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“My father always tried his best to warn me away from trucking. He worked as a driver his whole life.  He did not want that life for me. He encouraged me to study law and become a prosecutor. So, I became a lawyer and worked in governmental service for seven years. But I always wanted to be a driver….”

Oleksandr’s story deeply resonates with all who yearn for the freedom of choice. The choices that he made have brought him a measure of freedom and contentment. 

“Honestly, I feel like my own boss.

Yes, I work for Real and it’s their truck, but I don’t feel pressured to do something that I do not like. Here at Real, we have good relations between people. No one trying to humiliate or force you. And I understand what happens if I don’t take a load. If I refuse, both the dispatcher and the company can suffer. We all have a part to play--like one big family. “

An integral part of Oleksandr’s identity is this love for family.  In fact, those familial ties serve as the primary motivation behind the choices that he has made. 

“I have two small children. When I worked OTR (Over the Road), my children spent a lot of time at home with my wife’s parents.  My son was very young. I was on the road for two weeks, sometimes three weeks at a time.  When I finally came home on Saturday morning (knowing that I would leave again on Sunday night), I noticed that my son would call his grandfather “Dad” and not me.  I knew something needed to change. “

That was four years ago. He has been working as a local driver ever since.

“I want to put in an honest day’s work and then be home with my family. To tell you the truth, my stimulus is my family.  My kids won’t always be little. Money is money but you have only one life.  As head of the family, I wish for my family to find that sweet spot in life (strike a happy medium).  We are living in complicated times. We should be people. We should show love.  It is so important to have good relationships with people, to cultivate the ability to converse with others. Not just over social media or video chat but having face-to-face communication.”

Those values have shaped the course of Oleksandr’s life and helped him to make decisions that both provide the necessary support to his family and bring him peace.

“After I started working here as a truck driver, I called my father and said, ‘Dad, all your life you tried to keep me away from trucking but I ended up in trucking anyway. In truth, I like what I do.”