New program at Shaheen Automotive Group provides free tools to technicians

Dave Wright wants to change two things at the dealership group where he works before pulling the curtain on his long automotive service career.

One change he wants to make is to provide alternatives to flat rate pay schedules for technicians. His other goal, which is about to be scratched off the list, is to provide free tools to the wrench turners in his shops.

Shaheen Automotive Group, in Lansing, Mich., debuted a free tool program in its body shop this spring. The plan is to roll it out to the main service shop and to collision paint techs next. The group sells Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands.

The tool program is simple. When a tech shows up in their service bay, a full set of tools is there for them to use for as long as they work at Shaheen. If they leave, the tools stay put. The set includes all hand and air tools required for any repair, including electric vehicles.

"Our plan is to provide every tool you'll need to be successful," said fixed operations director Wright, who has spent nearly 40 years in the industry — 29 with Shaheen. "My CFO asked, what if a 20-year journeyman with his massive toolbox says, 'I want to take part in the program,' I'm fine with that because I think we should provide that for our people. I know it's a very substantial investment, but it's an investment in their future and it's an investment in our future."

The shortage of automotive technicians has plagued dealership service and parts operations for years. TechForce Foundation estimates nearly 500,000 auto techs are needed to fill openings. There are numerous programs around the country to train more technicians. Wright and Shaheen think taking away the burden of buying tools will appeal to prospective technicians.

A full toolbox for a main shop technician is about $40,000. For a collision tech, a full set of tools is $35,000, while tools for a body shop painter cost about $8,500.

Wright said automotive is the rare trade where workers are expected to provide their own tools. That alone can turn potential technicians away and into another line of work.

"I think it's preventing a lot of young people from entering our industry," he said. "You talk to prospective applicants and then tell them, 'You'll need about $40,000 worth of tools.' Where are they going to get that money from? The tool companies all have financing plans but that's where the problems can begin."

Wright said some techs tend to disappear on test drives when the tool truck shows up at the dealership because their weekly payment is due and they don't have the money. "In most families, both the husband and wife work because of the cost of living these days," he said. "Tools are just not something that is part of their budget."

Many of Shaheen's technicians are homegrown. The group has had an apprentice program for years to train the next generation of wrench turners. Wright said he constantly approaches young workers in the dealership group's huge wholesale parts operation to see if they're interested in training to become a technician.

"There's a disconnect when they say yes but follow up with, 'I'd love to, but I don't have any tools,' " he said. "We've been having the conversations internally for quite some time" to remedy this.

When Wright and group president Ralph Shaheen attended the 2024 NADA Show, they visited the Sonic Tools USA booth. The company has a technician recruitment program affiliated with General Motors and a Pathway Program for tools that gives beginners a basic set with everything they need for easier tasks and that grows over time with intermediate and advanced add-on sets.

"We looked at the quality of the tools. We looked at their laser-cut foam inserts that go into the toolboxes and their inventory system," Wright said. "Basically, I was able to convince Ralph that I believe it will open a whole new set of potential employees to us."

Sonic Tools USA just signed a deal with Lithia to be the preferred tool vendor for the largest U.S. dealership group. And working with dealerships to provide free tools to their technicians is "really catching on," said Andrew Coccari, vice president of sales and marketing for the company.

"In competitive markets, dealers are looking for an edge," he said. "We're working with All-American Ford in New Jersey, Cerritos Infiniti in California, Hyundai of Auburn, Alabama, Holmes Honda in Louisiana, BMW of Reading, Pennsylvania, and more."

Some dealerships, like BMW of Marietta in Georgia and Shaheen Automotive Group in Michigan, have their programs set up so that the tools stay with the workstations. "Either way, fixed ops managers or service technician customers are able to pay their tool expenditures off" in a shorter than normal time frame," Coccari said.

Wright said tool initiatives like the one at Shaheen are "overdue within our industry." But dealerships shouldn't look to manufacturers for help. It is on them to be innovative, he said.

"We're entrepreneurs," Wright said. "We need to be creative and come up with solutions for training these people and providing a good culture for them to work in and continue to grow. I think if you have the right culture and you're doing the right things for your people, it will be a differentiator.

"When a dealership down the street approaches one of our techs and says, 'I'll give you two bucks an hour more to come work for me,' the tech will have to ask if that dealership provides tools like Shaheen does."