Behind the Scenes of a Next-Generation Garage

Yet behind the doors of a modern workshop lies a real war machine entirely focused on a single objective: getting vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible. In Dijon, TruckStop opened the doors of DAF LEFEVRE, one of the benchmark dealerships in the Dutch manufacturer's French network.

Between parts logistics, electronic diagnostics, preparation of new vehicles, bodywork and new professions, immerse yourself in a rapidly changing world where grease and grime have given way to technology… without ever making the passion disappear.

When we talk about trucks, we naturally think of the driver, the transport operator or the manufacturer. Yet there is an essential link without which no heavy truck could carry out its mission: the dealership. That is precisely what we wanted to discover at TruckStop.

Off to Dijon, where Tristan welcomes us to the DAF LEFEVRE premises. A company firmly established in the region for thirty years, which today employs around forty people and supports hundreds of vehicles every day. Here, trucks are sold, of course, but above all, they make sure that they continue to run for as long as possible.

And that is the whole difference. Because as Tristan reminds us with a smile, “the first truck is sold by the salesperson… the second by after-sales.” A sentence that perfectly sums up the reality of the profession.

Before even entering the workshop, a mandatory stop at the parts store. From the outside, it looks like a simple counter. In reality, behind the doors lies a real warehouse where several thousand references are stored. From filters to brake pads, clutch discs to bodywork parts, every location is designed to meet a simple requirement: prevent a truck from remaining immobilised because of a missing part. Because today, time has become the number one enemy of the transport operator. You all know it, but a vehicle that is stopped produces nothing, so everything here is organised around this notion of availability.

Parts consumption statistics, maintenance histories, maintenance contracts and even data sent directly by the vehicles now make it possible to anticipate requirements. We see it in all our tests today: the truck no longer simply drives, it communicates. Thanks to connected systems, certain diagnostics are carried out even before the driver walks through the dealership door. A silent revolution that is profoundly changing the profession.

The image of the mechanic covered in grease, with a 32 mm wrench in his hand and a cigarette at the corner of his lips, definitely belongs to the past. You only have to walk a few metres through the Dijon workshop to be convinced. The floor is clean. Workstations are perfectly organised. Lifting equipment replaces physical effort. Every intervention follows precise procedures and protective equipment is everywhere. The modern garage looks more like a high-tech workshop than the image many people still have of it. And above all… women now have their full place there.

Female technicians, bodywork specialists, painters… profiles are becoming more diverse and gender diversity is becoming a daily reality. An evolution that Tristan is proud to highlight. The profession is changing and so are mindsets.

Laptops are now just as essential as toolboxes. Alongside conventional maintenance operations, a large part of the work now consists of interpreting the information sent by the control units. The technician becomes a diagnostician. They must understand electronics, master software, keep up with developments in onboard systems and be capable of working on increasingly complex vehicles. Mechanics are obviously still present, but they now share the spotlight with IT. And let’s be clear, this phenomenon is only just beginning because from what I see on all the new trucks from all manufacturers, and with the arrival of electric trucks, let’s just say we are only at the beginning!

As we walk through the workshop, it is impossible to miss the marked-out areas dedicated to electric vehicles. The future is no longer waiting; it is already becoming the present. The technicians have undergone specific training and safety procedures have been completely revised. The equipment has also been adapted. Working on an electric truck cannot be improvised. The entire dealership is adapting, and this is not only true for mechanics. The parts store, working methods, diagnostics, procedures… everything is evolving.

Nevertheless, nobody claims to know exactly what the profession will look like in ten years. Electric motors will eliminate certain traditional operations such as engine oil changes or oil filter replacement. But one thing is certain: they will create other needs, so the challenge today is to prepare for this transition.

Another surprise during this visit: the age of the teams. Workshops now welcome many young technicians. Some are barely twenty years old and already have several years of experience thanks to apprenticeships. At DAF LEFEVRE, training has become a genuine investment. Every new arrival is supported by a mentor. The manufacturer's internal training programmes complement hands-on learning. CAP, vocational baccalaureate, BTS… There are many different paths. The objective is always the same: pass on know-how while preparing the next generations for the technologies of tomorrow.

And it is probably this coexistence between experienced employees and young recruits that is now one of the great strengths of modern workshops. Experience meets new digital skills. The two have become inseparable.

Contrary to what one might think, a new truck does not arrive ready to be delivered. Far from it. Before joining its transport operator, it passes through the hands of specialised teams. Start-up, checks, equipment installation, hydraulic systems, accessories but also customisation.

Some vehicles arrive completely white before receiving a specific paint finish or a configuration requested by the customer. Every detail is prepared at the dealership so that each vehicle becomes unique. A job that is often invisible, yet essential.

A few metres further on, the atmosphere changes. We discover the bodywork building, constructed only three years ago. An investment that has become essential in response to demand. Repairs, painting, cab straightening, preparation before bodywork installation. Here again, the scale is impressive.

Large fleet orders require millimetre-perfect organisation between the manufacturer, dealership, bodybuilder and customer. When a transport operator orders several dozen rigid trucks intended to receive a body or a tipper, there is no room for improvisation. Every truck follows a perfectly orchestrated schedule and the slightest delay has an impact on the entire chain.

It is impossible to leave the bodywork department without visiting the paint laboratory. It is probably one of the least-known areas of a dealership. Personally, I love this place because with simple pots of paint in various colours, you can create an infinite number of shades. Using a spectrophotometer, technicians analyse an existing colour, the computer then calculates the exact formula and the different pigments are weighed to the nearest gram before being mixed. The result makes it possible to reproduce a manufacturer's colour… but also any colour requested by a customer.

You will see it in the video of this visit, which is available on the TruckStop app, but in the case of the superb blue truck we came across in the workshop, the paint was even reproduced from the transport operator's personal car. An anecdote, but a truly bespoke job.

The visit ends in Tristan's office. Far from the stereotypes of “old-fashioned” sales, configuring a truck today looks more like the work of an engineer than that of a simple salesperson. Every vehicle is designed on a computer. Cab, engine, axle, gearbox, suspension, PTO, braking, safety equipment but also accessories, everything is configurable.

The software instantly displays a three-dimensional representation of the truck, allowing the customer to visualise the exact final result even before it enters production. A real configurator where every detail matters because today, no truck is exactly like another.

This immersion at DAF LEFEVRE reminds us of an obvious fact that we sometimes forget. A dealership is no longer simply a garage. It is a centre of expertise where mechanics, diagnostic technicians, parts specialists, painters, bodywork specialists, vehicle preparation teams, logistics staff, service advisors, salespeople and connectivity specialists work side by side.

Ultimately, they all pursue the same objective: getting the truck back on the road as quickly as possible. Because in road transport, every hour of downtime represents a cost. And behind every vehicle that gets back on the road, there is an entire team whose work often remains invisible. That is precisely what TruckStop likes to tell: what goes on behind the scenes in the world of trucks.

Because transport is not limited to what happens between a steering wheel and a seat. It also lives every day in workshops like the one in Dijon, where the women and men behind the scenes simply enable transport operators… to keep moving forward.

Text: Fabien Calvet Photos: Basile and Mohamed