Ergonomic Driver Seats: Prevent Back Pain & Save Costs

December 05 2025

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Changing drivers in vans, trucks, and cranes all know the problem: the seat is never properly adjusted. With an electrically adjustable seat with a memory function, this is a thing of the past. One push of a button and the seat is perfectly set, which prevents incorrect seating and the resulting back complaints.

Trône Seating combines modern technology with decades of experience to ensure your employees stay fit for the long term, even during intensive use.

Sitting is the New Smoking: An Old Truth in a New Light

"Sitting is the new smoking," a statement we hear more and more often. But what if your job forces you to spend hours in a crane, forklift, or delivery van? For thousands of machine operators and drivers, the seat is their office. Unfortunately, the seats that come standard in many of these machines are often no more than a simple cushion. The consequences: insidious back pain, reduced productivity, and ultimately higher costs for employers.

Trône Seating, with over fifty years of experience in the seating industry, tackles this problem at its root. They do not believe in the 'one-size-fits-all' model, but in a seat that adapts to the individual. Frans-Jozef van Seumeren, founder of Trône Seating, shares his insights on dynamic seating and the power of fifty years of practical experience.

Trône Seating's Vision: Shaped by Practice and Passion

Trône Seating's vision did not arise from theoretical models, but from pure practical experience. "As a young boy, I already demonstrated at trade fairs how big the difference was between a normal seat and one of ours," says Frans-Jozef. "On a shaker table, everyone remained still and upright on our seat, while they were flung in all directions on the original seat."

This early confrontation with the reality of work seats, complemented by fifty years in the field, taught Trône Seating that you don't need scientific models for the masses. "You have to make the seat for the individual," emphasizes Frans-Jozef. "My vision is that we must do everything possible to alleviate and prevent complaints. We do this by focusing on the user who performs intensive work on the same seat for 4 to 8 hours a day."

The Biggest Misconception about Ergonomic Seating: The Standard Seat

The biggest misconception in the industry, according to Frans-Jozef, is that the seats installed as standard on machines are ergonomic. "That is often nonsense," he states. "They are there because they are cheap." These standard seats almost always lack the basics: seat depth adjustment, lumbar supports, and the correct armrests. "No ergonomic measures have been taken whatsoever. People have to work with them for six or seven hours. The complaints do not appear immediately; it takes years, and only then do they start looking for a solution."

Frans-Jozef's assertion is clear: "Sitting is simply unhealthy." Trône Seating tries to improve this with their seats and techniques. "We strive for different seating and dynamic seating. Just as you have an electrically adjustable desk, you should also have an electrically adjustable seat."

What Makes the Trône Seat Different?

Trône Seating's chairs are designed with the user in mind, which translates into a number of unique features:

Electric Adjustment with Memory Function: The Key to Consistency

This is crucial, especially for seats with varying users. Consider a tram in Madrid, where multiple operators use the same seat in one day. "Every operator or driver can set their perfect, personalized position with the push of a button," explains Frans-Jozef. "This directly contributes to the prevention of back pain because the seat is always used correctly." The memory function is like a personal assistant that ensures the seat is always perfectly adjusted, regardless of who sat on it last.

Vast Adjustment Possibilities: A Custom Seat for Every Body

Trône Seating offers seven to nine adjustment options for every body part (long or short legs, shoulders, back, neck) to guarantee the perfect, supportive posture. This means the seat is easier to adjust for changing users, and everyone, regardless of build, can find a comfortable and ergonomic seating position.

Modern Design and Solid Construction: The Best of Both Worlds

Although the base sometimes reverts to proven, solid techniques (such as those applied by Americans in the 1950s), Trône Seating puts this in a modern jacket. "Our models have a modern look, in contrast to the often-unchanged models of other suppliers," says Frans-Jozef. This means you not only get an ergonomically sound seat but also one that looks good and fits the modern work environment.

The Crucial Role of the User in Choosing a Seat

The involvement of the driver or operator is very important. "A seat is often forgotten," notes Frans-Jozef. "When a new forklift is delivered, the machine's operation is explained ad nauseam, but the seat is skipped." Trône Seating makes the choice and the setting personal and risk-free:

28-Day Trial Sit: "The seat and the person must together determine if it is good enough. If not, we adjust it." This guarantees that the seat truly fits the user and the work activities.
Adjustment Instructions: Trône Seating provides clear instructions for use and setting, often through prevention officers. This ensures that all seven to nine settings are used correctly to adopt a good posture.
Custom-Made: Due to the vast adjustment possibilities, the seat is always custom-made for the individual. This offers the best prevention against physical complaints and increases comfort.

Technological Innovation Serving the User

The balance between technology and practical applicability is the key to prevention. Technology serves the user. The memory function in an electrically adjustable seat is a perfect example. In a work environment with multiple shifts, you don't want every operator to have to puzzle again with seven or eight levers. They want to get started quickly and correctly.

Challenge in Practice	Solution from Trône Seating	Result
Time loss with manual adjustment.	Fast, electric adjustment.	Quicker to work with the correct posture.
Incorrect setting with changing shifts.	Memory function for personalized position.	Prevents back pain through guaranteed correct sitting posture.
Lack of dynamism in sitting.	Possibility for dynamic and different sitting.	More active working posture and less strain on the spinal column.

Trends in the Market: More Attention to Ergonomics

The market is changing, and that is good news for machine operators and drivers.

More Attention to Personnel

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find good personnel. This means that companies are taking better care of their employees. The focus on compliance with the Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) and sustainable employability is a direct result of this. An ergonomic seat is no longer a luxury but a necessity to retain valuable personnel.

Focus on Vibration Prevention

Especially in vehicles on solid tires and with many bumps (such as forklifts), the amount of vibration you have to filter is terrible. The ergonomics of the seat are vital here. "Our seats absorb the vibrations and shocks that would otherwise go straight through the back of the body," explains Frans-Jozef. This is crucial for the long-term health of the user.

The European Directive 2002/44/EC, translated into Belgian law (Book V, Title 3 of the Codex on Well-being at Work), and the ISO 2631 standard, provide guidelines for managing the risks of exposure to vibrations in the workplace. These directives emphasize the importance of vibration prevention at the source and measures to isolate recipients from noise and vibrations. Trône Seating's approach with advanced seats aligns seamlessly with this by absorbing the vibrations before they reach the body.

Replacement Demand After Complaints and Proactive Investments

People often only start looking when they have complaints, but the replacement demand is now also coming proactively from the market more often. Companies realize that after three to five years of intensive use, the seat needs replacement or a better solution is required. By investing in a luxurious, comfortable, and better seat, companies are directly investing in the health of their employees, preventing absenteeism and unnecessary pain. At Trône Seating, the fourteen-day trial period is the ultimate guarantee that you are not just buying a seat, but a long-term solution.

Conclusion: An Investment in Health and Productivity

The electrically adjustable driver's seat from Trône Seating is more than just a piece of furniture; it is an investment in the health, well-being, and productivity of your employees. Through the combination of advanced technology, extensive adjustment possibilities, and a deeply rooted vision of ergonomics, Trône Seating offers a solution that prevents back pain and lowers operational costs in the long term. Choose dynamic seating, choose Trône Seating, and give your employees the seat they deserve.