For nearly nine months, I worked in international trucking, transporting freight between Slovakia and other European countries. During that time, I drove more than 74,000 kilometres and transported over 1,039 tonnes of freight. Looking back, I see more than just numbers, motorways, and borders. I also see the experiences that made me a more confident and independent truck driver.
That chapter is now ending, and a new one is beginning. I am moving from international trucking to domestic transport and will spend most of my working time driving within Slovakia.
It is a deliberate change through which I want to broaden my experience and discover another important side of the profession.
A Strong Foundation for the Future
International trucking has its own demands, and I am grateful that I experienced them so early in my career. I began on routes between Slovakia and Spain, among the longest regular routes in European international trucking. A driver spends several days or weeks away from home, works far from familiar surroundings, and has to learn how to rely mainly on himself.
Later, I joined a small Slovak company and drove between Slovakia and Germany. The routes were shorter, and I spent less time away from home than on the journeys to Spain, but it was still international trucking with everything that comes with crossing borders.
On international routes, a driver can cover an enormous distance in a single day. During the quiet holiday period after New Year, I set my personal record of 840 kilometres during one ten-hour driving period. Days like that show one side of the job clearly: long hours behind the wheel, hundreds of kilometres on motorways, and a destination several countries away.
International trucking taught me discipline, independence, time management, and how to solve problems far from home. It gave me a strong foundation, but it is only one part of the trucking profession.
A Deliberate Step Towards Broader Driving Experience
Moving into domestic transport is a strategic step in my professional development. Every type of transport has its own pace, demands, and everyday challenges. I do not want my experience to be limited to one kind of work.
In domestic transport, I probably will not cover the same distances as I did on international routes. Instead, I expect more loading and unloading, more frequent manoeuvring, regional roads, several locations during one shift, and more situations to manage throughout the day. It is a different kind of challenge, and that is exactly why I want to experience it for myself.
Domestic transport simply appeals to me. I want to understand how it works and add another important layer to the experience I already have. My goal is to understand the realities of both international and domestic transport and adapt to different ways of working.
Greater Stability, Transparent Working Conditions, and Broader Future Opportunities
I am beginning this chapter with the largest transport company I have worked for so far. One part of its fleet is dedicated to domestic transport, and that is the division in which I will begin.
Transparent working conditions are also important to me. My entire income will be officially declared and paid through the standard payroll system.
The company also operates international transport, uses different types of trailers, and offers several kinds of driving work. If I later decide to move into a different type of transport, I may not need to change employers again. I could move into another part of the company and continue developing my skills in an environment I already know.
I’m Excited About This New Chapter
I am looking forward to driving in my home country, discovering Slovak roads from a different perspective, and meeting new colleagues. The country will be familiar, but the work itself will be completely new to me.
We are around halfway through the year, with the warm summer months still ahead. I am glad to be starting this chapter during a season of long days and sunshine. I also believe that driving around Slovakia will show me places I previously only passed through or never had the chance to see.
International routes gave me a strong foundation. Now it is time to build on it, broaden my skills, and keep moving forward. Most of all, I am looking forward to becoming a more experienced and versatile truck driver.
Domestic transport is a distinct type of experience that I deliberately want to add to my background as a truck driver.