Meet Harry: Ottawa’s Apprentice Technician

By: Leigh

Video Transcript

Parts for Trucks are there to try and help us advance quicker the best way they can, and I think they’re doing a good job. My name is Harry Harbers and I’m a tech. I started off as a junior in the shop and I worked my way into the garage. There used to be what they call a tool room where they kept all the heavy duty equipment for the shop guys to use.

So that all had to be calculated and kept up and clean and put away. So if someone came in and needed a grinder, I would pass the grinder from the shop and they could use it. When they were done, they had to bring it back. I did that for about a year and then there was an opening in the shop where I could actually go on the floor and I started.

I’ve been there ever since. I’m not so much into the heavy equipment part of it. I’m doing like trailers and utility trailers. So it’s near the end of my career. So I’m getting into that lighter stuff. But it’s not heavy work, something I can do or something I enjoy doing and helping the guys out when I can.

Harry has been here for a long time, as you know, 44 years I think now. He has a wealth of knowledge and knowledge that I never had and I probably never will. But what makes it even better is that Harry is still here and able to give that to our younger apprentices. We actually make a point when we get somebody new apprentice or even a technician, we try and take them up with Harry for a bit just to try and, try and take a little bit of that knowledge and put it into them.

Because some of the stuff he’s done is old school and we say old school, it’s stuff that we can give you all the training you want, you’re never going to learn, right? This is stuff you have to be able to feel from a guy like Harry. Harry has a passion for the business and you’ve got to see that the guy is he won’t stop, he’s an Energizer bunny and he keeps you going. And he wants to give that knowledge to the younger generation, which is absolutely amazing. We need more of that.

We have a good group of guys here to work with. It’s almost like a family. Well, it’s been like that for years now, and I think since Parts for Trucks took over, it’s gotten better. We all get along. If someone needs a hand, will take a few minutes and get that person to hand with without any hesitation. We’re all easy to work with. I enjoy coming to work because I know the staff in here are really good to work with and we have no issues. You get the odd time, you have bad days, but nine times out of ten the days are pretty good.