About This Career

Repairs and refinishes automotive vehicle bodies and straightens vehicle frames.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Facility and Mobile Equipment Maintenance pathway.

A person in this career:

• Files, grinds, sands, and smooths filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
• Inspects repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drives vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
• Fits and welds replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grinds down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
• Primes and paints repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
• Follows supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
• Sands body areas to be painted and covers bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.
• Chains or clamps frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components.
• Positions dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beats opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.
• Cuts and tapes plastic separating film to outside repair areas to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces during repair procedure and removes tape and washes surfaces after repairs are complete.
• Reviews damage reports, prepares or reviews repair cost estimates, and plans work to be performed.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Work in this occupation involves kneeling, crouching, stooping, and/or crawling more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel