Spain: Delivery driver’s health collapses after 12-hour shifts

Twelve hours of deliveries for €1,300 and a leaking van

How long can the body endure before giving up? For someone who has jumped between companies for nearly thirty years, this is not a rhetorical question. The story opening this discussion is specific: twelve-hour days, a salary of €1,300, GPS tracking, a supervisor calling at any hour, and a van that ended up sending its driver to the emergency room with mild intoxication from steering fluid and oil leaking into the cabin, according to the affected worker.

The physical diagnosis is also concrete: issues with L5-S1 vertebrae, damaged back and glutes, and a limp that won’t go away, per his testimony. At 44 years old, with twelve years of self-employment behind him, he concludes that heavy labor has undermined his health while comfortable jobs watched from the sidelines.

€1,300 for twelve hours: good pay or illusion?

The figure sparked the first debate. Some quickly calculated it amounts to over €100 an hour, a math error that falls apart when looking at the full calendar. A monthly salary of €1,300 for twelve daily hours of delivery results in a range that, broken down by actual workday, does not compensate for either physical wear or time away from home.

The counterpoint came from the cost of living angle: when someone stops living with their parents and faces rent, electricity, water, gas, food, and transport, €1,300 falls short. The response from the one who has been independent for twelve years was clear: partner, rent, and two months of unpaid bills. The calculation is not theoretical.

GPS, control, and evidence: how to claim overtime

GPS surveillance was another focal point. The question of whether a company can track workers this way hung in the air, and the practical answer that emerged was using that same tool in reverse: if the company controls via GPS, the worker can document excess hours with their own records. The repeated recommendation is to consult a labor lawyer before taking steps, gather evidence discreetly, and file claims when the time comes.

The pattern described is not new: endure, accumulate overtime, let the company fire you, then include everything in the lawsuit. A classic of trench warfare labor law.

The body that no longer rows: L5-S1 and a limp

The narrative turns when the problem shifts from salary or supervisor to the back. Nearly thirty years of rushing, physical loads, and endless days have left, according to the worker himself, an fruta diagnosis: damaged L5-S1 vertebrae and a limp accompanying every step. The body has said enough, and there ends the debate on whether the pay was good or bad.

The conversation then drifted toward health and wear, with messages of encouragement and the realization that van delivery, for better or worse, allows you to go your own way and manage individual battles. Little comfort for someone who can no longer walk straight.

Yin and yang of the labor market

The story’s conclusion feels like a verdict: day with night, happiness with pain, heavy work with privileged positions. Everything complements each other. The dry irony is that the person complementing the system with their broken back is rarely the one sitting in the comfortable chair. And so, between medical reports and the dripping van, one wonders how many more must reach L5-S1 damage before anyone looks at the twelve-hour workday differently.