A shift in workshop culture and proactive, supportive approaches are crucial for addressing the heavy-duty technician shortage facing the trucking industry, industry experts agree.

During a recent TruckNews.com webinar, Jay Goninen, co-founder and president of WrenchWay; Keith McMaster, president of Fireweed Heavy Truck & Equipment Repairs; and Jim Pinder, corporate fleet director for Erb Group, said that strategies should be focused on partnerships with schools, fostering a positive work culture, and adapting to the needs of a new generation of workers.

Panelists emphasized that cultivating partnerships with high schools and technical colleges is essential for growing a new generation of technicians. Pinder highlighted the value of serving on program advisory committees to ensure training aligns with industry needs.

“The earlier we can talk to individuals that want to get into our trade, [the better],” he said. “We work with the high schools in all of our operational areas to give co-op students an opportunity to get experience and sort of test drive the industry, and then we get a chance to see how the student is.”

Build long-term relationships with educational institutions

Goninen agreed, but added that collaboration should extend beyond simply hiring graduates. “Most instructors only hear from the industry when the industry needs something,” he said, referring to a single week when one Wisconsin instructor received 17 calls from businesses scrambling to hire graduates. He added that companies should engage with schools throughout the year.

“We need to have our claws in these programs and truly understand what it is that they need,
whether it’s going to speak to a class, or maybe doing a shop tour with the entire class, answering questions.”

While cultivating new talent, the panelists noted it’s equally important to identify students who may not be a good fit for the industry. “It’s almost as important to identify the students that aren’t a fit for our industry and get them on their right path as it is finding the right ones,” Goninen said. “We can do a service to young people, whether they’re coming into our industry or not, and really get our pool of candidates cleaned up from the source.”

McMaster supported this idea, noting that early identification can help students and employers avoid difficult situations. “It’s not like they’re going to be depending on you for a paycheque to support their life. They’re still in school. So if it’s not going to work, at least they know it’s not going to work. You could tell them they can find something that would be better for them, or even a better shop for them,” he said.

Prioritize attitude in recruitment, mentorship in retention

When hiring technicians, especially graduates without much experience, the panelists recommended emphasizing candidate attitudes and coachability rather than existing technical skills alone.

“I think what I look for — and I think a lot of companies do — is the attitude and aptitude,” Goninen said. “Because you’re not really hiring on technical skill at that point.”

McMaster agreed, saying this is why mentorship and hands-on learning are integral to his shop’s training process. “It’s not a lot of, ‘Come watch me do this’. It’s, ‘Here, you come do this, and I’ll watch you.'”

Pinder, too, emphasized the role of mentorship at Erb Group, highlighting its importance in guiding younger technicians and helping them feel supported. “If you just sit down and have a conversation with somebody, understand where it is that they want to go with their career…that speaks volumes,” he said.

Foster a supportive work culture

Retention depends heavily on a positive workplace culture that emphasizes personal recognition, flexibility, and work-life balance, panelists agreed. McMaster described how his shop fosters a family-like atmosphere with small gestures such as celebrating employee birthdays. “If it’s your birthday, my wife buys a birthday cake and goes out to get whatever special treat you like,” he said. The treats for employees are personalized, from ice cream and cakes to gummy worms and Halls cough drops (one employee’s favorite snack). 

He also shared an anecdote about filling a technician’s toolbox with rice, saying employees in the shop maintain a sense of camaraderie with such light-hearted pranks.

“Culture makes a huge difference for us,” McMaster said, agreeing with Pinder when he emphasized the importance of new employees fitting in with existing staff. “We’ve tried time and time again to have that most-skilled guy, but he didn’t fit in, and it actually broke everything down in the shop, and things fell apart. So we learned a few years back that, yes, culture matters, and if they don’t fit, it’s not going to work.”

Pinder added that setting clear expectations from the beginning helps build trust and transparency and makes it easier to know how to fit in. “We supply a clear contract to the employee outlining the conditions of employment, the expectations, and how to move forward. The benefits are effective immediately. We [also] address a boot and tool allowance,” he said, adding that shop leads and managers always contact new hires to support them through challenges or offer advice.

McMaster emphasized the importance of flexibility, too, particularly for younger workers. He says most employees value that over a few extra dollars in their pockets.

“Unfortunately, I can’t pay you 65 bucks an hour. I offer you a job where you’re gonna have a steady paycheque, you’re not gonna get sent home if we are slow,” he said. Fireweed also offers three different shift options and is flexible and accommodating when technicians have personal appointments or needs, rather than being rigid. “We’re not afraid to try and work with them to make things work,” McMaster said.

WrenchWay’s Goninen added that training programs and messaging must adapt to meet the expectations of today’s workforce. “We were all brought up in this industry learning the hard way, but that has really shifted,” he said, saying that old ways, when “wrenches were flying across the shops”, are not acceptable anymore.

“It’s the iron fist in a silk glove,” McMaster agreed. “You’re gonna learn and you’re gonna learn by mistakes, but we’re gonna teach you how to do it properly and we’re not gonna be throwing wrenches.”

For in-depth expert tips on recruitment and retention of heavy-duty mechanics, watch this webinar.