Technicians
Demand for Virtual Training Accelerates During Pandemic
Virtual learning works both for in-house and third-party training. (Design Interactive)
The pandemic is accelerating the transition to virtual learning for truck technicians, and the industry might never turn back.
July 17, 2020Preparing New Technicians for Success
Ryder System has instituted four status levels for its 6,300 technicians. (Terry Townsend )
Diesel technician jobs are becoming more high-tech and specialized as truck manufacturers progressively adopt digital componentry. The profession is suffering from a worker deficit, and fleets find themselves hiring recruits fresh from technician school.
January 24, 2020Perspective: Augmented Reality as a Training Tool
The emerging technology of augmented reality is becoming more viable for fleets that want to recruit and retain technicians.
December 3, 2019Talent Wanted: Truck Technicians
C.R. England technicians at work. The company says it promotes the earnings potential of the technician profession. (C.R. England)
Trucking companies are pulling out all the stops to find, recruit, educate, train, develop and recognize the next generation of commercial vehicle technicians. It’s a fundamental issue as the industry’s workforce of technicians continues to age toward retirement, while at the same time, there’s a scarcity of young men and women coming into the profession to fill their ranks.
July 19, 2019Penske Partners with TechForce on Technician Recruitment
Legacy Truck Centers Inc.
Penske Truck Leasing has partnered with TechForce Foundation on the latter’s FutureTech Success campaign, which supports the recruitment of new fleet-maintenance technicians.
November 28, 2018Regular Realignment Is a Savings, Not a Cost
Most alignment systems require setting bar-mount laser projections. (E-Z Red Co.)
Tire wear often is blamed on a number of things, and many times, on the brand of the tire. But aggressive tire wear is a symptom that something else is wrong with a truck.
July 20, 2018Truck Makers Address Technician Shortage
The 2017 Mack Trucks lineup. (Jonathan S. Reiskin — Transport Topics)
Mack Trucks announced it is partnering with colleges in Florida, Ohio and Texas to offer the Diesel Advanced Technology Education program beginning in early 2019 to address a shortage of skilled vehicle service technicians.
July 16, 2018Education, Outreach Programs Seen as Front Lines for Attracting Next Generation of Truck Technicians
Ryder System Inc. via Facebook
When Jeff Harris, vice president of maintenance at USA Truck Inc., first started as an apprentice truck mechanic 29 years ago, he had a trade school diploma, a basic set of tools, a couple of crusty old mechanics who took him under their wing and showed him the ropes, and a desire to learn.
May 15, 2018New Technicians Lack Skills, Fleets Find as Demand Grows
Panelists (from left) Arrants, Shafer, Clemons, Morvilius and Cigala discus the state of truck technicians during the Mobil Delvac Fleet Maintenance Forum on March 21 in Louisville, Ky. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More technicians will be needed soon, nearly 77,000 more by 2026. However, plenty of students are in the pipeline. But questions remain about their ability to meet real-world needs in a shop, and about how to keep them once hired, experts said.
March 21, 2018‘Lockout-Tagout’ Helps Fleets Ensure the Safety of Technicians
A lockout-tagout device. (Technology & Maintenance Council)
The work of servicing and maintaining a fleet of trucks presents a wide assortment of potential dangers to technicians, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “lockout-tagout” regulations provide guidance to reduce the risk of injury or death.
March 9, 2018