In today’s technician shortage—which doesn’t look to be letting up anytime soon—it’s more important than ever to find effective ways of retaining and attracting good talent to your fleet.
The best way to do that is by investing in your team and providing hands-on training to help them enhance their skills and learn more about the job they (hopefully) love.
Not only does training improve performance, it’s also a great way to help reduce turnover costs and retain top talent. Plus, it’ll help ensure your fleet is ready to take on every new technological advancement that comes your way.
Check out our podcast on “Training Is the Remedy for Your Fleet’s Ails” to learn more about the importance of training:
Here are five reasons why you should invest in training your technicians:
1. Training Optimizes Your Fleet
Technicians and managers alike have to stay updated on technological advancements, like electric vehicles (EVs), advanced driver-assist systems, and other upcoming technology.
If not, teams risk falling behind, leading to increased repair times, diagnostic challenges, and outsourcing for repairs that really should be handled in-house. And that means more inefficiencies and higher operational costs.
But with regular, targeted training, you’ll see:
- Enhanced Efficiency: Training reduces diagnosis and repair time by ensuring technicians are up-to-date with current vehicle technologies.
- Reduced Outsourcing: In-house capabilities allow for quicker, less costly maintenance.
- Future Ready: Whatever comes your fleet’s way, your team will be ready to handle it.
2. Training Improves Employee Retention
When you invest in training, you’re investing in your employees. Career development opportunities through training show your team members that their professional growth is valued, which boosts loyalty.
And with the current technician shortage, it’s more important than ever to find reliable ways to keep your good talent happy and engaged.
One of the strongest retention tools is showing that the company cares about employee development. When employees see that their skills and career progression matter, they’re more likely to stay.
Provide resources for your employees to pursue professional certifications and encourage them to set individual development goals during one-on-one meetings.
3. Training Enhances Fleet Culture
And to attract new employees to your fleet team, having a culture that not only encourages training and continued education but embraces it will make you more desirable to potential candidates.
Some ways to include training in your culture that showcase your dedication to employee education could include:
- Dedicated Training Facilities and Schedules: If you have the space, designate a training bay within your shop, or a dedicated room for ongoing training. Creating a space specifically for training shows that you prioritize development and provides your team with a quiet, distraction-free area to learn. Having set days each month or quarter specifically for training also shows the importance of continuing to advance skills and knowledge.
- Regular Practice and Reinforcement: Learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Incorporating regular hands-on practice sessions and refresher courses to ensure skills are retained and strengthened over time will reinforce your commitment to education.
- Include Training in Contracts: When acquiring new vehicles or equipment, specify in your contract that vendors provide training on their products. This ensures your team knows how to maintain and repair new models or technologies effectively.
- Hands-on Technical Training: Technicians should complete at least 40 hours of technical training per year. Topics might cover routine maintenance and new technologies, like EV systems and safety features. The goal is for technicians to manage common issues in-house, saving time and cost on external services.
- Training for All Roles: In many fleets, training is mostly focused on technicians, but other roles, like parts managers and service writers, also benefit from targeted training. Vendor programs from NAPA and similar suppliers offer specialized certifications for parts management and warehousing skills. Providing training for all roles will help enhance your culture.
- Leadership Development: Even managers need training, and more than just technical skills. You need training in leadership, budgeting, and effective team management. Certifications like the CAFM (Certified Automotive Fleet Manager) or CPFP (Certified Public Fleet Professional) can provide these foundational skills, but additional, real-world leadership training is essential.
4. Training Has a Clear ROI
Training is an investment, and the impact is measurable. Metrics like comeback rates, repair times, and outsourcing costs can provide clear insights into where training has made a difference. Once you have baselines and data around where your team currently sits, you’ll be able to accurately track how much of an impact your training has had:
- Establish Baselines and Track Improvements: Use baseline data on repair times, quality assurance metrics, and cost savings before and after training sessions.
- Leverage Data for Resource Allocation: VMRS codes and time-cost analyses can highlight where skills gaps exist. For instance, if brake-related issues are frequent and costly, brake repair training might offer the best return on investment.
5. Training Makes it Easier to Fill High-Value Positions
Going back to that technician shortage, you’ve probably experienced how difficult, expensive, and time-consuming it can be to fill specialized, technical, and high-value positions in your shop. But what if you didn’t have to?
With training, you can identify people already on your team who can be upskilled to take on those roles and skills—for a lot less money and time than trying to hire out. This allows you to promote from within (again improving culture and retention) while investing in your employees.
You can even offer certification incentives and recognize achievements in certifications like AS and EVT with small pay increases or bonuses. This encourages professional development while building a stronger, more skilled team. (And will help you fill those roles with your existing team.)
How Much Training Does My Fleet Need?
To ensure your team is getting adequate training and staying on top of the latest skills and technologies, it’s recommended that each member of your team completes at least 40 hours of training every year.
That’s 1 full week of training, though you don’t have to block off your entire team for a week just to train. Spreading that training out over the entire year makes it much more manageable. A few hours here and there can make a significant difference to your team.
Build the People, and the People Will Build the Fleet Department
A successful fleet management department starts with a well-trained team. Investing in comprehensive training programs not only improves fleet performance but also enhances job satisfaction and retention. By embedding training into your fleet team’s culture and proving its ROI, you set the stage for a more capable, efficient, and engaged team. In fleet management, if you build the people, the people will build the fleet.
Leveraging employee satisfaction tools like eNPS surveys can help guide you and your training initiatives. RTA’s Fleet360 has eNPS surveys built into the software so you can regularly check in with your employees to determine job satisfaction and overall happiness.
Fleet managers interested in training resources and connecting with other professionals can look into events like RTA Connect, which offers sessions on both technical skills and leadership development. Taking advantage of such opportunities can be the next step in building a high-performing, future-ready fleet.
Need help implementing a strategic training plan for your fleet? RTA Fleet Consulting can help.