Tell us, what do you do at DAF?
"I work as a Diagnostic Engineer in the after sales department. Together with my colleagues, I make sure that DAVIE—a diagnostic tool that you connect to the truck—is maintained and improved. I am part of the cab team, so I am responsible for all of the systems in the cab, such as the digital display, radio and climate control."

"One example that I’ve been working on recently is the pixel test. The new truck series now includes an infotainment system with touch screen. This is a new system, so there wasn't a pixel test available for the tool. If technicians in the workshop now connect the tool to the truck, they can easily see if there are any missing pixels in the infotainment system.”

Why did you choose DAF as an employer?
"I studied Automotive Technology at Eindhoven University of Technology and DAF is, as you might know, the only OEM in the Netherlands that manufactures entire vehicles. In addition, it was my plan to start my first job after my studies with a large company, so that I kept on learning. But what I really like is that despite how big the company is, it still feels very close-knit. Not to mention, DAF continued to recruit employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating how stable the company is."

What does an average work day look like?
"We start every morning with a daily scrum meeting. In this meeting we discuss what we did yesterday and what we will do today. Then I start working on my most urgent tasks. These might be tasks related to maintaining or improving the tool. I also have regular contact with our product development engineers, who supply the ECUs. We then create the diagnostics and the test setup in the simulation lab. Our final step is always to test on the truck, so you can properly see the interaction with all of the other components in the truck."

What have you learnt since you started working here?
"During my studies I specialised in IT and had gained experience in programming. But the tools used at DAF are completely different. You really have to learn on the job. There is no ready-made formula for you to follow. You start off with simple tasks and I'm now also picking up increasingly complex problems Fortunately, everyone is always willing to help."

What do you like best about your work?
"I never go a single day without talking to someone. That's my favourite thing — seeing my colleagues and working together, not only with direct colleagues, but also with colleagues from other departments."

"Another thing that I like is that you make something and then you can see that it works with your own eyes. You actually have an impact on the work and are listened to when you say if something is possible or not."