The truck driver’s job is one of the hardest there is due to the number of kilometers traveled, the sleepless nights at home and because, sometimes, the salary is less than one would expect. In this sense, there are many professionals in the transport sector who have protested, demanding decent working conditions. There are many testimonies that highlight that, for charge 1,500 euros clean “you give up your life” and that this amount can be higher (up to 2,800 or 3,000 euros) in the case of international transport, which represents an extra sacrifice.
With this, when it comes to retiring and applying for a Social Security pension, truck drivers may find a lower amount than they expected. This is the case of Jean Marc, a French professional with 40 years of experience who has explained in the media Herloop who is receiving a retirement pension of 1,200 euros that is “modest but worthy” and with which he has all his expenses covered.
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In the interview he points out that applied for early retirement thanks to the CFA subsidy (end of activity permit) which is a system that is applied in France for drivers of goods transport, removals and passengers and allows the retirement age to be anticipated by establishing a certain flexibility between work, retirement and paying aid during that period.
“I have traveled the French and European roads for more than four decades and now I would like to explain what the reality is like for thousands of drivers who, like me, have had a life of effort and now collect a modest, but decent pension.”
A retirement pension of 1,200 euros per month
After a very intense career in the freight transport sector, Jean Marc is receiving a pension of 1,200 euros per month. “It’s not much, but I can live in peace,” he says. Your retirement is made up of two parts, the first of which is the general French Social Security system and the complementary Agirc-Arrco regime that works by points that are accumulated during your working life.
“Every trip, every kilometer that I have traveled has added up to being able to build the pension that I now receive.” Thus, he remembers that there have been 25 years (“the best of my career”) in which he received a higher salary and was paid for overtime, which was also many. This has helped him “to increase the pension and earn more, they have been decisive. The premiums they paid as well as the overtime I worked increased my contribution base.”
He requested early retirement two years before reaching the legal age
One of the advantages he has had from working as a truck driver is being able to qualify for the Cessation of Activity Benefit, which allows him to retire before reaching the legal age. “I was able to stop driving my truck at age 57, the CFA paid me 70% of my gross salary for two years, so I had time to prepare.”
When applying for this program, you had to demonstrate that you had contributed at least 26 years in the sector. “When I was approved, I felt enormous relief. After many years behind the wheel, I needed this break to be able to retire full-time.”
“I started saving for my pension plan when I was 40 thanks to a colleague”
Throughout the interview, Jean Marc insists on the importance of saving to face retirement. A colleague told him that the best age to start was 40 years old and thanks to him “now I have a fund to complete the pension.” To those who are working now, he gives some advice.
“It is important to review the contribution account statements; in my case, I detected some errors in my declared quarters and corrected them. I think it is important that this be done because rights could be lost.”
“It is also essential to have financial advice so that the tax situation is optimized.” In his case, he had the help of a manager “who guided me on the best way to invest safely, and now I have achieved extra income that gives me peace of mind.”
A profession in constant change
The veteran driver is clear. One of the problems that professionals in the sector face is technology, and it is expected that trucks will be modernized in a short time. “The skills will no longer be the same and that will affect the pensions of many workers,” he warns.
Transport unions are negotiating improvements and adaptations of the system to the new reality. “The role will be key to protecting our rights in the coming years,” claiming that, “in my case, I do not have a high pension, I know it is not a fortune but I can live calmly, I know that I have worked hard and that now I will be able to rest.”
This testimony highlights the importance of good planning and the mechanisms that are being put in place in the sector, such as the CFA, which makes the transition from work to pension smoother.