I’ve just decided to leave the industry after 37 years of European truck driving, in my late 20s when I started I was probably as excited as you are travelling round Europe and getting paid for it.
HOWEVER, there were no mobile phones, trackers or satnavs so once you left the yard the only pressure put on you was if you put it on yourself, there was no gaffer watching where you are and ringing you wanting you to go do extra collections and genuinely giving you grief as happens now.
Parking up early where you knew other drivers were and having a nice meal and wine with drivers that you meet frequently and sleeping in the next morning as the gaffer didn’t know where you were.
It wasn’t all play it could be hard work at times.
Wind forward to today, it’s all go, it’s employers push, push, push to get you back so you can start again, if you think you’re going on a long European holiday and getting paid (poorly by the sound of it) then think again.
Used to be a few van drivers who parked up at the Hotel L’Angolo at Carisio in Italy at weekends in recent years, good lads they were but I’m not sure they were on big money.
I would seriously consider if I were you wether to throw in a decent paying job for a poorly paid job that you will no doubt be run ragged.