Managing Director Elmar List employs his driver Luisa Kettling for trips for the steel industry between the Sauerland and Ruhr regions. Her truck is an Actros Edition 2.

The slurry is steaming and there is a smell of dust and steel. The landfill site on the Haardter Berg in Siegen is an inhospitable place; even more than usual on this cold, wet, foggy Thursday morning. Luisa Kettling drives her Actros Edition 2 over the rough terrain and zigzags her way up to the dumping point. At the top she places the tipper in position with the routine that comes from practice. Then 25 tonnes of grey furnace slurry slide out of the tipper body. In full control, Luisa lets her trailer combination be slowly pushed forward by the load. After it has stopped she leaves the cab and wades in her safety shoes through knee‑high mud and slime to the rear: A hard hammer blow is needed to get the last of the slurry out of the tipper.

Just over a year ago she was in contact with Elmar List. The 61‑year‑old haulage contractor runs a thriving business for recyclers in the steel business, located in Drolshagen near Olpe, with two tipper trucks. He loads 100 tonnes per day in Witten alone. There is plenty of demand. “The customers keep asking me to enlarge the business and take on more drivers,” says the contractor. But for the sake of his health he keeps his workload down and only drives himself if it’s really necessary. “Luisa came just at the right time,” he says. There is real praise in his voice. The boss thinks a lot of his two young drivers who are both under 30 and with good qualifications. “You can rely on them,” he says emphatically. “They know how to deal with customers well and they take good care of the trucks.” Every week the Actros is cleaned by hand, otherwise the slurry would harden on.

It is not by chance that Luisa drives the Actros Edition 2. Her boss is a true Mercedes fan. The special model limited to 400 is full of extras and loving detail. The high‑quality equipment is Elmar List’s way of showing his appreciation for his staff. And they value it: “The Edition 2 is simply a brilliant place to work,” says Luisa. She was able to fetch her Actros herself in Wörth.

The equipment under the smart surface makes Luisa’s job even more pleasant. Thanks to Predictive Powertrain Control she takes brows and dips smoothly and economically. That’s a big plus in the Sauerland.