A heavily laden giant truck registered in Kanhangad, Kasaragod, trundles along the highways. The man behind the wheel with oversized glasses and a neatly trimmed beard cuts a stereotypical portrait of a marketing professional — and that’s exactly what he once was.

Sidharth S Nair, 30, from Periya in Kanhangad, left behind a corporate career as a Business Development Officer at Aabasoft in Kochi’s Infopark in 2021. Two-and-a-half years ago, he made a bold switch to full-time truck driving — a decision rooted in a lifelong love for vehicles and a deep desire to travel. It was almost like a man living one of his childhood fancies.

“I didn’t want a routine job with targets, work pressure and stress. I wanted to explore the land,” says Sidharth. “And my love for vehicles is as old as I am. It started with the toy vehicles my father, Sreedharan, and uncles brought from the UAE, and grew with me — from cycles to two-wheelers, cars, jeeps, and finally heavy vehicles.” Despite family expectations — his mother, Pushpalatha, is a retired teacher and his sister, Sharanya, an engineer — Sidharth doffed the white-collar.

After securing a BCom in Co-operation from Dr Ambedkar Arts & Science College in Periya in 2015, he tried a series of jobs: in co-operative societies, private finance firms, marketing in Bengaluru, and finally Infopark. “I kept quitting within a few months to a year. It just wasn’t for me. Even financially, the return didn’t justify the stress,” he recalls.

During this period, he would often sneak away on truck trips with friends, telling his parents he was attending functions or going on casual outings. “Those early trips, mostly to Tamil Nadu, confirmed what I really wanted," he said. After quitting Infopark, he briefly took up a telecom job under family pressure before walking away for good. In 2022, he began working as a helper with truck drivers, eventually securing a heavy vehicle licence. Initial rejections due to a lack of experience didn’t stop him. A friend helped him get his first break as a driver.

Today, Sidharth works with Nithyananda Transport, a Kanhangad-based logistics company with around 25 trucks in service across India. He has driven to almost every state — Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and more — transporting a wide range of goods, from plywood to onions, fruits, timber, and salt. Each truck has two drivers, taking turns to rest. “If one of us is tired, the other drives. If both are exhausted, we stop. We also cook on the go, or eat from local spots,” he says. “The current trip started from Kanhangad to Pune with plywood. From there, it’s onions to Kollam, then salt to Kasaragod.”

Every journey is different, he says. “New people, food, places — it’s all refreshing. Even our attire, like dhoti, makes people curious in the North,” he laughs. His knowledge of Hindi, Tamil, and English makes travel easier, though changing climates can take a toll. “Sometimes I fall sick, but I manage with rest and medicine.” Each trip lasts 10–12 days. Between these, he returns home briefly before hitting the road again. While his family still struggles to accept his "unconventional career", they’ve stopped trying to change his mind. “They worry it’ll affect my future, even marriage prospects. But I tell them — if someone can’t accept what I do, then they’re not meant for me,” he says.

“I’ve spent only two-and-a-half years truly doing what I love. The rest of my life went into jobs that didn’t satisfy me. Now, I get paid to travel. Earlier, I had to spend money to do the same,” he says. Sidharth also ensures that he takes at least one 10-day vacation with friends every year, in addition to his work trips.