Everyday heroine in bright orange
I think the MAN gearbox is perfectly coordinated and it's just fun to work with. The new facelift means the trucks are also really nice to look at from the outside, even though everything here is orange. “
The work is varied and demanding. A team of around 45 people takes care of everything that arises along a 124-kilometre stretch of road. "This includes erecting barriers for construction sites, mowing work all year round and, of course, snow clearance and gritting in winter," is how Janina describes her day-to-day work.
She is particularly fond of the latter. The team works in shifts around the clock when snow falls – and in Upper Franconia that can easily be up to 30 centimetres. "We drive in convoy when clearing snow, always staggered in pairs and no faster than 40–50 km/h," she explains. "Good coordination is particularly important here."
Spring clean on the motorway
Currently, in spring and summer, there are other tasks. "We mow for all we're worth. There’s also road sweeping or cleaning bridgeheads – spring cleaning, so to speak." A special feature of her section of the route is the Bayreuth enclosure, the tunnel on the A9 motorway. "The first thing we have to do after winter is spend a week cleaning the tunnel. Then a second time in autumn."
Safety is the top priority in her work. "Everything to do with motorway safety was new territory for me professionally," she admits. Janina has completed a special driver safety training course to prepare her for all situations: "The aim was to avoid obstacles under simulated slippery snow conditions, including front and lateral ploughs on the vehicle."
