The National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) has released its 2001 NTEA Shop Installation Survey Results Report. It offers a basis for comparing installation times and shop productivity as well as providing benchmarks for companies having — or seeking to initiate — flat-rate compensation or bonus systems.
This survey, last conducted in 1994, includes data on personnel, employee compensation, shop profits, material-handling equipment, and tabulation of installation times for 23 types of commercial truck bodies and equipment. Current survey data also shows an increase in the average number of personnel employed. Nationwide, the total number of employees on average for a distributor increased from 22.6 in 1994 to 28.6 in 2000 — the highest figure reported since 1979.
As the average number of employees increased, the average hourly wage rate (ie, number of hours worked times pay rate equals paycheck amount) also rose nationally, with an average wage increase of 27% over the 1994 survey. To order a copy of the report, access www.ntea.com to download an order form (click on Products & Services) or phone 800-441-NTEA. The report retails for $100 NTEA members; $200 nonmembers.