Truckers earn a lot, but when they retire or apply for a loan, it turns out not everything is so rosy

Illustrative photo: lookby.media

More in reality than on paper

Tens of thousands of Belarusians work as truck drivers in EU countries, mainly in Poland (about 55 thousand) and Lithuania (about 20 thousand).

Beginners, as a rule, receive 85 euros per day of work, more experienced drivers — about 95—100 euros. Car transporters drivers earn more — about 120—130 euros per day.

Most often, they work in shifts of 4—6 weeks, after which they have a break of 2—3 weeks. This means that such a driver works 8 months a year and rests for 4.

Accordingly, with an income of 100 euros per day, such a driver will receive 24 thousand euros per year, which corresponds to an average monthly salary of 2000 euros. This is noticeably more than the average salary in Poland or Lithuania.

It would seem that with such "take-home" earnings, a person could count on a good pension and a large maximum loan amount. But this is not entirely true. The thing is that out of these 2000 euros, the salary often makes up only about half of the total sum, and everything else is per diems (travel allowances).

Minimum wage = minimum pension

Because of this, a Belarusian who had worked as a truck driver in Poland for about 20 years was greatly disappointed by the amount of his pension upon retirement. The man says he never delved into accounting matters, so he expected a large pension because he received a high salary.

«As a result, I received a minimum pension, because it turns out my salary was always close to the minimum,» says the man, who receives a little over 400 euros in pension.

The interviewee, who currently works for a Polish company and receives 95 euros per day of work, admits that according to his employment contract, his gross salary is 5000 zlotys — which is 3740 zlotys net (about 870 euros).

Павялічыць

Illustrative photo: Nasha Niva

«This is my salary, which comes to my card once a month. Everything else is paid upon my return from the shift,» says the driver.

The situation is similar for the interviewee working in Lithuania. The man says he receives 100 euros in daily allowances, but his actual salary is slightly more than 1000 euros, and everything else is per diems, which also come to his card.

Bank denied mortgage

A driver who, after working in Lithuania, moved to work in Poland because his family decided to move there, says that in Lithuania he officially received approximately the minimum wage and got a job in Poland under the same conditions.

«If you choose to live in Europe, it is worth paying attention to this, because it affects not only your pension, but also, for example, the maximum mortgage amount. I myself encountered such a problem when I wanted to take out a loan for an apartment, because what appears to be a high salary is actually low for the bank,» explains the truck driver.

Павялічыць

Illustrative photo: Nasha Niva

As a result, the man's loan was not approved, so he was forced to look for a new job where the calculation is more transparent and the bank would see not half of his salary, but the entire amount.

As for employers, workers from third countries seem more advantageous to them than those living within Poland or Lithuania, because foreigners, as a rule, do not pay attention to such circumstances: for them, the actual amount of earnings is more important.

It is much more profitable for the employer to officially pay the minimum, and pay everything else separately, because that money is no longer subject to taxes and other mandatory deductions.

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