Clarissa takes on heavy transports in her MAN TGX

“I learned to drive trucks off-road”

Clarissa Frädrich is in her element behind the wheel of her yellow MAN TGX. The 37-year-old heavy haulage driver from Emmerich am Rhein took an unusual route into the industry.

“Nobody in my family drove a truck,” says Clarissa Frädrich. Instead, it was the German army that put her into a cab – “My instructor took the rough approach – literally. I learned to drive trucks off-road.” She has been driving her MAN TGX for a little over a year now, and she’s thrilled with it. “I love the design – it’s simply stunning. Especially as all my company’s vehicles come in this bright yellow paintjob.”

“We are all the same, just a different colour”

Her daily work is anything but ordinary. She’s been in international heavy haulage with Gertzen Autokrane und Transporte for almost two and a half years. “My highlight was in Norway. It took me three days to get there through snow and ice with several ferries in between,” she says with a sense of pride. “The natural backdrop, the feeling of being completely on my own.” She was delivering a large crushing unit for a tarmac mixing plant.

She doesn’t see heavy haulage needing any more expertise than normal haulage jobs. “We’re all the same,” Clarissa says with a laugh, “only the colour’s different.” Even so, heavy haulage comes with its own challenges: “You can’t stop or park just anywhere when you’re pulling a wide load.” Teamwork is especially important when driving under escort: “You need to put all you trust in your escort. If they tell you to stop, you don’t move another inch.”

Stronger together

Clarissa has a busy life full of commitments beyond the job – she’s in the volunteer fire brigade and acts as vice-chair of Niederrhein Rulz e.V., an association dedicated to children in need.

And she’s also a passionate member of the drivers’ club, which led to a very special honour at last year’s ADAC Truck Grand Prix: “I was utterly baffled when I got the email: ‘You’ve won an MAN tattoo.’” She now sports a large lion tattoo on her thigh– a meaningful symbol to her: “A lion is a fighter. I’ve beaten cancer, so the lion fits.”

Clarissa has clear goals for the future: “I want to drive even bigger artics.” Her advice to young people wanting to join the profession: “Accept help from experienced colleagues. You’ll benefit from all their experience. Seasoned drivers know the ropes.”

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