He looks inconspicuous and it is hard to imagine that he is a professional truck driver. He is also a participant in the new film project Autos Squad, a specialist program Autos about the trucking industry. Wiktoria Daczyszyn tells her story from a parking lot on the road.
Wiktoria - trucker and participant of the Autos Squad film project
The idea of driving a big car has always been on her mind, maybe it was partly influenced by her mother, who also drives a lot for work, but a passenger car. - I traveled a lot with her, such a lifestyle is normal for me, she definitely inspired me - admits Wiktoria. - Besides, I was impressed by the old-school trucker style with pennants, curtains, jackets, caps, rugs.
She has been working in international transport for a year and a half. Her longest route so far is 2,000 kilometers from Inowrocław to Sicily. " There is a lot of time then to think and plan your whole life ," laughs Wiktoria.
– Now I often travel with my partner, who is my replacement, so it's more lively and time flies. Drivers used to be more sociable, they would meet at parking lots and talk. Now they usually sit in their cabins connected to the internet, cook for themselves, cover the windows and that's it. The old culture is disappearing.
Wiktoria meets other women on the route. They support each other in solidarity, they always have a greeting and a smile for each other. They also have their own group on Facebook. "I am introducing my friend to this world now, she will soon have a C+E category and we will ride together ," Wiktoria rejoices.
Gone are the days when you had to know exactly what was going on under the hood, now it's service.
– Gone are the days when you had to know exactly what was going on under the hood, now there is a service. When something breaks, we call the specialists. I am constantly learning and I am involved, but knowledge can be gained mainly through experience. I really like talking about faults and repairs in parking lots, I am more interested in it than how much someone earns and where, what they loaded, although these are the main topics for drivers.
Wiktoria has been working in international transport for a year and a half.
The life of a trucker is different from the average one . She has irregular working hours, sometimes she has to wait for unloading all weekend. Life happens on the road, you have to plan everything well in advance, it is difficult to handle official matters. Wiktoria regrets the most the limited contact with her loved ones, when she starts her own family, she will probably quit this job. - It is sad that people on the road do not see their children growing up, do not see their wives. Often, family relationships of drivers are very difficult - she says.
There are situations that freeze the blood in your veins. – I will never forget when they stole an entire trailer of shoes from me, 30 pallets. Of course, it must have been some kind of organized action, the thieves knew perfectly well how I was driving, where I was parking and what I was carrying. Fortunately, the goods were insured, but from then on I am very careful where I park, I am constantly vigilant, especially when I have this type of load. Now I am traveling with clothes – this is also an increased risk, because it is a product that is easy to get rid of.
During the tour she takes care of her fitness, when she is alone she jumps on a rope, when she is with a partner they play badminton, frisbee, but during breaks she also works on her master's thesis.
Wiktoria has a plan B – she is studying economics and does not rule out that in the future, instead of driving, she will sit behind a desk. She is studying to be a finance specialist, and will defend her master's thesis in the summer. – I will have to adjust after this crazy life – she sighs.
Wiktoria greets us from the road to Italy, but soon you will be able to watch her in the next episodes of Autos Squad. We invite you to the YouTube channel: @autosczesci.
Autos Editorial Team
