On 6 February 2026, a truck driver from Tajikistan strikes his drive along the A1 near Deurningen. He stops driving and occupies his employer's truck because he wants his overdue wages to be paid. The cantonal judge of the Overijssel District Court ruled that the driver was right to do so.
Lien
The driver has been staying in the cab of the truck, which is parked in a highway car park, since he quit his job. He is invoking his lien: the man is occupying the truck until his employer pays the back wages. It totals almost €18,000. Holding the truck is a means of pressure to get the employer to pay the debt. The employer, a transport company from Lithuania, filed summary proceedings. It demands that the driver return the truck immediately. The driver in turn demands, now also through the court, that the employer pay the overdue wages.
Rightly
The court ruled that the truck driver was justified in invoking his lien. The driver from Tajikistan was in his right when he claimed his overdue salary and used his employer's truck as a means of pressure. The subdistrict court ordered the transport company to pay the arrears.
Per diems for Western European journeys
During the hearing, it becomes clear that the employer promised to pay the driver part of his salary, the per diem, when he would be back in Lithuania. This does not happen, as the transport company keeps scheduling a new trip for the driver. So he keeps driving around the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium for months. The subdistrict court ruled that the employer had failed in this respect. This is because the driver needs money to support himself during his journeys. The employer should have paid the man in full twice a month, as agreed in the employment contract. The employer did not do this. In addition, the transport company did not give wage statements to the driver.