Hello everyone and nice to see you (again) on our blog. After my exciting three-week trip through Turkiye, I’m now travelling to the Czech Republic. The journey to the Continental Academy in Otrokovice began in the dark. The night passed quickly as we travelled smoothly through the traffic and the capital city of Prague.

Unlike in Turkiye, the traffic in the Czech Republic is very relaxed – even though we are travelling on the E50, an important west-east route. Most drivers seem to be relaxed and consistently obey the traffic rules. Unfortunately, because we were travelling at night, I didn’t get to see much of the towns we were passing through – but at least we didn’t get stuck in any traffic jams. Our destination Oktrokovice is in the south-east of the Czech Republic, on the border with Slovakia, around 300 kilometres south-east of Prague. Continental produces Barum tyres there, among other things.

The only difficulty on the journey? Unfortunately, the car wash, which is out of order until the day of my departure. So that’s it: Hand wash – because who likes a dirty truck? I certainly don’t. Especially so shortly before an internal Continental event where I’m presenting my trailer, I want the roadshow truck to shine in its best light. Luckily, I have enough time for the elaborate wash, as otherwise I don’t have much planned for my time in the Czech Republic.

Meeting the diverse team from all over Europe

After arriving in Otrokovice, I spend the waiting time eagerly looking forward to meeting my colleagues from Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Hungary. Most of whom I will be dealing with during my other roadshow stops over the next year.

The internal event is planned to give my colleagues an introduction to the trailer. This is because I need expert contacts on site in the respective countries who can vividly explain to our customers exactly what we are presenting. This training was essential to ensure that they get the necessary insights into our trailer.

The Continental Academy then starts with a theoretical part. Among other things, this provides a unique insight into the latest developments in the field of tyres – an experience I won’t soon forget. After the theory part, we then go out to the truck. There is a live demonstration of tread depth, tyre inflation pressure, the monitors on the truck and the other operating elements.

High-tech in the tyre plant

Apart from the Continental Academy, however, I don’t see much of the surrounding area. If the weather is good, I’ll explore the area around the Academy over the next few days, but otherwise there’s not much to see here. The factory really is one of the biggest highlights. The atmosphere in the halls where tyres are assembled and the latest technology is used to check pressure and tread depth is fascinating. Let’s see what other impressions I will gather over the next few days.

Until then – and stay on the road,

your Ronny