Latvian Truck Drivers Club

The event organizer is the association “Latvian Truck Drivers Club”, registration number 40008331340 (hereinafter – LKAVK).

The association “LKAVK” was founded at the end of 2023, creating an organization whose main goal is to build a large community of industry professionals, strengthening the bonds among truck drivers across Latvia. The idea to establish the association arose shortly after the first public gathering of truck drivers in Latvia, held in July 2023, during which 22 drivers marked the Engure Parish Sea Festival with the roar and horns of their workhorses, thus laying the foundation for LKAVK. Already approaching the event day, it was clear that the interest among drivers to participate far exceeded the organizers’ quota of around 20 vehicles. This clearly demonstrated that there is a real interest within Latvia’s professional driver community for events like these, which have been taking place worldwide for years but, through unknown detours, had successfully bypassed Latvia until now.

Since this is an association for drivers, at its core are ourselves – three “diesel blooded” enthusiasts who have managed to intertwine our daily work life with diesel fuel and strict working hour regulations, plus one driver’s son actively involved in the association’s external communications. Our shared internal desire to create a strong and united group of like-minded people was the main driving force behind our bold decision to establish LKAVK.

But what exactly is LKAVK?

To avoid misunderstandings, we want to immediately emphasize that LKAVK is not a trade union. Our club’s legal status is that of an association, and to explain briefly – we are not an organization whose goal is to represent employees’ rights in their relationships with employers.
We are a group of like-minded individuals who, beyond all this, also want to promote Latvian society’s understanding of the importance of the truck driver profession, educating the public about the specifics of our work, thereby positively raising the profession’s prestige in the wider community.

How do you want to achieve this?

Of course, we don’t have a magic wand or an unlimited advertising budget, but we believe that there are some accessible ways to move toward these goals and take at least small steps closer to achieving them. For example, continuing to organize similar truck driver meet-up events, which not only serve as an opportunity for professional drivers to meet but also attract a large number of visitors during one day, engaging them in various informational and entertaining activities. This gives outsiders a chance to learn something new, talk with industry representatives, gain fresh impressions, and receive information directly from the source.
Other examples include cooperating with similar organizations to develop various informational and/or educational materials & campaigns. Also, collecting professional drivers’ opinions on current issues and acting as a central point that, by analyzing this information, can define the median of these views and serve as the industry’s voice to ensure these opinions are clearly explained, structured, and accessible to everyone who needs or wants to hear them.

Alright, but what’s in it for me and why membership fees?

First, joining LKAVK is voluntary and does not immediately impose any obligation on members to take on additional responsibilities. Over time, we will take  steps toward our goals and prioritize offering the opportunity to participate in these processes to those who express interest. But this does not mean that one should only become a member if they want to get involved in our developing projects. Since it is very important for us to gather as many industry professionals as possible, we want to invite everyone to join – even if you feel your ability to participate is limited or might feel insufficient. Our experience shows that enthusiasm is contagious, and who knows – maybe it will catch you too.

Regarding membership fees – just like any similar organization, these payments create the funds that allow us to finance activities needed to achieve our goals and cover necessary operating expenses of the association (for example, maintaining the truckmeet.lv website).

What we can offer in return, even if you’re unsure about actively participating in LKAVK projects, is the opportunity for our members to use various discounts from our cooperation partners (a list will be published soon), receive discounts for participation in LKAVK events, and support the building of a strong professional truck driver community in Latvia.