Where are all the automotive techs?

In 2024, the automotive service industry is still experiencing a significant shortage of technicians, leaving numerous Fixed Ops Directors bewildered and anxious as they witness a continuous decline in their service numbers.

It's a simple equation, the number of technicians retiring, relocating or going to work for a competitor is constantly increasing as the number of new talent is declining. That begs the question, why are so many young people electing to stay out of the service department?

As cost of living expenses continually rise, hourly wages typically do not. The automotive service industry has gotten comfortable with the way things are. "It's been this way for 75 years." Yeah, that's also when a house cost $50,000 and milk was 15¢/gal.

Imagine you graduate college with a Bachelors in Finance, got hired for a job, you accept the position and on your first day the manager says, "Ok, you need to go to Office Depot and purchase a computer, desk, office chair, monitors, etc..." You would look at him in utter disbelief. What kind of company expects a new hire, fresh out of school, to fork out thousands of dollars before even receiving their first paycheck? Oh, wait.....

This has always been THE issue with automotive service, the barrier for entry is steep. Even if you decide to become a technician; in today's modern times with social media, and the pressure to impress your peers nobody wants to show up with the Ford Pinto of tools while everyone else has Mercedes, Bentley and Rolls Royce. In most scenarios, you may be taken less serious because you chose to not spend $40,000 on a toolbox[that's empty I might add].

Tool debt is a very real, and very frightening issue in todays modern service department. With many tool truck models offering "in house" financing or "truck credit" as it is called. Technicians are enticed to drop what they are doing to line up to pick and choose the newest $250 ratchet. This leads to more financial strain, performance issues, and lack of loyalty as the dealer across the street is offering a higher hourly wage.

As more and more dealers start to invest in their technicians they are seeing their service departments filled back to capacity. I'm not talking about a $100 tool allowance[this keeps them on the truck] or $3,000 sign on bonuses. Dealer-provided toolsets show the technicians that you are invested in their future by alleviating a huge financial burden. The discussions I have often involve some sort of contractual agreement between the dealer and the tech, that actually allows them to earn these tools after a specified time.

The dealerships experiencing success are those that acknowledge the reality that technicians should be compensated based on their skill set rather than the tools they own.