The technician shortage continues to be one of the biggest workforce challenges facing the trucking industry. But what if part of the solution isn’t simply finding more technicians? In a recent episode of NGT Talks, Lindsey Trent, President and Co-Founder of Next Gen Trucking, sat down with George Arrants of the ASE Education Foundation to discuss why employers need to rethink how they recruit, develop, and retain technicians. His message was clear: if companies continue hiring simply to fill an empty bay, they may find themselves filling that same position again and again.
Stop Filling Holes and Start Growing Your Own
George challenged employers to look at what happens before a technician ever walks onto the shop floor. Recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and training a new employee all cost money, and turnover adds lost productivity and revenue on top of those expenses. Rather than constantly competing for experienced technicians, employers should think about “growing their own” by developing relationships with students and schools. Young technicians may enter the workforce with knowledge but limited experience, which means employers need a plan to help them successfully transition from the classroom into the shop.
Your Local School Is Part of Your Talent Pipeline
One of the most effective recruiting strategies is also one of the simplest: get involved with your local schools before you need to hire. Employers shouldn’t wait until May and call an instructor asking for their two best graduating students—those students may already have been connected with another employer for a year or more. Serving on an advisory committee, providing guest speakers, hosting facility tours, offering internships, and creating work-based learning or apprenticeship opportunities allow students to experience your company and culture while they are still in school. George describes the technician shortage as a “national concern with a local solution.”
Employers should also think beyond traditional diesel programs when searching for future technicians. George noted that ASE survey data has shown nearly 23% of high school automotive students would rather work on trucks or heavy equipment, making automotive programs an important recruiting opportunity for fleets and dealers. Agricultural mechanics programs can provide another pipeline of students with experience in areas such as welding, fabrication, and equipment repair. Employers should also look at female students, veterans, and adults pursuing second careers through evening programs rather than limiting recruiting efforts to one traditional candidate profile.
Recruiting Them Is Only Half the Battle
Finding technicians won’t solve the workforce problem if employers cannot keep the technicians they already have. George pointed to industry research showing that technician compensation has increased while retention has remained largely unchanged. That suggests employers need to look beyond wages and examine culture, management, working conditions, equipment, training, and whether employees actually feel valued. Technicians want the right equipment to do their jobs, opportunities to improve their skills without losing income, and evidence that their employer is listening to them.
Sometimes retention can come down to surprisingly small things. George recommends asking employees three straightforward questions: What do you like about us? What don’t you like about us? If you could change one thing, what would it be? The answer may reveal an easily solved frustration that management never knew existed. Recognition can be just as simple. Buying lunch, thanking someone for their work, recognizing good attendance, or making a small improvement to the shop can demonstrate that employees are being heard and appreciated. As George explains, it is often the little things that determine how employees feel about their workplace.
Give Young Technicians a Reason to Stay
Employers also need to understand what younger workers expect from a career. George emphasized that today’s employees may not be looking at a 10- or 20-year career path. They want to understand what can happen in the next six months, 12 months, 18 months, or two years. Showing employees exactly how additional skills, certifications, training, or performance can lead to advancement gives them something tangible to work toward. Strong mentorship is another critical piece—but employers need to intentionally select mentors who enjoy both their company and the industry, know how to work with young people, and are compensated or recognized for the time they spend developing new technicians.
Finally, employers should look at the financial barriers young people face when entering the technician profession. Purchasing tools can represent a significant upfront expense for an entry-level technician. George discussed employer-supported starter tool programs in which tools become the employee’s property after a specified period of employment, as well as tuition-reimbursement programs that help employees repay student loans while they remain with the company. These programs remove barriers to entering the profession while simultaneously giving employees another reason to build their careers with the organization.
The solution to the technician shortage will not come from one recruiting campaign, career fair, or pay increase. It requires employers to take ownership of building their workforce—connecting with students earlier, investing in young technicians, developing great mentors, listening to employees, and creating a culture where people want to stay. As George stressed throughout the conversation, people should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense. If employers can shift from constantly filling holes to developing and retaining talent, they can build a stronger technician workforce for the future.
