Maarten Ramaekers
Mechanic in the Technical Service
“I feel part of a group of friends and that makes working at DAF even more fun”
Maarten has been working at DAF for 5 years as a technician in the Technical Service. After completing his bachelor's degree in Electrical Mechanics, he immediately started working at DAF in practice. Together with a few colleagues, he carpools from Belgian Limburg to Eindhoven.
From theory to practice
“I started here right after my education. It was a training with a lot of theory, so the step to practice was initially big. It was quite overwhelming at first; the large factory halls, many different machines, many new colleagues, but that was above all one big learning experience. We have improved that introduction process since a few years. For example, you can now walk with a colleague for the first few weeks and get to know the machines. Since this year I am also coaching new colleagues. I even followed a course for that.”
The work of a technician in the technical service
‘You often start at 7.00 in the morning and start with a short meeting and a cup of coffee. The work in the technical service varies from periodic maintenance to troubleshooting. You never know what the day will bring and that's what makes it fun. I find solving the malfunctions the most challenging. There are so many different machines here. From pneumatic and hydraulic machines to robots and from ovens to test cells. And that variety ensures that I keep learning new things. We also expect you to try to solve the malfunction yourself, but it's nice to know that there are colleagues who can help.' Maarten's team consists of about 20 colleagues, including a team leader and a supervisor. “The contact with colleagues is going well. We have a very close-knit team, you feel part of a group of comrades and that makes the work extra fun. I even see part of it privately and we jump in the gap for each other if necessary.'
New colleague
“You have to be motivated and able to persevere with a good technical basis. We can teach you the rest. There are also all kinds of programs within DAF that you can join. Oh, and a little sense of humor is welcome too!”
