Made for everyday life on the road
Jörg Zurstraßen is an impassioned professional driver and has been a Truck Grand Prix fan from the very beginning. He and his family were regular visitors to the circuit from the year the very first race took place right through to the 25th anniversary of the event.
“With a name like that, you’re kind of destined to become a professional driver,” a policeman says during a traffic check, hitting the nail on the head. And that holds true, as Jörg Zurstraßen was very young when he came to the realisation that his dream job was waiting for him out on the open road. He has vivid memories of his first few journeys in a truck – an MAN truck: He was still a young boy when his father allowed him to ride along with him on his work tours for the Germania Brewery in Münster. “I went along with him at every opportunity, I was only two years old the first time I went,” explains Jörg.
“At seven years old, the decision was made, I was going to become a trucker.”
Jörg Zurstraßen
“And nothing could change that. Even when my father tried to guide me in a different direction,” says Jörg, laughing. He never gave up on his dream of having a driver’s life despite opting to go through vocational training to become a car mechanic first – he has held a truck driving licence for 29 years now and spends every day on the road.
“My father and I always had our hearts set on getting an MAN.”
In Jörg’s opinion, it is vital that the work is enjoyable and that the working conditions and remuneration are good. Otherwise there is the risk that the job will lose its appeal. He has managed to find all of that working as an internal company transport driver for Fliesenzentrum Deutschland. And last but not least: Jörg gets to drive an MAN truck: “An excellent vehicle with lots of useful additional features,” he says, enthusiastically. “In particular, Adaptive Cruise Control is an excellent feature for truck drivers to have.” He is also a fan of the powerful engine in his MAN TGS 26.420 as it makes the truck a lot more enjoyable to drive.
“We were there to see it all!”
There is another thing that Jörg has been passionate about ever since he was young: “My parents and I took the caravan to the very first ADAC Truck Grand Prix and every year thereafter,” he says. He goes on to explain that the very first event, which was a pilot event, took place in March and the races should have been postponed due to snowfall. “That’s the Eifel region for you,” explains Jörg, in a matter-of-fact sort of way. The family went to the race circuit year after year. At some stage they were also joined by Jörg’s cousin, Andrea Schneider, who many might recognise from the “Go & Stop Competitions”. Over the years, Jörg and his family witnessed the event develop into a real crowd puller. “One year there were 230,000 spectators over the course of the weekend,” he recalls.
Jörg has only made fleeting appearances at the race circuit since his father passed away 10 years ago. He did, however, have plans in place to attend the Truck Grand Prix again in 2020. A plan that fell foul of the coronavirus – perhaps he will get another opportunity next year.
Jörg takes it all in his stride. To a large extent, it is a mindset adopted from the workplace. Behind the wheel it is always a question of staying calm and holding your nerve. “As the years pass, you find it easier to keep a cool head.” Jörg is definitely made for everyday life on Germany’s roads and, as far as he is concerned, it can stay that way for a long time to come.