HGV Technician / Mechanic
Heavy vehicle technicians / mechanics maintain and repair large vehicles, including lorries, trailers, transporters, forklifts, buses and coaches.
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you could:
- Service vehicles and carry out routine maintenance
- Repair vehicles following breakdowns
- Find and fix mechanical, electrical and hydraulic faults
- Take components apart, repair them and fit them back together
- Work with specialist equipment, including powered and manual tools
- Order replacement parts from suppliers
- Get vehicles ready for inspections
- Check completed repairs before returning vehicles to customers
- Keep records of work undertaken
Skills & knowledge
You'll need:
- Practical skills in using, repairing and maintaining machinery and tools
- An understanding of engineering principles and technology
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- The ability to identify and solve problems
- Flexibility and willingness to adapt
- The ability to use your initiative
- Good practical skills and the ability to work with your hands
- Customer service skills
- Confidence using computers and software
Industry Qualifications
On the Isle of Man, training would usually involve a four-year apprenticeship, combining on-the-job training with one day a week studying general vehicle mechanics at University College Isle of Man (UCM).
Further specialist training in heavy vehicles may be provided through your employer, industry training providers or vehicle manufacturers.
Longer term, gaining HGV driving licences once you meet the minimum age requirements would be useful, particularly for moving vehicles and carrying out road tests following repairs.