Alex Keenan

Loveland

Associate Editor at Fleet Maintenance

Bookworm. Doctor Who enthusiast. Pretends to make insightful comments sometimes. She/Her/It

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Articles

Survey: What pay structure do technicians prefer?

3 days ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

Compensation is always a hot topic for technicians and shop management alike. But the flat rate vs. hourly discussion seems settled, right? Most commercial shops have chosen hourly and that's that. But because a shop's pay structure affects everything from labor rates and profits to a shop's ability to attract and retain quality techs, it's a topic that bears revisiting. We're doing just that in our July print issue, but we want to hear what our readers think on the topic.
Fullbay unveils AI tools, Mitchell 1 integration

4 days ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

PHOENIX—According to Scott Gordon, VP of product at Fullbay, building a shop management platform for the heavy-duty repair sector is “like ordering pizza for thousands of my closest friends,” because Fullbay users range from the “lone wolf mobile repair customer” to large enterprises with several locations.
Bad habits techs need to break to run their own shop

1 week ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

Technicians are used to fixing things, from the trucks they work on in the shop to their personal projects at home. But when those technicians become shop owners, that urge to ‘fix’ everything themselves can become a habit that they need to lose. If they don’t, they risk falling into "Daddy-Fix-It syndrome," according to former technician and shop Peter Cooper, who is now CEO of Ascend Consulting.
Technician Find launches AI-powered Tech Ad Tuner for technician job ads

2 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

When working to hire new techs for the shop, job ads are a shop’s first line of attack in making sure that techs know they have an open position and that they find the right person to fill it. But of course, this requires that a shop’s ads don’t get lost in the noise of hundreds of other posts on any given job board. “If techs don't read your ads, you're dead in the water,” said Chris Lawson, founder of Technician Find, a job-sourcing company for shops.
CARB to repeal parts of ACF rule after NTEA, SEMA lawsuit

2 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

In a major win for drayage fleets, California Air Resources Board has agreed to repeal the High-Priority and Drayage provisions of the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule.
How Airwave helps upskill and onboard new maintenance technicians

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

When hiring a technician, shops and fleets know they can’t just grab anyone off of the street. Technicians are highly skilled, and it takes a not insignificant amount of time and money to send someone to a trade school, help them work through an apprenticeship or mentorship program, or even to provide continuous education to current technicians to keep their knowledge up-to-date. This is where Airwave, a new AI-powered tool, comes in.
Hiring best techs now requires social media, video savvy

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

Using social mediaMaking sure your shop has an engaging, informative job post and a clear careers page on its website is great, but these same principles need to be extended to your social media presence, too. Especially for younger technicians as they enter (or are preparing to enter) the job market. “Technicians are going to go check you out,” warned Christopher Lawson, founder of Technician Find. “They’re going to check out your social media profiles.
Survey: Turnover in commercial fleet maintenance and repair

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

Here at Fleet Maintenance Magazine, we’ve talked about technician turnover a lot over the years. We pore over statistics talking about how many techs want to leave the industry and why. We’ve examined demand reports for auto and diesel technicians. We’ve talked to technicians, shop managers, and fleet owners for hours on end about how the technician shortage affects them and how they work to mitigate it. And as far as strategies go to keep techs in the bay, we’ve heard it all.
Technician hiring: How to leverage job boards and other resources

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

Start with job boardsLet’s assume you know what you’re looking for, ranging from an apprentice technician who fits with your culture to a shop manager with a team-first mentality. One way to find that person is to go through a recruiter, but that comes with a cost. Another option is to develop programs with schools, but that is a long-term approach and doesn’t help in a pinch. But you don’t need to look further for recruitment help than beyond your own bays.
Best ways to hire new auto and diesel technicians

3 weeks ago | fleetmaintenance.com | Alex Keenan

In this article, you'll learn:About the importance of developing an intentional hiring strategyHow to figure out the qualities you need and want in a candidate based on the jobWhen to consider using a recruiterThere’s always going to be repetitive, cyclical chores that shops and technicians need to do for operation, from cleaning and organizing the shop to laundering uniforms.