"When you work at home, you have nothing to live for, and when you work on a truck, you have no time to live." Belarusian long-haul drivers talk about their lifestyle

24/7 Work Schedule

Most long-haul drivers working for European companies perform trips within Europe, so they are only home during breaks between their work cycles.

The standard work schedule looks like this: six weeks on the road, and three weeks at home, or eight weeks on the road and four weeks at home. Most drivers work this way, although there are exceptions where a person arranges with management to work more or, conversely, less.

With this arrangement, the average long-haul driver works and lives in a truck for eight months a year, and spends another four months at home.

Main Motivation – Money for a BMW

A young man, not yet thirty, has been working for a Polish company since the beginning of the year. The guy admits that his main motivation is money.

"Many acquaintances work as long-haul drivers, they all have money, so I wanted to try it too," admits the guy, who had previously worked as a taxi driver in Belarus and even a bit in Moscow.

The man says that, at least for now, he likes everything. He has already recouped the money spent on training and also completed a month of internship, during which he was paid only 40 euros per day of work.

Павялічыць

"Just recently, I reached 90 euros a day. If I work for the company for a year, it will be at least 95 euros, maybe even 100. You won't earn such money as a taxi driver neither in Moscow nor, especially, in Belarus, so I'm satisfied," admits the novice long-haul driver.

At least for now, according to him, such work completely satisfies him. The guy's current goal is to save money to replace his old VW with a newer BMW.

"Guys who have been working for a long time all drive 'X' series, they fly to Turkey or somewhere else for vacation every year," says the young man and adds that if you don't have a family, you can feel like a king during your vacation at home.

Earn – While You're Young

As for serious relationships, according to the interlocutor, he currently has none and does not plan to start any in the near future.

"If you spend most of your time on the road, there's no point in it, you'll still be there, and she'll be sitting at home."

The young man says that for at least a couple more years, until he turns 30, he does not plan to start a family, so he will live for himself and save money for a car, vacation, and apartment.

"Perhaps later I will try to work more than the standard 6 on 3, so I can earn more. There are guys who drive for 5-6 months and only then take 3-4 weeks off. This way, money accumulates much faster. While you're young – you need to earn," he believes.

Павялічыць

From the Garage to the Cabin

Another interlocutor has been working as a long-haul driver for over 10 years, and before long-haul driving, he was involved in car repair – he was a typical garage mechanic.

The man admits that at first he even liked the work of a long-haul driver, but the euphoria of traveling around Europe ended long ago for him.

"Unlike working in a garage, the earnings here are higher and, most importantly, stable, and your hands are clean. At first, everything is interesting: you drive, you see Europe. But such 'travels' are interesting for the first year or two. Then it all gets boring, because the routes are more or less the same, and Europe isn't that big," says the long-haul driver.

The driver admits that the work has long ceased to bring him satisfaction, but he does not plan to quit yet, because he would not earn such money in Belarus.

"If there was an opportunity to earn at least 1000 euros at home and not live in a garage, I would gladly quit long-haul driving. But, on the other hand, I'm already at an age where it's not particularly interesting at home either. The children have grown up, and my wife, it seems, has also gotten used to living in this rhythm."

At the same time, the man admits that he regrets a little: the maturing of his youngest child somehow passed him by because of this work.

Further Career Depends on Documents

But he still does not rule out leaving the profession, because, according to him, you never know if your residence permit will be extended (the man works for a Lithuanian company).

"I've applied for an extension twice since the war started, and each time it was harder to get a new residence permit, although I started working in Lithuania long before the war, and I never worked in any government bodies or institutions," says the driver, adding that he will soon have to apply for document renewal again (a work temporary residence permit is granted for 2 years – NN).

The interlocutor states that he decided long ago: if Lithuania ever doesn't extend his temporary residence permit, he does not plan to look for a driver's job in Poland or another country.

Павялічыць

"The children have already finished their studies, they are working, my wife is also working. So, if anything, I'll find work at home, and I think there will definitely be enough to live on."

Stepped into the Same River Twice

The third interlocutor says that overall he doesn't like such work, but this didn't stop him from returning after quitting.

He calls the work of a long-haul driver not a profession, but a lifestyle.

"Years of working on a truck pass as quickly as possible, because during a cycle, you don't live, but rather exist. You just accept it as a given that for the next 6-8 weeks, this cabin is your home. Days pass as monotonously as possible.

The first half of the cycle is probably the hardest, and then you see that returning home is getting closer, and this thought lifts your spirits," the man admits.

The main and, perhaps, the only reason why he doesn't leave long-haul driving is money.

The driver calculated that working on a 6/3 or 8/4 schedule, he earns an average of about 2000 euros per month (more than 7000 rubles – NN).

"If you go to work as a driver in Belarus, to sleep and spend weekends at home, it will be 2000-2500 rubles. That's the whole answer why I still return for these cycles," explains the interlocutor.

The man calls the choice between working in Europe and at home a real dilemma:

if you work at home, you have nothing to live for, and if you work on a truck in Europe, you have money for a decent life, but not much time to live.

"At least for now, I choose the second option, because I already quit long-haul driving, but I returned because I want to buy something for myself, not count every penny, go on vacation, and with a salary of 2000 rubles, you can't really splurge," admits the long-haul driver.

Павялічыць

The main thing that the interlocutor doesn't like is when for many days in a row, according to the schedule, you have to sleep during the day and drive at night.

"It's a matter of luck here, and nothing depends on the driver. Sometimes it happens that you drive more during the day, then it's fine – you can live. But if it's the other way around, it's very difficult. Many mistakenly think that if everyone in Europe adheres to the work and rest regime, then working there is easy, because you won't overwork. But in reality, sometimes it seems better to overwork during the day than, after supposedly resting during the day, to then drive all night and sleep again during the day," says the experienced driver.

Polish Passport and German Company

Another driver works in Germany, so he earns more. Although he also says he is not thrilled with the profession, but again, due to money, he does not plan to quit long-haul driving.

"Once I got a Polish passport, I went to a German company, and my salary immediately increased by more than 30 euros. Now I actually get 130 euros per day for the same work."

However, despite this, the man does not call it a dream job.

Павялічыць

"In recent years, since I've been working in Germany, the money, of course, is decent, but the work is still very specific. You spend most of the year on the road. Although we don't work on weekends and live at the base – it's still not home.

And when you come home, you also have a rather specific lifestyle. You sleep for a couple of days, then you start resolving issues, you resolve them – and then you spend the last week sitting and not quite understanding what to do, because you've already, it seems, resolved everything and rested."

At the same time, the man admits that he doesn't particularly miss the road during his vacation.

"I know a few colleagues who want to hit the road again after just a week, they live for it, they like it. But it seems to me that there are not many such long-haul drivers by calling. Most choose this path purely for money. And also because they don't know how to do anything else," the man believes.

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