Tanja Erhardt and Annita Hegemann-Becker: two out of two percent

Tanja Erhardt got her truck driving licence a good two years ago, and the 28-year-old has been working as a truck driver ever since. She explains that her passion for large machines inspired her to enter the profession, and she has already infected her young daughter with her enthusiasm. “She prefers to drive trucks for long-distance haulage”, says Tanja with a smile.

Off to a flying start.

Tanja, who is from the German town of Paderborn, is on the road in an Actros 1851. Tanja mainly delivers grain with the "agricultural express", and she calls her truck “Diva”. “It took me a bit of time to warm to it, but now I love it”, Tanja says. And what do her male colleagues make of a young female truck driver? "Most people applaud it; the older generation often thinks: "A blonde woman in a truck? That can't go well!" I don't listen to it anyway", reports Tanja. She sometimes has difficulties, especially at the loading points, but she asserts herself: "I say how the truck is loaded. Simple."

On a detour.

Prevailing in the midst of adversity – Annita Hegemann-Becker could write a song about it. She had turned her hobby into a profession 32 years ago, and her husband and family stood behind her. Then, cold headwinds came onto the labour market. “Getting a job was really hard”, recalls Annita. “You were seen as "an easy woman"; by drivers but also by companies.” That took its toll on her. Then, she was successfully recruited by a temp agency. “Now, people are more than happy to employ women”, she says. “In the past, it was really extreme.”

Today, Annita is on the road in an Actros with a semitrailer. “I drive kitchens to France, Spain and Austria”, says Annita. And she's still passionate about her work: “Technically, I'm now retired, but I’m still on the road two to three times a week as a temporary employee.”

Photos: Kristian Barthen
Video: Martin Schneider-Lau