SNAP’s Driving Conversations series has captured stories from ex-bankers and former managers who swapped the 9–5 grind for life behind the wheel, reflecting a striking shift in the image of trucking across the UK, Poland and Spain.
One such story is Shane’s. After more than a decade in banking, he decided to swap his desk for a dashboard and is now a full-time HGV driver. Speaking to SNAP, he said the career change brought him the freedom and balance he had been seeking.
“I worked in the banking industry for 11 years, so it was a bit of a change in career. I enjoy my own company, so truck driving gives me time to think and process stuff. And you get to meet so many people out and about, which I really like.”
His comments reflect a broader trend across Europe, where logistics firms are struggling to fill between 380,000 and 500,000 vacant driver positions. With the average driver age now 47 and fewer than 5% under 25, hauliers are increasingly seeing fresh recruits from unexpected backgrounds; finance, education, retail, and beyond.
For Shane, truck driving also offered something corporate life rarely does: variety and well-being. After finishing his chat with SNAP, he was heading to the onsite gym: a far cry from the old stereotypes of long-haul life.
“I think there needs to be more focus around the positives of truck driving,” he said. “It’s actually a good place to work. Coming from an office background, I think it offers someone the opportunity to see the country a little bit, which is great.”
SNAP, which provides digital mobility and payment solutions for truck drivers, has been documenting these journeys through its Driving Conversations project. The initiative spotlights the reality of modern trucking: drivers who carry laptops, gym bags, and yoga mats alongside their work gear.
Stuart Willetts, UK Business Development Manager at SNAP, said the stories show how far trucking has come from outdated clichés:
“We’re meeting drivers with laptops, gym bags, and yoga mats. These are not clichés. These are people reshaping what a truck driver looks like.”
Truck stops themselves are also evolving, says SNAP. Across freight corridors in the UK, Poland and Spain, demand is rising for healthier food options, fitness facilities, and better welfare standards: amenities designed for a younger, more diverse and health-conscious workforce.
As Willetts put it:
“There’s something deeply modern about a driver planning his route with an app, hitting the weights before dinner, and then sleeping in his cab with Netflix downloaded. It’s not just a career change. It’s a mindset shift.”
With nearly 200,000 drivers using its payment system across Europe, SNAP says these stories are just the beginning. For an industry grappling with shortages, recruitment pressures, and an image problem, the influx of professionals swapping boardrooms for truck parks could be part of a long-overdue rebrand of life on the road.
