Mark Spader of NCM Associates shares how disciplined tech training drives shop profitability.
In most trailer dealerships these days, the real bottleneck isn’ t demand – it’ s the shop. Trailers are getting heavier, more complex, and more regulated, but technician development hasn’ t kept pace. The result is predictable: comebacks, slow cycle time, and frustrated customers who expected you to be the expert. The answer isn’ t just“ hire better techs”; it’ s a simple, disciplined training approach.
1. Your first step in disciplined training is learning to track tech time correctly. If you don’ t measure how a tech’ s hours are being spent – sold work, waiting on parts, internal jobs – you can’ t know whether training is working. Make sure every repair order is clocked on and off, and that someone reviews those reports weekly for efficiency.
2. Next, your techs must be brilliant at the basics. You don’ t need every tech to be a fabrication wizard; you need them to install brakes, wire lights, pack bearings, adjust axles, and perform safety inspections quickly and accurately. Your training plan should cover certification of the“ non-negotiable basics” before they rachet up to more complex tasks.
3. Scheduling is the next lever. Too many trailer shops run on chaos – techs standing around waiting for approvals, parts, or direction. Good training is useless if the tech doesn’ t have work lined up. Build a simple scheduling system that protects your tech’ s time, batches similar jobs, and keeps a visible backlog so no bay ever goes idle by accident.
4. From there, an effective upsell process turns training into revenue. When a well-trained tech performs a safety inspection, they should consistently identify legitimate needs – tires, wiring repairs, brake work, corrosion protection, accessories – and communicate them clearly to the advisor.
5. Finally, your labor rate has to support the caliber of tech you say you want. You can’ t pay top-tier wages on a bargain-basement door rate. Trailer dealers often shy away from necessary increases because they’ re comparing themselves to general repair shops instead of the value and liability they offer. A properly trained tech, producing at a high efficiency, more than earns a rate that lets you recruit and keep them.
Service training for technicians then, isn’ t a perk – it’ s the engine of a profitable, trustworthy trailer service department. Track tech time, master the basics, schedule with intention, upsell ethically, and charge appropriately. You’ ll discover something important: the shop you already have can produce more, at higher margins, without burning people out.
Want help building a training plan that sticks? Visit NCM Associates: ncmassociates. com
Catch Mark’ s TOW TALK: Driving Profit— Understanding Dealership Revenue Flow and Developing Service Leaders at Trailer Tech Expo Powered by NATDA, February 17 – 19 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, NV.
Learn more and register at natda. org.
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