Government Fleet, January/February 2018

DIRTY VS CLEAN JOBS u Regarding the online news story Technician Shortage Worse Than Previously Thought Im not surprised the technician shortage is worse I served an auto mechanic apprenticeship and have worked in the automotive repair trade or related field for 45 years I currently work for a large metropolitan government as a hiring manager who works hard to hire quality auto mechanics I serve on our city departments apprenticeship committee and chair our citywide apprenticeship council Ive witnessed over the years the decline in the number of high school auto shop programs Ive seen ups and downs in community college automotive training programs I have also seen the sharp decline in the number of automotive mechanic apprenticeships nationwide I believe that the current focus on STEM careers contributes to the negative views of the automotive repair trade as dirty and the lack of youth interest The focus these days is on clean high tech work Just ask Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs Its unbelievable to me that we allow more and more undertrained and uncertified mechanics to work on the cars and heavy trucks we pass on the road every day While recognition and pay can help drive an increased interest in automotive careers I believe an early commitment by employers and educators to reintroduce our youth to the benefits of employment in the high tech auto repair industry is essential Michael Vincent Workforce Development Manager Fleet Management Division City of Seattle ADDITIONAL WARRANTY CONSIDERATIONS u I read the Nov Dec 2017 article Should You Be Doing Warranty Repairs and have some comments to add Managers often dont understand this topic or feel its too troublesome Many government fleets charge departments for parts and labor Those fleets should ensure the labor rate being paid by the OEM is compatible with their own often it is not If the OEM is reimbursing the fleet at a substandard labor rate a recovery mechanism may be needed to recover the difference to ensure the fleet doesnt lose money on the repair Another difficulty fleets must manage is the varied warranty terms from purchases of medium and heavy trucks Components such as the engine transmission aftertreatment systems and drivetrain components typically carry different warranty terms time and miles than is provided by the chassis manufacturer These variables become even more prominent for emergency vehicle components Attention to these terms represents a significant opportunity for savings in maintenance costs when managed closely Fleet management information system FMIS suppliers have modules that assist this process by providing alerts when a work order related to a warrantied system is opened fleets often overlook this tool at their own peril The FMIS requires detailed warranty data entry as a function of the vehicle master file in service process This data entry is typically left to a clerk who hasnt been adequately trained to pay attention to warranty variables Momentary attention to warranty entry up front will return significant financial dividends for years Outsourcing claims processing is a viable alternative used by some governments Customers electronically submit all monthly work order activity and the processing firm sorts and files claims for even the smallest warranty item for a small service fee A few firms exist for just this function The article didnt mention warranty policy adjustments All OEMs have flexibility that falls outside routine warranty parameters Savvy fleet managers know to leverage their purchase volume maintenance expertise and OEM relationships to achieve recoveries that others overlook or dont think are possible to recover when they fall outside standard warranty parameters Fleet managers who dont pay attention by failing to negotiate policy adjustments leave dollars on the table for those who do pay attention Bob Stanton Fleet Consultant Cumming Ga DISCUSSION 6 GOVERNMENT FLEET JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018 GOVERNMENT FLEETMANAGING PUBLIC 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