The path to more professional drivers
Interview with Mona Smeets - Ambassador of PROFI - Pro Fahrer-Image e. V.
The industry needs more professional drivers. Mona Smeets, project manager and ambassador for PROFI – Pro Driver Image since May 2024, gives a first-hand assessment in an interview with MANSIO. The freight forwarder and truck driver knows what she’s talking about. She works in her parents’ company with its own fleet and, as a 29-year-old with a daughter, she also represents the needs of the younger generation.
US: There is currently a shortage of 400,000 truck drivers in the EU. According to McKinsey, this figure could rise to one million by 2030. What relevance does the topic of attractive working conditions have in attracting more drivers?
MS: Improving working conditions and appreciation are the two main pillars for making the profession more attractive. Unfortunately, the needs of this occupational group have long been neglected. Some examples are the inadequate sanitary facilities, the poor treatment of drivers at the ramps and the lack of social recognition of the profession of driver.
US: If you could only turn one screw at first, what would be most beneficial?
MS: For me, the lack of appreciation is number one. It starts in the minds of society. If you see a truck driving uphill at 70 km/h, you should think about the fact that it might be transporting your beloved breakfast Nutella instead of getting angry about the speed. Without our drivers, our country would grind to a halt.
US: What do you think of MANSIO’s truck encounter traffic concept?
MS: I really like the idea of swapping trailers halfway along the route across freight forwarders. We need creativity to improve the situation on the road. Especially on longer and regular routes, I think solutions like MANSIO’s have a promising future.
US: “More attractive working conditions” are a major advantage of MANSIO’s intermodal services. Can you rank our pro arguments for truck drivers from your point of view?
MS: Top 1: Back home in the evening
Assessment: With regard to family, this is an important point. Family and regular working hours are now more important to most people than their job.
Top 2: No overnight stays at (overcrowded) rest areas
Example: January 2024, on the way back from the big demo in Berlin to Krefeld, we had to drive to five rest areas and car parks at 8 p.m. with just one tractor unit before we had a parking space. The daily search for a parking space often takes an hour.
Top 3: More security against cargo theft
This is also part of everyday life: criminals regularly slash half moons into the tarpaulins. In our fleet of seven vehicles, damage occurs almost every week.
US: You also support yourself as a female truck driver in your own company. According to Statista, there are only 2.2 percent female professional drivers in Germany. What would it take to make the profession more attractive for women?
MS: It starts when they are young. There is generally little support when a girl expresses the desire to become a professional driver. Yet there are many male hairdressers, nail designers and stylists. So why no woman behind the wheel of a truck? We need to do away with prejudices and stereotypes. We need much more normality. I know a few female drivers. They do a great job and are absolutely respected by their male colleagues.
US: Creating safe and new parking space is more of a long-term issue. Is it possible to make a difference in the short term?
MS: It would be a step forward if rest areas and industrial zones were well lit and equipped with camera systems where necessary. Display boards that show how many parking spaces are available would also help. Every modern parking garage has something like that.
US: One more word about PROFI – Pro Driver Image… What’s on the agenda?
MS: We are currently planning video formats and podcasts to educate people about the job of a truck driver. We want to show what the everyday life of a truck driver looks like and make the topic a little more tangible. We are also in the process of registering the association in the lobby register in order to be able to hold more political discussions and thus give professional drivers a stronger voice in politics.
US: Thank you very much for the interview.
About PROFI Pro Fahrer-Image e. V.
PROFI – Pro Fahrer-Image is an association for the promotion of the transport logistics industry – in particular road freight transport – and the job description of “professional driver”. The aim is to raise awareness of the working and living environment of drivers and to bring about a change in the way industry, trade, the transport sector and the general public treat drivers. Specifically, it is about:
- More appreciation of the driving profession
- better working conditions
- Better training and qualification
- Improving the image of road freight transport
PROFI is financed by membership fees: https://www.pro-fahrer-image.de
News from the world of MANSIO
19.05.2025 Transfrigoroute e.V. establishes meeting network for thermologists … powered by MANSIO At a joint event at Schmitz Cargobull AG,
Cologne, 25.04.2025 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐟ü𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐙𝐮𝐤𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐤 MANSIO is taking the next big step: by founding the MANSIO
15.05.2025 Axians and MANSIO officially announced their strategic partnership at the Expert Dialogue on May 14 and 15, 2025. By
www.logistik-schmitt.de Together with Daimler Truck and the software provider Mansio from Aachen, we converted a round trip from Mannheim to
www.yourtravis.com, 06.05.2025 From May 2025, hundreds of new swap locations will be available through a new partnership between TRAVIS, Europe’s
