Where MAN is part of the family.

TRUCKLIFE

Buchna Abschleppdienst & Transporte GmbH has been relying on MAN-power for generations.

All for one and one for all. Quoting the motto of the Three Musketeers may seem outdated these days, but at Buchna Abschleppdienst & Transporte GmbH, it is still valid – every day, and without exception. The small, family-run business has been around since 1946. Father Bernhard Buchna, son Jan and both of his sisters, along with their aunt, all work together here. “We all help each other – ‘no’ is not an option,” says Jan, his deep voice full of conviction. In a workplace where the staff are so important, the technology, in this case, the vehicles, is also vital. At Buchna, this role is carried out by a fleet made up exclusively of MAN trucks, with junior director Jan’s new MAN TGX 26.510 leading the way.

It’s fair to say that Jan loves being a professional driver. The 25-year-old has been behind the wheel since he was 18, having started to get his licence when he was just 17. His career has been planned since birth: “Ever since I was a little boy, I went in the truck with my dad. The truck, driving, everything that comes with it – that’s my passion.” He likes the challenges of the job and the fact that no one day is like another: “The variety in this job is what I enjoy.” Variety at work may be important, but when it comes to the choice of vehicle, the Düren-based transport business does not experiment. Father and son agree: “You build a bond with a vehicle like that. You get to know every screw; know it inside out,” says senior director Bernhard Buchna, explaining how it came to be that they only use MAN vehicles.

“My granddad started off driving an MAN vehicle; my dad drove an MAN. I grew up with MAN. For me, there’s no question of using another brand.”

Jan Buchna

The first time he took his new truck out on the road, it was a special day for him, he adds. “Like Christmas and Easter combined!” he laughs. Jan had the truck completely re-clad and repainted, and equipped with a new lighting system and bull bars. “This vehicle is my lifeblood,” he says. And speaking of blood, Jan is accompanied on the road each day by another family member: His grandfather. “He is always with me on my journeys,” says Jan, proudly indicating the picture of his grandfather on the back of the blue semitrailer tractor.

And like his grandfather before him, the 25-year-old knows what he has in his MAN truck: “The truck is reliable, comfortable, powerful. For us, MAN is more than just a vehicle. For me, MAN belongs to the family –100 percent.” You could even call it their lifeblood. And, as they say, blood is thicker than water.