Tell us, what did you do before you decided to become a truck driver?
— I am from Belarus, I worked as a mining engineer for a long time. We have a town called Soligorsk, and this profession is in high demand there. At some point, I decided that I wanted to break through the ceiling in my career. A funny paradox (smiles). Yes, working in the mines, you can earn good money, but I had another desire besides earning — to travel the world.
You don’t necessarily have to become a truck driver to travel. Why this field in particular?
— Yes, I agree, but this is the option where good earnings and the opportunity to see the world are perfectly combined. The only downside is that you are constantly alone, and sometimes you want to share these experiences with a loved one. Plus, there was an opportunity to get a category E license in Belarus, since I already had a C license at that time.
For example, now I have moved from Poland to France and I am collecting a package of documents to start working again. I’m not planning to move yet, because I met my love here.
It’s a very interesting story, you could make a Netflix series out of it, but let’s go back to when you were just starting to choose a school. How did you end up choosing “Mark’s Driving School”?
— Well, I chose based on recommendations, I studied chats with reviews, where people communicate with each other and ask each other the right questions. I paid attention to things like the school staff, the cost of training, and the convenience of the location.
And how was the training process structured, how did the theory and practice go?
— The course itself took me a month (initial qualification). The process was easy for me, maybe because I started preparing before arriving at the school. The only thing that was difficult at first was the psychological aspect, because I had never driven such a large vehicle before. But the desire to do it overcame the fear. And I learned to drive very quickly. And at my first job, I already trained three people myself.
But I can say that for some people, this process of «feeling the dimensions» is really more difficult.
Many people are concerned about the issue of salary. Is it really possible to earn from two thousand dollars a month?
— Yes, of course, there are transport companies that easily pay $2700. The main thing is to show the company that you are not stupid, responsible and non-conflict, you can competently communicate during loading and unloading, and drive a car without accidents.
I have already changed four companies, because I understand that a driver like me is needed, which means that I can safely put forward my conditions, of course, within reasonable limits.
Another important question is how to check transport companies so as not to be deceived for money and be confident in the future?
— One of the first steps is to request the drivers’ numbers and see the employer’s reaction. If he gives the contacts without any problems, then it is already a good sign that everything is in order in the company. If there is a categorical refusal, then this is a worrying sign.
Sometimes some truck drivers may complain about fines, but they often don’t say that they are fined through their own fault.
And what are the most common fines?
— Mostly, it’s delays in unloading and loading.
And what should you pay attention to in order to avoid such cases?
— You need to learn how to plan your working time. Stops, parking, etc. Then there will be no problems.
Well, and a question for dessert, how do you spend your weekends when you are on a trip?
— I’ll start by saying that I try to stick to the regime, eat right, and walk a lot in my free time to keep myself in shape. When I stop, I immediately look where I can go and what to see, what sights there are. I even have a map with marks of where I have been.
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