No matter how large your fleet of vehicles, maintenance and repair costs are a major part of the investment. Construction fleets are often composed of trucks of various sizes and motorized equipment ranging from small skid loaders to significant cranes and dozers. That variety poses problems in inventory of maintenance and repair parts and knowledge of operation needed to do the services.

Is the answer to outsource the care and feeding of your equipment or bring it all in-house? As technology advances, both onboard and used for diagnosing problems, technical know-how supersedes mechanical experience as a qualification for service personnel. And as many construction companies know, skilled workers are harder to find in all disciplines. A report from IMR, Inc. on the top challenges faced by independent repair shops and technicians point to similar problems in-house operations face.

Shop owners and technicians reported that for 2020, they see some of their biggest challenges as finding time for hands-on training, staying up-to-date with diagnostic advancements and vehicle technology, and finding qualified and motivated technicians to work in the shop.

About 29% of shop owners said finding high-quality technicians who are reliable and knowledgeable is another challenge that they will face in 2020. Additionally, 17.5% of shop owners said they face challenges in finding technicians with the in-demand skills needed to service all types of vehicles, from older models to the newest.

Overall, 31.1% of shops see keeping up with emerging and current advancements in vehicle technology as a major challenge for the new year, with 16.6% of those respondents also stating that higher part prices are an additional challenge for the shop.

Technicians said in addition to finding time for important training and staying on top of trends in diagnostic and vehicle technology, it is a challenge to afford the new diagnostic tools and software that the industry demands (27.5%). Meanwhile, 35.5% of respondents said it is most important to get the best education and training possible and 19.6% said to take advantage of all training that is available through an employer.

With independent shops experiencing these challenges, private fleets will more than likely face even greater problems finding the experienced and trained workers needed to maintain the fleet.

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