The majority (89%) of garages and mobile servicing units find overhead costs and technician availability to be the biggest concerns to their businesses, according to a survey by Fleet Assist.
Fleet Assist also found that the sector is lagging in workforce gender distribution, with 80% reporting that two-thirds or more of their workers were men, and just one garage out of 5,200 reporting an even gender split.
23% of the technician workforce surveyed was under the age of 24, higher than the 9% average across all industries.
Fleet Assist said this was a positive sign for the aftermarket sector’s future, but that it must attract a more diverse workforce in order to address the skill gap.
Garages also reported that they needed to increase job volumes to compensate for the reduced servicing needs of electric vehicles (EVs).
90% of garages surveyed expected repair times to stay the same, or reduce further, while 81% expected lead times to remain the same or reduce.
Nikos Kotrozos (pictured), supply chain director at Fleet Assist, said: “Our survey has provided a wide-ranging insight into the garage industry and has confirmed the multiple challenges they face now and into the future when managing SMR on behalf of fleet drivers.
“It is important that we recognise how garages are facing up to these challenges and how we can support them.”
21% of garages planned to grow their courtesy vehicle fleet, 50% said it would remain the same, and 20% of garages said they would grow their mobile servicing fleet, to cater for increased demand from fleet operators.
When asked about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, 70% of garages and mobile servicing units asked for more information, indicating a need for more awareness of sustainability in the sector.
Garages also expressed concern over the number of systems they now need to access, which add to overhead costs.
