What does it mean to be one of our #TruckerHeroes?

Together, they have been helping keep Europe’s food supply chain open by trucking with Girteka Logistics.
One advantage this couple derives from driving their trucks back and forth across Europe is they get to visit beautiful places across the continent.
During the worst time in the pandemic they were confronted with many obstacles. Victoria and her husband recollect having to wait in traffic jams that lasted over 30 hours with no access to any real time visibility and or help. This added a lot of stress to their day to day and impacted the velocity in which they were able to meet their shippers needs.
They now see improvements and are slowly finding the joy again in traveling the distances across Europe.
As they drive, they get to know each country by listening to local radio.
When they’re not on the road, Victoria and Konstantin love to go surfing, skiing and walking. They enjoy table tennis, chess and making videos to share their driving experiences with other truckers. Catching up with family and friends is also important, especially telling interesting stories from each of their trips.
We want to thank them for all their efforts and look forward to seeing videos and pictures of their next adventures.

Tina transports chemicals and petrochemicals day in and day out, playing a vital role in protecting the supply chain through the crisis. We often forget how vital the products she is moving are important in our day to day lives!
She lives in Germany with one of her two grown sons, but the door to ‘Hotel Mama’ is firmly shut – no pampering or laundry services provided!
Much has changed for Tina during the pandemic. She’s in touch with dispatchers who now work from home. Sometimes she feels anything but a hero because of poor facilities on the road. Wash your hands? It’s vital these days, but where?
In her spare time, Tina loves to go dancing and she competes in trucker championships. She dreams of riding her Harley-Davidson across the USA. For now she is putting her dreams on hold and doing what she has to, to ensure she does her part.
For a holiday, she heads to the mountains of southern Germany. Tina listens to German Schlager music, Kenny Rogers and Kiss and she watches CSI: Miami, action movies and nature programmes. Her favourite food is a hearty meal!

During the pandemic, Andrzej has experienced prejudice from people who blame truck drivers for spreading the virus. He thinks they don’t realise truckers are relatively isolated – they are alone in their cabs most of the time and, when loading and unloading, they must comply with very strict rules.

He’s had border challenges during the crisis, but relatively few problems crossing between Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Countries have taken different approaches to roadside facilities – many were closed across France but he’s glad that German facilities remained open. All of this made it hard to react but with the help of his network and community they were able to juggle all the variables.

Currently working exclusively with the forwarding company ABC Czepczyński, Andrzej has been driving for his own company for 22 years and knows it is important to stay fit and healthy. On the road he likes to make his own meals – a typical lunch includes his favourite Mexican soup along with a beetroot and sunflower seed salad. In his free time, he loves to go for a long walk or bicycle ride and he enjoys discovering new places.

Travelling is a way of life for Andzelika and Damian, trucker heroes who drive for Ritex Logistics.

Throughout the crisis they have helped keep supply chains moving between Spain and Germany. Preparing for the extra challenges of driving through lockdown, the couple thought ahead and stocked up on their food supplies as well as a portable shower. They say they’ve become more patient during long waits at border crossings.

Andzelika is happiest when they go to Italy as she loves this cuisine. Meanwhile Damian always looks forward to being in Poland for his favourite rosół soup. Their maxim is “Work with passion” and they dream of opening a mini zoo one day, giving visitors a chance to relax and spend time with exotic animals.

Ireneous joined Vesta Polska team in 2015, and from the very beginning was a loyal and reliable employee.
He has been a driver of international transport since 1991.
Irek prefers routes to Southern Europe, but, according to him, a good driver will cope with each route, and each route is his favorite, because truck driving is his passion and gives great pleasure.

Irek knows that his work at this time is especially necessary, so he did not think to stay at home. Obviously, working during a pandemic requires special precautions when loading, unloading and in parking lots. In his opinion, hygiene care is necessary and is not related to Covid-19, because people who kept it clean do this in the future. However, the fact is that social distance and the restriction of contacts with others, as well as compliance with the norms of wearing masks and gloves, have become the norm. Irek looks positively into the future and waits until the situation normalizes.

In his personal life, he is the father of three children and the happy grandfather of two-year-old granddaughter Stephanie.
In his free time, he plays with his beloved granddaughter and repairs his house.
Favorite dishes: all the soups that the wife cooks.

Mikhail never gets tired of the road. He loves to travel and explore new cities and countries with his truck. Since two years he is driving for TRASKO. Mikhail is married and lives with his family in Tver, located about 170 kilometers northwest of Moscow at the estuary of the river Tverza into the Volga. Tver is one of the oldest Russian cities.

During the pandemic, he was driving to Baltic countries, Scandinavia and other EU countries and fortunately he didn’t have to deal with long waiting times at border crossings. He shares the responsible approach of European colleagues to safety issues: temperature measurement, the use of medical masks and sanitary facilities during the way.

He likes to spend his free time for outdoor activities. Favourite food: kebabs & vitamin salads.

Alexander is working for TK VESTA LLC since November 2017 as a forwarding driver. During his work, he proved himself to be a reliable, responsible employee. He became driver of international transportation since 1993. Prefers routs to the east of Russia as Alexander loves the nature and beauty of the east but copes with any route and every weather, as he is an experienced driver. He loves his job, and considers the truck his second home!

During the quarantine period, Alexander worked, observing all safety precautions: using a mask, gloves, antiseptic treatment of the hands and inside of the car. Conducted briefings with the drivers of his team on compliance with the mask regime and social distancing. In his personal life, Alexander is an exemplary family man, the father of a beautiful daughter and the grandfather of three grandchildren. He devotes his free time to his family.

Favorite food: pancakes baked by his beloved wife!

Alexander Dumitrashko — master of the helm, expert navigator, and quarantine superstar — has a diverse background: he graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Lyceum in 2005 with honors, were he studied auto mechanics. He also has police background, being an inspector of the traffic police. He has been driving for Retail Transport Agency since December 2018.

During the pandemic lockdown, Alexander continued to cover several hundred kilometers every day, never slowing down. He knew his cargo of pharmaceutical products was absolutely vital to the people in Moscow and the surrounding areas. He would not let anything take him off the course.

Alexander is married with an 11 year old son and a new baby on the way. He loves playing chess and table tennis. His favorite foods are those from European and Moldavian cuisine.

Mirco loves his work as a driver for Dissegna Logistics in Italy. He considers it a personal privilege to be able to provide people with daily necessities such as medicine and many other types of goods.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Mirco has faced many challenges. The greatest problem for drivers has been the waiting time between drives as it became much more difficult to find return transports.

Additionally, all of the normal amenities available to drivers on the road — restaurants, showers, etc. — were closed. For drivers like Mirco who are away for many days at a time, these facilities are a necessity, especially during a health emergency when hygiene is essential to protect everyone. So, to keep going, Mirco had to get creative: he used a stove and a can of water to create hot water, and kept driving his routes.

Mirco is aware that not everyone fully understands or appreciates the work of truck drivers. Nevertheless, he takes pride in his work, trying to stay as professional and relatable as possible to everyone he encounters.

In his personal life, Mirco enjoys photography, cooking, eating barbeque, and trekking. His greatest dream is to visit every country in the world.

André knew he wanted to be a trucker from a young age. Inspired by a friend, he sees driving as his way to explore the world. As a driver for Raben Logistics, he loves his Iveco truck which he’s been driving for two months now. 

Originally from Germany, André loves big rigs. One of his favorite things to do while driving is appreciate his colleagues driving around him, especially in trucks with special internal and external lights and those built in the American style. 

When the Corona crisis began, André was surprised to see how empty the streets became. For the first time there were almost no traffic jams. Luckily, he never ran into an issue where rest stations were closed or he couldn’t access amenities. However, even with so much in society locked down, he worked more than ever, with driving hours extended to 10 hours per day and weekend rest periods shortened. 

Outside of work, André is an avid photographer and enjoys listening to all kinds of music. He loves it when his girlfriend — also a truck driver — is able to join him in his truck for drives. 

Watch interview with our #TruckerHero from Raben.