Conversely, some city and county fleet organizations perform nearly all services in-house. c/`w]H[3JF46ev6)~=k[EZNM{zS8_h_(;B,~##ySPI])q=g$Znj$be~]e*~b$o;_)5F"`x}Qw6&~es mh+RBFl3#UNYA?D>N;UF50!B"elA Hours worked = Time spent actively completing work orders Multiply each number in the ratio by the value of one part: 6 x 8.75 and 2 x 8.75. An example of challenges would be the difficulty of assigning a baseline average for the time required to complete specific tasks. Senior Member. <> . Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Some service technicians travel to worksites to make repairs. Another method of determining labor demand is using a technique known as Vehicle Equivalent Unit (VEU) Analysis. If an agency had four or five buses per mechanic it was considered to have an excellent bus-to-mechanic ratio. 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. Most service technicians work full time, and many work evenings and weekends. The Benchmarking fleet age is complicated because fleet composition must be considered. The Virtual Vehicle platform, which Platform Science says is designed to provide fleets with a range of benefits including productivity, flexibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness, will be integrated into Kenworth's trucks to enhance the overall performance and efficiency of the vehicles. Another calculation includes maintenance and repair units, which involves comparing requirements of one vehicle group to another vehicle category. 679 0 obj <>stream Additional training needed (postemployment) to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation. Fueling: who fuels the trucks, and who puts DEF in the trucks? 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. 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. Published as TCRP Report 184. Mechanics who work primarily on motorboats, motorcycles, and small all-terrain vehicles are described in the profile on small engine mechanics. 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. Maintenance activities not included in the previous sheet are entered here. Geotab says this tool enhances data analysis and automated reporting capabilities. A . 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. 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. This tab also covers different types of occupational specialties. 8 "r.qEp92e,JY0gnT6Hdgq=~6E>=|hvOgoYPl QItc[ B`2=^Fa OrBvxvWfPK@ .c@(p m ?Q\ As a consequence, fleet managers have difficulty defending themselves against a newly elected administration who suggest shop staffing is bloated and should be downsized. The type of fleet business you are in effects this number greatly. Technician A says that the output gear will be going faster than the input gear. Mall, K., & Sekera, J. 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. Speed rating. Here is how you know. - The results of the existing, calculated necessary, and revised staff levels are compared side to side. Over the past three years, OEMs have invested heavily in driver-focused equipment benefitsfrom cozy creature comforts to uptime- and productivity-boosting technology. All Rights Reserved. and current staffing ratios (i.e., vehicles maintained per technician, vehicle miles per technician, etc.). Your email address will not be published. Main shaft (2016). 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. Several factors impact the calculations of labor demand and supply. DSH's^Hk5 C w~^wkYje RnS9p& 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. 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. . 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. Dayton, Ohio. They work with a variety of vehicle components including engines, brakes, air-conditioning, suspension, transmission, security and sound systems. 17 (180 degrees) on a vehicle equipped with a steering gear with a 20:1 gear ratio. Service, repair and fault diagnostics work on all vehicles. . Farm equipment mechanics and service techs frequently work with heavy parts and tools. 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. Details about the fleet and fleet maintenance practices that can fundamentally impact the data analysis and calculations. 160 is locally owned, in a state where a substantial subsidy is provided by the state for the upkeep, maintenance, and fueling of local school bus fleets. Repeating this process for each class and type of vehicle yields the total average annual labor demand for the fleet. The historical demand for labor can be determined by reviewing the previous few years of maintenance records. 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. The Similar Occupations tab describes occupations that share similar duties, skills, interests, education, or training with the occupation covered in the profile. For example, a boat trailer might be given a ratio of 0.25 VEU, meaning that it would require one-quarter the effort to maintain as a standard automobile. Owen has 20 years of experience as a fleet manager and fleet management consultant under his belt. A major issue that must be confronted at this point is if historical averages are reasonable, i.e., have mechanics been efficient in the past? Bookmarked content can then be accessed anytime on all of your logged in devices! This level of detail proved to be difficult to collect, so the second round of interviews involved a streamlined questionnaire. There was evidence that large agencies have proportionally more staff than smaller ones (likely due in part to performing more heavy repairs in house), and that more complex fleets require more maintenance. 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. The SSL certificate presented by the server did not pass validation. About the Author: Randy Owen is senior vice president of Mercury Associates Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md. Chad Fay, director of fleet operations at Centuri Construction Group in Phoenix, Ariz., shared pros and cons of employing VEUs, from a personal outlook. 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. Entering basic operations information into the calculator will provide a quick snapshot of the agency's staffing needs, but it is also possible to go into much more detail. They usually work for railroads, public and private transit companies, and railcar manufacturers. 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. 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., _________________________________________________________. If this value is less than 1, your shop is losing money because the actual time it takes to repair a vehicle is not being invoiced properly on a regular basis. Labor supply is 10. The median annual wage for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was $53,770 in May 2021. Note if productive hours were 1,300 hours rather than 1,456, the number of mechanics required for this fleet jumps from 10.3 to 11.5. Our EV Technician program is intended for students interested in improving their technical knowledge to diagnose, service and repair high voltage EVs and install . If we drop the gear ratio to 3:1, however, the driveshaft only has to spin at 6150RPM. Whats behind the slow adoption of FA-4 oil? This could indicate an expired SSL certificate or a certificate that does not include the requested domain name. In total, more than 60 agencies of varying size were surveyed. 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. 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. The sheets are: The first sheet contains information about the agencys fleet. 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. Additional troubleshooting information here. 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. The companys top priority is to ensure safety and support the operational teams by sustaining a very high percentage of asset uptime and availability. Water transportation workers operate and maintain vessels that take cargo and people over water. Fleet organizations with liberal leave policies and a senior staff clearly will have a lower number of available labor hours. More Information, Including Links to O*NET, automotive service technicians and mechanics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Technicians, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/heavy-vehicle-and-mobile-equipment-service-technicians.htm, Farm and garden machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers, Consult equipment operating manuals, blueprints, and drawings, Perform scheduled maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating parts, Diagnose and identify malfunctions, using computerized tools and equipment, Inspect, repair, and replace defective or worn parts, such as bearings, pistons, and gears, Overhaul and test major components, such as engines, hydraulic systems, and electrical systems, Disassemble and reassemble heavy equipment and components, Travel to worksites to repair large equipment, such as cranes, Maintain logs of equipment condition and work performed. 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. Many public transit buses are in service well beyond the FTA minimum requirement of 12 years, 500,000 miles. 49-3023 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles. 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. Centuri Construction Groups fleet of more than 7,000 units tries to be predictive in nature to its maintenance and repair needs. Hours Invoiced / Hours Worked = X Goal: Greater than 1. 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. Previewing 48 of 59 pages. High school courses in automotive repair, electronics, physics, and welding provide a strong foundation for a service technicians career. 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. 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. vehicle, etc.) They must often disassemble major parts for repairs and be able to reassemble them. Most heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians work full time, and many work evenings or weekends. Latinas: 3.1%. Some rail car repairers should continue to be needed to service trains used for freight shipping and transportation, as well as for public transportation. $64 - $400. For more information, visit www.darrystuart.com or email comments or questions requests to Darry at: [emailprotected]. Data from hundreds of fleet organizations has demonstrated a VEU of 1.0 is normally equal to between 10 and 15 annual maintenance labor hours, depending upon a number of factors unique to each organization. The How to Become One tab describes how to prepare for a job in the occupation. The median annual wage for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was $53,770 in May 2021. This tab also includes links to relevant occupational information from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Trainees advance to more complex work as they show competence, and they usually become fully qualified after 3 to 4 years of work. Planning for necessary staffing levels - Agencies can add potential new vehicles to the inventory worksheet and see what effect this would have on required staffing. 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.
