A trucker in the third generation

And Paulina, who’s always had a soft spot for engines, likes to experience some action.

“As a young girl, I didn’t only ride horses a lot, I also really loved riding motocross. After all, the motocross bike in our garage also needed its exercise,” Paulina says.

“I still remember how there was always a conversation going on about which trailer my parents were allowed to pull with which car and also with which driver’s license. And I’d always be thinking about how I'd like to drive the biggest trucks on the road!”

Soon, motorised horsepower turned out to be more exciting than its four-legged counterpart, and Paulina started considering the idea of becoming self-employed. Her grandfather had already started a haulage company in the sixties, which was later taken over by her father.

“When I was a pupil, I saw how my father had to work very hard in order to keep the company going – regardless of the weather. So I really wanted to give something back. So in the upper school, I decided to pursue a motor-vehicle-related career – and that was the best thing I could possibly have done!”

At first, Paulina’s father wasn’t too excited about her decision and found that his daughter would be well-advised to avoid this stressful industry. But as Paulina began to acquire more and more skills, he began to see things differently over time.

“When I turned 18, I got my car driver’s license in March and my truck driver’s license in December. A couple of months later I also had a license for driving tractor units. I guess I’m just made for this job,” she says with a laugh.

Ash and slag.

After several placements at other haulage companies, Paulina finally started working at her father’s company. At first, father and daughter shared a tipper-trailer Arocs, working double shifts transporting ash and slag for the company Stockholm Exergi (formerly Fortum). After only half a year, the same customer signed a long-term contract with them involving significantly more trips. Consequently, a new truck was purchased for Paulina, who became co-owner of the company at the same time.

Once again, the choice fell on a Mercedes-Benz truck – this time, an Arocs with a three-axle roll-off tipper. Now Paulina transports ash and slag for Stockholm Exergi during the entire winter half year, while transports during the summer involve anything from containers to machines depending on the current demand.

“We always have work! Since the day I picked up the truck, there hasn’t been a single day where it’s broken down.”

“Mercedes-Benz simply offers the very best service contracts and service features! We pay a fixed monthly fee and as a result we never need to worry about how much a service measure may cost or whether we might actually save some money if we do it ourselves. So we can always be sure that there will be no unpleasant surprises. I just make a phone call in the morning, and the service employees pick up the truck in the evening – after all, they know all too well that the vehicle needs to be in use during the day.”

During the week Paulina gets up at 3:45 a.m. every morning and then carries out four round trips between the Högdalen power plant and the sorting facility in Södertälje.

“I really like driving that tour! And also, it provides us with a stable income, which helps secure our future.”

“You really have to appreciate things.”

For several years now, more and more women have been getting behind the wheel of a truck, and Paulina has heard only positive responses about that.

“In the meantime, many haulage firms even especially like to hire female truck drivers,” she tells us.

“I think that maybe women drive a little more cautiously than men, and therefore cause less damage.”

“You really have to appreciate things,” Paulina is keen to emphasise.

“In the future, our company is set to grow, and potential employees should be aware of that. They need to understand that we’re transporting valuable goods for which other people have paid good money. But I wouldn’t only hire women. In my opinion, mixed teams work best.”

If, like Paulina, you’re loading and unloading a truck several times a day at the same place, you’re not around people very much. But at the weekend, Paulina makes sure to balance this out. That’s when her 1958 Chevy Biscayne comes into play. A classic four-door American car.

“This car is not a glamorous garage vehicle, but it’s not a rust bucket either. It’s simply a utility vehicle with just the right amount of coolness. Every weekend, there’s always a large gathering somewhere, where most people are much older than me.

But I don’t always take the Chevy there. Honestly, pretty often I take the Arocs instead. With its ample LED lighting and many stainless-steel details, it also makes quite an impression.”

“I really like visiting trucker gatherings. You can have a relaxed get-together and chat with a bunch of friendly people. And furthermore, there’s a special kind of community among Mercedes-Benz drivers. We get to know each other online via RoadStars, and then in real life during the meetings.”

“We stick together and just have a great time. And when we meet someone driving a truck with the three-pointed star, we greet them – as though we were driving one of those fat old American classic cars!”