Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85677
maintenance | by Tom Jackson Fleet managers SPEAK OUT on the technician shortage What are the problems, what are the solutions ... if any? D oug King knows all too well that good diesel mechanics are hard to fi nd. King is an Association of Equipment Management Profession- als, Certifi ed Equipment Manager* who oversees more than 900 pieces of heavy equipment and trucks, 23 technicians, four equipment manag- ers and fi ve drivers for Sherwood Construction, El Dorado, Kansas. He recently lost his best mechanic to retirement. The man was 71 years old. Not only was he King's most productive mechanic, he was loyal to a fault. "It was not because he couldn't afford to retire," King says. "He just didn't feel comfortable leaving us." That's what's known as the "old school work ethic," and for a va- riety of reasons it's disappearing, as are the people with the skills to do this work and even people who want to do this kind of work. The shortage of qualifi ed diesel techs is so severe that fl eet manag- ers, equipment dealers and equip- ment manufacturers are pulling out all the stops to bring new people into the business. But there is no easy fi x. In April, Equipment World sat down with a group of equip- ment fl eet managers at AEMP's annual convention and asked them to tell us about the challenges they faced in recruiting, training and keeping mechanics and technicians – and if they had any solutions. Here's what they had to say: The hands off generation Most kids today don't like to work with their hands. Some of this can be blamed on their environment, *The AEMP is dedicated to the professional development of heavy equipment and truck fl eet managers. It offers three levels of study and certifi cation including the Certifi ed Equipment Manager (CEM), Equipment Manager Specialist (EMS), and the Certifi ed Equipment Support Professional. For more information visit: www.aemp.org/education/certifi cation/ about_certifi cations.html. EquipmentWorld.com | May 2012 23