Many heavy equipment dealerships, OEMs, and rental companies are struggling with the diesel technician shortage. What’s behind this problem? We’ve learned from interviews with hundreds of diesel technicians that several factors contribute to why heavy equipment companies struggle to hire and keep qualified technicians. Most of the reasons are employer-driven. Regardless, the diesel technician shortage has become a major challenge for most heavy equipment operations.
Supply, Demand, and Compensation
The job market for diesel technicians is extremely competitive right now. Basic economics are at play: when supply is low and demand is high, wages must go up. Diesel technicians, like most professionals, are motivated by money.
When they get a call from a former coworker or recruiter, or they see a job posted online, compensation is a major factor in whether they stay with your dealership or take a job elsewhere. Making the problem worse is the fact that many senior-level diesel technicians are retiring or nearing retirement, creating an even bigger talent gap.
Poor Work-Life Balance
Most diesel technicians we talk to don’t mind getting overtime. At pay rates ranging from $30 to $50 per hour, technicians can earn substantial extra wages by working overtime. However, this is a double-edged sword. If you work your diesel technicians too hard in the heat, cold, and rain, they can get burned out quickly.
The biggest work-life challenge we’ve learned is that technicians want to be home with their families at night, especially after a long shift. Constantly working extended hours drives talented technicians to look for better opportunities at competing dealerships, OEMs, or rental companies.
Excessive Physical Demands
We recruit for all types of heavy equipment positions requiring the skills of trained diesel technicians. One of the most common complaints from experienced mechanics is that the physical demands of the job cause wear and tear on the body that impacts their quality of life. Crawling under equipment, lifting heavy parts, and working in uncomfortable positions takes a toll over the years.
Many experienced technicians then start looking for jobs in technical support, technical training, shop supervisor roles, or even parts and service (PSSR) sales positions that allow them to use their knowledge and expertise without the physical stress on their bodies.
Bad Leadership
Perhaps this is obvious, but it has been said that employees don’t leave bad companies. They leave bad managers. What we’ve learned is many service managers are skilled diesel technicians who were promoted but lack the leadership skills needed to inspire, motivate, train, and communicate effectively with their teams.
This often leads to technicians feeling disconnected from a purpose or cause. Common issues resulting from weak leadership include favoritism, inconsistent or lacking communication, underdeveloped training programs, little or no continuous improvement, inefficient processes, and a lack of genuine care or concern for staff.
Lack of Appreciation and Rewards
This is true not just for diesel technicians but for any employee in the heavy equipment industry. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Having metrics and dashboards with performance standards is important, but how you use them matters.
When used to constantly criticize your staff, they demotivate people and lead to turnover. This old-school mentality is likely a factor in the diesel technician shortage. On the other hand, when metrics are used to identify opportunities to recognize high performers or those who have improved most, they can energize a team.
Rewards don’t always have to be related to performance metrics either. Recognizing staff for demonstrating the company’s core values is a great way to encourage good behavior and sends a message that values matter. Recognition can come with rewards too, like a trophy, a coveted parking spot, or public acknowledgment. Recognizing someone in front of the group, not just in private, can be very motivating.
Limited Career Path
This may not be a primary driver for the diesel technician shortage, but high performers want to know they won’t be stuck in a job with limited advancement opportunities. Many skilled mechanics are kept in their positions with no upward mobility because managers fear losing a high performer. The truth is, if you stifle someone’s growth, they will likely leave eventually anyway. Having a process to identify your high-potential technicians and then providing a clear career path for them will help reduce unwanted turnover at your dealership or rental operation.
Quality of Team
No one ever wants to be on a losing team. If you want to lose diesel technicians, partner them with low performers who have no goals or objectives and provide weak leadership. Even one bad employee can spoil the whole group. Good leaders know how to spot talent, reward and recognize them, develop and train them, and promote them when appropriate.
There can be no sacred cows. If you have underperforming technicians on your team, it makes the job harder on everyone else. This is a sure way to create negativity and burnout among your high performers.
Key Takeaways
Diesel technicians are the lifeblood of every heavy equipment dealership, rental company, and OEM. If you aren’t conducting exit interviews to understand why people are leaving, you may never understand your underlying issues. Worse yet, you may actually be contributing to the diesel technician shortage. If you know the issues but aren’t addressing them, don’t be surprised if your service department becomes a revolving door for technicians.
