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It is unusual these days to do the same job for dozens of years. But Jan Foukal, a truck driver, thinks it is quite normal. This man from Dolany has worked for one company for almost a quarter-century. He joined J.M.I.T. soon after its foundation and remembers the firm’s dramatic development and improvements in the technology. “The difference is the same as that between the Trabant and the Mercedes. This, in my opinion, describes it all. Driver’s comfort is now excellent and the vehicles are more reliable, too,” says Jan Foukal.

This man with constant smile on his face has spent hundreds of hours behind the wheel of various trucks and covered roughly 2.5 million kilometres for the motor transport contractor from Hlubočky. Sometimes he gets into difficult, yet memorable situations. “I happened to lose my way in the centre of Paris, went through Champs-Elysées and almost ended under the Eiffel Tower – with a 19-metre, large-volume truck set,” says the driverm Jan Foukal.

This busts a myth that a tractor-trailer unit is unhandy and proves that a skilful driver can get almost anywhere with it.

According to Foukal, the truck driver must take care of himself even more than of the truck he drives. “Working day and night can be very difficult. The older you are, the worse your body adapts to this. There are moments when I don’t know if I should have a breakfast, lunch, or supper,” he continues.

ZAn issue in itself are other road users. Our driver went through a lot on his travels. When asked how driving in various parts of Europe differs, he replies immediately: “The further east you go, the worse it gets.” But it is manageable, he adds. It is important to stay calm and make light of the situation.