Learning to be a professional driver: Joeline and Leonie on their day-to-day lives
In August, many young people will be starting their apprenticeships at the Nagel-Group. To mark the start of the apprenticeship programme, two young women who have already taken this step are being introduced: Joeline Sockel and Leonie Horn are 20 and 19 years old and well on their way to mastering one of the largest jobs there is. As apprentice professional drivers at the Nagel-Group in Borgholzhausen, they are learning to manoeuvre trucks weighing several tonnes safely through traffic. It involves far more than just driving: it’s about responsibility, technology, organisation and the satisfaction of experiencing something new every day.
“Many people are sceptical at first because they say: ‘That’s a job for men’ or ‘Women can’t do that’. But I can drive a truck just as well as a man. It’s not as if I’m all thumbs and a man can automatically do it better. It’s just a matter of practice.” – Joeline
f.l.t.r.: Joeline Sockel und Leonie Horn
A passing interest turned into a specific career ambition
When Leonie visited a careers fair with her school, she didn’t yet have a specific apprenticeship in mind. “I wanted to think a bit outside the box and not do something typical that people associate with women,” she explains. She was struck by the sight of a lorry, and whilst talking to the trainers, she learnt just how varied the job is. This was followed by a three-and-a-half-week school work experience placement; later, she completed two further placements – including one in an office. Afterwards, Leonie realised she’d rather be on the road: “I realised that I actually prefer being out on the road a bit more than sitting in an office in the future.”
Joeline came into contact with the Nagel-Group in a very similar way at a careers fair. She accepts the offer of a two-week work experience placement during the summer holidays and rides along in a lorry for the first time. Her curiosity turns into a career aspiration. “I’ve already got a few impressions and thought it was really cool because you get to experience so much,” says Joeline. “Especially when you drive different routes later on, you get to see a lot. That’s what I fancied doing.”
The driving licence is only part of the apprenticeship
Joeline and Leonie are now in the final stage of their apprenticeship. Neither of them can understand why, from the outside, their job is often reduced to simply driving.
“People might imagine it like this: I get into the truck, drive for eight hours, and that’s it,” says Joeline. “But you have to load and unload the truck, keep track of various documents, stick to your timetables and make sure everything runs smoothly so you arrive at the unloading point on time.”
Added to this is the responsibility for the vehicle, the load and other road users. “You have a completely different level of responsibility to a car driver,” adds Leonie. “When you’re fully loaded, your braking distances are longer. You have to stick to driving and rest periods, and when securing the load, make sure everything is positioned correctly and that you’re not overloaded.”
That’s why the apprenticeship at the Nagel-Group doesn’t just start behind the wheel. In the warehouse, trainees learn how to load and unload a vehicle properly. In the service workshop, they work on the vehicle’s mechanics and carry out minor repairs. In the office, they learn how to check and process freight documents, pallet slips and other paperwork.
Apprentices also obtain their truck licence during their apprenticeship. The Nagel-Group covers the costs. After passing their test, they initially drive alongside experienced colleagues, familiarise themselves with different routes and gradually take on more responsibility.
f.l.t.r.: Joeline Sockel und Leonie Horn
The first deliveries
Joeline passed her driving test several weeks ago and is now accompanying a colleague on a shuttle run to Versmold. „Er ist dabei, damit man sich noch sicherer fühlen kann“, erzählt sie. “He’s coming along so I can feel even more confident,” she explains. “He’s showing me how he fills in his logs and unloading reports, which companies he visits, and what’s important on the route.”
Leonie had held her driving licence for around six weeks and had already been driving on various routes. After her first shuttle runs around Versmold, she moved on to longer routes.
Neither of them knows exactly where their career path will take them after their apprenticeship. Joeline can well imagine driving longer distances, but first wants to see how she copes with the many hours on the motorway and the different shifts.
“Some people are really good at it, others say: ‘That’s not for me’,” she says. “It’s the same with shifts – whether you drive during the day, late in the evening or at night. Once we’ve tried everything, we’ll see what we’d like to do in the long term.”
Leonie is currently leaning more towards local transport. As a beginner, she’s still not used to the longer motorway journeys. “It’s quite tiring because there’s not much variety,” she says. “As things stand, I can’t really imagine doing long-distance driving yet. But that could change as her apprenticeship progresses, of course.”
“You have a completely different set of responsibilities to a car driver. When you’re fully loaded, your braking distances are longer. You have to stick to the driving and rest periods, and when securing the load, you have to make sure everything is properly secured and that you’re not overloaded.” – Leonie
Everyday life full of variety and new challenges
Variety doesn’t just come from different routes. Whether it’s with customers, paperwork or road traffic, there are always situations that drivers have to deal with.
“There’s always something different,” says Leonie. “Either it’s road users who need special attention, or something’s missing at the customer’s premises, or there’s a problem with the paperwork. Then you have to find a solution.”
Leonie has also already experienced her first vehicle breakdown. “At the time, it wasn’t great, of course, because it made the working day much longer,” she says. “But looking back, it was a learning experience to see how the breakdown service works and to put into practice what you learn at school and on the job. And I wasn’t on my own. We managed it well together.”
Encouragement, scepticism and forging her own path
When Joeline or Leonie step out of the cab at a customer’s premises, it still elicits a range of reactions. Joeline, in particular, encounters doubt alongside a great deal of recognition. “Many people are sceptical at first, saying things like: ‘That’s a job for men’ or ‘Women can’t do that’,” she explains. “But I can drive a truck just as well as a man. It’s not as if I’m all thumbs and a man can automatically do it better. It’s just a matter of practice.” She is the first in her family to take up a job like this. The women in her circle tend to work in the care sector. That’s precisely why there’s so much interest. “My family thinks it’s really cool because nobody else in our family has a job like this,” says Joeline.
Leonie’s family and friends were also sceptical at first. Before starting her apprenticeship, she herself had little self-confidence. However, her experiences and the support from her team have changed that. “My colleagues told me I didn’t need to worry so much,” she says. “Eventually, it’s all a matter of practice, and you can do it just as well as anyone else who works here.” She now receives a lot of encouragement from her friends and family too. Relatives ask about her shifts, friends are interested in her experiences and follow her progress through the apprenticeship.
On the road alone, yet still part of a team
What makes this job a dream job for Joeline and Leonie – and what perhaps doesn’t? Joeline first mentions the peace and quiet and independence in the cab: “I can put on my music and drive. I really look forward to that.”
Leonie also appreciates this peace and quiet. Yet she doesn’t find the job lonely. “You have your peace and quiet, but at the same time you’re not alone because you have colleagues,” she says. “You’re always meeting new people at customers’ premises. And if you visit the same customers regularly, you also bump into old acquaintances.”
One of the less straightforward aspects is the working hours. Early, late and night shifts aren’t always easy to fit in with the daily lives of friends and family. “You have to be aware that friends and social life might take a back seat as a result,” says Leonie. For her and those around her, however, this is no longer a major problem.
Which routes Joeline and Leonie will drive in the future and which shifts suit them best will become clear over the coming months. Even now, both know what they value about their job: the independence in the cab, the variety on the road, the responsibility and the support of the people who accompany them on this journey.