ATTS Apprenticeships

Busy Weeks

Katie — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:42:09 +0000

Over the past two weeks Brandon and I have experienced more Tafe education which was about using hand tools in the correct way and storing them properly. We also had the Emergency Response Exercise day for all of Lowes drivers. It showed us what to do in the emergency of a truck accident. It was a great day, a big thanks to the fire brigade, Steve and all the other people who help organise this day, it was very educational and is something every truck driver should know about.
We have been doing a lot of brakes and bearings in the workshop on trailers. We have learnt to be patient these past two weeks as we had to wait for a lot of parts, but in the end everything worked out and all the work got done. The usual A and B services have been completed. We have also seen what can happen if a bearing gets too hot; it makes a mess and a big job. We have also been working with clutches and how to adjust them.

Until next time stay safe and have a great Easter.

New Exciting Things Happening

Katie — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:01:53 +0000

Over the past few weeks we have had a lot on. Watching and helping a new crane truck being built from an old truck chassis was amazing. Watching how each aspect of the truck came together. From cutting and welding to putting the boards on the tray to polishing the cab to make it look presentable. Looking back at what the truck was before hand to what it is now you wouldn’t believe that it could have looked the way it did.

We now have a new project, we have a damaged eight wheelder truck that Lowes Petroleum has bought. Our mission is to deconstruct it and sell the parts that aren’t damaged. This involves taking the motor out, taking the tank, wheels, diffs, pumping gear and many other things off the truck to sell. This will show us how a truck is put together and what breaks and damage can happen when a truck rolls, as this is what happened to this truck. It will be hard work but very educational for us. We are/have been working on this when all our other work has been done.

Some other interesting things that have been happening in the workshop:
Replacing intercoolers, fixing cracks on the trucks and trailers, working with PTO’s and how they work, making brackets, replacing head gaskets, the usual A, B, C and D services, replacing and fixing ring feeders. This is all exciting for us as we are learning new exciting things each and every day.

This Saturday we have a fire emergency awareness day to teach us what to do in case of an emergency. This will help us in case there is an emergency and so that we know and are aware of the dangers and how to prevent them. This day is not on just for Lowes Petroleum as all fuel depots and companies around Goondiwindi have been invited.

We are looking forward to what is planned for the future.

Hectic 2012

Katie — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:50:38 +0000

Wow! How busy has it been then past few weeks. From ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘D’ services on the prime movers and trailers. We have also been busy changing our crane truck over to another truck which is exciting because we get to experience what is involved in making a crane truck what it is. We also have a new full time apprentice mechanic which is also good because we get to help the other mechanics in the workshop teach the new apprentice what we do and how to do things.

Our forklift work is going great, we have been doing little jobs around the yard to work up our 40 hours needed for our log book. We have been learning more and more each day and with the many other problems arising and I am sure that we will learn a lot more as the weeks go on.

Full time is going great and we are loving it. !!!!

A Long Few Weeks

Katie — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:52:36 +0000

Who would have thought that full time work would be so tiring. Starting at 7 and ending at 4 is a long day for us compared to our usual 8.45-3 school days. You learn to appreciate the weekends and look forward to the public holidays. It is now a new year, there will be no more school, no more two days a week work. It is now five days a week, full time work. We have a long road ahead of us and full time work is just the beginning, this is just a taste of what real life is going to be.

Changing brake linings, the usual A and B services, replacing LED lights, wiring, maintaining work cars/utes, cleaning the work shop, a bit of forklift work around the yard and many other things we do on a day-to-day basis. We are learning new things everyday and work is going great.

Stay safe, have fun, and most of all have a great new year.

Full Time Work

Katie — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:08:58 +0000

Wow! Who would have thought that full time work would be so tiring. This past week has been very busy and there is always things to be done. There is no more only working two days a week, now it is five days a week.
Pulling the head off the workshop ute, repairing other vehicles that needed repairing, the usual “A” and “B” service, putting the inertia of a truck back together, replacing suspension components on the trucks and trailers, cleaning and loads more. We also had Tafe for two days which was different but it had to be done. We have had plenty to do and look forward to the future and what it entails.

Plenty to do

Katie — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:37:07 +0000

Wow! We have learnt a lot this past month. Filling out pre-start books and what the dangers are if they aren’t filled out properly, what a ring feeder is made up of and how to take it apart and put it back together. We also learnt what a thermo stat is, how it works and we also had to replace one. We have been completing the usual “A” and “B” services on the prime movers and trailers. We have also replaced shockies, drained coolant, fixed quick shuts, put a fuel strainer on a truck, changed tires, cleaned parts, took a pump of one of the trailers, fixed the workshop ute and other little jobs that needed to be done. But sometimes it is those little jobs that need doing that are the important jobs.

Work is going great. We will be full time apprentices soon and working five days a week instead of two. That will be a big change but a good one.
So from now until next time stay safe and enjoy life.

The Award

Katie — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:31:24 +0000

On the weekend Brandon and I, along with the Management team from Lowes Petroleum and their wives, attended the Queensland Trucking Association Awards night. We were sitting there listening to who was winning the awards when the award that Lowes Petroleum was nominated for came up. When the announcer said that the People Leadership Excellence Award went to Lowes Petroleum, we were all really surprised. We didn’t really know what to say. The award was presented by the Minister for Main Roads. It was a great night and we all enjoyed ourselves and got to meet many other people that are in the QTA and other people who wanted to congratulate us on our win. It was a great win and means a lot to everyone. All the glamour of the awards night is over and this week we are back under the trucks doing our A services.

Thank you.

Always Busy

Katie — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:46:05 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks work has been very busy. Completing the usual “A” and “B” services on the prime movers and trailers we also learnt how a booster works and how to replace them. Fixing leaking air valves, replacing oil hoses, fuel lines, ride height valves, replacing bushes in the springs, fixing cracks, replacing shockies, cleaning the workshop are just some of the things that have filled up these last couple of weeks. We have had school holidays for the last two weeks and now it is back to school and back to only two days working a week. It was different these holidays because both Brandon and I worked separate weeks. I worked the first week of holidays and Brandon worked the second, so we had a taste of what work is like with out both of us being there which was great. I also learnt how to take the head of a motor and change fuel injectors on a car motor. So over these last couple of full on weeks we have learnt a lot which is great. All is well. So until next time stay safe.

A few days at Ostwald Brothers

Katie — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 06:52:26 +0000

WOW! What an excellent couple of days. We went to Dalby to the workshop of Ostwald Brothers for Tuesday and Wednesday. They are a bunch of great people, working with them was great. We practiced our welding skills and did little jobs that needed to be done. By working with the people at Ostwald Brothers we had a new experience to work, it was different and new to us. It was a great experience.

Going Great

Katie — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 06:51:56 +0000

Fork lift training was this week, we passed it with flying colours. After five hours of theory and three hours of practical training we soon learnt a lot about a forklift.

In the past few weeks we have done a lot of things including, oxy cutting, sorted through paper work, fixed a ring binder, fixed air leaks, replaced air compressor, pulled tires of trucks, checked air pressure in tires, replaced brakes, replaced stickers on trailers, washed vehicles, “A” and “B” services on trucks and trailers, fixed lights and a lot of little adjustments that needed fixing.

Work is going great and we are loving it.