Nora Zimmerli is the first female driving instructor at PostBus

Two years ago, we accompanied Nora Zimmerli during her training as a driving instructor. Now she’s done it: after four and a half years, she finally has her licence as a driving instructor for lorries (category C/D) in the bag. In doing so, she has achieved something historic: she is the first woman in the history of PostBus to train prospective drivers. She is also in a clear minority outside of PostBus: this year, Nora Zimmerli is the only woman to have qualified as a lorry driving instructor. Since 2008, 177 men and 11 women have trained as driving instructors for lorries throughout Switzerland – that’s just under 6 percent of the total. In the case of passenger vehicles, almost 20 percent of driving instructors are women.

Used to drive lorries

Nora Zimmerli knows the driving profession inside out. She herself worked as a lorry driver for four years and then as a Postbus driver in Aargau for six years. Accompanying her in her new job as a driving instructor, it quickly becomes clear that she is able to give clear instructions, remain calm, attentive and friendly. The two newcomers, Marc Altermatt from Laufen in the canton of Basel-Landschaft and Peter Auf der Maur from Hünenberg in the canton of Zug, appreciate this. “Nora always keeps her nerve and an overview of everything. That helps a lot,” says Peter Auf der Maur. The 58-year-old qualified businessman has had a very varied career, including working as a hotelier and sailing around the world. Now, as his career draws to a close, he will chauffeur Postbus passengers. Marc Altermatt, 27, has worked in the retail sector and is fulfilling a childhood dream by training as a Postbus driver.

Sought-after specialists

“My working day is very busy,” says Nora Zimmerli. In addition to Nora, the PostBus driving school employs six other driving instructors throughout Switzerland. They have their hands full: every year, PostBus provides instruction to over 50 students in two- to three-month intensive training courses and runs numerous advanced training courses. It is important to remember that driving instructors are highly sought-after on the labour market. “That’s why it’s worth promoting and training our own people,” says Noëmi Cerny, Head of Driver Training unit at PostBus.

In her free time, Nora Zimmerli seeks to balance out her demanding job. Her other passion besides driving is volleyball. She has been playing the sport competitively since she was young and used to play in the 1st division with the juniors from Triengen LU. During her intensive training as a driving instructor, she had less time for her hobby.  However, she is still active in the Frick mixed club.