Workshop Manager - HGV Transport in Walton-on-Thames

HGV Workshop Manager

Near Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

A well-established transport group is looking for an HGV Workshop Manager to take charge of the workshop supporting a fleet of over 50 HGVs, trailers, drawbar combinations and specialist lorry-loader crane vehicles.

You’ll lead the in-house workshop team and coordinate external maintenance providers. Working closely with the Transport Manager, you’ll decide which jobs take priority, who is best equipped to tackle them and when a vehicle can safely return to service. You’ll own each job from the first defect report or planned inspection through to final checks and sign-off.

This role offers scope to shape how the workshop runs and to grow within the group. It would suit an experienced HGV Workshop Manager, Workshop Controller or Workshop Foreman who already takes responsibility for people, maintenance planning and vehicle availability.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Workshop planning and delivery. Set the daily schedule around safety priorities, vehicle bookings and customer commitments. Allocate work according to technician skills, parts and equipment availability. Set realistic completion times, track labour hours and resolve delays. Keep the workshop management system up to date so every open job has an owner, a current status and an expected finish time.
• Fleet availability and communication. Give the Transport Manager and planners a clear picture of which vehicles are available, which are off the road and when each is expected back. Alert them promptly when a new defect, parts delay or change in repair scope affects the transport schedule.
• Maintenance and roadworthiness. Plan preventative maintenance inspections (PMIs), servicing, MOT preparation and repairs. Review inspection and MOT reports, allocate remedial work and follow defects through to closure. Maintain the inspection sheets, repair histories and sign-offs that support the company’s operator licence obligations. Release vehicles only once the required repairs, safety checks and authorisations are complete.
• People, safety and training. Set clear expectations for workmanship, productivity and safe working. Monitor attendance, timekeeping and timesheets, address performance issues and ensure technicians have the tools and instructions they need. Identify and record technical training, including IRTEC where applicable, and maintain a safe, organised workshop.
• Parts, suppliers and cost control. Source parts, compare quotations and track deliveries against repair deadlines. Control spending on parts and consumables, check invoices against agreed prices and completed work, and identify savings that preserve safety and reliability.
• External workshops and specialist providers. Book outsourced repairs, inspections and specialist lorry-loader crane maintenance. Agree scope, costs and turnaround times, monitor progress, check the quality of completed work and obtain the supporting reports.
• Damage repairs and insurance claims. Arrange damage inspections and estimates, compile photographs and claim paperwork, and liaise with insurers, brokers and repairers. Track each repair and claim through to resolution and record the costs and outcome.

You’ll report regularly to the Transport Manager on the following key performance indicators and use them to improve workshop performance.

Key indicators

Fleet availability;

Number of vehicles off the road, duration of downtime and actual versus forecast return-to-service times;

Workshop delivery;

Jobs completed by the agreed deadline, number and age of outstanding jobs, and actual labour hours against planned hours;

Maintenance compliance;

PMIs, servicing and MOTs completed on schedule, outstanding defects and evidence of corrective work and sign-off before release;

Team performance and safety;

Technician productivity, timesheet accuracy, attendance, workmanship, safe working practices and completion of identified training;

Parts and maintenance costs;

Parts, labour and contractor costs against estimates or agreed prices, invoice discrepancies and delays caused by parts shortages;

Contractor and claims management;

Contractor turnaround times, quality of completed repairs, receipt of inspection reports, and progress of damage repairs and insurance claims;

Reporting and communication;

Accuracy of job records and fleet status reports, and how promptly the transport team is told about defects, delays or changes to vehicle availability;

What you’ll bring

• Proven experience running an HGV workshop or managing a comparable commercial vehicle maintenance operation, with direct responsibility for allocating work and supervising technicians.
• Strong technical knowledge of HGVs, trailers and drawbar combinations, with a sound understanding of PMIs, MOT preparation, defect rectification and roadworthiness requirements.
• Practical experience using a computerised workshop or fleet maintenance system to plan jobs, record labour and costs, and maintain vehicle histories.
• Experience purchasing parts, controlling repair expenditure, managing external providers and coordinating damage repairs and insurance claims.
• The judgement to re-prioritise a busy workshop, the confidence to address delays or poor workmanship, and the ability to give drivers, technicians and transport planners clear, timely updates.