manual assessment at Jag/Land Rover

punk84

It's funny iv heard the same thing, my friend is quitting jag to go back to stocking shelves at the end of the month, Some people have, you just have to persevere, fight through the tough bit till your comfortable, nobody said it would be easy, you get paid well, but by hell do you have to earn it if your on trim n final.

simond224

what's the working day like then guys ?? start at 7 first break at what time etc ... and how many cars do u tend to get done in a shift.. I dno just give us an insight into your working day so we want that phone call even more LOL

bimma

the working days vary depending on which part you work on i think..at the moment in trim & final its start at 6.30 am, first break 9.am for 20 mins, lunch at 12.00 pm for 30 mins then 2.00 pm 15 min break. and finish at 3.00 pm. toilet breaks or 'water breaks' well you cant as you only get 2/3 mins to work on a car and if your job is a single man job then you have to get someone like ure team leader to cover you before you go. even the 2 man stations i.e 1 working the left side 1 working the right ..you cant expect the other guy to cover you because he only has time for his own job! You get a 1st alarm 5 min before break and a second alarm at break time and again when break finishes. canteens are available in each building but as everyone is on same break spaces are limited so 1st come 1st serve. There is another main canteen/diner but its a walk so by time u get there/leave time to come back you have 10 mins to eat!

production wise i think our target is approx 150 / 160 cars a day . In trim there are 5 lines. so approx 30 cars going down each line at any time (i.e approx 30 stages). the times vary from line to line but its average of 2.5min-3min per car. but believe me that flies by. like the guys say in previous post...its hard graft and i would be lying saying its easy . The money is tempting but you defo earn it and they get their pennies worth off you.

All new starters find it hard its like any job you go to where its an environment that your not used to i.e office job to manual labour then it will be a culture shock to you. it takes at least a week to settle in any new job and i would give this 2 weeks.

They tell you the onjob training is 3/4 weeks but when you start on track you get put with someone who is trying to teach you aswell as keep up with their takt time so its down to you to pay attention watch listen and learn. then you have to try and do bits but without making that guy fall behind so best to do it small bits ( most jobs usually have 8 to 10 small steps which could be something like putting a bolt on to putting a wheel on.) But i think the 3/4 weeks is bull because by the end of the 1st week you are expected to have learnt your task /process and the rest mainly the 2nd week is to brush up and concentrate on hitting speed /takt time. Its pretty much throw in the deep end and you have to learn to swim ..there is no other option..your colleagues will help you but they can only do so much as they have got a job to do themselves. It definately is high pressure.

I think that from the amount of money they spent, they should have 1 week learning the theory part of it and 1 week on the station with a proper trainer who can soley just show you the job and not worry about doing their own aswell.

punk84

I can only speak for myself, im luck and landed on my feet in Body in white, Turn up around half 6. Quick cup of tea then clock in and off to stations, buzzer goes start working, now in body in white the track only moves when we press the button and all the jobs are easily doable in the alloted time. First break is for 20 mins, at half past 9. You get a chance to get some brekkie, which is suprisingly cheap! beans on 3 pieces of toast with eggs is around £1.50 odd. the buzzer goes again 5 minuits before your break ends to tell you to get back. Then you head back. This is the longest part of the day. then next break for 35 mins at 12.30. then the next one is for 10 minuits at half 2. and we finish for around half 3.10.

For us the work is constant steady pace. We don't rush but we don't dawdle. Usually at some point there is a break down, which allows us to do the cars we have infront of us, usually around four or five. this gives us more time on the next cars, but they take all of around a Minuit so there is much standing around! lol. I made a mistake today, but im only 3 days in so im hoping it was forgiven! I won't say what i did, or didn't do. lol

bimma

simond224, without sounding negative mate im being honest..if you have got a job that pays well and its secure..i would seriously weigh out the pros and cons for each before making the leap. This is a temporary on going weekly contract for 1 year so nothing is certain..but they told us that like with most jobs they expect the courtesy of 1 weeks notice if decide to pack it in, and likewise they will do the same and not just come find you, tap on shoulder saying we dont need you anymore...like some agencies!

excellent money here for sure but if its something you havent done before at all (not necesarily car production) if your not used to intense labour then it will be hard for the 1st few weeks at least until your body adapts. It like going to the gym for the first time ever...not warming up and doing a tough work out...the feeling you get the next morning..stiff unable to move with feeling pain, well it feels like that after your first day at least, sort of lol

Another thing is you are on your feet all day and the only time you get to sit down is on breaks unless your job involves sitting inside the car for something but that would mean you have to be very agile and get in and out of the car quickly...hence the magnet tests. While i was on tour i saw 1 lad he had a little stool which he sat on to put some screws on by the front bumper.

Lucky_Mucky

You've made it sound scary now, especially with the no toilet breaks, i'd be worried about it and thinking about trying not to go and making it worse.

punk84

I can't say we have that problem in body in white. Not to make it sound like we stand around doing nothing. We do work hard, but toilet breaks and stuff are not really a big deal. If we do need to go, just wait til there is a inevitable breakdown, or work a lil harder so there is a backlog of cars for the next station, and make a bee line for it. But usualy you just ask! managers in BIW are sound as.

MrK88

I know a few local lads who all work at Land Rover who all car share, they are on the green shift and he told me to ask to go on to this shift so i can jump in with them and not worry about the winter coming up having only a motorbike license, do you think they will understand and put my on the same shift or do you think ill have no chance

bimma

lucky mucky...i was fully aware of the toilet break think as i researched the job whilst i was in the application process.. its not like there are no toilet breaks or its forbidden!..its just that with the type of work its not like a normal job when you can up and go as when you feel like it...you have to get someone .(usually team leader) to take you off so you have to plan it few mins in advance..find them or worst case pull the cord to stop track so then they find you and ask what the problem is lol. then you can go.
If you have a weak bladder then lol youll be in trouble. but if you drink a lot during the breaks then you will be bursting . Again your body will adap to it and you will learn to control it till break time lol

simond224

looks like punk is the lucky one lol, nah that sounds good all of it, at the moment I work 12 hour shifts and only get 2 half hour unpaid breaks and am on my feet most days so this sounds good to me, obviously you will be out of your comfort zone for a good few days. Thats me off the forum anyway lads, its just stressing me out because I want that phone call to come, so im just gunna wait! if I ever get the call ill let you lot know !! good luck