Workshop Supervisor – Long-Distance Fleet

Job description

Job Purpose Lead the day-to-day maintenance, repair and inspection of Company's fleet of over 150 long-distance trucks and trailers (prime movers, tippers, flat-beds, tautliners, tankers, skeletal trailers and general cargo trailers) operating on national and cross-border routes. Ensure maximum fleet availability, safety on the road, on-time preventive maintenance, cost-effective spares management and full compliance with statutory and Tanzanian / regional road-transport requirements. Key Responsibilities • Supervise mechanics, technicians, electricians, helpers, tyre staff and sub-contracted service providers; organise workshop teams, shift cover and mobile / roadside support crews to service a fleet of more than 150 long-distance trucks and trailers. • Plan and execute preventive maintenance (PM) schedules for the entire long-distance fleet of 150+ trucks and trailers as per OEM, statutory and company reliability targets; ensure no unit operates on the road with an expired PM or inspection. • Diagnose faults, plan repairs and ensure timely restoration of equipment to working condition to minimize operational downtime in the CFS / ICD. • Coordinate with the CFS / ICD yard and operations teams on yard-side equipment availability, urgent breakdowns and equipment rotation; escalate shared-resource issues with long-distance fleet to the Transport / Dispatch office. • Work closely with the Transport / Dispatch office to schedule PM and repair windows for each truck and trailer around its cargo commitments, road-trip cycles, customer deadlines and cross-border turnaround. • Provide remote and roadside breakdown support for the long-distance fleet – triage breakdowns over phone / WhatsApp, dispatch mobile mechanics, arrange towing, recovery and third-party repair in upcountry or cross-border locations, and get trucks back on the road quickly and safely. • Coordinate with drivers on daily pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections, fault reporting and cleanliness of trucks and trailers; track repeat fault patterns by driver, vehicle and route. • Coordinate with the Transport / Compliance team on cross-border fleet documentation – vehicle road service licences, TIR carnets, insurance, road-worthiness, axle-weight compliance and customs requirements. • Maintain accurate equipment maintenance records – job cards, PM records, downtime logs, spare-parts consumption, fuel / lubricants records. • Manage spare-parts inventory – ordering, stock control, vendor selection, warranty claims – in coordination with procurement. • Coordinate with external service providers and OEM dealers for specialized jobs, overhauls, warranty work and statutory inspections. • Ensure workshop safety – toolbox talks, PPE usage, fire-safety, oil / chemical handling, waste oil disposal, housekeeping and lock-out / tag-out procedures. • Maintain workshop tools, equipment and infrastructure in safe and reliable condition. • Control workshop costs – overtime, spares, external service, consumables – within budget. • Coordinate statutory inspection and certification for the entire fleet – vehicle road service licences, brake tests, axle-weight compliance, SUMATRA / Tanzania police requirements, and any lifting equipment, pressure vessels or fuel tanks used in the workshop. • Maintain the equipment master list, equipment history files and pre-shift inspection checklists. • Support incident / accident investigations involving equipment (rollover, collision, fire, fluid spillage). • Train and develop workshop staff on safe working practices, new equipment technologies and OEM-recommended procedures. Qualification & Skills • Diploma / Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, Auto-electrical, Heavy Equipment Technician or related field. • At least 5–7 years of hands-on experience supervising maintenance of a large long-distance truck / trailer fleet – 100+ units preferred; experience with cross-border operations, road transport companies, or long-haul logistics is strongly valued. • Sound working knowledge of diesel engines (Euro II / III / IV common-rail), heavy-vehicle gearboxes, axles, air and hydraulic brake systems, suspensions, electrical systems, refrigeration units (if applicable) and trailer sub-systems (skeletal, flat-bed, tautliner, tanker, tipper). • Practical experience diagnosing and managing roadside breakdowns and coordinating recovery across long distances and cross-border routes. • Demonstrated ability to lead a multi-shift workshop team, plan work, manage spares and coordinate effectively with Transport / Dispatch. • Good understanding of Tanzanian road-transport statutory requirements – TS / road service licence, SUMATRA regulations, axle-weight rules, customs and transit requirements. • Good understanding of workshop safety and OEM maintenance requirements. • Working knowledge of English and Swahili; competent in Excel / fleet-management reporting.