Josef Sammer can't imagine anything nicer than driving an Arocs

Josef Sammer doesn't want to do anything but drive trucks. "Already as a child that was my big dream," he says. "Other kids wanted to be pilots, police officers or firemen; I always had in mind that I wanted to climb into a truck and drive away." Barely an adult, he fulfilled this dream together with a friend of his who subsequently died at the young age of 21 as a result of a brain tumour. Since then, he's never regretted his choice of career. "Why should I?" he asks in his sing-song Salzkammergut dialect. "In some ways, I've turned my hobby into my job, and as long as I can continue to work in such an amazing place, then I'm more than happy enough."

Josef is referring to his brand-new Arocs 1851, with which he transports gravel, shingle and other bulk materials for haulage and earth-moving specialists Windhager. "I'm on the road a lot and so I'm basically my own boss in that sense. I come into contact with a lot of people and feel a bit like a king when I'm sitting behind the wheel. There's nothing nicer than driving a truck," he assures us. The Austrian continues to romanticise. He tells us about how his passion has become his job. He shares with us his enthusiasm both for the vehicle and his employer, where everything is just right for him. "From both a personal and a professional point of view, it's all spot on. It's great!"

His boss Ferdinand Windhager, who is the second generation of the family to be at the helm of the company founded by his family in the 1950s, also doesn't have a bad word to say. In a small business like his – 14 trucks and 12 construction vehicles – the employees are decisive for the company's success. "I can only wish for more people like Sepp. He's highly motivated, reliable, friendly and competent when dealing with customers. What's more, he takes care of the vehicle as if it were his own – as a manager, you can't expect more than that from an employee."

Josef Sammer really does keep on eye on the condition of his Arocs. Any scratches on it affect him personally, and he is meticulously careful with the cab, making sure it remains clean. Everything has its own place. In the centre console stowage compartment he has a charging cable, keys, sunglasses and delivery notes; in the fridge are grapes, cola, pickled chillies and hard-boiled eggs "for emergencies"! As concerns work boots or shoes worn outside: NO ENTRY! "I spend more time in the Arocs than I do at home," explains Josef. "So I want to keep things clean and tidy."

And comfortable. The majority of his destinations are only between 30 and 50 kilometres away from the company headquarters located in Wirling, a town between St. Wolfgang and Bad Ischl. Despite that, Josef regularly uses the bed in the cab. "It's an absolute luxury. If I have to wait anywhere at any point or if I have to take a break, I lie down briefly so that I've got plenty of energy to carry on my work afterwards."

Just like now. Josef Sammer needs to transport a load of gravel from the company's own quarry in Weißenbachtal to a customer in Redlham.

"Real Weißenbach stone," explains Ferdinand Windhager. "It's an especially high-grade product and is predominantly used for building roads." Josef's Arocs pulls onto the roadway which leads down into the gravel pit, leaving a cloud of dust behind him. The driver parks the vehicle, dashes the short distance to the wheeled loader and, in a matter of minutes, he has already filled the segmented steel dumper semitrailer with 24 tonnes of gravel. "Sepp doesn't know half-speed," says Ferdinand Windhager, who is watching his employee from the edge of the gravel pit. "It's like he's permanently plugged in to the mains."

He also demonstrates the hydraulic auxiliary drive, one of the biggest strengths of the twin-axled tractor unit. At the press of a button, Josef quickly calls up the hydraulic auxiliary drive at the front wheels – thanks to the increased traction, the steep climb out of the quarry is child's play. "It just pulls you out of here," he says. "Without the hydraulic auxiliary drive, you don't want to come to a stop on the way up out of the quarry."

Ferdinand Windhager is also taken aback by the technology: "I have the same advantages as with an all-wheel-drive vehicle, but by comparison I benefit from weight savings and thus lower fuel consumption." The businessman highlights another notable advantage: the hydraulic auxiliary drive now allows certain locations to be accessed with ease; such as was recently the case in Mondsee. "On the freshly gravelled climbing roadways out of the quarry, other vehicles would stand no chance."

Josef Sammer nods and again starts talking to us. He tells us about the driving characteristics of his "world-class" truck. As well as about how good a solution the drive-away lock is and also about the retarder. "It's awesome," he says. "To bring the vehicle to a standstill, I can almost do away with the brakes completely – they should make that the standard for all trucks."

Besides his love for trucks, Josef Sammer's other passion is music: he plays the tuba in the local Orts- und Bauernmusik St. Wolfgang group. Although he says that's just a hobby. "But I live for driving trucks – I can't imagine anything nicer."