Dan Stone of Crow Metals in Romford tells us about his strengths and the support he receives in Life on the Yard
Name: Dan Stone
Job title: Machine Driver at Crow Metals in Romford
Time spent in recycling: 10 years
What does your job involve?
I work on the 360 crane which involves loading and unloading lorries, and moving material from one to another. I am also involved in the buying and selling of catalytic converters. I have an application on the phone which lists the cat’s number and enables me to pay the customer accordingly.
What is the hardest part of your job?
Managing the customers. The yard can get really busy and with so many people coming through the gates, it can be a challenge to make sure they are all parked and seen as quickly as possible. You need to be able to explain how long they may wait and when they will be able to drop their metal off. But being busy is a good thing!
What three things help you to do your job better?
Organisation in the yard is top of the list. Good access is a big thing and having room to unload the lorries. Being competent in your job makes it easier for yourself. When people start in the yard, they don’t know anything, and within a year they can know a lot. I enjoy imparting knowledge and getting people up to speed.
What are you most proud of in your career?
My knowledge of the business. I have quite a lot of knowledge about what we do, and it is one of my biggest strengths. For example, I can be across the yard and know when someone is putting material in the wrong pile.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Rather than advice, it’s the support I’ve received. Joe (Wakefield – Managing Director of Crow Metals) supports me by putting me on courses and letting me do lots of training. I go on training courses to understand the machinery, I’ve learnt about working with computers, buying and selling, and social media. If you get the opportunity to go on a training course, they are very worthwhile.
Quick fire round:
- Sausages or bacon? Bacon
- Football or rugby? Football
- Cats or dogs? Dogs
- Town or country? Town
- Apple or Android? Apple.
