Do not become a cheap slave!

A close friend of mine is working as a truck driver in Europe. Following the European law, every truck driver with age older then 50 has to complete in between 5 years five courses to improve his skills or else he will not have his driver license extended for again 5 years. His last course was about Analog and Digital tachograph and social legislation for truck driver.

Such courses are held from guys who really know, what they are talking about. He just complete this course and the guy in front was an Ex Policemen. Someone who was specializing in to check Truck driver. And now... here comes the news:

He was talking about the actually way, how to reduce the prices for truck driver because it is an expensive job and especially the guys from outside of Europe are always trying to find ways to earn some money. Even a small amount can do just to have an income. Since few years, he could experience Filipino on Trucks from Latvia. When they check that Trucks, they really become scared by the situation of the drivers: Living in the truck, don't have another place to stay, cooking and taking a shower often only next to the truck like doing camping, stressed from their boss to fulfill their job even there are rules they have to take care of when they are driving in Europe. The dispatcher is forcing them to drive instead of having a pause, driving too many hours on a daily base and so on.

The penalty for a truck driver for violating the rules can be solved sometimes by paying money (the driver has to pay the penalty!). But in some cases, it can end up by withdrawal of the driver license. And if such a poor Filipino will loose his driver license... what do you think, the boss will do? Terminate his contract and hire a new one. YES... and the Filipino OFW is jobless and in a foreign country without any home to stay.

The salary
Long time before, the Truck driver from Poland was known for earning a really low salary for their job. A German Truck driver has a salary, double from the guy from Poland. A Truck driver from Switzerland has the highest salary and it might be double from the German salary.

But the Filipino driver are driving/be hired for a salary, half of the Polish salary (if they are lucky ones!) Here some facts in EUR:

Switzerland: Converted from CHF to EUR might be 4.900 EUR
Germany: Might be monthly 2.400 EUR
Poland: A happy Trucker can receive a salary by 1.200 EUR (if ever)
and now... a Filipino driver in Latvia is working for a monthly salary by 500 - 600 EUR.

Conclusion and my tip for my fellow Filipinos with a driver license for a truck: Know basic facts about the standard salary BEFORE your think about to go abroad and working as a Truck driver. Don't let an agency cheat you!

At least, I've done some research before I was believing, what the friend was telling me and I found this old job offer