A Norwegian MAN story
Audun Tandberg comes over all nostalgic as he reflects on his previous life as a truck driver. A history of MAN vehicles spanning nearly 60 years since his grandfather’s company was founded. You can read Audun’s trucker story here.
“I’d say I was pretty much born in a truck,” says Norwegian Audun Tandberg, as he describes the start of his love affair with trucks. When his grandfather founded his company, Tandberg, back in 1956 in Norway, he was not just starting out in the transport industry – he was laying the foundations for a family that loves being on the road. “His three sons also started driving early in their lives and formed their own company when their father retired,” adds Audun, who now runs and heads up the eponymous company.
His first trip in a truck was over 40 years ago when his father took him along at just three weeks old. Audun sitting next to his father in the cab became something of a childhood tradition. “I got my driving licence as early as I could,” says Audun, who you can still find behind the wheel today. “Although I am now more involved in administrative tasks running the company, I still love driving trucks. My last big trip lasted 38 days and took me through 14 countries. So I can still call myself a long-distance driver,” laughs the 49-year-old.
The company’s long history goes hand in hand with a long MAN history. In the coming year, it will be 60 years since the Tandberg yard has been home to only MAN vehicles. Tandberg appreciates the elevated level of comfort and stability offered by the lions on poor Norwegian roads:
“The best truck to drive and to live in,”
explains Audun and points to excellent MAN Service, which he classes as another strength.
Audun is particularly concerned that Tandberg trucks should look visually strong and be recognisable, which is why he always favours the company colours when choosing his designs and supplants them with other beautiful details. One example of this design partnership is the special birthday truck that was created together with MAN to celebrate Tandberg’s 50th anniversary. “We wanted to do something new, but also make sure that the truck was still recognisable as a Tandberg truck,” says Audun.
“The world would stop turning if we didn’t have professional drivers.”
Visually appealing trucks also play another key role at Tandberg: We try to give each of our drivers a fantastic vehicle,” continues Audun, who also involves his employees when making new acquisitions. Audun is at pains to point out: “Our drivers are so important to us – without them we are nothing”. He is also extremely keen on ensuring that professional drivers get the respect they rightly deserve and recognition overall and that pricing policy develops in such a way that there is better pay across the entire transportation industry, with no price dumping happening. “The world would stop turning if we didn’t have professional drivers,” says Audun.
Driving trucks in Norway is a tough job even without this added social component, starting with the constantly changing weather conditions (all in a single day) and the narrow and poor roads. “We do lots of practise and are therefore great drivers,” laughs Audun, championing the cause of his professional colleagues and of himself. His story is not just nostalgic, but also includes a love affair with working behind the wheel. “Enjoy your driving,” he tells all his colleagues. We wish the same for him: “Have fun driving, Audun!”