Rogelio, known to friends as Rogie, grew up in Pampanga where truck and buses passing along the highway fascinated him as a boy. His father was a jeepney driver, and Rogie often rode beside him, watching him maneuver the old vehicle through crowded streets. It was during those rides that Rogie developed his dream of one day driving something bigger something that carried not just passenger but tons of goods across great distances.
As years passed, Rogie found himself working as a trailer truck driver in the Philippines, hauling construction materials from Manila to provinces up north. The pay was decent, but with three children in school and aging parents who needed medical care, his salary could no longer cover their growing needs. That’s when he applied for a job in Saudi Arabia as a long-haul trailer truck driver.
Arriving in Riyadh, he immediately noticed the difference. The trucks were massive, far larger than the ones he was used to. The roads stretched endlessly into deserts, and the routes spanned hundreds of kilometers. His work was to transport cargo steel, cement, sometimes heavy equipment from ports to construction sites. It was a huge responsibility, because delays or mistakes meant massive losses for the company.
Life as a truck driver abroad was far from easy. His shifts often lasted more than 12 hours, driving under the blazing desert sun by day and across lonely highways at night. Sometimes, he would not return to the yard for days, sleeping inside his truck at rest stops or near delivery sites. The cabin became his second home, a place where he ate, rested, prayed, and even cried when homesickness became too much to bear.
But Rogie carried with him one motivation; his family. Every kilometer he drove was for their future. he taped his children’s photos on the dashboard, and whenever exhaustion struck, a glance at their smiling faces gave him strength to keep going.
The hardest part was being away from his youngest daughter, who was only four years old when he left. In one video call, she asked him, Papa, why are you always inside a truck? Rogie’s throat tightened as he replied, So I can bring home something for you, anak.
Despite the hardships, there were moments of pride. He became known among his fellow drivers as reliable and disciplined. Once, during sandstorm, he managed to deliver his cargo safely while others were forced to stop. His supervisor praised him for his calmness and skill, telling him, You drive like the road is part of you. That recognition meant a lot to Rogie, who always put safety and responsibility above everything else.
Over time, his sacrifices paid off. His remittances allowed his eldest son to enroll in engineering school, something Rogie had only dreamed of for his own life. His wife was able to start a small grocery business back home, reducing her financial worries.
After years of service, Rogie returned to the Philippines for a vacation. As he sat with his family, he realized that the miles he had traveled in the deserts of Saudi were not just distances on a map they were bridges connecting his sacrifices abroad to the dreams of his loved ones at home.
Rogie’s journey as a trailer truck driver abroad proved that behind every heavy load hauled across vast highways is an even heavier load carried in the heart of an OFW; the longing for family, and the hope that every mile brings them closer to a better tomorrow.
