Transporting hazardous goods: Wolfgang Lenders is impressed by the new Actros

Wolfgang Lenders has been driving trucks for 35 years and the 64-year-old wants to keep going for another few years. “I love doing this job. You get around and meet all kinds of different people. I like that, chatting with people and making jokes,” says the Düsseldorf-born driver with a Rhenish lilt. “People from here can deal with all kinds of mentalities.” His current employer appreciates Wolfgang’s communicative and reliable manner. From northern Germany to Bavaria, it’s a hit with all the customers.

Hazardous goods mean responsibility.

Wolfgang drives a new Actros 1845 for Stahl-Express Franke, also local to Düsseldorf. Contrary to what the company name might suggest, it mainly transports hazardous goods. “You are of course aware of having a special responsibility with hazardous goods on the back, but I drive calmly and carefully anyway. After all, I am handling a 40-tonne truck and don’t want to endanger myself or anyone else.”

For Wolfgang’s boss Nadine Franke, the fact that the trucks from Stahl-Express Franke are equipped with the latest safety and assistance systems was one of the decisive factors for her choice. Her comments on the new emergency brake assistant Active Brake Assist 5 with improved person recognition: “That system can save lives! Need I say more?”

Well informed thanks to the Multimedia Cockpit.

Wolfgang’s favourite thing about the new Actros is the Multimedia Cockpit: “The display behind the steering wheel now shows much more information than a normal display – without compromising on clarity.” He also likes the Multi-Touch-Display with the additional quick-access buttons. “You don’t have to learn how to use it – it’s intuitive.”

Every Monday morning, Wolfgang sets off on his weekly tour all over Germany. On Fridays, the father of three is usually back home in Düsseldorf with his wife and youngest daughter, who still lives at home.

Wolfgang once trained as a gas-and-water fitter, but that was “a lifetime ago”, he says. More or less by chance, because he needed a job, he started driving a truck more than 30 years ago – and he stuck with it. “You’re not as cooped up as you would be in a factory or office,” says Wolfgang. How does he deal with time pressure and stress on jam-packed German motorways? “I don’t let that spoil my work. You just have to stay calm and relaxed!”

Photos: Ralf Kreuels