Your 2026 Advantage: Using Budgeted Labor Times to Improve Tech Performance

Most fleets know labor is one of their biggest costs.
Fewer realize it’s also one of the most variable and least understood.

Two technicians can perform the same PM or repair yet it can take one much longer to complete the task than the other. Without a trusted standard for how long a job should take, it becomes nearly impossible to know whether that difference is due to skill, experience, training gaps, or something else entirely.

That lack of visibility affects everything: equipment readiness, scheduling accuracy, technician morale, vendor accountability, and ultimately, even your bottom line.

In a recent Squarerigger webinar, we explored how fleets are using industry-standard budgeted labor times to bring clarity, fairness, and confidence back into their maintenance operations.

Here are the key takeaways.

The Hidden Cost of Labor Time Variance

Labor variance isn’t just an internal productivity issue, it’s an operational blind spot.

When you don’t have a clear labor benchmark:

• Schedules become unreliable

• Equipment release times are hard to predict

• High performers go unrecognized

• Training needs stay hidden

• Vendor invoices are difficult to validate

Over time, those gaps quietly drain time and money from your operation.

Budgeted labor times give fleets a neutral, data-driven baseline, not to judge technicians, but to understand what “normal” looks like.

Your Technicians Aren’t All the Same, And That’s Okay

Every shop has technicians with different strengths.

Some excel at diagnostics. Others are faster and more consistent with preventive maintenance. Some handle complex repairs more efficiently than anyone else.

The problem isn’t the differences — it’s the lack of visibility into them.

When fleets compare budgeted time vs. actual time, patterns emerge:

• Which techs consistently outperform on certain tasks

• Where training could have the biggest impact

• Which jobs are best matched to specific skill sets

That insight allows managers to assign the right tech to the right job, improving turnaround times and reducing rework.

Turning Labor Data Into Training Opportunities

One of the most important themes we discussed in the webinar was this:

Benchmarking should support technicians, not punish them.

When labor data is viewed in context and over time, it becomes a coaching tool:

• Identify tasks with wide performance variance

• Spot recurring delays tied to specific repairs or equipment types

• Focus training where it actually matters

Instead of guessing where a tech needs help, managers can use real data to guide those conversations fairly and objectively, and provide professional growth opportunities for the entire team.

Rewarding High Performers in a Tight Labor Market

With today’s technician shortages, retention matters more than ever.

Clear labor standards help fleets:

• Recognize technicians who consistently perform efficiently

• Support fair bonus or incentive programs

• Encourage best-practice sharing across the team

• Reduce turnover in a competitive labor market

When expectations are clear and performance is transparent, technicians know what success looks like and feel recognized when they achieve it.

Better Estimates and Fairer Vendor Billing

Budgeted labor times don’t just help inside the shop.

They also allow fleets to:

• Quote work for customers or outside fleets with confidence

• Set realistic labor expectations upfront

• Compare vendor invoices against industry standards

• Flag discrepancies before costs escalate

Instead of debating hours after the fact, labor benchmarks create a shared reference point that supports better conversations based on actual data and better financial control.

What This Looks Like in Practice

In the webinar, we also showed how fleets apply these concepts using Squarerigger’s Motor-powered Budgeted Time feature, including:

• Pulling OEM labor times directly from a VIN

• Comparing budgeted vs. actual completion times

• Viewing technician performance trends over time

• Using data to support smarter scheduling, training, and incentives

The software isn’t the strategy; it simply enables the visibility fleets need to put these best practices into action.

Watch the On-Demand Webinar

If you want to dive deeper and see real examples of how fleets are using budgeted labor times in practice, you can watch the full webinar on demand.

👀 Watch the webinar recording