Tyre fitter

As a tyre fitter, you will replace worn and damaged tyres. You might work on all types of vehicles, such as cars, vans, lorries and buses. You could be based in a garage workshop, or you could be out on the road in a van.

Also known as:

• Exhaust and tyre fitter
• Fast-fit technician

Work activities

As a tyre fitter, you will advise customers which tyres need replacing. You’ll suggest the most suitable type of tyre for their vehicle, and then you will fit the new tyre. To change a tyre, you will lift the vehicle, using a jack, take off the wheel and remove the old tyre from the wheel. Then you’ll fit a new tyre and inflate it to the correct air pressure. You could be based in a garage workshop, or you could be out on the road in a van, dealing with people’s vehicles whilst they are at home or at work.

Your main tasks, as a tyre fitter will be:

• Removing and replacing tyres.
• Repairing punctures.
• Changing filters, lubricating parts, and performing other basic road safety checks.
• Carrying out wheel alignment and tracking adjustments. This involves making sure the tyres are fitted at exactly the correct angle, down to the nearest hundredth of a millimetre.
• Washing car windows and vacuuming and polishing car interiors, before the car is handed back to the customer.
• Selling tyres to customers.
• Ordering new stock.
• Performing basic data inputting, possibly on a tablet, or other hand-held device.

You might also be asked to work on other parts of a car, such as the exhaust or the brakes, and carry out basic car services.

Personal qualities and skills

As a tyre fitter, you need:

• Good practical skills.
• A great knowledge of cars, and how they work.
• To work well on your own and as part of a team.
• To be accurate and pay attention to detail.
• Basic data inputting skills.
• An awareness of health and safety issues.
• An understanding of legal requirements relating to tyre types and tread depths,
• A full valid driving licence - if you want to become a mobile tyre fitter.

Are you the sort of person who can communicate well with customers, and make them feel that all their needs are being cared for?  You will need to have the ability to ask the right questions and find out more about the customer’s needs.

The following future skills shortages have been identified:

• Technical and practical
• Customer service
• Management

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. As a tyre fitter you can expect to earn in the range:

• Starting: £17,000
• With experience: £29,000

You will usually work 42-44 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Saturday working and shift work may be required. Overtime may be available. 

Employers include tyre and exhaust centres, vehicle main dealers, and road haulage, bus and coach companies. Opportunities for tyre fitters occur in workshops in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers, trade industry publications, and on the Government’s Find a Job and Find an Apprenticeship services. Vacancies can also be found through specialist engineering recruitment agencies, internet job boards and the websites of major dealerships and fast-fit companies.

Entry routes and training 

There are no specific qualifications required for this career. You will begin as a trainee, and train on-the-job.

After further training and experience, you could progress to team leader/supervisor positions. It’s also possible to branch out to more of a vehicle technician role.

There is not currently an apprenticeship programme in this area. However, schemes are available in the following related roles:

• Motor vehicle service and maintenance technician – light vehicles (level 3/advanced

Qualifications

You will usually need GCSEs in English and maths to apply for a trainee position in this role.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Technical or practical skills gained, for example, in garage work as an assistant or repairer, are useful for entry.

Some tyre and exhaust manufacturers or franchisers provide training for people who wish to start up their own tyre/exhaust centre.

Related careers

• Automobile engineering technician
• Car valet
• Motorcycle technician
• Vehicle technician