When I started thinking about my 50th article on Truck Life Journal, I told myself that such a round number deserved something special. Something more than just another week behind the wheel of a truck. Maybe some kind of summary, a look back, or something I would remember for a long time.
Since Monday, I had been thinking about what I was actually going to write about. In the end, though, I did not have to invent anything at all. Life itself decided that this article would become something truly special.
Monday, when I had a strange feeling
It was the final week of my probation period. On Monday morning, my dispatcher sent me to eastern Slovakia, first to Košice and then to Trebišov. During the drive, I received another message saying that after unloading, I should move to a customer in Hungary. But I felt strange the whole day. I was tired, I had no appetite, and I had this unexplainable feeling that something was happening.
I could not say what it was. I just did not feel like myself.
After unloading in Trebišov, I headed towards the Hungarian border, where I found a nice parking spot in a small village and spent the night there.
Hungary and another demanding workday
On Tuesday morning, I set off towards Kisvárda. But at the planned turn, I saw a restriction for trucks over 12 tons. My navigation started offering long detours, so in the end I decided to continue through Tokaj. Instead of the original hour and a half, the journey took me about two and a half hours.
I loaded 33 pallets and headed back to our central warehouse in northern Slovakia. That day, I spent 8 hours and 10 minutes driving. I arrived at the warehouse at around 7 PM, where the warehouse worker greeted me by saying he had hoped I would not come. The load required a special inspection that would take more than an hour and a half.
According to the original plan, I was also supposed to load more goods that same evening. But by the time we finished unloading, it was already almost 8:45 PM. I was hungry, tired, and I had already worked more than 14 and a half hours. So I decided to leave the next loading for the morning.
The season ended. I’m no longer needed.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up, prepared breakfast, and loaded pallets for three customers to whom I was supposed to deliver goods around Slovakia. While I was already behind the wheel and heading towards the customers, my phone rang. It was my boss and he told me that:
The season had ended and, since I was still in my probation period, the company had decided to end my employment.
He explained that after the season, there would be less work, and because of my condition that I do not want to drive at night, they could no longer guarantee enough daytime work for me. I had communicated that condition openly from the very beginning of our cooperation. I simply want to work during the day and sleep normally at night.
I accepted it calmly, as a fact. In that moment, I remembered Monday and that strange feeling that had stayed with me the whole day. Maybe my ending had already been decided back then. I do not know.
I will not lie, in some way, I even felt relieved.
The whole termination of my employment was handled correctly from both sides. The company explained its reasons, I respected them, and we parted without any conflict. I do not take it personally. On the contrary, I am grateful for the three months of experience I gained in this company. I drove in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, met new people, and learned more about the work of a professional truck driver.
The end of one chapter and the decision to try abroad
In almost one year of professional driving, I have tried several Slovak transport companies. Over time, I started to feel that the work system, pay, and the overall nature of the job were quite similar from one company to another.
And so I asked myself a simple question: what next?
I now have almost one year of truck-driving experience, I speak English fluently, and I can also communicate a little in German and Spanish. There has been a long-term shortage of professional drivers in Europe, and my driving licences and professional qualifications are valid across the European Union. I enjoy life behind the wheel. I like travelling, meeting new people, and also seeing a clear result at the end of each workday. But at the same time, I had already been thinking that this profession could open the door to working abroad.
On Friday, I handed over my truck. The technicians even praised me for how clean it was. I spent the weekend resting, and on Monday I returned to the company to sign the final documents and hand over my company phone.
We said goodbye on good terms and wished each other good luck.
What comes next?
Now I have decided to try something new. I want to find a job as a professional truck driver abroad and move there. I already have a country in mind where I would like to live and work, but I will write more about that in future articles. I do not know if it will work out. I understand that looking for a job and moving abroad will not be easy, especially mentally. But I am looking forward to it, because I would regret it much more if I never tried.
And so I return to the beginning of this article. I wanted my 50th article to be something special. And in the end, that is exactly what it became, without me planning it in any way. Instead of an ordinary weekly journal entry, I am closing almost the entire first year of my career as a professional truck driver in Slovakia. I am grateful for all the experience, all the people I met, and all the kilometres behind me.
And to finish, here is a small summary of what I managed to do during this time:
