Can investing in training during tough times tighten up your bottom line?
Controlling costs is a hallmark of any successful company. But when times are as hard as they have been in the trucking industry, managers must make tough choices to balance the books. All too often, technician training is a target that bean-counters can’t pass up.
In many ways, it’s the technicians’ own fault. “I think that for quite a long time, technicians in this industry have done such an outstanding job keeping fleet vehicles on the road, their ability to do so kind of gets taken for granted,” says Bonne Karim, fleet training manager for the U.S. Postal Service. “Why waste money sending technicians to schools when they’re clearly getting the job done anyway?”
Savvy fleet managers like Karim know that’s not how the world works. Technician motivation and training are two key drivers in controlling maintenance costs and reducing downtime. For James Mathis, senior manager of global vehicles for FedEx Express, highly trained technicians are vital to his company’s success.
“Any time you can have a qualified technician – one who is highly skilled and educated in diagnostics and repairs – you can control the quality and cost of a repair,” Mathis says. Benefits of highly trained technicians include higher quality repairs and fewer road failures.
It’s not hard to translate fewer road failures into additional profits. “Technicians have a direct impact on customer service,” Mathis says. “They hold the key to minimizing loss of revenue from service failures.”
Education matters
An educated technician can better diagnose and repair a problem in a timely manner, which enhances the entire team’s productivity. “Educated technicians absolutely can have a positive impact on maintenance cost by utilizing expensive shop diagnostic equipment more effectively to make good repair decisions, using only the parts required and preventing repetitive failures and extensive downtime,” says Eric Benge, regional maintenance manager for Wal-Mart Transportation.
Advanced technician training probably is more important than ever as vehicles grow in complexity. “An untrained technician attempting to work on today’s complex equipment will in many cases find themselves chasing ghosts and throwing parts at a problem hoping for a positive outcome,” Benge says. This typically will result in unnecessary high parts costs, along with extended, repetitive equipment downtime.
FedEx Express technicians show their skills on the floor during a company technician competition.
Everyone is under pressure to reduce operating expenses, especially in today’s economic environment, Mathis says. Unfortunately, maintenance is viewed as a cost because it doesn’t generate a revenue stream. While that makes accounting sense, Mathis argues it’s a shortsighted strategy that ultimately is self-defeating.
“We always must be mindful that truck technology is ever-changing,” he says. “If the technician work force is not up to date on the latest technology, your company will pay the cost down the road in excessive out-of-service time, possible delivery service failures and progressive damage from improper diagnosis.”
Continuing education helps technicians add value to the organization by reducing repeat repairs and unneeded parts replacement while increasing vehicle life. “Any time you can develop your people, the long-term result is a reduction in overall operating expenses,” says Mathis.
