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Being FERCAM drivers today: the testimonies of Vasko and Martino
We interviewed two of our drivers: Martino from Brindisi, in FERCAM for 19 years, and Vasko from Macedonia, in FERCAM for 16 years. They told us about their daily life, their work, and the trucks on which they travel every day.
How long have you been a driver and why did you choose this job?
Martino: I joined FERCAM in 2003, so it will be 19 years in July. I mainly operate on national routes. I started because I knew someone who worked for FERCAM: I often saw his truck parked under the house and I thought that maybe I too would like this job. In addition, I have always had a passion for trucks since I was a child, they fascinated me. I dreamed of a career in which I could travel and move. So thanks to this neighbor of mine I finally managed to get in touch with the transport sector.
How would you describe your typical day?
Vasko: Each Monday morning, I leave by truck from our headquarters in Bolzano, heading for Germany. I am usually away for 5 days, until Friday, and then I come back. On the arrival locations, I often meet colleagues and friends to spend my free time with, so that the working day becomes more pleasurable.
What are you passionate about in your job?
Martino: What I like most is the fact that I can travel and not have to sit at a desk, closed in an office. It gives me the opportunity to see many different places and makes me feel free.
What are the essential requirements for doing this job?
Martino: Clearly, it is necessary to have the proper driving licenses, such as CE and CQC. Then it is very important to also have the ADR certification because FERCAM collaborates with several customers and partners that require this specialization. It is a job in which you often have to be patient because the routes are long and you can find queues or accidents on the road that slow down traffic. But the key feature for the driver is to have the right eye for the road, in order to understand in advance what could happen, and preventing accidents.
What are the characteristics of a good driver?
Vasko: A good driver must always keep the truck clean (both internally and externally) and make a scrupulous check of the goods on the vehicle: in fact, they must be well tied and secured, so that the cargo does not move or fall in the event of braking.
How often is your vehicle changed and what are the advantages of a newer model?
Martino: FERCAM always provides us with new, cutting-edge vehicles with the most modern technologies. For example, the vehicle I have is from April 2021: it has the best possible technology. The main advantage of always having the latest generation vehicle is definitely safety on the road, both for me and for others.
Vasko: The vehicles are well equipped, for example, we have a refrigerator in the truck, so we can always take fresh food with us. In addition, we have a very spacious cockpit, with comfortable beds: comfort for the whole week and the right equipment for our moments of rest and leisure.
Do you feel supported by the company?
Vasko: FERCAM is always by our side when we need it, takes care of us, and gives us strong support through the Disposition office staff. The trips are planned in an orderly manner so that we are always able to go home for the weekend. Even when we want to take a vacation, there is a lot of flexibility for planning.
What are the advantages you find in working in FERCAM?
Vasko: What I like most is that FERCAM is a solid employer, we always feel supported and the pay is good. I can go back to my family every weekend and respect the right driving hours every day.
Martino: For me, one of the primary advantages - which then ensured that my career in this field continued for all these years - is that on weekends I always manage to go home to my family. Then obviously, the economic side also plays its part.
How has the world of drivers changed?
Martino: Today there are stricter regulations to follow, especially on driving and rest times, which allow us to be more relaxed. The setting inside the cabins has certainly improved and that goes a long way, they are comfortable and spacious. In addition, there is constant research aimed at improving driver comfort, with onboard computers and virtual driving assistants. For example, the mirrors in my truck have cameras with built-in alarms that warn you when you are at risk. They are all very useful innovative safety systems, which light up and make sounds to warn you of possible dangers.
Martino: I joined FERCAM in 2003, so it will be 19 years in July. I mainly operate on national routes. I started because I knew someone who worked for FERCAM: I often saw his truck parked under the house and I thought that maybe I too would like this job. In addition, I have always had a passion for trucks since I was a child, they fascinated me. I dreamed of a career in which I could travel and move. So thanks to this neighbor of mine I finally managed to get in touch with the transport sector.
How would you describe your typical day?
Vasko: Each Monday morning, I leave by truck from our headquarters in Bolzano, heading for Germany. I am usually away for 5 days, until Friday, and then I come back. On the arrival locations, I often meet colleagues and friends to spend my free time with, so that the working day becomes more pleasurable.
What are you passionate about in your job?
Martino: What I like most is the fact that I can travel and not have to sit at a desk, closed in an office. It gives me the opportunity to see many different places and makes me feel free.
What are the essential requirements for doing this job?
Martino: Clearly, it is necessary to have the proper driving licenses, such as CE and CQC. Then it is very important to also have the ADR certification because FERCAM collaborates with several customers and partners that require this specialization. It is a job in which you often have to be patient because the routes are long and you can find queues or accidents on the road that slow down traffic. But the key feature for the driver is to have the right eye for the road, in order to understand in advance what could happen, and preventing accidents.
What are the characteristics of a good driver?
Vasko: A good driver must always keep the truck clean (both internally and externally) and make a scrupulous check of the goods on the vehicle: in fact, they must be well tied and secured, so that the cargo does not move or fall in the event of braking.
How often is your vehicle changed and what are the advantages of a newer model?
Martino: FERCAM always provides us with new, cutting-edge vehicles with the most modern technologies. For example, the vehicle I have is from April 2021: it has the best possible technology. The main advantage of always having the latest generation vehicle is definitely safety on the road, both for me and for others.
Vasko: The vehicles are well equipped, for example, we have a refrigerator in the truck, so we can always take fresh food with us. In addition, we have a very spacious cockpit, with comfortable beds: comfort for the whole week and the right equipment for our moments of rest and leisure.
Do you feel supported by the company?
Vasko: FERCAM is always by our side when we need it, takes care of us, and gives us strong support through the Disposition office staff. The trips are planned in an orderly manner so that we are always able to go home for the weekend. Even when we want to take a vacation, there is a lot of flexibility for planning.
What are the advantages you find in working in FERCAM?
Vasko: What I like most is that FERCAM is a solid employer, we always feel supported and the pay is good. I can go back to my family every weekend and respect the right driving hours every day.
Martino: For me, one of the primary advantages - which then ensured that my career in this field continued for all these years - is that on weekends I always manage to go home to my family. Then obviously, the economic side also plays its part.
How has the world of drivers changed?
Martino: Today there are stricter regulations to follow, especially on driving and rest times, which allow us to be more relaxed. The setting inside the cabins has certainly improved and that goes a long way, they are comfortable and spacious. In addition, there is constant research aimed at improving driver comfort, with onboard computers and virtual driving assistants. For example, the mirrors in my truck have cameras with built-in alarms that warn you when you are at risk. They are all very useful innovative safety systems, which light up and make sounds to warn you of possible dangers.
