Guests that rock

When BossHoss singer Alec „Boss Burns“ Völkel climbs down from the Arocs, his weather-beaten smile is even broader than usual. "Absolutely mind-blowing!" is all he can say about the tough off-road course he has just completed behind the wheel of a 31-ton Arocs truck. A few minutes later, Sascha "Hoss Power" Vollmer also jumps from the driver's cab of an Arocs truck. "Sheer madness. Super!" is his verdict.

On the Saturday of the IAA, the two singers took the opportunity to pay an extensive visit to the attractions on display at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. They had flown back to Germany from Nashville, where they are currently writing new songs, just to attend the trade fair. But before they could get into the trucks, Alec and Sascha first spent time with their fans. They signed autographs at the "Drivers’ Inn", where visitors were served original BossHoss beer. Many fans seized the chance to get close to the stars. Anja from Schneverdingen, who works in the logistics industry, had her shoes signed, which she had embellished herself with BossHoss motifs.

After completing their personal Driving Experience, Alec "Boss Burns" and Sascha "Hoss Power" gave an interview for the RoadStars members:

You managed to complete the off-road course, but you don't look very shaken by the experience. Are you such expert off-road drivers that it leaves you cold?

Sascha: No, far from it. Driving down a steep hill can make you feel quite queasy. But the Mercedes-Benz DriverTrainers gave us some good tips to keep us calm -- even though it almost seemed as if the Arocs was heading straight up to heaven despite its total weight of 31 tons because all you can see through the windscreen is the blue sky.

Alec: The track is a real thrill, but my Arocs was equipped with a turbo retarder clutch, which makes off-road driving quite simple. When I had to do a hill-stop, I just took my foot off the gas pedal and the clutch held the truck. And when we were ready to move again, I just stepped on the gas and we set off. It was extremely relaxed.

During your first attempt on the artificial ice track in your new Actros, there was quite a bit of fishtailing. Was that your own particular BossHoss style?

Alec: No, unfortunately not. We don't often have the chance to get behind the wheel of a truck so we had to learn how to handle it. But on our second lap we were more focussed and we could feel the truck's safety systems engaging. And from then on things improved steadily.

Did today's experience give you a better idea of what truck drivers, many of whom are your fans, have to deal with every day?

Sascha: Oh definitely. I have the utmost respect for how they handle all the technology in the trucks and how they get their load safely to its destination through all that traffic.