“We know that truck drivers have strong professional pride, and that’s exactly what Worldtrucker is about – sharing that passion for trucks and for life on the road,” says Worldtrucker manager Paula Kühnel.
The community attracted almost 10,000 members during the development stages. Local community operations have been established in ten countries and there are language versions available in Italian, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, French, Russian, German, Polish and English. With the final update, including a mobile phone version and design upgrade, the community has now been launched on a global scale.
It was decided from the start that Worldtrucker would be open to anyone interested in trucks regardless of the brand they use. Volvo Trucks as a company would maintain a low profile and let members build the content.
“Most haulage firms have various truck makes in their fleets. All their drivers should feel equally welcome,” says Paula Kühnel.
Worldtrucker helps drivers keep in touch with their families. Friends and colleagues can easily discuss experiences and establish new cross-border relations. They can share photos from the road by uploading directly through their mobile phone, thus making it possible to stay connected without carrying a laptop. By offering these social elements, Volvo Trucks hopes to stimulate the driver’s working life and increase interest in the profession. The worldwide driver shortage is a vital issue for the industry.
Worldtrucker has already spread to over 40 countries even though no promotion was undertaken outside the start markets, so Volvo Trucks’ expectations on the global launch are high. “We have not yet seen any competitor matching our setup and believe we have the chance to become the trucker’s first choice all over the world,” says Paula Kühnel.
February 14, 2011
Link to images
For further information, please contact:
Per Sundström, PR & Online Communications Manager, phone +46 70 586 7160, e-mail per.sundstrom@volvo.com