By Rachael Plant, Senior Content Marketing Specialist, Fleetio
May 22, 2024
A good mechanic is one of the best assets a fleet can have. Unfortunately, it’s a physically demanding job and, due to the wear and tear on the body associated with the profession, many mechanics consider alternative career paths as they age. “About 67,700 openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics are projected each year, on average, over the decade,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.”
Fleets can help mitigate risks in the shop by focusing on ways to ease the physical stress mechanics face, including by using more ergonomic personal protective equipment (PPE), shop equipment, and tools. These changes can have a significant impact on technician health and wellness, as well as productivity, proving more than valuable in the long run.
Addressing the Top Industry Injuries
The average age of fleet mechanics is around 42 years old. With more than 90,000 fleet mechanic jobs open in the U.S. presently, it can pay dividends to invest in mechanics’ safety. Taking steps to improve shop safety in general can greatly increase the chances of both hiring and retaining quality mechanics. The top reported injuries mechanics experience include:
- Strains, sprains and tears
- Eye injuries
- Burns, cuts and lacerations
While strains, sprains and tears make up a majority of injury types, hands and back are the most affected areas of the body, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Investing in quality, ergonomically designed tools and equipment can help address these challenges by reducing the risk of injuries in the shop. Some examples include:
- User-friendly hand tools designed to keep wrists in a neutral posture
- Anti-vibration gloves
- Quality supports for back, elbows, wrists, knees and shoulders
- Quality eye protection designed for minimal discomfort
- Hoists, brake lathes, and other lift-support equipment
- Mobile carts for transporting numerous or heavy parts
As the people feeling the physical effects of the job, mechanics can have the best insight into how to mitigate injury risks, so getting their feedback can ensure they have the best — and safest — tools for the job.
Proper Workload Management
Effectively managing workloads is a key aspect of improving safety and productivity in the shop. But that doesn’t just mean the volume of work per mechanic. It encompasses a mechanic’s current ability, aptitude, and growth potential. Assigning mechanics the service tasks at which they are most proficient — both from a time and capability standpoint — ensures their skills are being utilized effectively. 
This can be a challenging endeavor, however, if tracking maintenance schedules and assignments with spreadsheets. Digital fleet solutions, like fleet management software (FMS), help simplify mechanic management and improve workload balance through automated workflows, data collection and aggregation, as well as data transparency.
FMS has shop management features that allow fleets to set estimated service task durations and track labor hours per service task using work orders that mechanics can access via a mobile app. Mechanics can even clock in and out of tasks, use labels to categorize reasons for delay, and communicate with managers all directly in the work order, keeping service information both detailed and consolidated so fleets can easily catch discrepancies and recurring downtime trends.
Finding discrepancies in estimated and actual service task duration also helps highlight mechanics’ aptitude and growth potential. You could have a mechanic who excels at electrical system repairs, completing these tasks early and effectively, while another mechanic may take twice the estimated time to complete similar tasks. This knowledge enables managers to take appropriate action, whether that’s rerouting electrical system repairs to the mechanic with an aptitude for it or training the mechanic with less proficiency in that area.
When it comes to addressing the actual volume of workload per mechanic, fleets can use FMS’s work order calendar to help distribute work evenly. Not only does a work order calendar provide a quick look at upcoming services, it also shows work order and mechanic assignments so fleets can optimize scheduling to ensure efficient use of mechanics’ time.
Improving shop safety doesn’t have to be the uphill battle it might seem. Using fleet solutions and ensuring mechanics have the right tools and equipment for the job increases shop safety, productivity, and employee engagement while reducing stress, injuries, and downtime.
About the author
Rachael Plant is a senior content marketing specialist for Fleetio, a fleet management software company that helps organizations track, analyze and improve their fleet operations. For more info, visit fleetio.com.
