and current staffing ratios (i.e., vehicles maintained per technician, vehicle miles per technician, etc.). 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. Fleet age is another important factor. The median annual wage for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was $53,770 in May 2021. Second the backup vehicle ratio must be adequate to ensure minimal disruption in service. Another calculation includes maintenance and repair units, which involves comparing requirements of one vehicle group to another vehicle category. Salaries by qualifications. . 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. 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. In Charlie Long's material he recommends a staffing level of about 13 buses for each "wrench turning" mechanic. 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. Comments are moderated and may not appear for 24 hours or more. 679 0 obj <>stream About 23,900 openings for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Chad Fay, director of fleet operations at Centuri Construction Group in Phoenix, Ariz., shared pros and cons of employing VEUs, from a personal outlook. 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. Transit Cooperative Research Program. They also work on smaller consumer-grade lawn and garden tractors. Service technicians also use many different hand tools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches, to work on small parts and in hard-to-reach areas. 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. endstream endobj startxref Most service technicians work full time, and many work evenings and weekends. VEHICLE TO TECHNI C IAN RATIO This is a question asked by every fleet owner, fleet manager and workshop manager who maintain their own fleet of vehicles. Predicting repair staffing, maintenance needs with VEUs An example would be to compare a base vehicle, such as a passenger sedan, to a fire engine, which is larger and heavier and requires more maintenance and repair than the smaller sedan does. Technician a says the drive chain may be stretched, causing the noise as it hits the inside of the case. We're Not Just Extrication. attacks or slurs, hate speech, demonstrably false information, excessive profanity, or that are thinly veiled promotions for a product, will not be approved. Please advise on the appropriate number of buses and vehicles per mechanic? Published as TCRP Report 184. endobj Even with the responses to the surveys, the study yielded limited correlative data. 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. Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians with similar occupations. 0 Advanced Member, Brad Barker The ratio of height to width. 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. 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. Tech b C. Both techs D. Neither C A transfer case is extremely noisy and all selections except neutral whenever the vehicle is moving. Tech Want to read all 59 pages? Furthermore, 70% of the companies lack awareness of which assets require maintenance. Technician A says that the gear ratios of both differentials are the same in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Chapter 126 Four wheel drive Flashcards | Quizlet hb```I,, 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. What we really need is another supervisor/dispatcher for our department. The average growth rate for all occupations is5 percent. 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. Technician a says that the pressure should never exceed the maximum pressure imprinted on the sidewall of the tire. Regression analyses were performed, and results include standard deviations to help judge how closely peer agencies perform on various measures. Most heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians have a high school diploma or equivalent. If someone determines that the body count is too high, you may be asked to defend your staff. PHW, I'd like to hear more about your program and I'm sure others would also. Technician B says the ratio is 3.86:1. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians repair and maintain engines, hydraulic systems, transmissions, and electrical systems of agricultural, industrial, construction, and rail equipment. Main shaft Farm equipment mechanics and service techs frequently work with heavy parts and tools. Dexterity. 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. Join Our List. Typical level of education that most workers need to enter this occupation. Additional troubleshooting information here. This only includes bus mechanics and technicians, not facility maintenance staff, mechanics who deal only with non-revenue vehicles, or supervisors. 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. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. The average number of wrench-turning labor hours each mechanic on staff can produce (i.e., labor supply). This tab also covers different types of occupational specialties. 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. hbbd``b`6 +3`c$A NqgXf dU@ #F> How to reasonably assess mechanic staffing in a public sector garage is an often-posed question among government agency fleet managers. The Director does everything else (even training). Information provided by Randy Owen. 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. Details about the fleet and fleet maintenance practices that can fundamentally impact the data analysis and calculations. 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. Labor supply is 10. 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. In addition to these data gathering efforts, the research team developed the Maintenance Staffing Calculator and MS-Excel-based tool to help transit systems of various sizes determine the optimum number of maintenance technicians required to maintain a modern public transit fleet. <>/ExtGState <>/ProcSet [/PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] Another method of determining labor demand is using a technique known as Vehicle Equivalent Unit (VEU) Analysis. endobj In the winter months, however, they may work less than full time. $64 - $400. 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. Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights install, maintain, and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each states websites where these data may be retrieved. Hours Invoiced / Hours Worked = X Goal: Greater than 1. Which technician is correct? The below graph illustrates how this technique works, reflecting VEU values based on Mercury Associates experience with hundreds of fleets across North America. This sheet compares an agencys existing staffing levels to that of peer agencies. Video transcript available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PcpkHT8xaU. However, high school graduates often need further training to become fully qualified. Ideally, the calculated levels should match the actual levels. Doing this may involve disassembling and reassembling major equipment or making adjustments through an onboard computer program. 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. 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. 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. Senior Member, thomasvista2012 Offered by vocational schools and community colleges, these programs cover the basics of diagnostic techniques, electronics, and other related subjects. 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. Thursday, September 8, 2022. As the premiere online publication for the heavy-duty truck market, charting the latest in trucking equipment, technology, and service trends, Fleet Equipment has a knack for digging up the stories behind the stories (while having a lot of fun along the way). _EY4x /hH2, 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). The number of mechanics/technicians required to maintain this sample fleet is more than a fleet of 100 sedans, but far less than a fleet of 100 dump trucks. 90%. make sure you're on a federal government site. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Rail car repairers specialize in servicing railroad locomotives, subway cars, and other rolling stock. Hourly Rate. Learn about salaries, benefits, salary satisfaction and where you could earn the most. 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. 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. Some manufacturers offer certification in specific repair methods or equipment. As the stock of heavy vehicles and mobile equipment continues to increase, more service technicians will be needed to maintain it. Service technicians who have completed a postsecondary training program in diesel technology or heavy equipment mechanics typically require less on-the-job training. Technician A says that the output gear will be going faster than the input gear. We have two full-time mechanics (one lead mechanic and one regular mechanic), and one driver who was originally hired as a mechanic but only helps out as needed now on a part-time basis. ADT 7-3 Flashcards by Ohio Technical College | Brainscape 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. The calculator was created by first analyzing fleet and staffing information from the 2010 National Transit Database (NTD). Service, repair and fault diagnostics work on all vehicles. One of the best way to do it is to project the costs, divide the total dollars by two, (labor and parts average 50% each) then divide the 50% labor dollars by a fully burdened labor rate average, the calculation determines the hoursthen back into the hours of operational required. Several factors impact the calculations of labor demand and supply. 2016 Bus Maintenance Survey: Shops Still Dealing with Electrical Learning Curve. It is true that costs are going through the roof, and that there are dealership backlogs. 1 0 obj Calculating Mechanic Staffing Requirements - Government Fleet Input cells are clearly labeled and color-coded. A: There are many variables when calculating the number of technicians required per number of trucks. 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. 1 tech x 40 att. 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. PDF VEHICLE MAINTENANCE OUTLINE - Phoenix, Arizona 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. About the Author: Randy Owen is senior vice president of Mercury Associates Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md. National estimates for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. He was 53 years old. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians held about 223,000 jobs in 2021. (180 degrees) on a vehicle equipped with a steering gear with a 20:1 gear ratio. 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 table below provides an example calculation. Comments that include personal The final worksheet provides a summary of data for all peer groups. Neither Technician A or B Which part is splined to the clutch disc? 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. 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. As a former cop who spent a number of years managing, and is now doing driving / training for the past year and a half in my retirement, I've relished the opportunity to work in and learn about this great service industry. 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. Now you can be a part of it! (2016). One VEU is equal to 1015 labor hours, with technicians being assigned 100120 VEUs; but these calculations do not include nonroutine work, he said. Automotive technician salary in United States - Indeed Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with engine components and systems. 663 0 obj <> endobj 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.) Methodology Within every occupation, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area. What Heavy Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Service Technicians Do, How to Become a Heavy Vehicle or Mobile Equipment Service Technician, Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers, Employment projections data for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, 2021-31, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, Top Picks, One Screen, Multi-Screen, and Maps, Industry Finder from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. 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. Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles. IT IS NOT ALL THAT BAD IF YOU HAVE GOOD KEY PERSONEL IN THE RIGHT PLACES. The difference clearly would be best met through additional outsourcing or overtime rather than hiring another mechanic. It depends on various factors, example; Is it a fleet cars or pickups or busses or trucks or a mix? 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. Most Likely Range. Diesel service technicians and mechanics inspect, repair, and overhaul buses, trucks, or any vehicle with a diesel engine. 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. Generally, more experienced service technicians specialize in field service. Automotive service technicians & mechanics | Data USA Mechanics who work primarily on automobiles are described in the profile on automotive service technicians and mechanics. Holidays, vacation, sick days as well as other leave time must be deducted to arrive at the number of hours a mechanic is actually at work and available for productive work. Administrator, Diesel3446 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. The companys top priority is to ensure safety and support the operational teams by sustaining a very high percentage of asset uptime and availability. EDSI Consulting prepared this report under TCRP Project E-10. Technician A only b. Measuring the performance of your technicians, as a whole and individually, shouldn't feel like punishment or micro-managing. 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. 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. This process involves calculating the number of annual hours available to mechanics to devote to wrench-turning activities. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with diagnostic equipment to find the source of malfunctions. 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. Whats behind the slow adoption of FA-4 oil? 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. information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Transmission Ratio RPM Calculator | Spicer Parts Women of color made up a fraction of employees in the industry: 16. <> By Randy Owen 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. 50.63.164.4 Performance & security by Cloudflare. Rope Rescue. The More Information tab provides the Internet addresses of associations, government agencies, unions, and other organizations that can provide additional information on the occupation. 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. The top KPIs affecting your profit and how to grow each one of them. VEUS EXAMPLES Each sedan represents 1 VEU. 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. 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 It may also discuss the major industries that employed the occupation. Learn more about heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations. 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. Small engine mechanics inspect, service, and repair motorized power equipment. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. The Asian women: 1.7%. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Heavy Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Service Technicians, All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. According to Vanson Bourne, average industrial downtime costs are 250.000 USD per hour, according to field service and IT decision-makers. The average number of labor hours each type of asset in the fleet consumes (i.e., labor demand). The Maintenance Staffing Calculator is an Excel tool consisting of seven worksheets. 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. Updates include the replacement of diesel fleet assets with zero-emissions alternatives. 5 0 obj 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. White women: 17.5%. stream Astro Optics: Traffic Guard Portable Speed Bump System. This leads to unexpected failures and expensive downtime. By clicking the submit button below, you are agreeing with Bobit Business Medias Privacy Policy and this outlined level of consent. I asked that question about a month ago and did not receive a replay. 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. 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. Black women: 6.2%. Speed rating. In the private sector a lengthy delay can mean success or failure on the job, which ultimately impacts customer relationships. Related Articles Debating the merits of ethanol Why isnt a trucks appearance part of the PM process? <> The .gov means it's official. The Keys to Profitability | Ratchet + Wrench However, the average fleet age for a typical government fleet of mixed vehicle types should range from three to five years. A Formula for Maximizing Efficiency in Each Bay 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. Various types of equipment, such as tractors, cranes, and bulldozers, are used to haul materials, till land, lift beams, and dig earth to pave the way for development and construction. Most heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians work full time, and many work evenings or weekends. %PDF-1.5 % Imperial Metric Vehicle speed in MPH <> The type of fleet business you are in effects this number greatly. Common workplace injuries include small cuts, sprains, and bruises. Organizational skills. endstream endobj 930 0 obj <. Do not over-maintain and have all the costs related to the hours your techs spend on changing light bulbs in the office at your finger tips. 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 report also documents the research team's development of an MS Excel-based Maintenance Staffing . Vehicle Technician Job Description | Velvet Jobs

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