It’s similar to the moral of a children’s tale: the townspeople are hungry and each has the ingredients for a hearty meal. Separately, they don’t have much, but together, they no longer want for sustenance.

While the solution may not be as simple, some government organizations have applied similar thinking to confront the shortage of technicians. While all face the same problem, together these public sector agencies have made the most of their individual resources by pooling them — and the result is improved efficiency for fleets, a smarter investment of taxpayer dollars, and better benefits for government employees.

Help Wanted: Qualified Technicians

Several factors have led to a nationwide shortage of technicians. The vehicle technician profession has become more technically challenging, requiring increased proficiency in computer technology and mathematics. Manufacturer training is often limited to franchises or agencies who meet their respective standards. As a result, access to specialized training is limited and expensive.

Additionally, Baby Boomers are now retiring — some because of age and others because of a frustration regarding requirements to continuously update their skills. Likewise, the profession has become so technical and highly specialized some individuals who previously maintained their own vehicles are no longer able to do so.

Tracking Down Technicians in Troy

The City of Troy, Mich., faced the same technician shortage problem as many agencies across the country. To properly maintain its fleet of more than 500 vehicles servicing 36 square miles, the City needed talented technicians, but without the hassle of a time-consuming hiring process or a lag in service.

The City of Troy’s fleet professionals, including Sam Lamerato, superintendent of fleet maintenance, examined the recruiting process and recognized changes needed to be made. The first strategy involved a multimedia campaign that appealed to a broad base of candidates.

"We made a 12-minute DVD that explains word-for-word what this division does for public works. It’s a walk-through of our shop," Lamerato said. "We explain to potential candidates what types of equipment we work on and show the indoors and surrounding grounds of the facility. Technicians also make unrehearsed cameo appearances and explain their roles and tasks."

The DVD, which includes a link to an online application, was distributed to local cable television stations as well as to colleges and universities that offer technician training courses. Applicant totals skyrocketed. In fact, the City recently advertised one technician position and received 50 qualified applicants. As an additional incentive, the City pays ASE technicians a $100 monthly stipend.

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A Neighborly Solution to the Shortage

Battling the technician shortage didn’t end there for the City of Troy. While fleet operations may have found a solution to its shortage, nearby municipalities and counties faced the same problem. Equipped with an up-to-date maintenance facility and skilled technicians capable of providing maintenance for a wide range of fleet vehicles, the City opened its facility doors to neighboring government fleets.

By "insourcing" — establishing service agreements to provide maintenance for neighboring fleets — this ASE Blue Seal shop helped neighboring public sector agencies keep their vehicles on the road despite the technician shortage. At the same time, the City of Troy created additional revenue streams for its own fleet.

With seven service agreements currently in place, the Troy maintenance facility offers a wide range of services to adjacent jurisdictional fleet vehicles, including vans, trucks, cars, front-end loaders, police cruisers, fire trucks, and salt trucks.

"We have a neighboring city that has a very small repair facility, and they only have one full-time and one part-time technician," Lamerato said. "They were having problems with salt and fire trucks. The city manager called and asked if I would be willing to help out and take on some of this work."

Lamerato’s team established a service agreement and started work immediately on an as-needed basis. "They had two frontline salt trucks out of commission due to mechanical problems. With a snow storm on its way, we needed to get the vehicles on the road fast. We put them back in service within 24 hours and they worked great in the storm," he reported.

Through these service agreements, Lamerato’s crew significantly reduces the downtime fleets would typically experience at a dealership. They know how important it is to return fleet vehicles to service. In an emergency, those vehicles earn top priority, a rarity at a dealership.

The Troy maintenance facility also offers extended hours, operating two shifts that allow the facility to stay open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday. "With our hours, there’s a really good chance that if a vehicle has an issue and is brought in at quitting time, we’ll have it ready for the next shift," Lamerato said.

By helping keep other city and county fleet vehicles on the road, Lamerato also ensures his maintenance facility operates at capacity while earning additional dollars. "We charge a shop rate that comes back as revenue to our budget and helps our operating costs. Insourcing lightens our budget load, and it’s also a good, neighborly thing to do."

Washington Counties Face Backlog of Work

Like the City of Troy, the Greater Puget Sound area in Washington also experienced significant problems with its fleet maintenance facilities due to the technician shortage.

Additionally, Pierce and Snohomish Counties are two of the most populous in the state, and a greater demand on fleet vehicles didn’t help the situation.

The build-up of work produced several negative consequences: expensive overtime and occasional outsourcing led to higher maintenance costs and disgruntled employees, and a longer wait for customers caused a loss of productivity for their fleets and dissatisfaction with the services. Facing a real problem for their employees and customers, the government organizations in the Puget Sound region had to find a unique solution.

They took a similar approach to solving the technician shortage as did the City of Troy. With facilities to provide maintenance for other municipal fleets, Snohomish County was able to help fellow organizations in the state.

"We are in the process of completing a new 54,000-square-foot equipment maintenance facility and merging two of our four locations into it," said Allen Mitchell, fleet manager for the Snohomish County Department of Public Works. "This facility will provide state-of-the-art repair tools and capabilities, enable a swing shift to reduce customer downtime by performing services while the equipment is not being used, and allow us to provide a more centrally controlled supply and parts inventory."

Snohomish County provides services to a dozen cities, tribes, and other government agencies located within its boundaries. Multiple maintenance facilities assist customers by providing convenient, cost-effective services. The County produces additional revenue to reduce the cost for indirect expenses such as facilities, computers, and support infrastructure.

Snohomish County was among the first in the area to compensate technicians for ASE master certification. "This accreditation builds confidence and credibility with customers, ensures proficiency of staff, and maintains our competitiveness with commercial services," said Mitchell.

Each partner organization signs an interlocal agreement listing services, costs, and responsibilities for both Snohomish County and the partner organizations. To facilitate this process, the ability to amend and extend these agreements has been delegated to the fleet manager.

"We have not needed to extensively advertise our services because word of mouth has continually brought additional customers our way," said Mitchell. "Our reputation for quality service delivery and competitive prices provides continual opportunities for growth."

He cites one example of this growth. "Several years ago when one of our police customers was overheard complaining about a lack of commercial service for police radar equipment, we were able to fill the gap and appear in court as an ‘expert witness’ to ensure tickets were upheld — a win-win scenario."  

Partnerships Benefit the Public At Large

Government fleets aren’t the only beneficiaries from these partnerships. The initiatives ultimately benefit the public. New revenue sources allow agencies to provide added services to citizens.

Sharing resources between governmental agencies may even prove to benefit communities beyond their jurisdiction.

About the author
Shelley Mika

Shelley Mika

Freelance Writer

Shelley Mika is a freelance writer for Bobit Business Media. She writes regularly for Government Fleet and Work Truck magazines.

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