Little Trucker Down Under, Autumn 2022

Page 46

A Day in the Life

If it’s broken, we fix it No two days are the same for apprentice mechanic Natarsha Smith, who is working hard to become a specialist in heavy diesel machinery.

N

atarsha works as an apprentice heavy diesel mechanic at Hyster NZ, which provides a range of forklifts and other handling solutions to business.

“We’ve got about 20 machines at this site with forklifts ranging from two and a half tonne right up to twenty-five tonne,” she explains. “We fix anything on the machines that can break - so anything from the front mast to the hydraulics and the

So, I talked with my mechanic today. We chatted a bit about work, and I asked Her if she enjoyed being a mechanic. she said, “Yeah, but at the end of the day I feel like I’ve been through an engine. I’m exhausted.”

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Little trucker down under

electrical and mechanical side. Whatever’s broken, we fix it – you never know what you’re going to get!” With a day so varied, it’s no surprise that Natarsha’s favourite part of the job is problem-solving. “When you’re not sure what’s wrong and you figure it out, that’s

the best.”

Study study study Natarsha’s been working at Hyster NZ in Mount Maunganui for two and a half years and is well on her way through her MITO New Zealand Certificate in Heavy Automotive Engineering. The

I think the mechanic in my local garage has amnesia. I took my truck for a new light bulb, and the mechanic asked me what year it was.


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