Perspective of female drivers on the road

As part of its workshop series, MAN is exploring how the role of professional drivers can be made more appealing – and the design of the driver’s workplace is playing a leading role in this. To this end, the needs of female truck drivers are increasingly being incorporated into vehicle development.

Vehicle development is closely linked to advancements. A major request here is to find the right approaches for the professional group that works with trucks day in, day out: Both male and female drivers. The latter recently joined the third WoMAN workshop in MAN Testing in Munich. These attendees were four women who, thanks to their professional experience, can contribute to opening up perspective of the needs of professional female drivers.

The initiative aims to counteract this so-called “gender data gap”. “Female drivers contribute another important perspective to our product development. We want to use these valuable insights to make our products even better, more comfortable and more user-friendly for our customers in the future,” says Dr Frederik Zohm, Chief Development Officer at MAN Truck & Bus.

The “WoMAN Initiative” identifies where details make the difference

For MAN, drivers are always the priority when it comes to developing new vehicles. The “WoMAN Initiative” is also trying to learn all about the everyday work of fem ale drivers, while paying attention to the differences between men and women. The intention is to make the vehicles more appealing for women – and, ultimately, also for men. By participating in this workshop, the female drivers could therefore have a specific influence on future modifications made to trucks.

The “WoMAN Workshop” is part of a series of internal studies on the day-to-day tasks and the differences between female and male truck drivers. What started back in 2022 continued in summer and autumn 2023 and now into February 2024. It is not just the results from the workshops that will feed directly into the testing, but interviews conducted during the Trucknology Festival and at the ADAC Truck-Grand-Prix at the Nürburgring will also be incorporated. Drivers also had the opportunity to participate in an online survey at the end of 2023. The detailed questions were not only about identifying differences between men and women, but also about incorporating usage requirements into vehicle development and initiating improvements.

What the team of four participating in the current workshop round particularly appreciated was the intensive learning and exchange of experiences that made it possible to meet in a small group. “Each of us had plenty of freedom to present our own points and give our opinions,” says Christina, delighted with the experience. Yvonne adds that she felt really listened to and respected in her concerns, saying it was great “just being able to talk to the experts on an equal footing.”

“I don’t know of any truck manufacturer that is as interested in the needs of women as MAN Truck & Bus,”

continues workshop participant Ines, who travelled all the way from Switzerland. And Christina adds: “The wow effect for us drivers would be if we could see that, in a few years’ time, our suggestions regarding truck development have come to fruition.”

The devil is in the detail, with aspects such as the width of the beds, the question of whether there should be a washbasin or toilet in the interior or the number of sockets required in the truck to plug in the driver’s electrical devices, being discussed. But also the realisation that the trucks should not be seen as “women’s trucks” in traffic from afar. “We do not want any special treatment, because we do the job just as well as men,” says Angelika, who, as a driver, transports large car cranes from A to B and builds them at the destination with a great deal of dexterity. She has already driven trucks from all brands, is active in the fire service and has gained experience in many sectors.

Following the workshop in MAN Testing, the four drivers got together with the test managers in the MAN Truck Forum to discuss the current MAN TGX. This meeting proved to be a fantastic opportunity to discuss further wishes and ideas in a practical way.