Podcast  Truck Drivers

Every day, thousands of lorries criss-cross the roads of Europe to deliver the products we consume with hardly a thought. This huge, often invisible logistics chain is essential to our daily lives.

But this crucial sector is in crisis: Europe is already short of 230,000 drivers, a figure that could rise to more than 700,000 in the years ahead.

"Truck Drivers" is the story of an indispensable profession, but also of an economic and logistical system under strain. It's a story of exploitation, fierce competition and a balance that has spiralled out of control.

Embark on a truck journey across Europe and discover the stories of those whose work connects us every day. A job that, on its own, could bring the whole of Europe to a standstill.
 

"Truck Drivers" is a Europod and SER Podcast co-production for the WePod project.

All episodes

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    Episode 3: Safety First

    On our journey through the roads of central Europe, we often encountered trucks with Polish or Lithuanian licence plates. An accident? Certainly not. In this episode we travel to Sandomierz, Poland, to see how the competition between East and West works and to learn more about the problems of truck drivers in this part of Europe.

    Truck Drivers is a podcast co-produced by Europod and Ser Podcast. This podcast is part of WePod, a collaborative project funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission.

    2025-02-20 - 25:37

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    Episode 2: Safety First

    Truck drivers are expected to obey precise rules when driving, but this is not always the case. Many of them are forced to break these rules in order to make as many deliveries in as little time as possible, skipping mandatory rest breaks and exceeding speed limits. This is a problem for their safety, but also for their own. In this episode, we will talk about safety on the roads, but also about our responsibilities as consumers and the impact we can have in protecting the rights of truck drivers.

    Truck Drivers is a podcast co-produced by Europod and Ser Podcast. This podcast is part of WePod, a collaborative project funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission.

    2025-02-13 - 24:55

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    Episode 1: A life on the road

    In Europe, there is a shortage of around 230,000 truck drivers, but by 2028 there will be as many as 745,000 vacancies. Excessive working hours, inadequate wages and long periods away from home are the main causes of this shortage of truck drivers, but the issue is much more complex. In order to understand why this great labour gap exists and what it could mean for our societies and personal lives, we travelled by truck between Spain, France and Germany. Our journey begins with this first instalment.

    Truck Drivers is a podcast co-produced by Europod  and SER Podcast. This podcast is part of WePod, a collaborative project funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission.

    2025-02-06 - 32:53

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    Truck Drivers. Trailer.

    Truck Drivers is the story of an indispensable profession, but also of an economic and logistical system under strain. It’s a story of exploitation, fierce competition, and an equilibrium that has spiraled out of control. Every day, thousands of trucks crisscross Europe’s roads to deliver the products we consume without a second thought. This immense and often invisible supply chain is, nonetheless, essential to our daily lives. But this vital sector is in crisis: already, 230,000 drivers are missing across Europe, a number that could exceed 700,000 in the coming years. Embark on a truck journey across Europe and discover the stories of those whose work connects us every day. A profession that, on its own, has the power to paralyze all of Europe. Truck Drivers is a podcast co-produced by Europod and Ser Podcast. This podcast is part of WePod, a collaborative project funded by the European Commission's Creative Europe program.

    This co-production is funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the authority that funded this work can be held responsible for these views and opinions.

    2025-02-02 - 2:17