Huguette Durand caught the trucking bug when she started driving trucks as a 22-year-old.
“A chance internship pushed me into the world of trucks,” she says. “And then, I never left.”
She started a transport company together with her sister, which some years later merged with her husband’s. Today the company, Transports Durand-Lemi, has 14 drivers, including the owners’ eldest daughter. They primarily carry non-hazardous chemicals.
“At Durand-Lemi, we are truck drivers first and foremost. When we buy a truck, we buy for comfort and safety and the prestige to make our customers proud. The purchase is also a question of environmental performance,” says Huguette Durand.
For her, this translates into buying only from Renault Trucks.
“My husband, Christian, is a big fan of the brand,” says Huguette Durand, who actually first started driving Mercedes but converted after trying a Renault Magnum.
“With their elevated cabins, they were tricky to manoeuvre, but they were also so much more spacious and comfortable for the driver.”
Today, Transports Durand-Lemi owns 15 vehicles, the last of which is a deep-black T Range enhanced with a vermillion red trim. The truck was a birthday surprise from her husband, Christian, which was unveiled at the inauguration of the Renault Trucks workshop in Saint-Egrève last November.
Celebrating birthdays together is a clear sign of a special relationship and Huguette Durand describes the dealership as a “very trusted partner”. But she has also been happily surprised by Renault Trucks’ service network on occasions when trucks break down far from home. Service has always been provided in a very responsive and personalised manner. Knowing this makes it easy to relax and enjoy the driving, which Huguette Durand has now resumed in her new truck.
“It is such a pleasure to be behind the wheel again, so now I drive between Lyon and Hanover every week – it’s a real joy.”
