Welcome back, my fellow truckers!
Last time, we left our Mercedes-Benz Actros in Liepāja, Latvia, after completing a rather unusual delivery from Bergen in Norway. Those 23 tonnes of Halloween Treats are now safely unloaded, and it’s time to find out what the next working day has in store for us.
We’re staying in the Baltic region for a little while longer. There are two deliveries waiting for us, taking us from Latvia into Lithuania and eventually back into Latvia again.
Let’s get the engine running!
Our first assignment is a little different from what we’ve been transporting lately. This time, we’re picking up four tonnes of live sheep, with Vilnius in Lithuania as our destination.
The contract is worth €4,055, and the delivery location is Vilnius (LT) NCH. Nothing particularly extraordinary in terms of weight or contract value, but it’s not every day that we find ourselves transporting livestock.
With the sheep loaded into the trailer, we leave Liepāja behind and start heading towards Lithuania. It’s quite nice to stay in this part of Europe for a change. We’ve spent quite some time travelling through Norway recently, and the flatter landscapes of the Baltics offer a different kind of driving experience.
Of course, there is still a fair distance to cover. Our journey takes us towards Vilnius, and with livestock on board, I’d rather not make any unnecessary mistakes along the way.
One thing I enjoy about these different contracts is that they keep the job interesting. We aren’t always transporting the same industrial materials or delivering pallets from one warehouse to another. Sometimes it’s food, sometimes machinery, and occasionally we get to look after a trailer full of sheep!
Eventually, we reach Vilnius and make our way towards the delivery location. Time to get these animals unloaded and let them continue their journey without us.
With the first contract completed, it’s time to look at what else is available. Fortunately, we don’t have to travel very far to find our next assignment.
Our next delivery is taking us back towards Latvia, this time with Riga as our destination.
The cargo is considerably heavier than our previous assignment. We’re transporting 21 tonnes of high voltage cables, with approximately 300 kilometres separating us from the delivery location.
Now that’s something different!
These cables are an important part of electrical infrastructure, and it’s quite interesting to think about the role that materials like these play in keeping our cities and industries running. Somewhere down the line, these cables will hopefully help provide electricity to the places that need it.
For now, though, our responsibility is simply to get them there in one piece.
The Mercedes-Benz Actros is ready for another departure. After unloading the sheep in Vilnius, we hook up the new trailer and prepare for the journey north.
At around 300 kilometres, this isn’t going to be one of our longest assignments. Still, there’s enough distance to enjoy another drive through the Baltic countryside.
We leave Lithuania behind and make our way towards Latvia. Compared to some of our previous journeys across Europe, this one is relatively straightforward in terms of distance. That doesn’t mean we should take things for granted, though.
With 21 tonnes behind us, it’s a rather different load from the livestock trailer we were pulling earlier. The Actros has another assignment to complete, and we’re getting closer to the point where I can finally call it a day.
As we approach Riga, the final kilometres start disappearing from the navigation. Another capital city, another delivery location and another opportunity to add something to our growing experience as a truck driver.
Eventually, we arrive at our destination and get the high voltage cables unloaded.
Another successful delivery!
Looking back at today’s work, we’ve managed to complete two rather different assignments.
We started in Liepāja with four tonnes of live sheep, transported them to Vilnius and then picked up 21 tonnes of high voltage cables for the journey back towards Riga.
It’s not the longest working day we’ve had, nor is it the most financially rewarding. But that’s part of the business. Not every assignment needs to be an enormous contract spanning half of Europe.
Every delivery counts, and every kilometre brings us a little further along the road towards something bigger.
As I’ve mentioned in previous diaries, my ambition is still to establish my own transport company. Having our own trucks, trailers and eventually drivers would be quite something. We’re not there yet, but it’s certainly something worth working towards.
For now, the Actros has done its job, the cargo has been delivered and it’s time to see where the next contract will take us.
Thank you for joining me on another journey through Europe. I’ll keep you posted when we’re back behind the wheel!
Until next time, keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down!
I'm Amethyst, 31, and from the Netherlands. I've always had a passion for adventure in roleplaying games. Being able to immerse myself into these universes allowed me to escape the trauma's of my youth. Now I want to share my gaming passion with all of you!
