What would you do.

[Johnseat]

Basically I'm 32 next month and I've been a HGV Technician since 17 but recently I've fallen out of love with it.
I've had quite a lot of sickness over the past 3 years due to all of the heavy lifting involved and the long shifts I'm working (4 on 4 off 48 hours a week plus call out at the weekends)
I'm considering moving onto cars as they are small and lighter as well as a standard midweek shift.

I really would like to get out of the HGV game whilst I'm still youngish and able to pick up something else quickly, only issue is wages.

I really enjoy fabricating and engineering, welding ect.. Issue is I'm only qualified as a motor vehicle engineer at HNC level.
What options have I got and what would everyone on here do.

 

[BrokenBiker]

personally, if you are looking at it from a lighter work load and higher wages point of view i would look at becoming a main dealer technician...

on of the lads i was an apprentice with was doing the motor vehicle course at HNC and he now works for nissan somewhere up north in the warranty repair section and is quite enjoying it. he said the money is good, hours are good, all the top gear to work with and gets to work on newish cars too so very little in the way of struggling with rusty snapped off studs etc.

 

[bump]

If you find something you love doing then you never work another day in your life.
Easy to say, harder to do.

Main dealer seems like a good move, even in the HGV side. Less of the bespoke fixes and custom hacks to deal with, decent kit. A Mates father was on bus maintenance, He's now with an international courier and likes the spread of work between the HGVs vans and fleet cars.

 

[the snooper]

Basically I'm 32 next month and I've been a HGV Technician since 17 but recently I've fallen out of love with it.
I've had quite a lot of sickness over the past 3 years due to all of the heavy lifting involved and the long shifts I'm working (4 on 4 off 48 hours a week plus call out at the weekends)
I'm considering moving onto cars as they are small and lighter as well as a standard midweek shift.

I really would like to get out of the HGV game whilst I'm still youngish and able to pick up something else quickly, only issue is wages.

I really enjoy fabricating and engineering, welding ect.. Issue is I'm only qualified as a motor vehicle engineer at HNC level.
What options have I got and what would everyone on here do.

if the job is causing you health problems then its time to get out, if you live to be 82 you have another 50 years left and 50 years with poor health wont be any fun

 

[Spark plug]

There always seem to be demand for fork lift fitters round hear, wouldn't be too mutch of a step away from hgv but with new things to learn with electric trucks and the like.

 

[brightspark]

moneys nice but it aint everything if u aren't in good health to obtain it. I can get good cash on callouts after hours but I cant be bothered most times
t

 

[Johnseat]

I've only ever worked at main dealers up to yet.
Did my Apprenticeship with Volvo trucks and then moved to Mercedes benz trucks.

 

[bump]

Ah scrub that idea then.

 

[bump]

Is there much scope to move over to the car side within MB?

 

[blenkie1]

Welding/fabricating is no better if not worse if you were considering going down that line. Heavy lifting, fumes, dust and everything down to a deadline. Plus everything is down to price so you are getting whipped to cut costs.

Built/repaired car transporters for a living and if them wheels were not turning they were not making money was a favourite saying. Pressure was immense to get them out.

 

[Johnseat]

Is there much scope to move over to the car side within MB?

I don't know, I'll drop my cv off on Wednesday and see what they say.

 

[ronan]

Hasn't modern h&s pretty much stopped anyone from ever having to lift anything heavier than a sandwich? I always laugh at deliveries that have huge warnings like "18kg, two person lift only"...

I think the EU has limited it to 25kg.

 

[owas]

I think the EU has limited it to 25kg.

Isn't that more of a recommendation rather than a rule? So you should have 2 people but can do more yourself

I was doing a hell of a lot more than 25kg in my last job

 

[ronan]

I

I was doing a hell of a lot more than 25kg in my last job

You get no thanks for it. Everyone from the unions to insurance companies would be dead against lifting heavy weights anyway, its too easy to drop something heavy down your legs or put your back out and get a claim.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, I have worked on cars as well as the heavy stuff and cars can be harder work physically. On trucks everything is bigger and heavier so mechanical aids are used, on cars stuff is lighter so you tend to do it by hand. For example holding a front strut up with one hand whilst reaching over the wing to put the nut on with the other.

Can you go for promotion to a foreman or manager? Or become a trainer or instructor? It gets you off the spanners whilst using your knowledge and expertise and staying in your field.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Colin

 

[colnerov]

You get no thanks for it. Everyone from the unions to insurance companies would be dead against lifting heavy weights anyway, its too easy to drop something heavy down your legs or put your back out and get a claim.

Which is why bigger companies give manual handling training. Then they can say that you've had training, if you've hurt yourself you must have done something wrong and be partly to blame.

 

[ronan]

Which is why bigger companies give manual handling training. Then they can say that you've had training, if you've hurt yourself you must have done something wrong and be partly to blame.

Very true, but there still has to be a limit, the days of carrying hundredweight sacks and all that have hopefully gone.

http://www.beckettandco.co.uk/manual_handling__faq_weight.html

 

[Johnseat]

I've asked several times to be the shift charge hand when the role has come available but everytime I do I'm told they can't afford me to be off the spanners with my diagnostic capabilities, basically I'm the turn to person when they require a job sorting out.
Also I'm not a yes man constantly and I'll
speak my mind to gaffer's if I think it's necessary.

 

[armalites]

I guess the big thing is going to be where your priorities are, could you still afford the life you want if you were to move to a different job? If you are already working 48hrs then they can't make you work more than that in a week and I appreciate you are working 48hrs in 8 days not 7 so you are probably quite a way from the 48hr rule at the end of a 17 week period.

As you have a qualification you could do the MOT training without issues, money may not be there but it will be a lot less stressful on your body.

It's always going to be a difficult choice unless the job is making you ill.

I work in a job where I do OOH standby. There are times where I think I could do without it but the amount of good things in my life that it provides far outweighs that and I'm not in a position where it's affecting my health. I'm not even talking about having flash cars or holidays because neither of those apply to me.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

....I'm told they can't afford me to be off the spanners with my diagnostic capabilities, basically I'm the turn to person when they require a job sorting out.

So you've made yourself indispensable in your present role. As above by pdg, you could suggest that you've been considering moving on for 'self-improvement', but that has the potential of becoming a double-edged sword if they say "OK, well we're sorry to see you go, but...."

Good luck with whatever you decide.