With tool sets running easily into the thousands of dollars, kitting out a first toolbox after school can be a significant barrier for many new diesel technicians. It’s no wonder many shops offer a tool benefit as a perk to attract quality talent.
There are a range of options for shops who want to offer a tool benefit to its technicians, says George Arrants, vice president of the ASE Education Foundation. Shops can offer a check or stipend to build a toolbox, or offer a starter set of tools directly to the technician, free, payable by the tech through payroll deduction or steeply discounted.
What benefits to offer
An investment in a technician’s tools is essentially an investment in their career. Establishing that early can be helpful.
“I’ve got to believe the entry-level tech has to have skin in the game, either time or money or a combination of both,” says Arrants.
He recommends a deal where both sides share part of the cost, or where the tech gets to keep the toolbox after working a certain amount of time. Arrants says no matter who pays, the tech or the shop, it’s a major investment that’s not without risk. “We still don’t know what their commitment level is,” Arrants says. The tech might get in the shop and, after six months, decide the job isn’t for them. Shops shouldn’t let thousands of dollars in tools walk out the door along with the technician.
Arrants cites a program that allows juniors in high school to intern at a new car dealership franchise with a mentor. The program includes with a heavily discounted set of tools. The student pays a third of the cost, the dealer pays two thirds, and the student keeps the tools when the internship concludes.
Cindy Barlow, director of industry relations at WyoTech, says offering a toolbox instead of a stipend also enables technicians to get to work right away. It promotes consistency across the shop too, which may be able to save money by buying in bulk.
A stipend, on the other hand, enables technicians to choose the tools that suit their preferences, including brand. However, techs also may not use the money as intended or purchase lower-quality tools, leading to inefficiency.
Setting boundaries
No matter the decision, Arrants and Barlow say any program to stock a tech’s toolbox should have parameters, including consequences for not following the rules.
“Before offering a toolbox or stipend to new technicians, businesses should carefully evaluate the potential impact, structure and terms of the benefit,” Barlow says.
She advises companies consider a cost analysis and how any tool perk would fit into a hiring budget, as well as who the target audience is, retention and ownership terms, use and accountability, legal or tax considerations, and how you’re going to communicate and document the program.
“You should also consider if the program is sustainable as you hire more technicians,” she says.
For a shop considering a stipend, Barlow says to think about whether or not a technician has the knowledge to stock their own toolbox. She says a complete tool set can run from $3,000 to $8,000, depending on brand.
“This is an expensive investment,” Barlow says. “They have the knowledge of what they need if they come out of a tech school, but I would say they do not have a good idea if they are just trying to accomplish this through an internship with a dealership.”
Example programs
Kriete Truck Centers partners with the Wisconsin Automobile and Truck Dealers Association in a program where Kriete pays a student technician’s tuition to a diesel program up to $4,000. During that time, the student works for Kriete and receive a Snap-on tool kit valued at more than $5,000. When they graduate, they get to keep the tool kit.
Kriete Workforce Development Manager Mike Cannon says the program offers technicians a training path to become master technicians, including regular performance-based compensation that allows them to buy more tools as their skill level increases.
The Service Company also offers a toolbox program as a recruiting tool for their technicians. At the end of two years with the company, the technician gets to keep the set.
“It removes that several-thousand-dollar barrier to getting into this,” says Luke Todd, president of The Service Company.
