How do we fix the mechanic shortage in America?

[YellowIronSam]

Saw this thread on Reddit earlier today: https://www.reddit.com/r/heavyequip...rica_is_short_73000_mechanics_whats_going_on/

Some of the common points:
- Wages are unfair / haven't been growing despite inflation
- The work is back breaking and the machines are getting more complicated
- The career path doesn't give back to you enough, if you're good go become an operator instead
- Tools costs are getting expensive
- The younger generation doesn't want to do this work. The best mechanics are aging out.

Kind of ******. Everyone is busy right now and machine downtime is going to kill us.

 

[Vetech63]

It will get worse. For years kids have been told they need a college education to have a decent lifestyle. ......and blue collar work was for poor people. Hell, I make more than alot of college educated people

 

[ianjoub]

Fix it? Buy more **** from China and throw it away when it breaks.

 

[YellowIronSam]

Fix it? Buy more **** from China and throw it away when it breaks.

Is that the game these days?

 

[ianjoub]

bad game, but appears so

 

[Truck Shop]

From my perspective and what my boss is doing now before I retire in 2023.

Boss knows he can't find anybody to take my place-{although I don't know how hard he's looked}.
What he has said to me--{I wish you were 40 years old or I could clone you-{the world doesn't need
another me to contend with}-I know I can't find someone who can manage a shop, take care of all
paper work involved, control all aspects of work including buying tires, parts inventory, keep in his head
all the upcoming things required in services, brakes, suspension, refer work , fabrication and operating
the tow truck safely plus your knowledge in transmission and engines. Which was nice to hear.

So starting a month ago he gave the ok for a 6 million dollar truck shop and yard {which is being built
right now} with 6 bays-three drive through. He has signed a contract with Penske, They will rent 4 of
the bays for their work and will supply 4 mechanics just for his trucks in the other two bays. Penske
will take care of all Freightliner warranty work, services, refer work.

He asked me to stay on at this shop here and do long term repairs and fab/welding work that needs
done and run the tow truck till I retire. After I'm gone he will sell the tow truck-and never personally
employ any mechanics leaving the whole thing to Penske to do the repairs and provide the mechanics.

I see problems with going that route but it's his money his decision.

Company mechanics tend to have a vested interest in the company they work for, at least it's been
that way with me. I treated his equipment as if it were my own. And that won't happen after
I'm gone. I will have 49 plus years working the floor on my last day.

 

[Tones]

2 of the greatest cons perpetrated by the education system are making kids think they are better than actually are and indoctrinating them into what to think. More than anything we have a shortage of young critical thinkers. The art of improvising in order to get a machine working has long gone even if it's a temporary fix until the proper parts arrive.

 

[kshansen]

What he has said to me--{I wish you were 40 years old or I could clone you-{the world doesn't need another me to contend with}

Well my last boss stopped by this afternoon to drop off some 1/8 inch plate for me to patch the mower deck on my old Farmall. He said he has six days left before he leaves the company. He has been asking for help in the management area of the company for close to 10 years. Just a few days after he gave them his final notice they came up with two people to take his place!

I asked him how the new mechanic that was hired last year is working out.

He only said that he has been spending many days taking one of the rear wheels off a Cat 769 to fix a problem with wheel studs or something. I mentioned that those were kind of a big job but he responded that this mechanic had just had that wheel apart a couple month ago working with the dealers mechanic. He felt it should be fresh in his mind how to do the job! I did not want to rub salt into the wound but was wondering if it had been apart a few weeks before why it needed to come apart now. Did someone miss something during the last repair?

I could probably look in old records I have at home to find when I had one of them apart but know it was probably several years before I retired. Definitely should have a failure again in the same season if there was not a major mistake made!

 

[crane operator]

The art of improvising in order to get a machine working has long gone even if it's a temporary fix until the proper parts arrive.

One of the cranes has a push pull cable that shifts the two speed aux. box. Push pull is bad, so I sent my young guy mechanic to get a new one made. We made a lock bar to put in its place, locking the box in direct so we could still use the crane. Just wouldn't have low.

Well the one truck parts place that used to make them local, don't make them anymore local (local is a hour away), so truck parts place sends it to a different location of theirs. 3 days later its back, and its a inch too long.

Young guy "well lets just send it back and they can make it right". (he would have to make 4 hour long trips to deliver and return with the new one, plus 3-4 days in shipping/ assembly) Me "the odds of them doing any better than they made this one are slim, so lets just modify some mounts and make this work".

Looked at aux. box, nigh unto impossible to pull mount without dropping box, and drivelines. Looked at the other end and made a plan. We pulled the hand lever in the cab, welded a 1 1/2" riser on it, and then bolted it all up.

He's (young mechanic) currently in a diesel tech program. And the tech program has actually been pretty good, in giving him a grasp of the fundamentals of systems. But they really don't teach "improvise, adapt, and overcome". Its more of a "call the dealer, receive and replace the assembly".

The young guy is really green yet, and he's made some mistakes, but we were all there at one time, and he's learning. Its just hard to teach the "we've got a welder, a torch, and a bunch of tools in this shop, what can we do with what we've got here, to get this machine running".

I don't think the current generation of young guys is particularly any less useless than I was at their age. I know I did plenty of dumb stuff, and probably had a few mornings that I was wishing I hadn't been out quite so late the night before.

I think the current education environment doesn't do them any favors, but when I was in high school 30 plus years ago- they didn't push trades much then either, "you need college". But frankly, it was 75 deg. and sunny today, and I was outside in it all day, building a little slice of america.

And if its a choice between that, and spending a day in a cubicle and keyboard warrioring out a quarterly earnings estimate, or a amortization schedule, I'm going to take some dumb iron to wrestle with, every single time.

 

[Tones]

You may have one out of the box and yes we were young and dumb and boy did I get my arse kicked when needed but I never considered it bullying and the only mental problem was I never forgot why

 

[BigWrench55]

In the next couple of weeks I will be getting out of the service truck and back into the shop. And I only plan on being a Wrench bender for 2 more years. I am getting out of the service truck because it's become a pain in the ass. To many rules and regulations to do the work that needs to be done. I am giving myself 2 more years because by then I will be fully vested. And more importantly I will be out of debt. I love my job, but the work environment has become too much about C.Y.A. and not personable. Wages are not keeping up with technology and the cost of tools. Companies treat you like they own you. Treat you like a liability rather then a asset. They expect loyalty, but treat you like there's hundreds of mechanics as good as you knocking the door down to get hired. The truth is that all the good mechanics are phasing out. There is some hope with the younger guys, but experience is what makes you good and a desire to learn is what makes you great. That is lacking in the younger guys. I originally thought that I would buy my own service truck and that would cure most of my problems working for the man. But now I am done. It's hard on my body. And I don't have anyone to turn the business over to when I am to busted up to do the work. For you business owners out there I feel bad for what's coming around the corner for you. Down time will stretch out longer and cost is going to go higher. But the world won't stop turning because all the good wrenches are gone. It will only get more expensive. But the truly sad part is. The good mechanics will still be underpaid and unappreciated. And that's where I lose all empathy for this business. In two years I will be free!

 

[crane operator]

Just as a aside, you guys were mentioning the cost of tools, and the young guy working for me had the snap on man visit class.

The instructor had them one afternoon go through the snap on book, and have them make a tool list and cost for whatever they considered a "basic" set that they would want. I think my employee's total was over 20k, and it was a pretty basic set, nothing over 1/2" drive.

I gave him a old roll around box that had some bent up drawers, and he's been shopping HF and lowes and online searching up for deals. He really just uses all my tools in our shop, but he's working to get his own stuff.

He's resisted the snap on man's $10,000 box so far, but he seems hesitant on used tools. I've always been happier with a quality used tool, than brand new chinese, and hopefully that will rub off on him. Because I struggle with new snap on tool pricing.

But all those tools would be far cheaper than a private college for 4 years.

 

[Bumpsteer]

Big step would be to make stuff easier to work on....sending repairs out now as access is non-existant and I'm to damn old to fight it laying on a creeper....

Ed

 

[JD955SC]

Fix it? No thanks the less that can do this job the higher I make.

maybe that’s the wrong attitude but I feel that we would be stuck in the $13-15/hr range if there was more mechanics around.

 

[Tyler d4c]

In the local areas it seems to be mostly pay related. Good guys go work in the mines or power plants. Or they go independent so all the dealers at least have the not so good/parts changers. Not saying I'm much of a wrench but that's my take locally.

 

[John C.]

Gentlemen, it isn’t our problem. Our time will be done. The employers have baked their own cakes. They starved us out by not hiring young people to work their way into the trade. Trade schools were more concerned about keeping paying students than producing capable tradesmen. They also hired incompetent instructors and then starved them for materials. Employers pulling people from those programs did not hold the schools accountable and now whine about the availability of wrenches. I say too bad.

I’ve worked with a couple of great young men with lots of talent. The game is now in their hands. I wish them well.

 

[BigWrench55]

Amen!

 

[suladas]

Just as a aside, you guys were mentioning the cost of tools, and the young guy working for me had the snap on man visit class.

The instructor had them one afternoon go through the snap on book, and have them make a tool list and cost for whatever they considered a "basic" set that they would want. I think my employee's total was over 20k, and it was a pretty basic set, nothing over 1/2" drive.

I gave him a old roll around box that had some bent up drawers, and he's been shopping HF and lowes and online searching up for deals. He really just uses all my tools in our shop, but he's working to get his own stuff.

He's resisted the snap on man's $10,000 box so far, but he seems hesitant on used tools. I've always been happier with a quality used tool, than brand new chinese, and hopefully that will rub off on him. Because I struggle with new snap on tool pricing.

But all those tools would be far cheaper than a private college for 4 years.

$20k for a basic set? I don't know how they actually sell any of that crap. Except for specialty tools it makes no sense.

I only use my tools here and there not anywhere close to full-time but i've never had an issue with the cheaper stuff. My cheap toolboxes have stood up fine, I have one that is 15 years old and still works as good as when I bought it and none cost more then $300, when it comes to wrenches and sockets who cares about the brand? For even $2000 you should have a pretty decent setup of tools. I also don't feel bad when I abuse the hell out of a tool when it's much cheaper.

 

[BigWrench55]

Snapon and the likes are attractive because it's cool. And you can make small payments until you retire.
But I admit those toolboxes are tough. I'm in the market for big box now. And I do want a snapon box. I'm just not going to buy one off the truck.

 

[suladas]

I don't blame younger people not wanting to get into certain things, buddy of mine is foreman at Freightliner dealership, it's insanely tough to find apprentices but even worse to keep them. Says many last under 6 months, they see the guys in their 40s and 50s the way the job has beat them up and they want no part of it. The one's who use their head move up though, the one's who don't spend all their years doing grunt work, as in any industry. I know I would never even consider being a HD tech, after a few weeks of wrenching full-time in the winter on my own stuff i'm sick of it and want no part of working on anything for a long time.

The other scary part is the one's who are actually doing the job, or trying. Took my pickup into dealership today for inspection as i'm selling it, they called on the usual money making things, fluid changes, brakes, and ball joints none of which need to be done. Did not notice the things that SHOULD be called that I warned the buyer would come up, like e-brake seized or the axle shaft u-joints are shot. Just scares the hell out of me these "mechanics" are working on vehicles everyday and don't know their head from their ***, when I told the service advisor the diffs and t-case where changed 6,000 miles ago she said "oh well you better get them checked out because the fluids are dirty". If I wasn't an honest guy they'd get people ripped off so bad, didn't even take the truck for a test drive and knew he was buying site unseen and relying on them to look it over.