Part-timers showing up to wrench changed how I see staffing
I always figured you needed full time guys to really know the trucks and keep things smooth. Last month we got swamped and brought in a couple weekend-only techs to help clear the backlog. One of them found a wiring issue on a rig that three of my regulars had missed, just because he'd seen the same gremlin at his other shop. Now I'm rethinking my whole 'only hire full time' rule.
That bit about the wiring issue is exactly why I changed my tune too. Fresh eyes see things your regular guys stop noticing after staring at the same trucks every day. A part timer walks in with a whole other set of problems burned into their brain from somewhere else. It's not about having less skill, it's about having different experience. I'd take a sharp weekend warrior over a burned out full timer any day now.
No way, a fuel line crack? That's the kind of leak that could've lit up the whole shop! It's crazy how something that bad just becomes part of the scenery after a while. You're totally right, a new person doesn't have that blind spot yet. How often do you think we're all just missing stuff that's right in front of us?