Bus, Truck & Trailer Manufacturing Operator Profile
I entered the automotive industry older than your usual person. I noticed a position at a truck manufacturing company and thought “why not, I’ve never worked in a factory environment before.”
I had come from a completely diverse background. The only experience I had within the automotive industry was working part-time in a service station when I was a teenager. I was more used to a retail environment, with a background in sales and repairs.
Fortunately the truck manufacturing company considered me worthy for the position, regardless of my age. I saw this as a terrific opportunity presented to me and welcomed the challenge.
The work I do
I tend to undertake a variety of tasks appropriate to my particular workplace in the manufacture and assembly of buses and/or trucks and/or trailers. In my circumstance I work in cab trim, which involves fitting out all the cabs before they are dropped into the chassis. I have learnt a lot of skills in this, so I have a fairly extensive knowledge on the entire process.
Also included in my range of duties are reading and interpreting working drawings, basic welding, cutting, fabricating, finishing and painting of surfaces, assembling and fitting out components and minor modifications and repairs. We also deal with receiving and storing parts, operating load shifting equipment and working with others in a team production environment. There is a fair degree of technology involved in this process.
Common sense also plays a huge factor and when at times things don’t operate accordingly; knowledge is a huge key.
My workplace
The physical structure of our workplace has some excellent aspects in terms of set-up. I have worked in some pretty bad environments, however my company has some huge benefits in terms of facilities for the employees. The pressure of the manufacturing industry often means that the workshop can be fairly chaotic, however the streamline processes in place often mean that we can cope with anything that comes our way.
The atmosphere here is pretty good. Everyone turns up to work each day, and is fairly genuine about what they do, ensuring they get the job done. Everybody has his or her own area of responsibility and a certain degree of pride is held in ensuring work is done to an adequate level.
There are also enormous opportunities for women in manufacturing industry, particularly in cab trim because of the job requirements. Everyone is fairly unified and there isn’t any discrimination with regards to sex, race, and religion. Working with people from so many diverse backgrounds has been good for me as a person, teaching me a lot in regards to different cultures and backgrounds. You are definitely never too old to learn new things!
Education and training
Until I began with my employer, I hadn’t undertaken any formal training since I originally completed school in year 11, after which I immediately entered the retail workforce. I remained in this industry for a number of years working my way through warehousing, store development and then eventually up to the management of a retail outlet.
After beginning with this company, I was offered the opportunity to complete
my Certificate II in Automotive Manufacturing (Bus, Truck & Trailer).
>> course/qualification
Why I love this industry…
I love the challenge. Manufacturing can be a repetitious thing, however you learn to overcome that and just be positive every day when you walk in and just get on with the task at hand. I love the environment; I get excited about the people I work with. I love learning new things every day. Eventually I think we will see more rotation through roles within the company, but the pressure and constraints of learning the job requirements are too great given it would take approximately 3 months to become fluent at your post.
All of my personal goals are set within the company. I take everyday as it comes, and always strive towards any opportunity that may further myself as a person, or my career.
ATA would like to thank Kenworth Trucks for their assistance.