Born to be a trucker

Trucker’s World member and professional driver Gerard Palacios was weaned on trucks from his infancy: His very first memories are of sitting in his father’s truck.

“When I was 21, I got my truck driver’s license and registered a truck in my name for the first time. 24 years have passed and I have never regretted that decision,” says Gerard, who currently drives an MAN TGX 18.500 XXL with a Krone Tautliner Profi Line platform for the Coamtra transport cooperative in Amposta, Spain. “I transport general commodities, basically anything that will fit on a pallet, such as cardboard, rice, paper rolls, car parts, water, furniture, machinery or timber.”

Trucks run in the family

Gerard liked trucks from a very young age, especially his father’s ones. “When my father came home, he would honk the horn and I would run down to say hi to him. Those were halcyon days, and I never got tired of being in the truck.” Those formative childhood experiences would certainly influence his career choice. “I spent five years doing vocational training to become a car mechanic. When I finished the training course I started working at a body shop, but truth be told, all I wanted was to drive my father’s truck. When I was old enough to get my license, I didn’t think twice about it and I started working with him. I bought my first truck only a year later, an MAN 18.463.”

After nearly a quarter of a century in the industry, Gerard’s love for trucks hasn’t changed one bit. This is down to “the sense of freedom they give you; the fact that they enable you to work in many different locations. Every week is a different adventure, with new routes and challenges to overcome,” he says, enthusiastically.

A different way of life

This is how Gerard would describe his profession. “From my perch behind the steering wheel, I feel like I can deal with the tricky situations out there on the road. And when I stop, there’s a “bungalow” waiting for me where I can rest up, eat, hang out, or pass the time while I am waiting at the loading ramp.”

Someone who has been in the profession as long as Gerard will have the odd story to tell. In Gerard’s case, he could never get through them all. “Given the situation with Covid, it’s worth pointing out that you see more people walking along the road and over bridges. Kids start waving at me to get me to honk the horn, so I find myself honking the horn the whole time. I love it and they love it too.”

Gerard has configured his MAN to his liking. The integrated air suspension system is particularly important to him: “It’s very convenient, and you don’t get tired, despite the long hours you have to work in a job like this. Then there is the XXL driver’s cab where he can recharge his batteries. “I even do strength and stretching exercises in there,” says Gerard. “But when the weather is good, I go running outside to stay in shape.”

A meeting of the generations

It goes without saying that Gerard is already familiar with the new MAN Truck Generation. “After seeing the commercial for the new MAN truck, I organised a family outing with my sons and father. The new version is incredible!” The whole family can agree on that. The multifunction steering wheel and the digital control panel are the features that impress Gerard the most. He is also a big fan of the new MAN SmartSelect function. The functionality of the co-driver’s seat is another aspect that he likes: “I like that it rotates and that the backrest can be separated.”

It is a pity for him, he says jokingly, that he will have to wait a while before he gets a new MAN truck. “The truck I have is a big one, and I’ll probably be driving that for 10 years.” Nevertheless, he says he can’t wait to get his hands on a new one. And luckily, time flies.