Truck dealers struggle to hire diesel techs

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The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette  /  August 2, 2016

The trucking industry is not only experiencing a driver shortage -- it also is dealing with a shortage of the diesel technicians who keep its trucks up and running.

Arkansas trucking companies are working to address the shortage, such as partnering with a technical school.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the diesel service technicians and mechanics occupation is projected to grow about 12 percent from 2014 to 2024. It predicts the industry will add 31,600 jobs before 2024, but because of a storm of factors, it has proven difficult to fill those jobs.

"It is hard. Last I checked there are around 275 jobs within a 50-mile radius of Northwest Arkansas and only 25 active applications," Matt Berner, operations manager for Peterbilt Trucks in Lowell, said of hiring technicians.

An Internet search turned up an array of diesel technician jobs available in the region.

"The need is in skilled labor. I mean, we have five or six positions open we're trying to fill," Berner said, pointing out that 24 of his 28 employees are skilled laborers.

Berner blamed the problem on a decreasing interest in vocational schools, as young people are pushed more and more toward four-year degrees.

"There are some 30,000 college students in the area. Everyone seems to push college, but honestly how many doctors and lawyers can you have?"

"It's a growing industry; people are relying more and more on trucks to haul freight," said Jake Wright, a Peterbilt technician, echoing Berner. "It's just constantly growing, and we're looking at a shortage of technicians. Honestly, kids going to school are thinking they want to be doctors and scientists. I don't think anyone thinks, 'I want to be a mechanic.' It's hard work."

Kent Chambers, department chairman for Diesel Truck Technology at Springdale's Northwest Technical Institute, blames the shortage on an aging workforce and the rapidly changing profession.

"We're going to have a lack of technicians for quite a while because of the average age of technicians and the technological level of expertise that's already needed."

Chambers said that half of the job now involves computer work. "Older technicians don't want to work with the software," Chambers said. "It's a full-time job just to keep up with new training."

Wright agreed that computer work is a huge part of the job, but he sees the benefits of the new technology.

"The computers have really helped the industry," Wright said. "They have made it a lot easier to diagnose and work on problems."

Several companies and entities -- including Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt Transport, the city of Fayetteville, Peterbilt and University of Arkansas' Razorback Transit -- have partnered with Northwest Technical. The institute's program requires three credit hours of "on the job training" -- or internships -- so students work shifts as mechanics while attending classes.

These internships are technically full-employment positions but function as a way for students to learn their chosen field and for companies to learn about a potential long-term employee. There is no commitment from either side after the internship.

Wright, a graduate of the the program, said, while some students take jobs elsewhere, "the majority of my friends ended up where they had their internship." He interned with Peterbilt and continues to work there.

Representatives of Wal-Mart recently visited Northwest Technical to explore how to get involved.

"We're currently analyzing how best to build a technician internship program with NTI," said Wal-Mart spokesman Scott Markley. "The possible internship program is one aspect of a much larger initiative."

Bobby Jones, chairman of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Department of Automotive, Electronics, General and Welding Technologies, said some companies are developing in-house training.

"Places like Caterpillar and John Deere are now teaching mechanics on their equipment specifically," Jones said. "It's getting more specialized to different companies."

UAFS has a similar internship relationship with nearby USA Truck, but practical training is not a program requirement.

Both Jones and Chambers said the cost of constantly updating equipment for students to learn on is the biggest challenge facing their programs and an obstacle to expansion.

"We have a very hard time keeping up with it," Chambers said. "We are probably behind technology as it goes forward every day, even though we go to training classes every year."

Others are catching on to the opportunity to train technicians. After a successful spring pilot program, Gentry High School will offer a diesel technology program this fall that will award college credit through Arkansas State University. Designed after a study of labor market data and input from local companies about employee shortages, the program will be the only diesel technology-specific one in the region.

McKee Foods has partnered with the Gentry program to provide the instructor and has already donated a truck for the students to work on. J.B. Hunt donated a few old motors. A bond proposal on the September school board election ballot would fund, among other things, the construction of a new diesel mechanic lab.

"The industry has really acknowledged that there is a need, and they're stepping up to help us," said Judy Winslett, assistant superintendent of Gentry Public Schools. Some local shops have expressed interest in taking high school students on as interns over the weekends in the future.

"Only 35 to 37 percent of our students go on to college," Winslett explained. "We realized we needed to do a better job of providing them with the skills that will help them find stable employment out of high school above the minimum wage."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median hourly wage of $21.40 for the occupation in 2015.

Berner is optimistic about the high school-level training, particularly because it would allow employers to come in and "help these kids understand from a young age, down to driving records, what they do in high school affects them long-term. For example, if they get too many speeding tickets we can't insure them."

He says that the earlier they can reach potential technicians, the more they can "maximize their potential."

As Berner summed it up, "We're all trying to increase the flow of technicians in this area. Everybody's shorthanded with the growth here."