When I was getting my truck licence and stepping into the world of trucking, I already knew I did not want to just “drive somehow.” From the very beginning, I was drawn to what many people imagine under the term real truck life — long routes, multiple countries, days on the road, life in the cab, and that feeling that you are truly heading somewhere.
Because I changed companies, and explained the reasons in my earlier article Why Groupage Was Not for Me, I ended up finding a new employer that specialised in transport from Slovakia to Spain.
And that was exactly what attracted me so much.
There are few companies in Slovakia that focus specifically on this route. That made it even more exciting for me when we agreed on the conditions and everything worked out in the end. I was starting a new job with the goal of driving to Spain.
Why Spain?
Whenever I told someone that I still had very little driving experience and was already going straight into Spain runs, the reactions were often very similar.
- “That is wild for a beginner.”
- “You are brave.”
- “That is a pretty big step.”
And honestly, only now do I really understand them.
A route from Slovakia to Spain is not just some ordinary short run. We are talking about driving through the Czech Republic, Germany, France, and only then into Spain. Eight or nine days on the road. Several countries, huge distances, a lot of solitude, a lot of planning, and many situations that can really test you.
But that was exactly what attracted me to it.
For me, it was not about trying to be some kind of hero. It was more about feeling that this was the kind of driving that truly pulled me in from the inside. Long routes, crossing Europe, living in the truck, and having the feeling that I was on a real journey. This was no longer just some local experience. This was the truck life I had imagined long before.
Spain Had Been Calling Me for a Long Time
There was something more behind this whole change. It was not just about the job. It was also about the country itself.
I had always liked Spain. I had already been there twice, and each time I felt something there that was very close to me. The sun, the energy, the food, the mentality, the movement, and life there in general. To me, it is a country with huge charisma. There is just something about it. Something that naturally pulls me in.
And suddenly, I was going to drive a truck there.
For some people, it might be just another work destination. A pickup, a delivery, kilometres, breaks, parking areas. But I did not feel it that way. For me, Spain had a symbolic meaning at that moment too. It was not just a place on the map. It was a direction that genuinely made me happy.
And maybe that was exactly why I was willing to take a step that was not completely comfortable.
The Company Was Far Away, but the Goal Was Worth It
My new company was not close to my home at all. Quite the opposite. It was about two hours away by car, which is already a lot on its own. It was definitely not something most people would describe as ideal.
And to be honest, I did not see it as a tragedy at all back then.
I was excited. Excited that I was going to Spain. Excited about a new experience. Excited that I would have a better, more modern truck. And excited that I was stepping into a new chapter that felt much more like the “big-truck” life than anything that had come before.
It was exactly that kind of moment when a person feels respect, but at the same time also a huge inner thrill.
My First Destination: Pamplona
I remember that feeling very clearly. It was Sunday, I arrived at the company, and I knew that this was no longer just theory, imagination, or planning.
My first destination was Pamplona, and inside my head everything was mixing together — curiosity, respect, joy, anticipation, and that strange feeling that you are moving toward something that is truly calling you.
Moments like this were exactly why I had chosen this path in the first place.
Not so I could just have “some job.” But so I could experience something that would truly excite me, push me forward, and test me at the same time. And the route to Spain was exactly the kind of challenge that made me feel this was something I wanted to try.