In this month’s edition of our ‘Women of Hino’ Series, we spoke with Trish Becker, Sales Co-ordinator at CMI Hino Adelaide. She’s come a long way since her career began in aftermarket car sales and is now cutting a new path in the trucking industry at Hino.
Sold on the automotive industry
Trish got into the automotive industry back in 1994 when she was 26. Starting off with a role helping customers through the process of ordering a new car to taking delivery of it, she soon progressed into a sales position.
After having a family, Trish ventured back into the car industry. When a role as Sales Coordinator came up at CMI Hino Adelaide, Trish says she jumped at the chance. “I thought I could easily adapt from cars to trucks. I soon found out they’re not the same at all. When a car arrives at a dealer, it's already built. There’s a lot more involved in coordinating truck builds. This took me a while to get my head around, but I got there in the end.”
It’s almost 5 years now that Trish has been at CMI Hino Adelaide. In that time, she’s become a bit of a maestro when it comes to getting the trucks ready for the road.
Taking her career up a gear with Hino
Trish keeps the sales process running like a well-oiled machine. She makes sure the truck body builders are kept abreast of all arrival times of the new trucks and the parts department have all the accessories ready for the truck before it goes to the body builders. Once the body is built, Trish sees to the finishing touches on the truck with wheel alignments, calibration, final checks and detailing; ready for the customer to take delivery of their brand-new Hino.
Getting the job done with a Hino
Trish highlights the key selling point for Hino. “From where I stand it’s definitely the reliability. These businesses are people’s livelihoods, and they need a truck they can rely on to turn up for work each day and keep doing the job.”
She continues, “I think loyalty is a big factor too. Customers trust the Hino brand. You see it from the sales department to the team in servicing. It’s not just business, it’s more like they’re a friend of the family.”
Rising to the challenge at Hino
No doubt every role has its challenges. But that’s what Trish tells us she loves about the job. Meeting those challenges and overcoming them is what it’s all about for her. She explains, “Delays with suppliers’ materials and staff being unavailable impact the deadlines we’ve promised our customers. Honesty is the best policy here. We keep our customers informed regularly and are open with them about the situations that arise.”
With ever-changing technology in the transport sector, it can also be a challenge staying across everything all the time. However, Hino is a company that keeps the team up to speed with everything. “We have Toolbox meetings with the group every month to highlight what is new. It's great and highly informative. We get in the trucks and driving them is a fantastic way to learn about the product.”
Driving around in the trucks is one of Trish’s career highlights. She has a HR truck license which she thinks is pretty cool! “I love getting out of the office and driving the trucks where they need to be. Chatting with all our suppliers, discussing builds and our personal lives, we are all good friends and we all treat each other with respect.”
The drive you need to succeed
The trucking industry might be seen as a field more geared towards males, but Trish is a strong advocate for encouraging more women to get involved. “This industry is male dominated; however, the girls are a huge part of our success and happiness. If you are thinking of joining the trucking industry, you should do it! It is extremely rewarding.”
Trish has managed to make her mark at CMI Hino and play a major part in the success of the business. She’s one of the many women who are helping to drive this industry. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Trish at Hino.