Here you get to meet one of the tens of thousands of professional drivers who pass through Port of Trelleborg every year and who ensure that Sweden’s supply of goods works. This time we introduce one of the people behind the steering wheel, Karel from the Czech Republic, also one of the Port of Trelleborg’s truck driver ambassadors.
Karel has just driven off the morning ferry from Rostock and invites me into his cozy truck. He tells me that his coffee maker is the most important thing in the cab. Karel is often in Port of Trelleborg, about 1-3 times a week. What he appreciates most about the Port of Trelleborg is the quick check-in and that everything runs smoothly in the port area.
Karel drives a tanker with liquid chemicals and works for the transport company Samat, which is located all over Europe. Samat also has a facility in Helsingborg, where Karel sometimes stays over on weekends during his work weeks. Karel works two weeks in a row and then has two weeks off. He thinks the working hours are perfect and wouldn’t want to change that arrangement.
Karel is from the Czech Republic. He lives in a small town outside Prague with his wife, who works as a preschool teacher, and together they have two adult children. Karel often calls his family on Whatsapp when he is away.
In the Czech Republic, he went to school for 12 years, then did two years of military service. Immediately after that, he started working as a professional truck driver and has now worked as such for an impressive 30 years. Karel thinks the best thing about the job is that there is a lot of free time and at the same time good pay. In his free time, Karel rides a lot on his motorcycle, especially around Eastern Europe. He also enjoys carpentry.
Karel speaks both Czech, English, Russian and German, so he can easily make himself understood in all the countries he drives to.
Karel is a very positive person. When I ask if there is anything difficult or troublesome about the profession, he first has to think about it, but then says that the biggest problem is usually finding a parking space, and that applies to all of Europe, not specifically to Sweden. Karel really likes driving on the roads in Sweden compared to Germany’s autobahn where there are constant traffic jams.
During his 30 years as a driver, Karel has seen a lot of Europe’s cities and countries. By far, Karel thinks the most beautiful place is Hammerfest in Norway, which is the world’s northernmost city, with a fantastically beautiful landscape with both mountains and sandy beaches.
Thanks for the chat Karel and good luck on the roads!
