Dream vehicle with plenty of character and lots of lights

Benjamin’s dream job had always been to drive. But when he was given the opportunity to accompany a friend on some of his trips, he finally discovered his passion for trucks.

Professional driver Benjamin’s MAN TGX 18.440 is anything but inconspicuous: by day, it stands out through its bright blue colour and highly polished chrome features, and by night, the additional lights attached to the cab provide the perfect amount of brightness. Benjamin’s girlfriend couldn’t help but comment on the appearance of the truck with additional lighting – and it’s her that this shining example of an MAN vehicle has to thank for its name. “I went to pick up my girlfriend one evening and when she climbed in, she said: ‘You really can’t miss your firefly’.” This was how the name “Glühwürmchen Express” (firefly express) was born. The name has adorned the MAN’s sunblind ever since.

Benjamin has been a professional truck driver since 2017. “I started vocational training in January 2015 and was able to reduce the time this took thanks to good circumstances.” After school, he initially decided he wanted to be a baker and confectioner, but he still held onto his dream. “My mate Robin took me on trips every now and then, and at some point, I caught the truck bug,” Benjamin reveals as he explains how he ended up behind the wheel.

Boredom isn’t an issue

“The nice thing about our job is that every day is different,” enthuses the 31-year-old driver for Ketterer Transporte. Benjamin likes that he can be his own boss and that the job has a lot of variety. “The solidarity amongst colleagues is also different than in other jobs,” he explains. Of course, there are challenges every now and then. Sometimes it’s something as simple as driving through the car park at Edeka supermarkets – where Benjamin’s trips often take him – to unload goods. “The people parking their cars don’t always give you a warm welcome,” laughs the resilient driver.

Something that Benjamin particularly likes about his MAN is the functional and timeless design. Even though he describes his MAN TGX as a “dream vehicle with plenty of character and lots of lights”, there’s still room to dream of course – about the MAN Black Lion Edition, to be precise. “What an amazing machine,” he enthuses. Sometimes dreams do come true. No one knows that better than Benjamin.