Not everyone has a truck like this
Driver Sven Klickermann convinced his boss to make the switch to MAN. His next truck is the 100 Years MAN Diesel Edition.
One thing is already clear to Sven: the new MAN TGX 18.520 in the 100 Years MAN Diesel Edition is cared for and well-maintained. “We only eat in the co-driver’s seat. No one may enter the cab with outdoor shoes on. Even the tooth fairy is not far away,” the driver jokes. It’s great when a truck sparks so much passion and enthusiasm!
The 45-year-old professional driver has been a big MAN fan since he was allowed to drive his uncle’s MAN F90 for a few laps around the farm at the age of 12. Sven is now living out his childhood dream as a truck driver. He has been working for the German freight forwarder TransVer Kaliebe since 2011. With 14 employees, he drives for clients such as Deichmann, DHL, Contargo and Mäc-Geiz. The fleet currently comprises 13 vehicles. Three trucks were supplied by MAN. Soon there will be four when the 100 Years MAN Diesel Edition is delivered. This is expected to be in August. The fact that TransVer Kaliebe relies heavily on MAN vehicles is thanks to Sven’s powers of persuasion. When he started his job at the haulage company, he initially drove a truck from another manufacturer. The vehicle had already covered 750,000 kilometres and had to be constantly repaired.
“That’s why I took my boss to MAN several times and annoyed him time and again to buy a new truck there,”
says Sven. At some point, the boss – operations manager Lars Böhme – agreed. The two have had very positive experiences with MAN since then.
Passion that connects
For Lars Böhme, several positive factors played a role when he purchased the 100 Years MAN Diesel Edition: “With this special edition of the MAN TGX, I make my driver very happy and he loves his workplace,” he says is the most important reason. For the service manager for TransVer Kaliebe, the truck’s automatic assistance systems such as MAN AttentionGuard and MAN Lane Change Collision Prevention Assist (MAN LCCPA) are also an important plus; they make driving significantly safer. The service manager also had excellent experiences with MAN Service support. And the economical aspect – the purchase price and the usage costs for fuel consumption and tolls – is also true for him with the MAN truck.
Driver Sven has high expectations of the 100 Years MAN Diesel Edition. “I’ve already test-driven a new generation MAN TGX. Thanks to the assistance system, it can even drive into a roundabout on its own, I almost lost my faith,” he says enthusiastically.
The MAN fan is already proud to see his future workplace in his imagination: black paintwork with blue lion, aluminium rims that he will lovingly clean to make them shine. In the evening, when there is little oncoming traffic on the roads of Saxony or Thuringia, it will switch on the LED high beams with which the special edition is equipped ex works. “This means that the visibility is almost as good as during the day,” the driver knows. Inside the cab: leather upholstery, a luxury bunk and a 22-inch TV. You can spend a cosy night here. A microwave is available as special equipment. For Sven, a dream will soon comes true: “Not everyone has a truck like this. Only 100 units are produced.” Once again, we would like to wish him: have a safe journey!