When you talk to Manuel Pfenning, you quickly get a sense of what things a company can modernise: with his eyes set on a clear goal and a resolute team spirit, the Managing Director of pfenning logistics from Baden-Württemberg is deliberately embarking on more modern paths.

Manuel Pfenning learned both from ice hockey: as a player in the team Heilbronn Eisbären, he has brought home four master jerseys. This spirit also helps the pfenning logistics group. After starting as an intern, he got an apprenticeship, then a logistics degree and finally, today, he is responsible for Transport und Logistik-Operations Nord.

In all honesty: what has been your number of applicants in recent years?
Honestly? Pretty good. Starting to use social media as well as digital advertising possibilities have meant that numbers have increased sharply. We have increased our number of applicants to around 200 per month, within just a few months – no exaggeration!

Wow. When and how did this “trucker boom” begin?
In 2016, when our Initiative FairTruck was launched: participating companies have since been campaigning for more fair play and appreciation in the industry. In the same year, we launched the online platform Lkw‑Logenplatz, where we approach applicants not with glossy images, but with authentic statements from our drivers.

How do you know what makes your potential new employee tick?
We go wherever people are – on social media, websites and video platforms, for example. There, we communicate with people in an authentic, straightforward and appreciative manner.

That sounds too simple to be true …
True. You’ve first got to create the right conditions for future employees. That’s why, for example, we work together with employment agencies and provide funding for recruits to qualify as a truck driver. Once this foundation has been laid, the pfenning‑Academy offers further training programmes for professional and personal development. The fact that this works can perhaps be seen in the sheer numbers of employees we have: 3,700 in total.

OK. What we really want to know is: what’s your secret?
This has nothing to do with secrets. The loyalty of our existing colleagues is extremely important to us – almost more important than the number of new applicants. Satisfaction spreads through word of mouth and is more effective than any image campaign. We also operate fairly in terms of working time regulations, remuneration, subsidies and – of course – equipping trucks.