Simply Paddy’s truck!

For Patrick Jost, with the help of his employer, Spedition Bode, it became a reality. However, the stylish lion didn’t just appear out of nowhere: it’s the reward for a trucker who not only wanted to be the best, but actually is.

We already provided a detailed introduction to Germany’s best trucker, Patrick Jost, in the last issue of Trucker’s World magazine and reported on his exceptional performance in training. We also announced that his bosses Kai and Marc Philipp Bode were going to surprise the 22-year-old with a very special truck. In the meantime, Patrick, or Paddy, as everyone at Bode calls him, has long since been able to pick up his MAN TGX Individual Lion S in Munich together with the two managers and take it home to Hamburg. ‘A great feeling,’ Patrick recalls, and if it had been up to him, the first ride would have been 1,000 kilometres longer.

‘We were saddled up with a pretty heavy trailer for the return trip. So the new set of wheels could really show what it was capable of right away.’ Patrick’s bosses, who also both sat behind the wheel on the first journey, also wanted to get to grips with the machine immediately. ‘Of course, they wanted to see for themselves what it can do,’ laughs Patrick. And in this way, enjoyment was combined with practicality. Alone, Patrick could not have managed such a long journey in one go in any case.

In the meantime, Patrick and his MAN TGX have covered around 40,000 kilometres on the road and made many new acquaintances. Admittedly, with a perfectly designed truck like the MAN Individual Lion S, it is hard to travel inconspicuously. ‘I often find myself stopped somewhere and have people talk to me about the truck.’ Patrick is always happy about anyone who shows interest in his lion and shares his passion. ‘I’ve got into many enjoyable conversations on my journeys that way.’ The young driver also appreciates the personal interaction with his employers. ‘At Bode, you are treated like a human being,’ he says. And he is glad that he can combine the two most important things for him, professional and private satisfaction, within the company.

‘Employee motivation is an important topic for us,’ adds Marc Philipp Bode, who manages the company together with his father Kai. ‘The shortage of staff in the industry is always on our mind. Thus, it is becoming more and more important for us to keep the really good drivers with us in the company.’ The fact that the drivers feel comfortable in their trucks also plays a big role in that, he explains. That is due to the top-of-the-range MAN vehicles, of which there are around 200 on the company premises. There was never any doubt that Patrick’s surprise truck would also be a lion: Paddy is very much a fan of the brand, and Bode’s partnership with the Munich-based company started long ago with a used Büssing, which was bought by the great-grandfather of Marc Philipp Bode. That was followed exclusively by MAN vehicles. Marc Philipp and Kai Bode make no secret of how happy they are to have Patrick in their ranks.

‘Patrick’s passion for trucks and the profession set him apart from other apprentices.’

Marc Philipp Bode

Patrick himself sees the whole thing pragmatically: ‘Every day that I come to the company and get into my MAN TGX Individual Lion S is a good day.’ It’s nice when everyone is in complete agreement. And after everything that we have heard and seen, we would say: it’s been a smooth ride for Bode, Paddy and the MAN TGX Individual Lion S.