Women Techs Rock: How college grad Hannah Lutrey found her purpose in the world of forklifts

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Women Techs Rock Highlight

Name: Hannah Lutrey
Employer: Doosan Industrial Vehicle America Corporation
Age: 33
Location: Duluth, Georgia
School: Gwinnett Technical College; Randolph College

 

Technician Hannah Lutrey pictured next her quote, "Just keep going. Deep breath. It's very rewarding."

Who is Hannah Lutrey?

Hannah Lutrey always considered herself a gearhead – a fan of cars and motorcycles, with an interest in how things work – but she never imagined that she’d find herself working in the world of forklifts.

With a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and aiming for a career of helping others, like many of us, Hannah found that life has a funny way of steering toward another direction. She found herself working as a warranty administrator for PAI Industries in Suwanee, Georgia. She was – as she says – “thrown into the deep end,” working as part of the failure analysis process, writing denial reports, and working with suppliers to make product improvements based on claim discoveries. However, she soon grew tired of not fully understanding what techs were talking about.

The solution? Gwinnett Technical College and the Heavy Duty Diesel Service Technician Certification Program. With an employer that allowed her time to go to school and an instructor who was hugely supportive (they’re still in touch), she was not only the first woman to apply for the program, but also the first to graduate with a 4.0 GPA. And, she’s proud to say, without any student debt.

Looking to expand her career beyond what PAI could offer, she was introduced to Doosan Industrial Vehicle America Corporation at a career fair and was hired as a Product Support Representative – the first woman to hold a tech position there. Now, she helps technicians troubleshoot problems in the field, provides support to regional representatives, and assists with warranty parts returns and analysis. While she looks forward to working more closely with dealers in a regional position, she loves her job, thanks to the supportive people she gets to work with. And yes, because she’s a specialist in the installation for specific forklift parts, she still gets to pick up a wrench now and again.

 

Q & A:

Do people give you a hard time because you’re a woman? 

“Once, a man called for tech support and wouldn’t speak to me. I don’t dwell on it though. I won’t let a fool affect what I do.”

 

What would you tell other women considering this profession?

“It’s very rewarding, but you have to really love it to make it. Is Doosan ready for more women techs? Yes! We hear that Cummins engines wants more women on staff because they’re more detail-oriented.”

 

What mantra do you use when things get challenging?

“Just keep going. Deep breath. You can’t change stupid.”

 

What is your dream form of transportation?

“A 1930 round-body pickup with a wood bed, a Cummins small-block engine, and Allison automatic transmission. Or a split-windshield Studebaker pickup. Or a 6-speed Mini Clubman.”