At first glance, the idea of the U.S. Secret Service setting up shop at a vehicle trade show might sound like a rumor awaiting debunking. But this November in Las Vegas, it’s no gag.

At AAPEX 2025, the massive automotive aftermarket expo held annually, the Secret Service will host a booth to recruit ASE-certified technicians right alongside the industry’s biggest repair and parts brands.

America’s most famous protection agency needs more mechanics

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), the group behind technician certification, is teaming up with the Secret Service to highlight how urgent the mechanic shortage has become…and how far the career can take you.

Two armored Chevrolet Suburbans will sit on display near “Joe’s Garage,” the hands-on training hub at AAPEX, as ASE and Secret Service representatives make their pitch: skilled auto techs don’t just fix family sedans.

They help safeguard the President of the United States, the Vice President, former presidents, and their families.

I covered this shortage after TechForce Foundation published its 2024 “Transportation Technician Supply and Demand” report

That study found the U.S. must fill nearly 971,000 technician positions across automotive, diesel, and aviation fields by 2028.

The math was brutal: most of that demand wasn’t even new growth. It was to replace existing mechanics retiring or leaving the field.

The shortage has rolled over year after year, creating a vacuum that now reaches from the smallest independent shops to the Secret Service’s motor pool.

It’s no mystery why the pipeline dried up

For years, schools and parents steered students toward four-year degrees while downplaying trade careers.

Many who might’ve excelled as techs wound up in corporate cubicles instead.

Meanwhile, the cars those graduates drive have only gotten older. Today, the average vehicle in the U.S. is nearly 13 years old, and there are 291 million of them on the road…meaning more repair demand than ever.

ASE president Dave Johnson explained that modern cars are “rolling robots,” packed with complex electronics and code

That means today’s technicians need computer skills, diagnostic ability, and a calm head under pressure.

It’s not just wrench work anymore, and the pay is starting to reflect that. WrenchWay reports the median salary for experienced auto techs hovers around $90,000, with many earning more.

For the Secret Service, it’s mission-critical

Their fleets include heavily modified vehicles that need top-tier upkeep under tight security.

That takes ASE-certified professionals trained in advanced systems.

For anyone looking to build a stable, high-demand, and surprisingly versatile career, this is your moment

Skilled techs can pivot into management, engineering, or even open their own repair businesses. And as ASE and the Secret Service will both remind attendees at AAPEX, there’s real honor in being the expert who keeps America’s executive leaders rolling.

To learn more about ASE certification, visit ASE.com. For current technician openings with the U.S. Secret Service, explore SecretService.gov/careers.