Five ways fleets can keep their shops staffed

For fleets, the result is the same everywhere you look: It’s harder to hire, harder to keep people, and harder to maintain predictable shop capacity. Across the industry, five strategies are proving especially effective for fleets trying to build sustainable pipelines and keep technicians engaged for the long haul.

1. Building careers for the long-haul

One of the top reasons technicians leave the industry is the lack of a visible career path forward. Fleets that offer structured progression with training milestones, specialty pathways, and defined skill ladders are seeing stronger retention.

For example, we created FleeTec Academy, a dedicated training and development program for new and experienced technicians. With 80 new students expected next year, the program helps techs grow their capabilities and gives us a long-term pipeline to offset industry shortages. But regardless of size, any fleet can benefit from outlining transparent skill tiers and offering ongoing, intentional development.

2. Innovative recruitment & partnerships

Relying solely on job boards or experienced applicants narrows the field at a time when demand far exceeds supply. Many fleets are partnering directly with high schools, trade schools, and workforce programs to introduce students to fleet maintenance earlier—before they choose other paths.

Beyond those, another promising source is veteran transition programs. At Fleet Services by Cox Automotive, our work with Hire Our Heroes and the DoD SkillBridge program has helped us welcome highly motivated technicians with hands-on mechanical backgrounds. These kinds of partnerships take time to build but can deliver some of the most loyal, high-performing hires.

3. Listening—and acting—on technician feedback

Technicians consistently cite scheduling, pay structure, and recognition as major drivers of whether they stay in a job. As such, fleets that regularly gather employee feedback—and act on it— are seeing real gains in retention and morale.

For example, our technicians told us they valued faster pay cycles and clearer incentives tied to safety and efficiency. That feedback led us to implement weekly pay, shift differentials for less desirable hours, and add quarterly incentive programs. By putting money in their pockets faster and offering flexible earning opportunities, we attract and retain top talent—while giving customers more options for service.

4. Leveraging technology and streamlined communication for peace of mind

For many technicians, the job itself isn’t the issue—it’s the chaos around it. Delayed approvals, unclear communication, or last-minute dispatch changes can create frustration that can add up and push good talent out of the industry.

Fleets are increasingly turning to scheduling tools, mobile communication platforms, and route optimization technology to give techs clearer communication. Fleet Services is piloting AI-powered dispatching and texting to streamline scheduling and organization of workloads a week in advance. We’re also continuously rolling out upgrades focused on user experience, making it as easy as possible for technicians to access information, coordinate tasks, and focus on delivering dependable service to our customers. These tools don’t replace human judgment, but they do reduce stress and help techs spend more of their day doing the work they’re trained for.

5. Competitive benefits & lifestyle perks

Younger technicians in particular are looking for stability, support, and community. Competitive healthcare, retirement contributions, and equipment reimbursements are now baseline expectations—but fleets can differentiate through programs that show genuine investment in technicians’ well-being.

Some of the most effective approaches include team meetups, local recognition events, financial support programs, and lifestyle benefits such as pet insurance or tuition assistance. At Fleet Services, providing market-level funds for team activities has helped build camaraderie, especially among mobile techs who don’t see colleagues daily. These benefits create a supportive community and sense of belonging, helping us beat industry retention rates by ~20% in this competitive market. Strong culture doesn’t require a big budget—only consistent, intentional effort.

Looking ahead: A shortage that requires long-term solutions

The technician shortage isn’t going to vanish. But fleets that treat talent development as a core operational function—not an afterthought—are finding ways to stay staffed, maintain uptime, and build workplaces where technicians want to stay.

Career pathways, early recruiting partnerships, responsive policies, technology that reduces friction, and culture that values people are five levers any fleet can pull. These are the areas we’re prioritizing, and we’re already seeing their impact across our shops, customers, and teams.

The challenges may be industry-wide, but so are the opportunities—and fleets that invest today will be the ones that keep their operations moving tomorrow.