This year Link2Europe celebrates its 15th anniversary and that calls for a look at all the different profiles we’ve had the chance to recruit during these years.

Link2Europe has been searching for professional and suitable candidates for the Belgian job market for 15 years and we are far from over! From workers in logistics and industry to international engineers and project managers, Link2Europe has done it all! As the only Belgian company exclusively focused on international recruitment, we guarantee consistent and reliable support to job seekers all over the world.

To celebrate our anniversary, we take a look at our 15 most wanted profiles. In our last profile, we dove deep into the life of a reachtruck driver. Today we take a look at the silhouette of a tire fitter in the automotive sector. Let’s role!

The automotive sector: keeping Belgium on the move!

For decades, the automotive industry has played an essential role in Belgium’s economy. With big car assembly lines in Antwerp, Gent, Genk and Brussels, the sector is very diverse and praised for its hard-working, technical employees. It also has its eye on the future, with the production of Audi’s fully electric E-tron and Volvo’s XC40 Recharge.

One thing is an absolute certainty: the Belgian loves his car. The amount of registered personal vehicles has increased the past ten years with a steady 0.92% and as of augustus 1st, 5.927.912 cars were registered on Belgian soil. Since every car has 4 tires, that’s 23.711.648 tires that need a professional fitter.

The biggest season for tire fitters is March to the beginning of June, when most Belgians switch from their winter tires to their summer tires, and October to December, when they switch back to the winter ones. In a country like Belgium, which knows mild winters, you could question the need for winter tires. But Belgium does have some snowy days and one of the favourite Belgian pastimes is skiing, where winter tires are required if you want to ride up into the mountains. On top of that, driving with the right kind of tire is more environmentally friendly and safe.

Silhouette: tire fitter

PC112 is the joint committee for all garages, and therefore also the one which regulates the wages and tasks of tire fitters. A tire fitter can be employed in a specialized tire shop, or he can be part of the team in a general garage or a car bodyworkshop.

A day in the life of a tire fitter

As a tire fitter, you work only during the day, so there are no shifts. You will mostly assist a tire assembler and work according to his guidelines which means you install tires and make visual controls, you inspect the condition of a tire (where you interpret the tire wear and tear) and you assemble, disassemble and balance tires. You also prepare a car for alignment lifting it with a jack or a car lift, and you disassemble a tire from a car rim when you place a new tire, all while using the provided tools and machinery correctly! These tools include the ones for tire assembly, balancing, tires regrooving and alignment. And since tires are an important part of the safety of a car, you never lose sight of the regulations regarding safety, hygiene and environment, and you constantly strive to learn the job.

Read through the following wants carefully because the Belgian tire centers are very demanding. Since they deal with safety regulations on a daily basis, they require of you enough experience to keep up with the high productivity, but never without losing sight of the quality of the work!

Your income and the most common benefits:

• Salary range on average of 13,87 – 16,03 euro per hour
• Work weeks of 38 – 40 hours
• Overtime (during the seasonal crunches) paid at 150%
• Holiday money
• End of year bonus

You will be a successful candidate if you have:

• 1+ year (or 2 seasons) of professional experience as a tire fitter.
• Communicative level of English and/or Polish.
• Knowledge of Dutch or French is a plus.
• Being a team player.
• Thrive in a fast-paced working environment.
• A driver’s license could mean bonus points for some of our clients.
• You are in good physical health.
• Experience with “runflat” tires and air pressure sensors TPMS is a big plus!

Ready, set….work!

Fancy life as a tire fitter and to be a part of the sector which keeps Belgium on the move? Link2Europe places around 35 tot 65 tire fitters per season, most in seasonal contracts but some stay on after their contract on a permanent one, working all year round repairing flat and changing used tires. Link2Europe started its tire fitting project back in 2014 and has since crafted partnerships with many well-known chains and independent workshops. You can read the Dutch story about tire fitter Andrzej and his journey here.

We regurarly look for motivated employees. Check out our automotive job offers and send us your CV today!