Much has been made in recent years of the aging of the fleet management profession, and especially the automotive maintenance profession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 44% of automotive maintenance workers are 45 years of age or older. Since this statistic includes “technicians” at retail outlets like Jiffy Lube and Pep Boys, the percentage of such workers in government fleet maintenance programs is probably higher.
Until the new recession roared into view, however, not as much thought was given to another statistic about the U.S. workforce: One-quarter to one-third of the workers in the above industries are younger than 35, meaning that many of them have never experienced a recession as working adults. Based on the experience of those of us who have weathered a few of these downturns, what’s in store for fleets and fleet professionals in the coming months?
