Research ride-along in the MAN

What does the day-to-day life of a professional driver look like? What are the challenges, requirements and wants? Leonie Bollinger from the MAN Testing team got to find out first hand on a ride-along with experienced driver Ines Böttcher, who gave her an open insight into her professional world.

Ines Böttcher is a woman of action. Something that she demonstrates every day in her role as a professional driver and in her latest project – to start her own business. Leonie Bollinger from the MAN Testing team had the chance to ride along for one day to experience how Ines works and what she demands from her number one work tool: the truck. Initially, it was a rather remarkable situation was for both women when 22-year-old Leonie sat down – with the MAN Testing questionnaire in hand – in the co-driver’s seat next to Ines. Leonie actually studies engineering psychology and is working for MAN as a thesis writer as part of her Bachelor’s thesis. Her ride in 44-year-old Ines’ MAN tipper may have been her first ever time in a truck, but for Ines it was a day on the road like any other. She has been behind the wheel of trucks for nine years now since she moved to Switzerland; before that she spent a long time working as a dispatcher. Ines started out as a driver back in Germany, where she was one of the youngest female drivers to complete professional driver training, and all this before the birth of her son. Once on the road, Ines mainly drove on long-haul trips. As a single mother, she decided to move to Switzerland. When her son was old enough, Ines grabbed the opportunity, as she says, to “be 100% back in the truck.” Since then, she has driven for different companies in local transport, in different vehicles such as tippers, roll-off skip loaders or trailers, all of which she has mastered. “Us drivers are all the same,” Ines continues. “We are all pulling in the same direction.” Ines is therefore absolutely behind and committed to her professional group. She positively welcomes MAN’s campaign to send ride-alongs with her and with other female drivers:

“This gives us more recognition than women and female truck drivers – it’s time to really raise the profile of this professional group,”

she says, a profile far removed from the bad image that she has suffered. Leonie took her role as a “scientific” companion very seriously and drilled Ines with a host of questions, starting with departure checks through to parking up the vehicle in the evening.

“We document so much information and record all daily actions and tasks. We ask about what has been done well or what can be improved on the truck. We focus on operating the switches, used storage compartments, the seat, load securing through to cleaning the tipper body. This allows my colleagues from Engineering to put themselves in the drivers’ position and devise wishes and suggestions for modifications for the next steps,” says Leonie, as she outlines her responsibilities during the ride-along. “Leonie asked me about a variety of tasks and actions and whether I had any suggestions for improvements to the truck interior.” Something pressing for Ines as a driver: Where possible, she would like vehicles she is driving to have a bed to allow her to rest and lie down during breaks as needed.

“It was a really fascinating experience,” Ines and Leonie both agree after their shared encounter. Leonie was also highly impressed by Ines’ professionalism, particularly with her vehicle handling: “Manoeuvring and command of the vehicle on the sometimes narrow and winding routes, how Ines took the bends and was able to perfectly judge the tolerances,” added Leonie, fascinated. The student was also impressed by the experience of loading and unloading the MAN, recording all these steps up close in photos. “Overall, it was a really enthralling experience,” adds Leonie, as she summarises her ride-along.

And, for Ines, she always likes having a “colleague” on the road with her – one of her best experiences as a driver was when she was accompanied by a television crew as part of the TV series “Asphalt-Cowboys”. Nothing, or no one, can take the away the love that Ines has for her job. She has always been very deliberate in her gradual approach. As a result, she has also closed in on her long-awaited plan of becoming a self-employed driver and is now all the more pleased to have finally achieved this goal. The last piece of the jigsaw is having her own truck, but she can still achieve that dream.

“To all truck drivers: Stay with your profession, advocate for yourselves – stick together!” Ines’ heart beats for her profession; with her will and desire, she can the world is her oyster.