2024-06-13 19:13:16
“You possibly can experience with me in case you do not thoughts my music,” says truck driver Monika Šustrová. She spent most of her life behind the wheel, with the truck she was in Siberia and Syria. Now he recurrently travels with items from the Czech Republic to the Netherlands and nonetheless loves his job after thirty years. “Driving a truck has been my dream since childhood. I’ve peace right here and I’ve traveled Europe,” says the 50-year-old girl with whom I spent two days on the journey.
“Shut up, I’ve bought a rug.” | Picture: Klára Elšíková
“Please take off your footwear, I’ve a carpet right here,” Monika says after I open the truck door for the primary time in my life and attempt to climb the steps greater than a meter above the bottom. I’ve to place my footwear on the final step and I instantly perceive why I needed to take off my footwear. The truck is her second residence, she spends 5 days per week on the street. “My darling Jirka sewed these curtains for me,” Monika factors to the purple curtains she has on the home windows and by the mattress in order that she has darkness and privateness at evening.
Her sheets on the 2 bunk beds behind the seats and the covers on the steering wheel and seats are additionally the identical colour. “Purple is my favourite colour, I’ve a purple line and a fridge at residence,” says the trucker, who wished to sit down behind the wheel since she was a toddler. “As a toddler, I noticed the film Convoy. It is silly, however then I believed to myself that I actually wish to do it,” remembers Monika, who began driving on the age of 20. “I drove an Avia first, however then I wished one thing correct. As well as, I wished to journey and this was a solution to see all of Europe,” she explains.
From Nuslí to the Netherlands
We met at 5 within the morning in Prague’s Nuslí, the place Monika lives. From there we drove to the department of the Dutch firm on the outskirts of Prague, the place she picked up her truck. We’re on our solution to Kralup nad Vltavou, the place we’ll unload a supply of frozen meat, then proceed to Jenče, the place we’ll load equipment for air-con tools and produce them to Bocholt, Germany. From there we’ll proceed to Doetinchem within the Netherlands. Now we have greater than a thousand kilometers forward of us and an evening in a truck in Germany.
They did not wish to let me go to Syria
On the way in which to Kralupe nad Vltavou, Monika remembers her journey to Siberia. “It was no enjoyable. They did not have mounted roads or perhaps the bridge was all of a sudden lacking, so I had to return and search for one other solution to ship the van. Furthermore, the locals have been very early within the morning. After I slept there, they invited me to an area get together, the place, after all, she drank lots of vodka,” she laughs. “On the border in Syria, they did not wish to let me into the nation once more as a result of I am a girl. However I did not give in and in the long run they let me go,” says the driving force, who was accompanied for a very long time by her schnauzer crossbreed Sirius.
“Sirda did not let anybody in. As quickly as somebody handed by the truck, he instantly began barking. I preferred speaking to him on the way in which,” describes Monika, whereas she lights a cigarette behind the wheel and smokes from the open window. “That is my favourite music,” she says when Rubbish’s Silly Woman begins enjoying in her playlist. “I will present you the way I drive right here,” he feedback as he turns up the quantity and the bass reverberates all through the cabin. We pace alongside the freeway and the passenger rapidly understands the poetics that Monika sees in her work.
Video: Rubbish
There is not any level in getting upset
In Kralupy nad Vltavou, we wait three hours earlier than we get to unload the products. Out of ten ramps, solely two are working and we’re the umpteenth truck in line. “It is not price getting upset. I am a peaceful particular person and generally it annoys the folks round me. I do not prefer it when folks shout at one another and may’t say issues usually. When the dispatcher shouted at me, I put the cellphone down on him. He then known as again, asking , what occurred and I reply him that he can speak to me in peace. That is how he needed to study it, too,” Monika reveals her embellished nature, which she most likely inherited partially from her father.
“My dad was a chimney sweep, and when somebody argued, he left the room,” he remembers. “Persons are yelling at one another and it solely causes them issues,” he provides, as we depart Kralup within the course of Jeneč after which Germany, the place we’ll spend the evening and proceed to the ultimate Dutch station the subsequent morning. Monika has to take a 45-minute break after 4 and a half hours of driving. Then he can drive one other 4 and a half hours after which he has to get 11 hours of sleep. Throughout the break, we cease at a rooster quick meals, the place Monika buys a bucket for 2, I purchase a Tornado and fries. “However we’ll take it with us and eat within the automobile,” says Monika, and it is clear who’s the boss right here.
Automobile drivers suppose we’re not in a rush
Once we depart the parking zone, Monika waits for the truck to park in entrance of her so she will get on the freeway. Behind us, the automobile driver nervously honks his horn till Monika lastly pulls up from the proper. She honks at him. “This annoys me a lot! Automobile drivers suppose we’re not in a rush,” she says, opening the subject of the unusual rivalry between automobiles and vehicles and the overall intolerance of vehicles.
“A while in the past there was a name on Fb for folks to ban vehicles from driving for per week. However they do not understand that they’re depending on truck transport. The entire community of providers would collapse, they would not have something to eat and drink,” he says angrily.
Monika has the world within the palm of her hand. | Picture: Klára Elšíková
“Nobody within the Czech Republic takes us under consideration and nobody teaches automobile drivers in driving faculties the best way to cooperate with vehicles. For instance, after I come to an intersection, I’ve to overhaul extra – i.e. flip left first in order that I can flip proper. Generally I really feel that it’s assumed , that we’ll suppose for each vehicles and automobiles. However that is not attainable,” he explains. “I’m additionally irritated that the media typically mistakenly say that the accident was brought on by a truck, however it’s normally a van or a truck beneath 12 tons,” he provides.
Folks judged me
When the gothic metallic band Within the second begins enjoying within the playlist, Monika turns up the quantity once more: “That is my favourite too,” she says, whereas the signature music No me importa blares within the cabin: “I like this. I am in my very own place, I can play music, what I would like, I’ve by no means seemed for associates, I’ve at all times been alone, as a result of I understand how to be a willow. I’ve every little thing I would like and my boyfriend Jirku, with whom she has been relationship for ten years and who, like her, drives a truck.
Trucker Monika resides her dream. | Video: Klára Elšíková
“We dated after I was twenty. We broke up, we weren’t involved, and after twenty years he discovered me on Fb. So we began assembly and we have been collectively for ten years,” Monika tells me about how she likes to do issues her personal method and does not let “life get in the way in which”. “Folks condemned me for desirous to be a truck driver. However I at all times mentioned it was a job like every other,” she remembers. Her determination to not have kids was additionally associated to the essential reactions of these round her. “Travelling and using have at all times been extra vital to me than taking good care of the youngsters,” she says. “Jirka and I are, as they are saying, to ourselves and we’re having a good time,” he provides.
Bedtime Spouse Swap
At eight o’clock within the night we’ll arrive on the parking zone in Germany, the place we’ll spend the evening. She selected the place from her pocket book, the place she has written parking tons the place she will sleep on the Prague-Doetinchem route. Monika will sleep on the underside bunk and I’ll sleep on the highest bunk. Our issues are on the highest bunk, now we have to rearrange them in order that now we have sufficient house. Whereas I am going for a stroll round the remainder space, Monika heats up the potato chips that Jirka cooked for her within the microwave, which she additionally has within the cabin, modifications right into a nightgown and performs Spouse Swap on her cell phone behind the wheel.
Curtains made with love. | Picture: Klára Elšíková
It is uncommon for me to go to mattress after eight o’clock within the night, however I nonetheless climb onto the bunk and take a look at to go to sleep. I really feel a bit “claustrophobic”, in spite of everything there’s not a lot house up there and we’re in a small cabin. Whereas Monika watches Spouse Swap, I lie down and deal with my respiratory to stop the anxious emotions from the small enclosed house, the place no gentle penetrates because of the purple handmade love curtains.
Monika continues to be enjoying Occasions and I am going to the bathroom for the second time in lower than an hour to make certain, as a result of I am afraid that I will wish to at evening and get up Monika, she’s a lightweight sleeper. After I get again, I climb the steps again to mattress, take heed to Occasions, and really feel a little bit like after I was a child falling asleep in my little room whereas my mother and father watched the information. The acquainted nice feeling calms me down and ultimately I go to sleep.
Czech highways are a catastrophe
We rise up at half previous 5 within the morning and hit the street. Whereas Monika is already behind the wheel, I lie down on the decrease bunk, I sleep till ten o’clock and I do not thoughts the truth that laborious rock music is enjoying within the background. Round ten o’clock we cease for a break, Monika eats yogurt for breakfast and talks about how she is irritated by the low-quality highways and inadequate capability of Czech parking tons.
“I like German and Dutch relaxation stops, the place you will have sufficient locations to park, a washroom, an out of doors gymnasium and greenery too,” says the driving force. | Picture: Klára Elšíková
“You possibly can’t discover a parking house within the Czech Republic round eight within the night. They inform you: ‘Then end at 5 o’clock’, but it surely does not work that method, I would not drive anyway,” she shrugs. “For instance, in France, the place there have been 50 locations, as we speak there are 200, as a result of there are increasingly more automobiles and truck site visitors,” he says. “I like German and Dutch relaxation areas, the place you will have sufficient locations to park, a washroom, an out of doors gymnasium and likewise greenery,” he provides and opens up the problem of Czech highways.
“It is a catastrophe. You at all times know prematurely during which part you may be standing for 2 hours, and you’ll’t do something about it. Due to this, we frequently need to go elsewhere, as a result of it is merely not attainable,” he says. “It’s true that vehicles can have an effect on the standard of roads with their weight, however allow them to make them in order that they final 20 years, not 5,” he solutions the query of criticism of industrial quality transport on native roads.
After unloading the products in Bocholt, we proceed to Doetinchem. Monika praises that in Germany, on the way in which to the corporate, they’ve widened the lanes for vehicles on the way in which to the corporate, and that in Holland, the railway crossings are made in such a method that the driving force can cross easily. “Nobody right here would have considered this. It is fairly easy,” he says. Once we park on the firm, Monika goes to replenish the tank as a result of she goes straight again to the Czech Republic, I keep within the Netherlands. Generally he spends a day longer in Doetinchem or continues to Rotterdam, the orders change each week. “Okay, nicely, have time, I am going once more,” he says goodbye and opens the door to his home on wheels, he could have his peace once more.
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