The Culinary Road Warrior: Meet Ercan

For over 25 years, Ercan has embraced the freedom and adventure of life as a long-haul truck driver. What began in 1996 as a career path fueled by his loves of travel, meeting new people, and driving anything on wheels has evolved into a vibrant lifestyle. Now a long hauler at Bulk Carriers,  Ercan brings discipline, motivation, and even a slice of culinary passion to the open road.

From the moment he wakes up, often before dawn, his routine is focused on safety, preparedness, and personal discipline. "My coffee and a home-cooked breakfast are my highest priorities," says Ercan. "Because only those who eat well can think and work well." He prides himself on appearing well-groomed, wearing fresh clothes, and even showering daily if possible. "It's very important to me that people have a good image of us long-distance drivers."

His truck is essentially a traveling kitchen, complete with a gas stove, fridge, microwave, and more. For the first couple of days, he eats home-cooked meals before switching to foods he prepares himself along the journey. Turkish cuisine is one of his specialties during his downtime.

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The longest haul of his career was an epic 4,300 km journey from Germany to the eastern Turkish city of Hakkari. But one of the most memorable was driving his truck across the famous Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul. "It was a personal highlight for me," he says.

More than just eating and sleeping on the road, Ercan strives to stay focused and motivated. "We are fully concentrated all day, every day," he emphasizes. "Many people only see the big trucks and don't realize there are people sitting in them."

If he could design his dream truck, it would feature an ultra-comfortable driver's seat since "we spend most of our time" seated. Motivation comes from earning for his family through a career that aligns with his goals of travel, meeting people, and driving - "anything that has tires!" he says with a chuckle. But ultimately, motivation is accomplishing each day's journey incident-free.

When not hauling loads, Ercan enjoys cooking and motorcycling. But his true passion is the freedom of the open road. "I love adventure and being somewhere different every day," he says. It's a vibrant, disciplined lifestyle few understand. As Ercan puts it: "I wish people could realize that then they would understand us much better."