HGV Technician Review

As a heavy vehicle technician working in a DAF dealership, I inspect, service and repair a large range of HGVs to a high standard. This will include carrying out routine inspections to MOT standard and diagnosing faults on the trucks. I also ensure the workshop is kept clean and tidy and make sure everyone else in the workshop is working in a safe environment.

Apart from learning how to diagnose and repair HGVs, I have also completed training courses in tachograph calibration and servicing and repairing vehicles that carry hazardous goods. I am also attending regular training at DAF to expand my knowledge of the vehicles and how to diagnose faults. I am about to start training to carry out safe loading passes on fuel tankers and get my HGV driving licences.

I enjoyed the apprenticeship programme a lot as it gave me the opportunity to develop skills in a trade which will last for a lifetime. The attitude towards training is excellent and everyone is more than willing to assist in any way to help you gain the skills necessary to succeed in the industry.

During the apprenticeship, college learning in Bristol is very well structured and very informative. The college dates for the year are given out in August so there is plenty of time to prepare for your first visit to college. At the dealership, Skillnet (training provider) tell you what jobs you need to finish to be ready for the next college visit.

I received a massive amount of support from my employer both while in the workplace and at college. In the workplace, everyone was more than willing to assist and teach in any way they could to help me progress in knowledge and ability. While at college, my employer provided me with training aids to help me understand the theory easier and was interested to see what I had learnt to be able to build on my new knowledge.

The training provider gave me a lot of support in giving me tasks to be completed between college blocks so that I could start to build an understanding on a subject before going to college, making my learning experience a lot easier. This also helped to make sure I finished my qualification on time.

My qualification gave me the knowledge and experience I need to complete any job to a high standard and give me a base to grow my strength is diagnosing mechanical and electrical faults on a wide range of vehicles. I feel confident I can complete any job and ongoing training from DAF is helping with this further.

I have opportunities to attend social gatherings with everyone from my workplace and attend professional networking events to meet other employees and speak with new customers and people who wish to get into the trade. These events include The Skills Show where I get to meet a large amount of people who want to find out about the trade and share experiences which will encourage them to pursue a career in the automotive industry

Yes

Excellent company to work for, competitive wage and excellent opportunities for training and progression into other roles within the company. Everyone I have met who works for Imperial have all been friendly and had a positive attitude towards the company, the company employees and the welfare of everyone they meet.

Show a positive attitude towards the job role you are applying for, ask a lot of questions and show why you are the right person for the job. Tell Imperial about every job and accomplishment you have had and show how this makes you better for the job. Dress smart for the interview and done be afraid to meet new people.