The impossible is possible!
Holger Schönenberg has never let his paraplegia get in the way of things he wants to achieve. The former professional sailor and commercial airline pilot is now a truck driver. Conquering obstacles to make a dream come true.
The 48-year-old drives a MAN TGX 18.480 for Sievert Logistik in Lengerich, North Rhine-Westphalia. A licence plate bearing “Don Holgo” is positioned behind the windscreen. His image and his “trucker_on_wheels” slogan – a reference to the wheels on Holger’s wheelchair – are painted on the cab exterior. trucker_on_wheels also happens to be the name of his Instagram channel, where he posts photos of his experiences as one of the few professional disabled drivers. Holger has already successfully undertaken his first drives, transporting goods to customers from the construction industry, and says:
“Many people are amazed when, at first, they see the huge truck and then me in a wheelchair.”
To help Holger as a disabled truck driver in his day-to-day work life, Sievert Logistik had the MAN TGX modified by Marcell Greshake, a Münster-based company specialising in converting disabled vehicles. Holger can stow his wheelchair in a lockable box positioned on the right-hand side of the vehicle. He also accesses the cab on the right-hand side via additional steps, bars and grab handles. And a small electric lift has been added for him here, too. “It is too strenuous when I have to get in and out of the cab frequently, despite my strong arms.”
The driver’s workplace is equipped with manual controls for the accelerator and brake. Otherwise, the equipment in the cab remains the same. And intentionally so. Holger shares the MAN TGX with an able-bodied colleague, so the vehicle needs to match her requirements, too.
Sailor, pilot, start-up founder, truck driver
Holger has long learned to live with incomplete paraplegia, which is the result of a back operation when he was 14 years old. Holger can stand up and stretch his legs but cannot walk freely. However, this has never stopped the Münster resident – not even at work, as his already full and busy career goes to show.
He was a professional sailor at the Paralympics, flew passenger aircraft as a commercial airline pilot and founded a spice and condiment start-up that featured in the German version of the TV show “Dragon’s Den”. Today, he works in an aviation authority, but also wants a second job that involves more physical activity. “I’ve always had a weakness for large machines and for moving things from A to B,” explains Holger, explaining his desire to become a truck driver.
To make his dream come true, he approached an MAN employee from Osnabrück who then contacted Sievert Logistik. The transport company was keen on the idea of employing Holger as a driver. “The team at Sievert Logistik believes in me,” enthuses Don Holgo. Together, Holger and the Lengerich-based company are making a stand: People with disabilities can work in so many more jobs than some might expect – they just need the right support.
There is a solution to every problem
Holger and his new employer have already successfully overcome many obstacles. The MAN semitrailer tractor has been converted to accommodate disabled drivers. Holger has obtained his truck driver’s licence and expert opinions that prove he can do the job despite his disability. Sievert has planned specific routes for Holger, meaning that he can drive transports with a tarpaulin semitrailer already loaded. “I reach my physical limits when it comes to securing loads, which is why we have initially favoured this solution,” explains the truck driver.
What tasks Holger can do with his MAN TGX and where he meets his limits as a wheelchair user: Holger wants to test this with his colleagues from Sievert Logistik over the coming months. Future plans include Holger not only driving the tarpaulin semitrailer but also assuming the job of container transport. “So far, we have worked together as a team to find solutions to problems,” says Holger confidently. “The words ‘not possible’ do not exist!”