Episode 269: Tomorrow Never Knows

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we take a brief look ahead to what people in chairs think is coming down the pike for us wrench turning folk in 2024. The one thing we see more of on the horizon is the russian infantry tactics of filing the shop with whatever bodies can hold the wrenches and look busy. However, further analysis will prove that having your best technicians with two available lifts or bays will increase the specific output of that bay over an inexperienced new hire. Estimates put the number of new hires needed across the board at 100,000 per year until 2026 to counteract the shortage, but we know that number should be closer to 200k because of the near 50% 2-year attrition rate among new hires. We also talk a little bit about the K-Plan as a path to employee retention with regular skill checks, but the fact remains that if these new hires are going to need in shop instruction - we are going to have to get paid for it! We also briefly touch on the idea of more modular cars that are easier to work on, but they are having too much fun right now making them harder to work on so we don’t expect that until sometime around 2050.  Also Uncle Jimmy introduces E39 Yoga and blows up on a bank teller over the phone that turned out to be a good friend.  This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!