What it is really like to be a truck driver in Switzerland

It was truck driving that brought me to Switzerland — and to this day people ask me what it is like, picturing that long-haul life you see in films: weeks away from home, sleeping in the cab, eating at service stations. Here it is a different reality. Let me show you what my day actually looks like.

The day starts early — and ends at home

This is the biggest difference and the one that surprises people most: I sleep at home every night. I leave before dawn, do my deliveries around Switzerland and come back to my family in the evening. It is not the road warrior life — it is almost an office job, except my office has a window onto the Alps. For anyone arriving expecting to vanish for weeks, it is a pleasant shock.

The law is in charge: tachograph and compulsory breaks

Here your working time is genuinely monitored by the tachograph. There is a limit on hours at the wheel and a compulsory break — you drive your allotted time, you stop. It is not a suggestion, it is the law, and the device records everything. At first it feels rigid; later you understand it is what keeps everyone safe and rested.

The real routine: precision all day long

The work is not just "press the pedal and drive". It is Swiss punctuality (turn up late and you disrupt the whole chain), tight manoeuvres in warehouses and narrow streets, unloading often done by me, paperwork done properly and loads secured correctly. Every delivery is a small logistics problem to solve calmly and with a clear head.

The "office" with the best view in the world

There are hard days and there is hassle — but there is also the privilege of working while crossing landscapes that many people save all year to visit for a week. Mountains, lakes, villages, snow. That is the side that made me fall in love with this profession here, and the side I show on the channel: the beauty of real work.

What nobody tells you beforehand

• Language. German helps enormously in day-to-day dealings with clients and the company, especially in the German-speaking part.
• Responsibility. You carry high-value goods and you represent the company at every delivery. Trust here is everything.
• Packed lunch. Eating out every day is expensive; almost every driver brings their own. Me included.
• Respect. A driver here is a valued professional, not "second-class labour".

Is it worth pursuing this profession?

For me, absolutely. It is a profession in high demand, respected, and it pays enough to build a life — which is exactly why I chose it strategically before coming. If you are considering this path, I have already written about moving to Switzerland as a foreigner and what life costs here — both worth reading before you decide.

In the end, what surprised me most about this profession here was not the scenery — it was coming home every day. People who arrive imagining weeks away from their families discover that you can drive a truck and still have dinner with your children. For me, that is worth more than any number on a payslip.