Tech Tip: Keep your mental toolbox stocked

Understandably, technicians take pride in their tools. These tools allow a technician to practice his or her craft and make a living. A wrench is to a technician as a paintbrush is to an artist or a chalkboard is to a teacher.

Given their importance, it’s obvious why new tool purchases typically excite technicians and explain the care taken to ensure the tool’s longevity. Go to a mechanic’s garage and you will likely find a toolbox stocked with wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, multimeters, and many other tools that improve the effectiveness or efficiency of their maintenance and repair work. 

Stocking Your Toolbox for Success 

A stocked toolbox is critical to a technician’s success. Equally important, however, is a stocked mental toolbox. Consider this – how important is a torque wrench with no understanding of how to use it? Knowledge of turning a wrench is like riding a bicycle – technicians easily recall its techniques after an extended hiatus. On the other end of the spectrum, advanced e-tools, such as diagnostic and repair applications, require constant usage and practice to remain proficient due to coverage updates, enhanced features, or changes in design.

Self-paced, online training is essential to keeping knowledge of e-tools up-to-date. Many fleets incentivize technicians to do so and many technicians freely elect to undergo training because they recognize their mental toolbox is every bit as important as their physical toolbox. By doing so, he or she improves the chances of furthering their career as a lead tech, supervisor, or even moving into office or training roles when their wrench turning days have ended. 

Accessing Resources 

If resources are not readily available, or easily located, how is one expected to remain competent on these tools? To simplify this, JPRO Professional, Noregon’s in-shop diagnostic and repair application, contains a central repository of valuable resources. One available resource is the Education Portal which contains two tabs:

• JPRO Education Resources – Here, users can view all available JPRO training resources, including live webinars, training videos, Tech Tips, the official JPRO Certification Course, and other links to learn about JPRO’s advanced capabilities for diagnosing and repairing all makes and models. 
• OEM Education Resources – Nearly every major OEM offers training for the applications designed to diagnose the components they manufacture. In one convenient location, users have access to all of these training options to routinely learn of new features or functions of the tool and remain current on best practices for using the application.

By having all training resources accessible from a single location, employers can easily plan training programs for technicians. Taking advantage of the resources that improve the knowledge of the tools they commonly use helps technicians separate themselves from their counterparts and stand out to current or prospective employees. 

Remember, it’s important to have a stocked toolbox, but equally important to stock that mental toolbox, too.