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Have you ever wondered what a typical day in the life of a truck driver truly entails? Mindaugas Paulauskas, the CEO of Girteka Transport, is embarking on an extraordinary journey to immerse himself in the daily routine of our drivers. His objective? To gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities professional truck drivers face today. Join Mindaugas as he shares his first-hand experience from behind the wheel of a heavy-duty truck and find out about the lessons he learns along the way.
Girteka Group currently employs over 12,500 drivers, who are the backbone of our operations. These professionals are at the heart of logistics, delivering cargo across Europe every day and keeping our supply chains running smoothly. Despite years of expertise and knowledge about the challenges involved, Paulauskas has chosen to personally experience every aspect of his colleagues’ work outside the office.
“Many of us in logistics are familiar with the challenges and opportunities faced by truck drivers. But what is knowledge without practice? The project I am embarking on aims to bring us closer to the drivers’ community: to understand their lifestyle by participating in cargo deliveries, navigating European roads, and tackling daily challenges such as parking, cargo security, and utilizing digital tools, just as they do on a typical working day,” says Paulauskas.
For the next two weeks until March 7th, Paulauskas, accompanied by Sergey Kovalev, a seasoned truck driver with more than 20 years of experience, will journey from our transport base in Šiauliai, Lithuania, through the winding roads of Norway, crossing the continent towards Southern Europe, and concluding the trip by returning from Spain to Lithuania. Throughout the trip, Paulauskas, with the assistance of Kovalev, will document his experiences and observations, and provide insights into the daily tasks of truck drivers.
“I aim to showcase the immense challenges of a truck driver’s job and the tremendous respect they deserve for their resilience. Not only from us in the logistics industry, but from everyone who relies on the products these drivers deliver every day to our stores, be it fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, or everyday basic goods,” emphasizes Paulauskas.
The entire journey will be shared on social networks to raise awareness about todays drivers challenges and opportunities in the logistics sector. Starting from February 26th, viewers will be able to follow Paulauskas’s journey on Girteka Group’s YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram pages dedicated to drivers, as well as on www.girtekadrivers.com/motr . We invite everyone to support him on his unique endeavour by following the journey online.
Raising awareness about the need for positive changes regarding the challenges that Europe’s truck drivers encounter in their daily work is especially important as, according to the latest report by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), we are currently facing a shortage of more than 3 million truck drivers in 36 countries across the world. In 2023, 233,000 truck driver positions were left unfilled in Europe alone.
While the current economic situation may offset these shortages, the reliability and stability of supply chains in Europe will be significantly affected in the coming years due to the lack of professional drivers, exacerbating an already challenging situation. The “Mindaugas on the Road” project also aims to promote the profession among young men and women.
“It is crucial that we fully comprehend how legislative changes impact the daily lives of truck drivers. Requirements such as relevant certificates and permissions, regulations pertaining to working hours, and the possibilities of digitalization of daily tasks – these are just a few aspects that drivers face today. Do we truly know how the laws work in reality? That is what I aim to find out,” summarizes Paulauskas.
By sharing real-life stories and insights through a high-level manager, Girteka Group aims present challenges and opportunities for drivers, utilize digital solutions in their favour, as well as promote the profession as a responsible, leading company in the road freight transportation sector.
For more information and stories, visit www.girtekadrives.com/motr.
