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Job Report Automotive Body Repairers
Nature of the Work
Thousands of motor vehicles are damaged in traffic accidents every day. Although
some are junked, most can be made to look and drive like new. Automotive body repairers
straighten bent bodies, remove dents, and replace crumpled parts that are beyond repair.
Usually, they can fix all types of vehicles, but most body repairers work on cars and small
trucks. A few work on large trucks, buses, or tractor-trailers.
When a damaged vehicle is brought into the shop, body repairers generally receive
instructions from their supervisors, who have determined which parts are to be restored or
replaced and how much time the job should take.
Automotive body repairers use special machines to restore damaged frames and
body sections to their original shape and location. They chain or clamp the frames and
sections to alignment machines that usually use hydraulic pressure to align the damaged
metal. For "unicoupe" designs, which are built without frames, they also use bench
systems to return body sections to precise alignment.
Body repairers remove badly damaged sections of body panels with a pneumatic
metal-cutting gun or acetylene torch and weld in new section to replace them. Repairers
pull out less serious dents with a hydraulic jack or hand prying bar, or knock them out with
handtools or pneumatic hammers. They smooth out small dents and creases by holding
a small anvil against one side of the damaged area while hammering the opposite side.
They remove very small pits and dimples with pick hammers and punches.
Body repairers also repair or replace the plastic body parts used increasingly on
newer model vehicles. They remove the damaged panels and determine the type of plastic
from which they are made. With most types, they can apply heat from a hot-air welding gun
or by immersion in hot water, and press the softened panel back into its original shape by
hand. They replace plastic parts which are more difficult to repair.
Body repairers use plastic or solder to fill small dents which cannot be worked out
of the plastic or metal panel. On metal panels, they then file or grind the hardened filler to
the original shape and sand it before painting. In many shops, automotive painters do the
painting. In smaller shops, workers often do both body repairing and painting. A few body
repairers specialize in repairing fiberglass car bodies.
Some body repairers specialize in installing glass in automobiles and other vehicles.
Glass installers remove broken, cracked, or pitted windshields and window glass. Curved
windshields are purchased precut from the manufacturer, but flat windows sometimes must
be cut from a sheet of safety glass. Glass installers apply a moisture proofing compound
along the edges of the glass, place it in the vehicle, and install rubber strips around the
sides of the windshield or window to make it secure and weather proof.
Body repair work has variety and challenge -- each damaged vehicle presents a
different problem. Repairers must develop appropriate methods for each job, using their
broad knowledge of automotive construction and repair techniques.
Body repairers usually work alone with only general directions from supervisors. In
some shops, they may be assisted by helpers or apprentices. In large shops, body
repairers may specialize in one type of repair, such as frame straightening or door and
fender repairing.
Working Conditions
Automotive body repairers work indoors in body shops which are noisy because of
the banging of hammers against metal and the whir of power tools. Most shops are well
ventilated, but often they are dusty and smell of paint. Body repairers often work in
awkward or cramped positions, and much of their work is strenuous and dirty. Hazards
include cuts from sharp metal edges, burns from torches and heated metal, injuries from
power tools, and fumes from paint.
Employment
Automotive body repairers held more than 221,000 jobs in 1990. Most worked for
shops that specialized in body repairs and painting, and for automobile and truck dealers.
Others worked for organizations that maintain their own motor vehicles, such as trucking
companies and buslines. A few worked for motor vehicle manufacturers. About 1
automotive body repairer out of 5 was self-employed.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Many automotive body repairers enter the occupation by transfer from related helper
positions. Persons in good physical condition who know how to use handtools learn the
trade as helpers, picking up skills on the job from experienced body repairers. Helpers
begin by assisting body repairers in tasks such as removing damaged parts and installing
repaired parts. They learn to remove small dents and to make other minor repairs. They
then progress to more difficult tasks such as body straightening. Generally, skill in all
aspects of body repair requires 3 to 4 years of on-the-job training.
Although there is no educational requirement, most employers prefer to hire high
school graduates. Completion of a formal training program in automotive body repair is
highly desirable because advances in technology in recent years have greatly changed the
structure, the components, and even the materials used in automobiles, requiring many
new skills and creating many new problems. Automotive body repair training programs are
offered by many high schools, vocational schools, private trade schools, and community
colleges. Formal training in automotive body repair can enhance chances for employment
and speed promotion to a journeyman position.
Certification by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, which is
voluntary, is recognized as a standard of achievement for automotive body repairers. To
be certified, a body repairer must pass a written examination and must have at least 2 years
of experience in the trade. Completion of a high school, vocational school, trade school,
or community college program in automotive body repair may be substituted for 1 year of
work experience. Automotive body repairers must retake the examination at least every 5
years to retain certification.
Automotive body repairers must buy their own tools, but employers usually furnish
power tools. Trainees generally accumulate tools as they gain experience, and many
workers have thousands of dollars invested in tools.
An experienced automotive body repairer with supervisory ability may advance to
shop supervisor. Some workers open their own body repair shops. Others become
automobile damage appraisers for insurance companies.
Job Outlook
Employment of automotive body repairers is expected to increase faster than the
average for all occupations through the year 2000. As the number of motor vehicles in
operation grows with the Nation's population, the number damaged in accidents will
increase as well. Requirements for body repairers will also increase because new, lighter
automotive designs are prone to greater collision damage than older, heavier designs. In
addition, the new automotive designs increasingly have body parts made of steel alloys,
aluminum, and plastics -- materials that are more difficult to work with than the traditional
steel body parts. Nevertheless, the need to replace experienced repairers who transfer to
other occupations or retire or stop working for other reasons will still account for the majority
of job openings.
The automotive repair business is not very sensitive to changes in economic
conditions, and experienced body repairers are rarely laid off. However, most employers
hire fewer new workers, during an economic slowdown. Although major body damage must
be repaired if a vehicle is to be restored to safe operating condition, repair of minor dents
and crumpled fenders can often be deferred. As a result, persons seeking to enter this
occupation may face increased competition for jobs during recessions.
Earnings
Body repairers employed by automobile dealers in 18 large metropolitan areas had
average weekly earnings of about $724 in 1990. Average earnings generally were highest
in the South and lowest in the Northeast. Helpers and trainees usually earn from 30 to 60
percent of the earning of skilled workers.
The majority of body repairers employed by automotive dealers and repair shops are
paid on an incentive basis. Under this method, body repairers are paid a predetermined
amount for various tasks, and earnings depend on the amount of work assigned to the
repairer and how fast it is completed. Employers frequently guarantee commissioned
workers a minimum weekly salary. Helpers and trainees usually receive an hourly rate until
they are skilled enough to work on commission. Body repairers who work for trucking
companies, buslines, and other organizations that maintain their own vehicles usually
receive an hourly wage.
Many automotive body repairers are members of unions, including the International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; the International Union, United
Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America; the Sheet Metal
Workers' International Association and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America (Ind.). Most body repairers who are
union members work for large automobile dealers, trucking companies, and buslines.
Related Occupations
Repairing damaged motor vehicles often involves working on their mechanical
components as well as their bodies. Automotive body repairers often work closely with the
following related occupations: Automotive repair service estimators, automotive mechanics,
automotive painters and body customizers, and diesel mechanics.
Sources of Additional Information
More details about work opportunities may be obtained from automotive body repair
shops and motor vehicle dealers; locals of the unions previously mentioned; or the local
office of the State employment service. The State employment service also is a source of
information about training programs. For general information about automotive repairer
careers, write to:
Automotive Service Industry Association, 444 North Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL
60611
Automotive Service Councils, Inc., 188 Industrial Drive, Suite 112, Elmhurst, IL
60126.
For information on how to become a certified automotive body repairer, write to:
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, 1825 K St., NW, Washington,
DC 20006.
For a directory of accredited private trade and technical schools that offer training
programs in automotive body repair, write to:
National Association of Trade and Technical Schools, 2251 Wisconsin Ave., NW,
Washington, DC 20007.
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