You can usually find our colleague Lucas Saretzki in the office. Among many other things, he analyzes which replacement parts should be incorporated into the febi Truck range in the future. However, Lucas exchanged his computer for a wrench earlier this year. He spent five days in a workshop in Wuppertal where cars, commercial vehicles, and specialty vehicles are repaired.
“I spent three days in a workshop back in 2017. I was able to get a taste of practical experience in the process. In order to deepen my automotive knowledge even further, I was offered another workshop internship,” says the product manager. “It was perfectly clear to me that I wouldn’t be a workshop master after five days, but I was definitely able to take an exciting look behind the scenes.”
Looking Over the Shoulder of the Pros
On site, he was invited to look over the shoulders of the professionals while they worked. Changing the NOx sensor, renewing the AdBlue injection, checking faults, grinding on trailers – these, plus many other tasks, were tackled during Lucas’ stay in the workshop. Furthermore, the febi employee was given the opportunity to lend a hand in changing sensors, air springs, and car body parts under the supervision of a specialist. “Additionally, I was allowed to carry out many easier tasks and preparatory measures.”
Insights into Everyday Workshop Life
This opportunity gave him a valuable glimpse into the everyday work of a workshop. “I developed a feeling for some of the challenges. For instance, small parts are often missing – take sealing rings for filters for example. Such things cost an unnecessary amount of time. That makes complete repair kits all the more valuable.” His impression after five days in the vehicle pit: “Working in a workshop is really exciting and varied. At the same time, however, the employees are also under a lot of time pressure – the vehicles are meant to be back on the road as quickly as possible. But the cohesion among the mechanics is very strong.”
Back at his desk, Lucas Saretzki wants to use this experience for his own work. “I received a few suggestions regarding which replacement parts we could possibly incorporate into the febi range in the future.”
