july2022 - 25

graduates on what they can offer. These technicians
were molded to provide immediate help,
with a foundation to build even more skills. If one
of these schools is not near you, diesel, or auto
programs are offered via a community college or
technical school. Job fairs, outreach to high school
and vocational programs, and open houses can all
get leads as well.
At the very least, transportation stakeholders
" The one thing that keeps me up at night is that
there are so many people leaving and retiring
from the industry, and then you have an influx of
young talent, " he said. This loss of solid mentors
could disrupt the shop, and younger techs could
become disengaged.
That's why when you find technicians who want
to work for you, the most important thing is to
not let them go.
in need of technically adept workers should have
open lines of communication with the various
high school and post-secondary schools. This
may include joining an advisory board, making
curriculum suggestions, or donating equipment.
And lack of time is no excuse, said Robert
Braswell, executive director of American Trucking
Associations' Technology & Maintenance Council.
" It's either important for you, or it's not important
for you, " he asserted. " If I don't have time to
brush my teeth this morning, well, there's a consequence
to pay for that-my teeth are going to fall
out. Whether you're a big fleet or a small fleet or
a small shop, I think there is a certain amount of
time that you can give to that sort of thing, even
if you just reach out to the schools in your area
and find out what their curriculum is. "
ASE Education Foundation launched the AdoptA-School
program to connect fleets and shops
with nearby high schools and colleges to make
this easier.
" While it takes time, it allows the business to
choose and nurture the technicians who will grow
with them and are more likely to stay long-term, "
ASE President Mike Coley noted.
George Arrants, VP at ASE Education Foundation,
said he believes reaching these students during
their education will mitigate those early losses,
which break down 20% of diesel students choosing
another path right after graduating from a high
school vocational or post-secondary trade program,
and another 21% leaving within two years.
" Partnering with schools allows shops to directly
mentor students during the education process
and proactively address any issues they may have
before they quit the trade, " he advised.
Spurlock is skeptical of this approach, questioning
how a company would aggregate this
approach: " There are no high school diesel
programs in Columbus and five auto programs
with a total enrollment of maybe 150 kids. I've
spoken at most of them. Moreover, the majority of
students in these programs are not ready for a real
shop environment. You're throwing an 18-year-old
kid into a tough environment with 30- to 40-yearolds.
It's tough. "
Diesel Laptops' Robertson also questioned how
much effort should be placed in high schools.
" It's kind of an unpopular opinion, but I don't
see how going into high schools is really going
to move the needle on anything, " he admitted.
" We've been talking about that for over a decade.
The fact is, we look at every stat that ever exists.
Most high school seniors already know what they
want to do before somebody shows up and says
you should do this profession. "
Robertson believes a better strategy is to " go find
people in their early 20s, people who may have
had a life that's been a little rough, and who have
a job that takes a lot of energy and is physical but
» Students in NVI-Blairsville's diesel program
learn to detect lighting faults they will see in
the fleet by using electrical training boards.
Photo: John Hitch | Fleet Maintenance
doesn't pay that well. " He said this includes manual
laborers, servers, and line cooks. It could also be
someone who isn't as happy in another industry
or a veteran. NVI has one of each in the September
graduating class (see sidebar on pg. 24).
Pitt Ohio has found some success by working
directly with vocational students, according to
Taki Darakos, the midsized fleet's VP of maintenance
and fleet services. It has cooperative
programs with vocational schools in Pittsburgh
and Hermitage, Pennsylvania.
" It's been wonderful-18-year-olds coming in,
working in the shop part of the time and going to
school the rest of the time, " Darakos explained.
He said these potential techs learn basic skills,
how to work safely, and how to communicate and
interact with teammates.
Those experienced techs also benefit from what
Darakos calls the " co-op factor. "
" It's also been great for our seasoned techs
because there's so much excitement when these
Attention on retention
Darakos advised that
like older trucks and
budding plants, young technicians need plenty
of maintenance and care.
" If you're not watering and fertilizing these
techs with experiences, knowledge, and education,
the newness-the excitement on the job-is
eventually going to go away, and they're going to
leave you, " he warned.
The fleet executive also found that the first one
to two years is pivotal. " That's a really critical time
where you've got to pay extra attention to people
and make sure they have the support to continue, "
Darakos said.
Supervisors should ensure new techs are " fitting
into the shop, fitting into the culture of the organization,
and feel valued and like they're getting
everything they were looking for, " he added.
Instilling a sense of value comes from trust,
and that likely means giving technicians more
responsibilities.
" The most important thing that companies
can do is provide continuous training and a
pathway to promotion, " Spurlock said. " If someone
is ready, promote them. It doesn't matter if
they've been working for two months or two
years. Treat techs like a valuable investment,
not a commodity. "
Robertson agreed that the keys to retaining newer
technicians are training and a solid career path.
" Because someone's always going to offer more
money, how do you keep them in there? " he asked.
" If you're not watering and fertilizing these techs
with experiences, knowledge, and education, the
newness-the excitement on the job-is eventually
going to go away and they're going to leave you. "
Taki Darakos, VP of maintenance and fleet services, Pitt Ohio
young kids are showing energy and enthusiasm
and wanting to grow and learn, " he said.
These seedlings won't flourish in any and every
shop environment, though. " It's got to be the right
shop and the right mentorship, " said Darakos, who
has a biology degree and looks at these issues in a
naturalistic way. " But you get those things right,
and it's like a symbiotic relationship. "
Darakos worries about the pending imbalance
happening in the industry that could throw off
the homeostasis.
" You've got to keep them engaged and make it a
great place to work. "
Braswell encourages fleets to provide newer
technicians with " a clear career path where they
can make improvements during those first two
years. " Once they make those improvements, they
need positive reinforcement, such as a raise, perk,
or benefit, he explained.
" That is a tried-and-true method ... and a lot
of companies will simply ignore that, " Braswell
lamented. " All they do is get a warm body in there,
July 2022 | FleetMaintenance.com
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