Girteka Drivers

Olga and Andrey are a married couple from Gomel, Belarus. They work together as a driving team. They have been with Girteka for almost eight years. On the road, they support each other and work as one team. They say this kind of work has made their family even stronger.

For them, the job is not only about stable pay. Growing and moving forward is just as important. They started with routes across Europe and later moved to more challenging routes in Scandinavia. Now they are thinking about three-axle trucks as the next step in their professional career.

How they became a double crew 

Andrey joined the company in December 2017. The couple did not want to be apart for long, so in the summer of 2018 Olga joined him. This is how they started working as a driving team.

Basically, what’s the difference – being together in one truck cabin or in one apartment?

Olga adds that when both of them earn a driver’s salary, it’s twice as nice for the family. 

They had heard about Girteka even before applying. Drivers often talked about the company, and knowing that people from many countries work there, including drivers from Belarus, gave them more confidence at the start.

Olga and Andrey also say that support during hiring and training for work in Europe were very important for them.

When you go on your first solo trip and already understand how everything works, life on the road becomes much easier.

This summer, Olga and Andrey celebrate eight years with Girteka. They plan to continue working and joke that their “relationship” with the company has already passed the test of time. They also have a small goal – to receive the company’s branded watch for their 10-year anniversary, just like some of their colleagues.

We joke that the story won’t be complete without the company watch.

Working as a team: relationship and work

Olga and Andrey say that working together as a driving team feels unusual only at the beginning. During the first months, they had to get used to being together all the time. Over time, they adapted and accepted that they are not only husband and wife, but also work partners. They learned how to separate work situations from personal life.

According to them, working as a double crew is a good test of trust. It teaches you to respect each other, keep emotions under control, and give in on small things.

If you don’t learn to talk to each other, it will be hard both at work and at home.

But there is another side too, and for them it is a very positive one. Over the years, they became fully comfortable working together. They feel good as a team. They also notice that on parking areas, solo drivers often come to them just to talk and share their thoughts. For Olga and Andrey this is not really needed because they have enough communication with each other.

They say that during a trip they don’t divide duties in a strict way. Everything happens naturally. Whoever is free at the moment takes care of the task.

We have been working together for so many years that we often understand each other without words. Sometimes one look is enough.

Scandinavia and three-axle trucks

Olga and Andrey admit that their favorite country in Europe was, and still is, sunny Spain. But Scandinavia impressed them in a different way. The pace is calmer here, and the views outside the window are truly impressive.

At first, they just wanted to try a new direction. But already on their first trip, they understood that this format suited them well. According to them, Scandinavia is especially good for family driving teams.

Now Olga and Andrey are looking ahead and planning their next step – moving to the Norwegian line with three-axle trucks. These routes go far north in Norway. That’s why Andrey jokes, “The winter boots are already bought. I’m ready for Norway!”

For now, these are plans, but very well thought out. They see three-axle trucks as a step forward in their career. This type of work requires experience and good teamwork. At the same time, it brings more opportunities – both for professional growth and for higher income.

Once, at a parking area, they talked with colleagues from Girteka who have been driving three-axle trucks in Norway for a long time. The colleagues said it simply: once you try it, you won’t want to go back to Europe.

Olga and Andrey smile and say this path is right for them. It gives them a chance to learn more, drive more difficult routes, and grow as drivers – while working together as a team.

Advice for other family driving teams

Olga and Andrey say that working as a driving team is a special format. You are not only husband and wife, or father and son. You are also partners who share the road and responsibility together.

It is important to talk to each other and not bring work challenges into personal life. Do not compete with each other. Support each other instead, because everyone has their own strong side.

The most important thing is to protect your relationship and keep your sense of humor. Then the road is not a challenge anymore, but something you do together.