Yes! I’m back on the trucks after far too many years working as a car mechanic and I could not be happier.
My career began with heavy goods vehicles and I’m classified as a fully qualified HGV mechanic, however, somewhere along the way I drifted from trucks. At first I shifted over to repairing trailers and then after that ended up repairing light domestic vehicles. In hindsight it has been quite advantageous to have gained a versatile skill set but always in the back of my mind I’ve wanted to return to work on HGVs.
The catalyst to my return has been the brutal cost of living increase. Light vehicle mechanics really don’t get paid what we’re worth, especially considering how technical new vehicles have become. Nowadays, if you want to be considered a competent mechanic, you have to be a skilled electrician as well as being a mechanical technician. With that in mind, to be paid little more than a shelf stacker is an absolute piss-take. Unless you’re self employed this is best you can expect to be paid.
I squeezed every penny I could out of my previous employer but after the cost of living skyrocketed I found myself broke a week before my next pay check. Nobody should work all week in any job and find themselves just getting by, so I thought, “that’s it, I’ve had enough. I’m worth more than this!”…
Due to the lack of qualified and reliable HGV mechanics, wages in this sector have increased dramatically over the last few years, so thank goodness I’ve got experience working on HGVs and a recognised qualification to reassure an employer, otherwise I’d have been in quite a pickle.
I’ve been apprehensive about stepping back into HGV mechanics as things have moved on a lot and I know I’d probably have to go through a sharp learning curve in order to catch up. Finally though, I buried my insecurities and applied for a new job as a HGV mechanic and was successful. I was over the moon to get this job and I’m now working for one of the UK’s biggest HGV retailers.
I now have the pleasure of working on every different make and model of HGV and having that variety to work with will pay dividends when it comes to relearning my trade.
For now I have to bide my time while I reacquaint myself with these vehicles. It is quite frustrating at times feeling like an apprentice in a trade I used to be confident in. Processes that were second nature are now tasks that I have to recall and sometimes I find myself doubting or 2nd-guessing what I’m doing. This move has certainly put me out of my comfort zone but I have to keep telling myself to look at the bigger picture. In time I’ll be up to speed and never again will I have to worry about working in exchange for just enough money to get by. Furthermore, I’ve always preferred working on HGVs. It makes you feel like a kid again, surrounded by giant dumper trucks and playing with hydraulic grabbers all day, not to mention the tools we use too!
Everything is big and loud, just how I remember it. And what’s cooler than driving a big old truck?!
