vehicles to technician ratio

For example, he noted that all technicians and mechanics are not equal when it comes to their experience and ability to work at a standard pace. TCRP Report 184: Maintenance Technician Staffing Levels for Modern Public Transit Fleets, identifies existing tools and practices used to determine optimum maintenance technician staffing levels and provides an analysis of variables that influence maintenance technician staffing needs. The average number of wrench-turning labor hours each mechanic on staff can produce (i.e., labor supply). Babcox Media mourns the passing of Tim Fritz, longtime editor and friend. Most heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians have a high school diploma or equivalent. I think thats a great ratio if you can achieve it. The table below provides an example calculation. The effect on labour profits is then: Labour sales. Fleets should outsource work that requires special tools, equipment, training; work that would tie up a mechanic or work bay for long periods of time; and work during periods of peak workload to maintain high rates of vehicle availability, said Owen. 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. 6 0 obj 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. 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. The subsity is limited however, to vehicles 10 . Rope Rescue. Automotive body and glass repairers restore, refinish, and replace vehicle bodies and frames, windshields, and window glass. 15. . The projected percent change in employment from 2021 to 2031. Most Likely Range. Less. 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. In maintaining and managing a municipal fleet operation, fleet managers can take a page from the private sectors use of vehicle equivalency units to calculate the ratio of technician-to-vehicles. 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. Technician B says to inflate the tires to . Most service technicians work full time, and many work evenings and weekends. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. In the private sector a lengthy delay can mean success or failure on the job, which ultimately impacts customer relationships. To accomplish this objective, a review of fleet and staffing data from 321 transit agencies in the National Transit Database were analyzed and 2 rounds of in-depth interviews with transit agencies were conducted to identify main factors driving technician staffing levels. Required fields are marked *. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other. Last Modified Date: Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must be able to lift and move heavy equipment, tools, and parts without risking injury. Many government organizations do not have a methodology to determine how many mechanics are required to maintain their fleet. Tool Maintenance. (Illustration: Shutterstock & Richard Aguirre). Farm equipment mechanics work varies by time of the year. As the stock of heavy vehicles and mobile equipment continues to increase, more service technicians will be needed to maintain it. Whats behind the slow adoption of FA-4 oil? We get by with what we have, but our staff is always busy. Transit Cooperative Research Program. Mechanical skills. As a consequence, fleet managers have difficulty defending themselves against a newly elected administration who suggest shop staffing is bloated and should be downsized. JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. 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. About 23,900 openings for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. A major issue that must be confronted at this point is if historical averages are reasonable, i.e., have mechanics been efficient in the past? <> Ideally, the calculated levels should match the actual levels. How will todays customer focus translate to tomorrows electric trucks? In defense of those who are asking the question, the justification of their job may come from getting maintenance managers to look closerdo a deep diveand figure out what is going on. I have experienced both challenges and benefits regarding the utilization of the VEU model to justify maintenance and repair staffing needs, said Fay. About 23,900 openings for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Please enable javascript to play this video. 90%. 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. 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. The results of this research provides a resource to help maintenance managers evaluate staffing requirements to maintain an aging, high-mileage fleet or to transition into new technology hybrid or battery-powered engines. Data from hundreds of fleet organizations has demonstrated a VEU of 1.0 is normally equal to between 10 and 15 annual maintenance labor hours, depending upon a number of factors unique to each organization. This process involves calculating the number of annual hours available to mechanics to devote to wrench-turning activities. The average hourly pay for an Automotive Technician is $19.19. Top Member, largebus Related Articles Debating the merits of ethanol Why isnt a trucks appearance part of the PM process? 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. The companys top priority is to ensure safety and support the operational teams by sustaining a very high percentage of asset uptime and availability. An agency employee very familiar with the fleet and maintenance should use the tool, because its accuracy is dependent on getting accurate, detailed information. Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. By taking an approach that is less focused on the VEU model and more concentrated on our people, their known abilities and anticipated workload, we have found more value in not utilizing the VEU model to justify staffing requirements but rather empower managers to justify staffing in relationship to the enterprises needs. %PDF-1.7 Technology Maintenance Council,(new name for. This can lead to frustration when a fleet manager attempts to justify their staffing requirements, as it is rare in my experience that municipalities and private companies meet the national averages published by industry studies. But today, with the proliferation of digital technology, new fuel systems, and accelerated maintenance schedules, its more difficult to determine how many employees will be required to take care of a fleet. To investigate these discrepancies, the research team conducted two rounds of interviews with transit agencies. Service technicians also use many different power and machine tools, including pneumatic wrenches, lathes, and welding equipment. %%EOF So you want to write for Fleet Equipment? Rail car repairers specialize in servicing railroad locomotives, subway cars, and other rolling stock. endstream endobj 664 0 obj <. (T/F) True Higher compression ratios tend to speed up combustion. vehicles to technician ratiodo doctors get pay for refills on prescriptions vehicles to technician ratio vehicles to technician ratio Navigation. Discover jobs. For most profiles, this tab has a table with wages in the major industries employing the occupation. Fleet organizations with liberal leave policies and a senior staff clearly will have a lower number of available labor hours. Overall employment of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians is projected to grow 8 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. This is where the bulk of the calculators work takes place. Hours Invoiced / Hours Worked = X Goal: Greater than 1. Hours worked = Time spent actively completing work orders Multiply each number in the ratio by the value of one part: 6 x 8.75 and 2 x 8.75. 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. Dexterity. This technique establishes a relative measure that allows evaluating and comparing staffing needs between fleets of dissimilar composition. 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. Labor supply is 10. The calculator was created by first analyzing fleet and staffing information from the 2010 National Transit Database (NTD). Roman, A. endobj 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. QBU\~Rp4c1QHsKI:C6u+~uT*3d=9KV*LihZ/HyIX\:c5@~`%V/D@0(]'G^f7|BJ^_3M_OW Q^h;y5+jSdPA6)07HHltD3)IA33Z8W. TU3(')C%Yyi0}J o(sC%/$ =-LumbWe B3u+sapEL2)ehZ=Y8m(TJD_f>`u0%&X;ZhMKaHm,(B- lC]:@6,@$n$[`w'XQ%fxavt7IWu-gX0m5Uzbasr `?o='R#Ip; 40G3k\x1)G %]D=Mu8',GL+. An old fleet obviously requires more labor to keep in service than a brand new one. 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. Fleets with large geographic service territories, such as state governments, tend to outsource a large percentage of their repair work 100 percent in some cases. It may also discuss the major industries that employed the occupation. 669 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<7022F297AD5B9C4C894041F0D3F5BDDD><2D3A11ECA97748468C7B3A740F6C16B2>]/Index[663 17]/Info 662 0 R/Length 53/Prev 664975/Root 664 0 R/Size 680/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Comments that include personal (T/F) True Vehicle Technicians can work with different vehicles, such as cars, lorries, vans, buses and motorcycles. 0 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. This showed some broad trends in regards to agency size, duty cycle, and spare ratio, but there was significant variation between agencies. Days off: Vacation? The employment, or size, of this occupation in 2021, which is the base year of the 2021-31 employment projections. . The table below provides an example calculation. After identifying malfunctioning equipment, service technicians repair, replace, and recalibrate components such as hydraulic pumps and spark plugs. (Illustration: Shutterstock & Richard Aguirre). The percent change of employment for each occupation from 2021 to 2031. Technician B says that the CVT does not shift but continuously varies the gear ratio as needed to maintain optimal speed and torque. With new labor-intensive engines, various fuel types, highly sophisticated electronics, and an increase in preventive maintenance frequencies, many maintenance managers realize they need to hire additional staff. 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. Technician A says that torque prevailing nuts can be reused unless damaged. a. MOT preparation and inspections work on vehicles and trailers. Contact Steve Hirano at Steve.Hirano@bobit.com. However, the average fleet age for a typical government fleet of mixed vehicle types should range from three to five years. Neither Technician A or B Which part is splined to the clutch disc? In addition, techs may be asked to deliver loads during peak periods or driver shortage times. The More Information tab provides the Internet addresses of associations, government agencies, unions, and other organizations that can provide additional information on the occupation. Senior Member, thomasvista2012 The Similar Occupations tab describes occupations that share similar duties, skills, interests, education, or training with the occupation covered in the profile. Top Certifications Salary Job openings . Employment in the detailed occupations that make up heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was distributed as follows: The largest employers of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians were as follows: Although many service technicians work indoors in repair shops, some service technicians travel to worksites to make repairs because it is often too expensive to transport heavy or mobile equipment to a shop. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, also called mechanics, inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, rail transportation, and other industries. Mall, K., & Sekera, J. Salaries by qualifications. endstream A. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. Learn about salaries, benefits, salary satisfaction and where you could earn the most. 929 0 obj <> endobj After all, talk is cheap and the trust me days of fleet management ended many years ago. The SSL certificate presented by the server did not pass validation. 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. 1 tech x 40 att. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. One VEU is equal to 1015 labor hours, with technicians being assigned 100120 VEUs. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. Furthermore, 70% of the companies lack awareness of which assets require maintenance. Doing this may involve disassembling and reassembling major equipment or making adjustments through an onboard computer program. A tire is labeled 215/60 R X 15 92T: the T indicates? 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. Non-routine work includes repair of accident damage, uplifting work before a vehicle is placed in service, decommissioning old vehicles, modifications to vehicles while they are in services, repair of vandalism damage, repair of damage caused by acts of nature and repair of damage caused by misuse of vehicles. What we really need is another supervisor/dispatcher for our department. 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 Maintenance Staffing Calculator, a user guide and a Power Point presentation summarizing TCRP Project E-10 are available on TRB.org by searching for TCRP Report 184., _________________________________________________________. 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. Mall, K., & Sekera, J. Kenworth and Platform Science join forces to optimize fleet operations with integrated trucks and telematics. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. In maintaining and managing a municipal fleet operation, fleet managers can take a page from the private sector's use of vehicle equivalency units to calculate the ratio of technician-to-vehicles. For example, they may use an oscilloscope to observe the signals produced by electronic components. Transit agencies replacing buses are faced with significant leaps in technology over the past 6 to 12 years and now can purchase clean diesel and hybrid engines, and choose among various alternative fuels--all of which require highly skilled technicians. Providing Quality Fire Training to First Responders. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians must perform many tasks, such as disassembling engine parts, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, with a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination. 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. How to reasonably assess mechanic staffing in a public sector garage is an often-posed question among government agency fleet managers. Perhaps you would be willing to write an article about it. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each states websites where these data may be retrieved. What is the actual industry standard ratio for trucks:technicians? /Contents 6 0 R>> attacks or slurs, hate speech, demonstrably false information, excessive profanity, or that are thinly veiled promotions for a product, will not be approved. Centuri Construction Groups fleet of more than 7,000 units tries to be predictive in nature to its maintenance and repair needs. The results of the existing, calculated necessary, and revised staff levels are compared side to side. $29.57. The average Automotive Technician salary in the United States is $53,639 as of January 26, 2023, but the salary range typically falls between $45,872 and $61,344. This will generally be heavy repairs like body work, brake machining, and small component rebuilds. Who is correct? Although the whole idea of VEUs was first created by the U.S. Air Force in the 1970s, the idea is becoming more utilized by both the private and public sectors. 7 0 obj Several factors impact the calculations of labor demand and supply. <> The secure and easy all-access connection to your content. Today, a computer is as essential as a socket wrench and the number of maintenance technicians needed to maintain a modern fleet can be difficult to measure. hbbd``b`6 +3`c$A NqgXf dU@ #F> Once the labor demand is quantified, the number of productive hours available to service the fleet must be determined. Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, and other industries. Technician B says that the rear differential has a slightly higher ratio (lower number) than the front differential. Technician A says that the output gear will be going faster than the input gear. The median annual wage for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians was $53,770 in May 2021. In Charlie Long's material he recommends a staffing level of about 13 buses for each "wrench turning" mechanic. At one time, a simple measurement was used to determine if a transit agency had adequate maintenance technician staff using a basic bus-to-mechanic ratio. can help cut diesel fuel costs, Peterbilt GM Jason Skoog charts todays truck support, tomorrows truck solutions, Diesel engine filtration tips for better fuel efficiency, U.S. Bank: Truck freight volumes continue to decline, Significant increase in TL spot rates observed for early 2023. Responsibilities for vehicle technician. New Vehicle Tech. $13 - $30. Updates include the replacement of diesel fleet assets with zero-emissions alternatives. It is important that the staff listed here directly match the vehicles included in the first sheet. Offered by vocational schools and community colleges, these programs cover the basics of diagnostic techniques, electronics, and other related subjects. Related: Fleet Management Lessons From the Private Sector. The calculator can help agencies perform three mains tasks: The calculator can be used by all sorts of agencies; survey participants had fleet sizes ranging from 10 vehicles to more than 1,000. According to Vanson Bourne, average industrial downtime costs are 250.000 USD per hour, according to field service and IT decision-makers. One VEU is equal to 1015 labor hours, with technicians being assigned 100120 VEUs; but these calculations do not include nonroutine work, he said. 663 0 obj <> endobj Please enable JavaScript on your browser to best view this site. Work experience that is commonly considered necessary by employers, or is a commonly accepted substitute for more formal types of training or education. Then there are the questions involving required operational shop hours, accidents, damages, internal damages and, to some degree, the specifications of the vehicles, the number of DVIRS, type of electronic equipment. (937) 290-0529 info@crashcoursevillage.org. Maintenance Technician Staffing Levels for Modern Public Transit Fleets, TCRP Report 184: Maintenance Technician Staffing Levels for Modern Public Transit Fleets, identifies existing tools and practices used to determine optimum maintenance technician staffing levels and provides an analysis of variables that influence maintenance technician staffing needs. The report also documents the research teams development of an MS Excel-based Maintenance Staffing Calculator, a tool for managers of transit agencies of any size to use in estimating the optimal number of bus maintenance staff to meet current maintenance needs. Transmission Ratio RPM Calculator Determine your engine's RPM based on the transmission gear ratio, tire height, MPH, and the ratio of your ring gear and pinion gear. Performs a variety of assignments such as replacement of failed parts or equipment, test, operation and maintenance of . Which technician is correct? These workers drive trucks that are specially equipped with replacement parts and tools, and they spend considerable time outdoors and often drive long distances. 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. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Previewing 48 of 59 pages. 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. If we drop the gear ratio to 3:1, however, the driveshaft only has to spin at 6150RPM. 0 An official website of the United States government Mercury Associates Inc. in Rockville, Md., provides comprehensive fuel and fleet management consulting services to state and local governments, federal governments and private companies. Transit Cooperative Research Program. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians. Thursday, September 8, 2022. Automotive service technicians and mechanics inspect, maintain, and repair cars and light trucks. 4 0 obj Technician A The driving gear has 15 teeth and the driven gear has 29 teeth. This page was last edited 21:23, 15 June 2017 by. By clicking the submit button below, you are agreeing with Bobit Business Medias Privacy Policy and this outlined level of consent. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. But many agencies conduct maintenance across locations or use a mix of in-house and contracted work. Other programs, which lead to associates degrees, generally take 2 years to complete. 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. The average growth rate for all occupations is5 percent. endobj Recalls, in the fleet world today, are at an all-time high; cost containment is always a concern as vehicles and equipment possess far more technology than ever before. We're Not Just Extrication. Second the backup vehicle ratio must be adequate to ensure minimal disruption in service. endobj It is true that costs are going through the roof, and that there are dealership backlogs. It contains annual hours needed for core maintenance like preventative inspections and brake relines, as well as unscheduled maintenance. 679 0 obj <>stream https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any Here is how you know. The historical demand for labor can be determined by reviewing the previous few years of maintenance records. 3 0 obj The type of work performed, seasonal demand on resources and the consistency of labor hours forecasted for assigned tasks versus actual all play a large part in challenging any fleet department.. Most work for governments, equipment rental and leasing shops, and large construction and mining companies. I work in a system where the fleet of approx. Leasing companies or maintenance providers only do the basic maintenance, basing their numbers on the formula of maintenance and not the hours such as those your own shop may schedule, although they will, when asked. Technician a says the drive chain may be stretched, causing the noise as it hits the inside of the case.

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