Ben Nawratil knows all about how to unload a skip. And the 17-year-old could explain how to place a bin onto a rear-end loader in his sleep. Even though he is still only in the first year of his HGV driver apprenticeship course, he knows REMONDIS’ various different specialist vehicles very well indeed. So well, in fact, that he has already given a number of interviews and some cool reels about him can be found on REMONDIS Careers’ Instagram page.
Germany’s youngest HGV driver apprentice
So why is the media interested in Ben Nawratil? He was just 16 when he began his apprenticeship course – younger than any other applicant looking to train to become an HGV driver. “As a general rule, our HGV driver apprentices are 17 or older,” commented Viktor Zitzer, a logistics manager at REMONDIS Rhein Wupper GmbH & Co. KG. And Ben is so keen on lorries and being an HGV driver that you cannot help but share his joy. His father Lars Nawratil played no small part in Ben’s love of large vehicles and his wish to work at REMONDIS. He used to take his son out with him in his lorry when he was just 13 years old. “That’s definitely one of my favourite memories,” the 17-year-old explained. “When I was allowed to sit next to my dad in his driver’s cab at the weekend or in the school holidays. When I was able to watch the lorries being loaded and unloaded. It was simply great to be on the roads in Wuppertal sitting in the passenger seat.” Ben knew back then what he wanted to be: a lorry driver at REMONDIS – like his father.
Branch Manager Philipp Vitz (left) and Managing Director Jonas Vogel made it possible for Ben to start his apprenticeship at the age of 16
A day in the life of Ben Nawratil
His day starts early in the morning. “I normally get up at five o’clock,” Ben Nawratil said as if it were a perfectly normal thing for a teenager to do. “My workday starts around six depending on my shift.” Of course, this means that he has to go to bed early but: “I’ve finished work by two in the afternoon which is really cool,” he remarked laughing – and with a smile on his face that clearly shows just how much he enjoys his job. “The first thing we do in the morning is to go to the scheduling department to say hello to our colleagues and pick up our papers,” he continued. Most colleagues have their own set vehicle so they know the truck’s technology like the back of their hand. “The next thing we do is to carry out a mandatory check of the vehicle – looking at its tyres, brakes, lights and trailer carefully to make sure there are no defects.” This takes up time but such checks are required by law to both increase road safety and ensure defects are spotted in good time so that more extensive and more costly damage to the lorries can be avoided. Once the lorry is ready, the team drives to the first customer. “We transport commercial waste,” Ben Nawratil explained. “We pick up skips and bins from our customers and take them to the recycling centres.” Every now and then, he changes the people he travels with so that he can get to know the different processes, vehicles and teams during his apprenticeship. He has plenty of time for his friends and hobbies after he finishes work, the 17-year-old explained: “I meet up with friends, play football twice a week and there is definitely always time for me to go on a long walk with our dog Bobby.”
HGV driving licences at REDRIVE
REMONDIS runs its own driving school, REDRIVE, where emphasis is put on practical knowledge and cutting-edge technology – in particular for short-haul truck journeys. The apprentices appreciate the relaxed learning environment there and the direct contact they have with the experienced driving instructors. No matter whether it involves lorries with trailers, hook-lift trucks or side loaders – responsibility is always at the top of the list of priorities. By providing the apprentices with the individual support they need, they not only learn to drive more safely but also to better unite their work and family life. “The truck drivers that we train drive in a more economical way and cause fewer accidents and less damage because they are taught to handle their vehicle in an environmentally friendly way and are better prepared for coping with inner city traffic,” commented REMONDIS Rhineland Region, summing up the courses there.
Find out more about REDRIVE and its activities.
https://en.remondis-aktuell.de/people-responsibility/new-hgv-drivers-from-the-companys-own-ranks/
“I really enjoy doing this job. There are a lot of people around you and there’s always something to talk about and something to do. My goal is to finish my apprenticeship and join REMONDIS as a driver.”
Ben Nawratil
Driving courses in the company’s own driving school
Ben Nawratil will be able to sit in the driving seat himself and take his HGV driving test as soon as he turns 18. “REMONDIS has been training its apprentices and future drivers to prepare them for their category C/CE driving test at its own ‘REDRIVE’ driving school in Cologne since 2021,” Viktor Zitzer remarked. “What’s more, we also offer block teaching in line with all the rules and regulations for people wishing to do accelerated initial qualification courses.” By doing so, REMONDIS has made a conscious decision to actively help its own staff to qualify as an HGV driver and so counteract the current driver shortage. There is one thing that Ben Nawratil is already sure of: “I really enjoy doing this job. There are a lot of people around you and there’s always something to talk about and something to do. My goal is to finish my apprenticeship and join REMONDIS as a driver.”
A big shortage of drivers
The HGV driver shortage is continuing to get worse. There are around 70,000 HGV driver vacancies in Germany alone. According to the BGL (German Association of Road Haulage, Logistics and Disposal), demographic change is one of the key factors driving this development. Around one third of HGV drivers are over the age of 55. Every year, approx. 30,000 HGV drivers retire and between just 15,000 and 20,000 newly trained drivers join the sector. The situation is similar in other European countries. Taking on foreign drivers has helped but this can only ease the situation to a limited extent.
People looking to do an HGV driver apprenticeship at REMONDIS must
- have successfully finished school
- be at least 17 years old
- enjoy doing practical work and handling vehicles
- have a basic understanding of technology
- have strong communication skills and be a team player
- be resourceful and willing to learn
- be conscientious, dependable and responsible
- have a friendly demeanour
REMONDIS Careers on Instagram
Ben Nawratil also appears in a reel on REMONDIS Careers’ Instagram page where he talks about his experiences and goals. Many other colleagues can also be found there, describing their work at the company with eye-catching photos and short statements.
Image credits: image 1, 3: © Taro Kataoka; image 2, 4: © REMONDIS
