And my next question is which tools should the company supply vs. the employee on a service truck?
Service tech tools supplied by the company vs. the employee
Lee0412
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You'll get a nice range of opinion from "the company should also provide underwear changes" to "you should also buy a truck and be grateful you are being dispatched by the company". In general, hand tools, cordless drill/driver (but not the rotary hammer) provided by the tech, the rest by the company. Some companies require you to get your own meters/gauges, while others won't trust you with it and won't even allow you to use your own, but mostly, you bring your own meters/gauges, but some big ticket items (like combustion analyzer for example) will usually be provided by the shop.
Check the law which prevents employers from holding employees liable for accidental damage to company property. With that said, they can be loaned a complementary first set which becomes theirs to keep after xx duration of employment or traded in for: trade in value towards their pay, retail value credit towards tool of their choice for tools returned undamaged or just keep them.
For not so insignificant losses during this probationary period, require the broken items back or require them to get a police report if lost or stolen) and set the pay rate progression accordingly to cover this cost. Make it clear whatever they lose won't be replaced and replacement of broken item is at company's discretion and they're on their own for careless loss and they're gonna have to cough up to have the tools they need or they can go cry a river. This relieves new employees from having to walk in the doors with all the tools, yet if they know that they're just a totally optional complementary loaner and they're on their own to provide anything they lose/break and that they can keep, returned for cash or credit towards tools their choice after some time they'll treat them with respect.
You don't want them to walk-in the door with some Craigslist crap gauges with leaky seals that could cost their quality of service, or hold them accountable for stupid n00b mistake like overloading a gauge and have them keep using it and affect the quality of service, yet at the same time, you shouldn't have to replace tools they used outside of common sense or got stolen out of carelessness.
For not so insignificant losses during this probationary period, require the broken items back or require them to get a police report if lost or stolen) and set the pay rate progression accordingly to cover this cost. Make it clear whatever they lose won't be replaced and replacement of broken item is at company's discretion and they're on their own for careless loss and they're gonna have to cough up to have the tools they need or they can go cry a river. This relieves new employees from having to walk in the doors with all the tools, yet if they know that they're just a totally optional complementary loaner and they're on their own to provide anything they lose/break and that they can keep, returned for cash or credit towards tools their choice after some time they'll treat them with respect.
You don't want them to walk-in the door with some Craigslist crap gauges with leaky seals that could cost their quality of service, or hold them accountable for stupid n00b mistake like overloading a gauge and have them keep using it and affect the quality of service, yet at the same time, you shouldn't have to replace tools they used outside of common sense or got stolen out of carelessness.
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If you were like most auto mechanics and paid by the job it would make sense to have the best tools you could afford. Being an hourly paid employee there is little cushion for a tech, especially in the beginning, to find the money for all the tools he needs.
In the Sheet Metal Union apprentices are required to buy a selection of tools on their own dime. Plumbers, at least in my experience, have to have a minimum amount. Like a pencil and ruler and maybe a couple of other things. So as far as union guys go it all depends on the contract but if a sheet metal worker is doing tech work the tool box he bought isn't going to be much help.
For a tech I think the employer should supply tools if they want the job done right. Today it's very expensive, more so than in years past as the field is more specialized.
When I worked as a tech I didn't care that much if my employer provided all I needed. I just wanted to have what I needed to make my job better. So I bought or built what I wanted but I wouldn't expect an employee to do what I did. Levels of involvement are different.
The facts are few techs will buy all they need or want for obvious reasons. The big one is, it's not their business. If they were paid flat rate for the job that's another deal.
In the Sheet Metal Union apprentices are required to buy a selection of tools on their own dime. Plumbers, at least in my experience, have to have a minimum amount. Like a pencil and ruler and maybe a couple of other things. So as far as union guys go it all depends on the contract but if a sheet metal worker is doing tech work the tool box he bought isn't going to be much help.
For a tech I think the employer should supply tools if they want the job done right. Today it's very expensive, more so than in years past as the field is more specialized.
When I worked as a tech I didn't care that much if my employer provided all I needed. I just wanted to have what I needed to make my job better. So I bought or built what I wanted but I wouldn't expect an employee to do what I did. Levels of involvement are different.
The facts are few techs will buy all they need or want for obvious reasons. The big one is, it's not their business. If they were paid flat rate for the job that's another deal.
Everything we NEED to do our job properly is provided by our shop. Guages, vac pump, recovery machine, torches, combustion analyzer, meter, hand tools, drill, saws all etc. They often aren't the best of the best though so I invest a lot of money into quality tools. Digi guages, better drill, better micron guage, better wrenches, better screw/nut drivers etc.
I dunno, is it? $1 in 1990 is worth about $1.80 right now. Divide everything by 1.80. Is it still more expensive in general? What did computers, DMMs, etc cost back then? People could've only dreamed of TVs that you can hang on the wall back then.
Here are the tooIs on my truck that are the companies:
All of them except for one of my vacuum pumps(I carry two), my recovery machine and my torch kit.
I do sheet metal, all my tools.
Service on Residential/Comm/Industrial, my tools.
Piping, my tools including a hilti cordless rotary drill for anchor holes.(although the statement about union pipefitters just bringing a tape measurer and a pad is pretty spot on, not how I roll I don't like depending on others to give me the right tools) I also have a core drill, its not full time on my truck though, lives at home because it takes up so much room.
All my install tools, circle saw, recip saw, drills etc...
Nobody rob my truck after reading this please ; ).
There's some specialized stuff I get from the shop like, pipe threaders, cool drill that magnetizes to metal like I-beams and drills like a press, Vic pipe groover, various carts, hand trucks, wagons.
Here's the deal, I think most tools should be provided by the tech, I plan on completing my truck with my own recovery machine, torches(I plan on having oxy ace, and turbo torches). The reason I say that is because techs trash company tools on a regular basis, if they had their own they would learn real quick that tools are expensive and should be used, stored, and maintained correctly. I work at a place that would give me more tools if I wanted them too, its union and some guys have less than a $1000 invested in their tools, I have about 4k-8k(I stopped keeping track awhile back) I buy really nice tools, try to get some good deals an eBay when I can, I like knowing what I have, where it is and that its going to work correctly.
So if I ever own a company you guys probably won't like my tool policies : ( but at least I've walked the walk and not just done the talking.
All of them except for one of my vacuum pumps(I carry two), my recovery machine and my torch kit.
I do sheet metal, all my tools.
Service on Residential/Comm/Industrial, my tools.
Piping, my tools including a hilti cordless rotary drill for anchor holes.(although the statement about union pipefitters just bringing a tape measurer and a pad is pretty spot on, not how I roll I don't like depending on others to give me the right tools) I also have a core drill, its not full time on my truck though, lives at home because it takes up so much room.
All my install tools, circle saw, recip saw, drills etc...
Nobody rob my truck after reading this please ; ).
There's some specialized stuff I get from the shop like, pipe threaders, cool drill that magnetizes to metal like I-beams and drills like a press, Vic pipe groover, various carts, hand trucks, wagons.
Here's the deal, I think most tools should be provided by the tech, I plan on completing my truck with my own recovery machine, torches(I plan on having oxy ace, and turbo torches). The reason I say that is because techs trash company tools on a regular basis, if they had their own they would learn real quick that tools are expensive and should be used, stored, and maintained correctly. I work at a place that would give me more tools if I wanted them too, its union and some guys have less than a $1000 invested in their tools, I have about 4k-8k(I stopped keeping track awhile back) I buy really nice tools, try to get some good deals an eBay when I can, I like knowing what I have, where it is and that its going to work correctly.
So if I ever own a company you guys probably won't like my tool policies : ( but at least I've walked the walk and not just done the talking.
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Recovery machine, nitro tank, torches, refrigerant leak detector and vacuum pump provided by the company. Every other tool in the van is mine.
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Ya, I know many things are actually cheaper especially if considering that many things do more, like a meter. When I started the meter of choice was a Simpson. Large, heavy, and it did only the basics.
Today's tech, if they want to do it right, will want many things that were very expensive 40 years ago if even available. All the analog measuring instruments were pricy then. I think an Alnor velometer was $1200. I can't remember how much a Simpson meter was but it was pricey too.
What becomes expensive is the collection of tools and instruments a competent tech will want/need. Forty years ago a tech might have hand tools, gauges, a meter, vac pump, torches, thermometer. Really minimum stuff. Today they need/want more information. This industry was very slow to adopt technology changes compared to some others. Even 20 years the industry was primitive at best. When the industry tried to make changes they were met with resistance in the field by both the contractors and the techs. "Why change something that works?" The old learning curve.
Today's tech will probably want a sophisticated meter, combustion analyzer, testing equipment, on and on. What has changed is today a tech can measure in the field what only a scientist could 40 years ago.
So all this typing is saying is it's much more expensive to properly equip a tech today. And I know most contractors will say most problems don't need any more tools/instruments for most problems than they needed forty years ago. An expensive instrument might stay in the van because the tech isn't a tech. That's the rub with contractors is that don't understand the tech part of their company and many service guys don't either.
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I give my guys vac pump, recovery pump, digital gauges, torches, fp meter w/attachments, tool backpacks and most hand tools. They also have an allowance for new tools, but have to run it through my brother or I before purchase. I want them to have the tools they need to be effective. A couple guys put the stuff we give them in the shop and use their own stuff they are comfortable with. To each their own.
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From my experience, most companies will provide a vacuum pump, recovery machine, nitrogen regulator and maybe even torches. A regulator is $40, go figure. I remember back in the day, you had to provide all of the tools. If you did not have the tool, you had better find it. You might even have to beg the boss to let you use the tool allowance. Now days, I have seen guys with 5-7 years of experience show up with a 6-n-1 and a pair of pliers. The company I work for now, wants you to bring your own tools. If you don't have something necessary, it will be provided. Although you are expected to have the basics. If something breaks the company will replace it.
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