Many businesses — from food delivery and transit agencies to postal service contractors and school districts — are transitioning their fleets to propane autogas due to the dramatic economic and environmental benefits that the fuel offers. But a pervasive challenge exists: limited technician availability.
Despite propane technicians reporting a more enjoyable, clean, safe and efficient work environment, there is still a gap in all technician availability.
“I’ve worked in transportation maintenance for more than 20 years — diesel, gasoline, propane autogas and compressed natural gas — you name it. Propane autogas vehicles have been the simplest and most cost-effective to work on, especially when compared with diesel. The best thing about propane autogas is that it doesn’t require any additional parts or maintenance to meet emission standards,” said Bruce Thomas, propane technician from Colorado
This is where OEMs and propane system manufacturers can take a larger role. For instance, ROUSH CleanTech, which develops propane autogas technology, works with its customers to close that gap to help ease the adoption of propane vehicles nationwide. The company provides multiple training options for customers and service center partners to increase adoption rates and help their propane fleets run smoothly.
To equip technicians, the company meets interested organizations wherever they’re at — onsite at their location, at ROUSH CleanTech’s headquarters in Michigan or online. This training teaches each technician how to service a propane vehicle, including what they need to know about propane properties and safety, fuel system components, system diagnostics, and tips and tricks.
“ROUSH CleanTech provided our company mechanics with training at no cost and continues to support all our locations on additional training needs,” said Eric McCann, senior technical fleet manager for Bimbo Bakeries USA. “In cases where hands-on training was a better fit for us, they were quick to support with field technicians who work on these trucks daily. The training program with ROUSH CleanTech has been a big success within our team.”
Becoming a propane technician is simple and affordable, and will keep technicians who currently work on diesel and gasoline vehicles relevant in today’s rapidly changing automotive industry.
OEMs and propane system manufacturers can show their commitment to safety, quality and education by working closely with fleets to provide training to their technicians.
Learn more about propane vehicle training and customer support here. And, to host a regional technician training in your area, please reach out.
Todd Mouw is executive vice president of ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of advanced clean vehicle technology. Mouw has more than two decades of experience in the automotive and high-tech industries. As former president of the NTEA Green Truck Association, Mouw helped set standards in the green trucking industry. To learn more, visit ROUSHcleantech.com.