of trucks and construction equipment clearly would be higher in age, while law enforcement fleets typically would be lower. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. MY IDEA HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO BE ROCKET SCIENTIEST, JUST HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE AND BE WILLING TO LEARN. 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. They must often disassemble major parts for repairs and be able to reassemble them. Most heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians have a high school diploma or equivalent. Updates include the replacement of diesel fleet assets with zero-emissions alternatives. Completing a vocational or other postsecondary training program in diesel technology or heavy equipment mechanics is increasingly considered the best preparation for some entry-level positions. This one calculates the required number of hours and full time equivalent (FTE) employees and compares this data to the actual existing staffing levels. After all, talk is cheap and the trust me days of fleet management ended many years ago. These next two worksheets present the results of the tools calculations. >>/Group <> 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. Fleets should outsource work that requires special tools, equipment, training; work that would tie up a mechanic or work bay for long periods of time; and work during periods of peak workload to maintain high rates of vehicle availability, said Owen. Fueling: who fuels the trucks, and who puts DEF in the trucks? Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, and other industries. Mechanics inspect, repair, and replace defective or worn parts. Fleet managers need the flexibility to justify their staffing needs as their specific fleet requires, making proper adjustments as needed., Your email address will not be published. stream Repeating this process for each class and type of vehicle yields the total average annual labor demand for the fleet. But many agencies conduct maintenance across locations or use a mix of in-house and contracted work. Bookmark +. 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. Last Modified Date: The reason the question is asked often comes from managements assumption that the shop has too many peoplebecause the costs are running high. Remember that only repairs conducted by employees in the existing staff worksheet are included, so outsourced work should be left out. While this approach may introduce some additional variables, flexibility is key when making decisions on what gets outsourced. Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. Other programs, which lead to associates degrees, generally take 2 years to complete. How many degrees will the front wheels be rotated? Additional troubleshooting information here. 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. Local offices of the state employment service also may have information on job openings and training programs. 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. The More Information tab provides the Internet addresses of associations, government agencies, unions, and other organizations that can provide additional information on the occupation. This factor clearly must be considered when assessing how many mechanics an organization needs. Population and business growth should result in greater demand for new houses, office buildings, bridges, and other structures, which in turn may require more mobile heavy equipment mechanics in the construction industry. Mall, K., & Sekera, J. The percent change of employment for each occupation from 2021 to 2031. Top Member, largebus This tab may also describe opportunities for part-time work, the amount and type of travel required, any safety equipment that is used, and the risk of injury that workers may face. Introduced three years ago, the American Petroleum Institute (API)s CK-4 and FA-4 oil categories were billed as the next generation of oil, improving on the engine protection and fuel economy benefits offered by previous engine oil categories. Generally, more experienced service technicians specialize in field service. Some rail car repairers should continue to be needed to service trains used for freight shipping and transportation, as well as for public transportation. Hourly Rate. However, high school graduates often need further training to become fully qualified. In defense of those who are asking the question, the justification of their job may come from getting maintenance managers to look closerdo a deep diveand figure out what is going on. Click to reveal We're Not Just Extrication. Some high-performance vehicles have firmer steering than other similar vehicles. For example, they may use an oscilloscope to observe the signals produced by electronic components. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians. Fleet age is another important factor. Because vehicle and equipment technology is increasingly sophisticated and computerized, some employers prefer to hire service technicians who have completed a formal training program at a postsecondary institution. The .gov means it's official. Additionally, organizations that do not actively manage labor reporting tend to lose hours during the year. (Illustration: Shutterstock & Richard Aguirre). Main shaft Maintenance activities not included in the previous sheet are entered here. Maintenance Staffing Calculator User Guide. /Contents 6 0 R>> There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. Efficiency numbers should hover around 125 percent, which means a technician working on cars for 7.2 hours in a day should produce 9 billable hours of work. The projected percent change in employment from 2021 to 2031. 7 0 obj But today, with the proliferation of digital technology, new fuel systems, and accelerated maintenance schedules, its more difficult to determine how many employees will be required to take care of a fleet. In addition, techs may be asked to deliver loads during peak periods or driver shortage times. hbbd``b`6 +3`c$A NqgXf dU@ #F> $29.57. The average number of labor hours each type of asset in the fleet consumes (i.e., labor demand). Methodology 90%. Dexterity. The median annual wage for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was $53,770 in May 2021. Fleet Management Lessons From the Private Sector. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. If we drop the gear ratio to 3:1, however, the driveshaft only has to spin at 6150RPM. vehicle, etc.) The type of work performed, seasonal demand on resources and the consistency of labor hours forecasted for assigned tasks versus actual all play a large part in challenging any fleet department.. Rail car repairers specialize in servicing railroad locomotives, subway cars, and other rolling stock. 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. White women: 17.5%. Roman, A. 17 endobj Farm equipment mechanics work varies by time of the year. Top Certifications Salary Job openings . High school courses in automotive repair, electronics, physics, and welding provide a strong foundation for a service technicians career. 663 0 obj <> endobj They generally purchase these tools over the course of their careers, often investing thousands of dollars in their inventory. He was 53 years old. My question went to School Transportation News, on line. Transmission Ratio RPM Calculator Determine your engine's RPM based on the transmission gear ratio, tire height, MPH, and the ratio of your ring gear and pinion gear. Work experience that is commonly considered necessary by employers, or is a commonly accepted substitute for more formal types of training or education. If an agency does all its maintenance in one location then using the tool once is sufficient. Neither Technician A or B Which part is splined to the clutch disc? Most heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians have a high school diploma or equivalent.