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BRITCOM III
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00:00This time on Outback Truckers.
00:03I just want to get out and I can't go with that.
00:09Even if it was dry now, we couldn't go anywhere.
00:14And now I'll just go up like a Bob's uncle.
00:19It's pissing out freaking a little.
00:23Well, here we go, Brodie boy.
00:26Oh, there's some holes down there.
00:30The wind's blowing hard.
00:32The thing with lightning is you make one mistake with it and you'll kill you.
00:36Brodie!
00:40Because we're oversized, we've got to have two pilots.
00:45Are you warning trucks or am I warning trucks?
00:48Are you supposed to be behind you, you dumbass?
00:51Please don't talk on the CV to me.
00:55Oh, Mr. Rilber.
00:57Right-o, Wallace.
01:00I've got to get out of here, eh?
01:06I've got to go.
01:12I just want to get out and I can't go quicker.
01:15I've got a job I've got to do tomorrow, so I've got to get this done today.
01:22Oh.
01:22It is just sliding, eh?
01:26We don't want to slide off the edge.
01:30If the truck starts off, we're gone, eh?
01:33I can't stop it.
01:34No, I'm not going anywhere, eh?
01:42This is...
01:42On a treacherous, muddy mountain track, log trucking specialist Mel Michelson has a vital
01:5128-tonne load to deliver.
01:54We've got an urgent order just came in down in New South Wales.
01:58They need some boards.
01:59That's black saw, and you just slide on it.
02:06The truck's doing this.
02:09Can't stop it, eh?
02:10My job's on the line, and this is my name, and I need as much work as I can get.
02:19If she can get out of the logging site at Knapp Creek, Mel must wind her way through the Queensland
02:27Highlands to a mill 323 kilometres away in Kogan, where the logs will be cut into floorboards
02:35for a brewery.
02:37This load is the second of two 28-tonne loads, which she was hoping to deliver today.
02:45I might as well turn the truck off.
02:47It's not down anyway.
02:49This is really bad.
03:02I'm wondering why I can't get traction.
03:07I don't want to take that off now.
03:12I don't want to change it in the mud.
03:13I'm going to have to come back, get it off, run into town, interview, fix it.
03:19I'll put it back on.
03:20For f***ing sake.
03:23Even if it was dry now, we couldn't go anywhere because of the tyre.
03:28Those are better getting shit out of the truck then.
03:30It could be stuck here for a day or two, but it depends on how long it takes to dry out.
03:34Mel's only option is to wait out the bad weather, returning to her newly purchased dream home, which she's trying to pay off by hauling timber.
03:46I've fallen in love with this beautiful old, grand Queenslander.
03:51She's 110 years old.
03:53It's going to cost a lot of money to renovate.
03:56I pulled off the boards and discovered this beautiful pine, so I'm going to bring all this back to life and sand it and polish it all and stain it.
04:07It's every load of logs I do now, like I still want this place.
04:12Looks like I've got to keep trucking on to get these red eyes done, so I just need to do as much work as I can when it's not raining.
04:21Thanks for picking me up.
04:30Not a problem.
04:32Too far to walk pushing the toll out.
04:37I hope I can get this truck out.
04:39Mel's truck is blocking the access road to the logging site run by her friend, Gary Orton.
04:46He's come to help her get moving again before more bad weather sets in.
04:51I just want to get this truck out by days waiting on this load.
04:54It's pretty urgent.
04:56He can't cut it up if he hasn't got it.
05:00Got that jack.
05:02There's a week's rain coming.
05:04I'm a bit worried.
05:05I've got to get it out.
05:08Not much room.
05:10I want to get my fat cuts under there.
05:14It's not a friendly jack.
05:15I want to use the air of the truck to use the air jack.
05:24Wrong air.
05:25You've got the wrong fitting.
05:27That means I can't use the air jack at all, so I've got to have to manually do it.
05:31I've got the wrong hose for my air jack, so I'll just have to change it the old school way.
05:38Bloody trucks.
05:39These things happen.
05:41We didn't have air jacks in the old days, so as long as we get it done before this weather
05:45comes in.
05:47That's our main concern.
05:55Oh, God.
05:56Come on.
05:59Got a fair way to go, Mel.
06:00Oh.
06:01That's a positive sign.
06:10It must be getting off the ground now.
06:13Give it a go.
06:15Nothing to lose.
06:23It's just a bottle here.
06:24Go.
06:25For **** sake.
06:26The inside tyre is rooted.
06:35Oh.
06:48So delaying this job for after Christmas, did that cost you all the client money?
06:53Our customer had some people were going to be in the yard in Alice Springs.
06:58Oh, you bugger.
06:59Look at that.
07:00Another friggin' rock through my windscreen.
07:05The delay over Christmas means I've got a rock through my windscreen, which I didn't
07:10get last bloody time I went through here.
07:12Yep.
07:13And because we didn't get the freight through, I haven't been paid for the job.
07:17Over a month after having to abandon a trucking job because of road closures in the central
07:24desert, Steve Graham and his grandson, Brodie, have returned to Laverton to collect the load
07:31they left with Steve's mate, Rex Riles.
07:35Hello, mate.
07:36How are you, Rex?
07:37How are you, Rex?
07:37Have a good Christmas.
07:38Yeah, very good to see you, mate.
07:39You?
07:40I hope you had a good one.
07:40Last year, we had to park the gear up.
07:45Now we've come back to get it.
07:46This is round two.
07:48Now we've got 1,600 kilometres to go to get it to Alice Springs.
07:53From Laverton, Steve and Brodie will take on the infamous Great Central Road, over 1,000
08:00kilometres of brutal dirt, which has only just been reopened after being savaged by summer
08:05storms, before hitting the bitumen to finish their delivery in Alice Springs.
08:11You're good, Brodie boy?
08:12Yep.
08:13Let's go.
08:18What we've got is structural steel on this trailer, and the other two trailers are the
08:23frames and the trusses and all the bits that make up the framework of the house.
08:28Well, here we go, Brodie boy.
08:34Now the truth will come out.
08:43The road hasn't been too rough, but it's keeping me on my toes.
08:49The bog holes where people got bogged just before Christmas, I can see quite clearly where
08:58they were bogged.
08:59So I've got to treat every one of those spots with real care.
09:06We're going to pull up here.
09:08Just have a little break.
09:10Brodie?
09:10Yeah?
09:11Just have a quick walk around and check it, and I mean check everything.
09:14Brodie gets paid for the trip when he comes with me, and it's all part of learning about
09:21life.
09:22How did you go with the check, mate?
09:23Oh, they all look good.
09:25I'm good to go for a walk.
09:26Keep me in sight.
09:28Yeah.
09:28Just looking around for reptilians and whatnot.
09:33Brodie is a dead keen naturalist, and he just loves reptiles.
09:38Oh, look, there's a bearded.
09:39He's sitting on the spinifex.
09:40That's a painted bearded, that one.
09:42So that'd be his home just there.
09:44So he's going to make a run for it.
09:46Probably going straight across, or not.
09:52So yeah, look, he's...
09:53And there's he goes.
09:54The one thing I'd want Brodie to learn on a trip like this is when he tells me he's checked
09:58these binders, he's checked them.
10:00I constantly forget how to talk to the modern young people.
10:05You've got to be very literal.
10:07They've been brought up all their life looking at an area this big.
10:09So this big place out here, it's not quite so much in their awareness.
10:15But coming on a trip with Grandad might expand the horizons from a little screen like that
10:20to the great big panorama through which we're travelling.
10:26Brodie.
10:26Yeah.
10:27Are we ready?
10:28Yep.
10:28Rain, Brodie, rain.
10:41We don't need rain this early, mate.
10:43This is bloody scary.
10:44You can see out there, either side, big falls, big, big amounts of rain falling.
10:55There's some big holes in the road that have got water in them already, I know that.
11:01And if they get any more rain on them, we aren't getting around them.
11:07Oh, which puddle, which puddle, mate, which puddle I think I might go in this one.
11:12It looks like it's a straighter approach.
11:16That one's on a big angle.
11:20Shit, this looks like slop, boy.
11:23Are they going to get through it or are they going to get up there, boy?
11:31Oh, there's some holes down there, Brodie, mate.
11:33We've got our first bridge coming up.
11:43Paul's going to shut it for us to go across.
11:46Got a 3.8 metre wide heavy transporter on the tow bridge.
11:50Pull her up there, please.
11:54All right, mate.
11:55Bridge is clear.
11:56I'm all right.
11:56Get her down a four-way and, um, idled across.
12:08Stop!
12:11Stop!
12:12Well, it's on the bridge!
12:15What's that say?
12:17Stop!
12:19Get it out of the way!
12:20Get it out of the way!
12:20Get it out of the way!
12:24Clear out of the bridge.
12:28That lady got my blood pressure up, sludge, I tell you.
12:31Why is that?
12:33Well, I had the car stopped and this woman drove straight towards me and I was on her lane with
12:38a stop paddle up and she went to drive round me to go on the bridge.
12:42And I says, what has stopped me?
12:44It must be her Kiwis, eh?
12:46I think she had an Aussie accent.
12:50He did.
12:51Good one.
12:54Legendary outback trucker Sludge has come back to the land of his birth, New Zealand, working
13:00as an oversized load driver.
13:02Doing a few jobs for Paul Clark, a mate of mine from Dunedin.
13:05We're taking up a 43 tonne Tyrex dozer up to Wanaka for the wheels of Wanaka.
13:13The vintage bulldozer is the first of two that Sludge has to deliver.
13:18He left Dunedin over an hour ago and is headed for the mountainous country roads and narrow
13:24bridges that lead to Wanaka on the edge of New Zealand's Southern Alps.
13:28Sludge's mate, Paul, will exhibit both of his restored vintage bulldozers at the wheels
13:35of Wanaka's show.
13:36It's a big machinery show and everyone in New Zealand comes and people from all around
13:41the world are coming.
13:43It's a passion more than a money making venture.
13:46I don't think there's any others that are restored anywhere that I know of.
13:50Probably this side of Australia, New Zealand.
13:53I've come out here just because I haven't worked for so long to try and financially help
13:57Wendy a little bit.
13:58Two years ago, Sludge had a motorcycle accident near his home in Western Australia.
14:06Unable to work, he has relied on his wife Wendy to support him during his recovery.
14:12Since I had the accident, Wendy's still able to live and feed me and when you're not working,
14:18it slowly gobbles everything you've got in the bank.
14:24I want to drive a little bit, earn a few bucks.
14:26But the big thing for me is now the grandkids.
14:29Sludge's two eldest children and their families live in New Zealand.
14:33I'd like to make sure they remember me, that I'm still here and spend a bit of time with
14:39them as well as working.
14:40This is my father's gravestone.
14:47He died on the 13th of April 1984 and this is my brother's one.
14:53When did he die?
14:551981.
14:56So every time I come to New Zealand, I normally come up here and say hello and make sure they're
15:04all clean and tidy.
15:05My father died in a truck accident, they were backing a truck into a ramp and the brakes
15:13failed, rolled back and crushed him and squashed him, that's what killed him.
15:16My brother had an early end of life as well, he was coming home to the farm and Dad found
15:22him, he had run off the road and banged his head in his car and that's what killed him.
15:26I was only young when he died.
15:29It's one of those curveballs in life where that could have been me laying there as well.
15:35I thought I'd live forever but I've had a big scare and I don't want the kids growing
15:40up without me like I did without my father.
15:46Another bridge just round the corner.
15:48Roger, I've got to start watching what I'm doing and just be careful.
15:52With an oversize, you've got to be right on the money.
16:06Holy shit.
16:11Now that's narrow, holy shit.
16:14The trailer was rubbing the edge right on it.
16:22We're just coming into Wanaka and we're going to pull up here at the wheels of Wanaka.
16:29Transport toys, helicopters, planes, my kind of place.
16:35That's one done.
16:36So tomorrow will be the real test.
16:37Plan is now we'll head back to Dunedin and then we can load the big one.
16:53It's almost 300 kilometres back to Paul's yard in Dunedin where Sludge will take on the
16:59second dozer, a bona fide heavyweight.
17:02That's how much heavier?
17:04That's about another 15 ton heavier.
17:07Jesus.
17:08Yeah right.
17:09So you're up around about 90 ton.
17:11The dozer blade is pretty much, you know, that's the bit that'll cut somebody open if
17:15it hits someone.
17:19We have to get it in the right place to make sure that, you know, the trailer doesn't go
17:24overweight on any axles or the truck.
17:26Yep.
17:28She's all on and tied up.
17:30We're ready to go.
17:32A bit nervous.
17:33It's going to be a hard day.
17:34Toughest one I've done.
17:35This thing's pretty serious.
17:39We might have a bit of a problem.
17:42I've just seen this email come through.
17:44You know where we went for that road work.
17:46They've got to shut the road to do that new bit of seal.
17:49So they're saying they're going to try and shut this off at 12.30 today.
17:53So how long are they shutting that for?
17:55Well, two to four hours.
17:56We've got to try and do our best to get there.
17:59Otherwise we're going to be parked on the side of the road until they've finished the
18:02job.
18:03And I don't know if we'll get there in time before they close it.
18:06It just adds to the pressure for the day.
18:08Oh, there's some holes down that road a lot.
18:21Right, now you see why they say four-wheel drive only, eh?
18:37Yeah.
18:38After failing to cross the notorious Great Central Road one month ago, Steve and his grandson
18:45Brodie have returned, desperate to get a paying load through to Alice Springs.
18:51Still got 700 plus k of dirt to go.
18:56These storms are rolling in on us.
19:01Any serious rain out here and we're bugging.
19:04Yeah.
19:06It's just about dark, so I'll be pulling up shortly.
19:16Brodie?
19:17Yeah?
19:18Have a look at all the tyres up, please.
19:21And then you're free, Brodie, and I'll start getting tea organised and stuff.
19:25I am.
19:26The wind's blowing hard.
19:30I just hope it doesn't blow one of these storms into me.
19:35This is a good spot to camp.
19:38We're up on the hill.
19:39We've got the breeze here and we can roll off from here in the morning if there's big
19:42rain during the night.
19:43If this will be dry up here, we can roll away.
19:46I've got my little gas stove cooking for Brodie and myself to keep our energy up.
19:53Brodie, don't be walking around with that aluminium pole in the hand with this lightning around.
20:00Maybe we should be down on the low ground if the lightning gets going.
20:05The thing with the lightning is make one mistake with it and it'll kill you.
20:10That rain is going to happen any minute.
20:12Seriously.
20:15Where's Brodie?
20:18Brodie!
20:23You know what I'd be doing?
20:28Yeah.
20:29I've been ringing the tyre service to bring out another tyre and a jack.
20:35I know it's an extra cost but they won't get home.
20:38Already two days behind on an urgent 28-ton timber delivery, a second blown drive tyre has
20:49pushed log truck driver Mel Michelson to her limit.
20:54Hey Joe, Gary Orton here.
20:57We've got a real problem here mate.
21:00Had a flat tyre, got it one spare but on the rear drive the inside tyre is rooted.
21:09You're the only one that can do it and you can't leave the shop because no one else is there.
21:12There's only two places in Burnham that will do it.
21:17They can't come out to do it out here on site so we've got to take it in there.
21:24It might have a second hand one in there.
21:26That's what he wants.
21:27Yep.
21:28Two things that cost you most money, rubber tyres and women.
21:31Yep.
21:33Tits and tyres.
21:35One of those.
21:36I've got to get out of here.
21:39It's delaying everything.
21:42So I've got a beautiful old property.
21:45I need to turn them wheels to get that coin in to do my renovations.
21:57Back safe Mellie.
21:59Put that into the jack.
22:03We didn't try that one before.
22:05No.
22:12I f***ing wait.
22:14Me and Gary tried one hose but we didn't try the other connection on the other side.
22:19We didn't try hard enough.
22:21And now it'll just go up like f***ing Bob's uncle and we'll be out of here.
22:29It's not going anywhere.
22:38It's pissing out frickin' oil.
22:47Why has it decided to leak out oil today?
22:50Mmm.
22:51I've had it for four years and haven't had no drama with it.
22:54And what's only going up that map?
22:58Oh, they're moving there.
23:04Can't take a trick.
23:13Rudy!
23:15The thing with the lightning is, make one mistake with it and it'll kill you.
23:21Rudy!
23:24There he is. You found him. You're a good girl.
23:27You're a good girl. Thanks for finding Brodie for me, Bill.
23:35Well, there you go, Brodie. There's your team-mate.
23:39You're out of the rain. I'm going to go and eat mine.
23:42Can you fit any more potato in your mouth, Brodie? Boy, you're hungry or what?
23:46Starving. This is a good meal to have at the end of the day.
23:54Well, think about going, Brodie. If you're good, we'll go.
24:00So what was your tally last night?
24:03I think I got this spider I got.
24:07Here's a little mouse.
24:08A mouse? Yeah.
24:09A mouse or a duna?
24:10Mouse.
24:11Steve is on a mission to get a long-delayed load across the red centre of Australia
24:17while simultaneously catching up on some much-needed family time.
24:22I like to think I'm quite close to my grandkids.
24:25They're all good kids.
24:27I'm determined to spend the time with them that I didn't spend with my kids,
24:31but I'm struggling to find that time still.
24:37There's the border, mate.
24:40I will stop up here, check our gear.
24:43How is everything?
24:53Good.
24:53Right, now let's go back and start again, mate.
24:55We've got to talk to you about your eyes.
24:58See the broken strap?
25:00Oh, yeah.
25:01Oh, yeah?
25:02You got...
25:04You young blokes, you've got to learn to see.
25:08It appears I missed this broken strap.
25:10I don't know how I missed that, too.
25:14It comes with experience,
25:16that ability to just notice things that aren't right.
25:21That's it, Brodie.
25:22I'll go around and tie it off.
25:26That rain that's coming up behind us,
25:29I do know if that rain gets out here on this road in front of me,
25:33we won't do it.
25:36Now, I have to check my fuel.
25:38There's not much fuel in that tank.
25:43It's not good.
25:45I've got diesel in the belly tank under the front trailer.
25:48To enable long-distance hauls
25:50through the harsh Australian wilderness,
25:53Steve has set up a 1,000-litre fuel storage tank
25:56under his first trailer.
25:58He can pump fuel from there to the main tanks using a hose,
26:03as long as the truck's motor is running.
26:05But the process can take over an hour.
26:09I don't want to have to stop and run it
26:11and have the rain beaten.
26:15Brodie boy,
26:16we've got about 30km to go to the camp
26:19and we're really low on fuel.
26:22I should fuel up here,
26:25but I'm going to take a punt.
26:28I'll give it a crack, 30km.
26:30I need 40 litres.
26:34This might be the worst mistake I've made in a long time.
26:36I've got to keep my wits about me today and pedal a bit.
26:45If we're running late,
26:47it's going to be a real pain in the arse.
26:49Sludge is racing the clock.
26:51He has a bigger,
26:52wider and 20-tonne heavier bulldozer to haul
26:56almost 300km to Wanaka
26:59before the road is scheduled to be closed
27:01in four hours' time.
27:03If we don't make the time to get there
27:06before they shut it,
27:07we're going to be stuck with 90 tonnes
27:09sitting on the road
27:10at four and a half metres wide,
27:13blocking the whole road up.
27:15We've got enough pressure
27:16with the wider and 20-tonne heavier,
27:19so the extra pressure's just giving me the shits, really.
27:23We've got Paul out the front today
27:24and Sarah, Paul's partner,
27:27she's coming today as well.
27:29I've been driving trucks
27:30for about six or seven years.
27:32I'm going to be driving the second pilot vehicle.
27:35To provide extra support to Sludge
27:37on this massive job,
27:39his wife Wendy has flown in from Australia.
27:42It's pretty big for him,
27:43especially, you know, getting back into it again.
27:46I'm going to jump in with the pilot,
27:49which is exciting
27:50because I've never been in a pilot vehicle before.
27:52This is the worst bit
28:01is getting out of this bloody town
28:03because we've got to be
28:03on the wrong side of the road.
28:05All clear, Sludge, just keep coming.
28:24Yeah, so, F***, go!
28:27Go!
28:27Paul, you're supposed to be in front of me?
28:34I've got to get around to the sheep bridge first.
28:37F*** sake.
28:40Give the law.
28:42What the f***?
28:43I'm supposed to be behind you,
28:44you dumbass.
28:46This is what pisses me off with him
28:48is he always says...
28:49Makes his own rules.
28:50It's like, everything's got to be by the book
28:53and then he f***ed it all up.
28:59There we go.
28:59Here we go, onto the motorway.
29:03Woo-hoo!
29:05You can tell we're 20 ton heavier.
29:09This will make this old girl work today.
29:13I'm just going to pop around on the left,
29:16come around in front of you,
29:17come around.
29:20Probably did that a bit early, actually.
29:23You should have waited to the bottom of the hill,
29:25but never mind.
29:27Yeah, righto.
29:28I'd rather do it early than too late.
29:31No, but the rules are
29:32you've got to wait to get to the bottom of the line.
29:36Oh, Mr Rulebook,
29:37who f***ing was behind me before
29:39and he was supposed to go ahead of me?
29:41Righto, Wallace.
29:45A little bit of tension there with Paul and Sarah.
29:48It's a little bit of trouble in paradise.
29:51It's probably just settling in
29:53and getting the distances right.
29:54And, you know, everyone has a different idea
29:58where they should be and what they're doing.
30:00And after this black car,
30:02you're all clear to come over to the right-hand lane.
30:05So he just sits in the middle now?
30:07No, he's got to be open.
30:08Oh, because he's turned.
30:09He's got to go under this bridge
30:11and it comes down on an angle.
30:18But if he went in there,
30:19he literally would have hit it.
30:20Shit, yeah, wow.
30:23Yeah, you're all clear.
30:31He's not even warning tracks.
30:34Are you warning tracks
30:35or are my warning tracks?
30:384.3 guys.
30:39I couldn't get on the CBs here.
30:46So this next bridge
30:47is at 10km an hour and central.
30:51Roger that.
30:54You need the pilots
30:55to shut the bridge off.
30:57You've got to have
30:58two pilots.
31:00One's got to be further up
31:02to shut the road
31:03and the other one
31:03guides us across.
31:10Go, you f***ing goat.
31:12I'm right behind you.
31:26Once I get there,
31:27you need to move forwards.
31:29Please don't talk
31:32on the CB to me
31:33like that.
31:37It's always hard
31:38when you're a couple
31:39working together
31:40because you're probably
31:42saying more than you should.
31:43If we learn to shut up,
31:44it'll probably be a lot easier.
31:51Keeping around the game, Mel.
31:54I'm just only going up that mark.
31:56Hardly moving now, isn't it?
31:57Mel Michelson is racing
32:00the fading afternoon light.
32:02She needs to replace
32:04two drive tyres
32:05with a faulty jack
32:06and get her 28-tonne load
32:08over 300 kilometres
32:10to a timber mill
32:11to finally get paid
32:13for the job.
32:14Can you jack up
32:15a little bit by hand?
32:18We really need this loading.
32:21Just want to get out of here
32:22before the frickin' rain
32:24gets here.
32:29I don't even know
32:30if it's going up, though.
32:32Yeah, it is.
32:35Yeah, you're winning.
32:41Yep.
32:42It's high enough, Mally.
32:43Right.
32:44God, it's just stuck here, eh?
32:53Look, that is completely
32:54off the ground.
33:04Finally.
33:06Now I've got to get it over that.
33:09Oops.
33:10Good deal.
33:17Now,
33:18this toy can go
33:19f*** itself.
33:31Get up, bitch.
33:33Oh, yeah!
33:33All good to go.
33:45Thank you for all your help.
33:46Not a problem.
33:48I'd better get out
33:48the heaven clouds
33:49over there.
33:50They're coming in quite fast,
33:52so...
33:56I just want to get
33:59out of here
34:00and down the mountain.
34:01I'm worried
34:04about this part
34:05the most.
34:07It's still quite wet.
34:09It's the first gear material.
34:15The ground feels okay.
34:17Like,
34:17it's still a bit slippery,
34:19but it's okay.
34:24Yeehaw!
34:25Finally
34:25made it to the gate
34:26and I'm just pulled out
34:28on the road,
34:28so I'm pretty happy.
34:31Clouds are pretty black.
34:34That's raining
34:34over there,
34:35definitely.
34:37Looks like
34:37just got out of there
34:38in time.
34:42Been down,
34:43down and out
34:44for three or four days.
34:45Like,
34:45I've missed two jobs
34:46that have come in.
34:47There's missed money
34:48and letting people down.
34:50Like,
34:50I don't like that,
34:52but, um,
34:53they understood,
34:54so that's looking for you.
34:56Now I've got to
34:57get back to the mill
34:58and get this unloaded.
34:59Just hit the Warrego Highway.
35:05Got some pretty good roads
35:07until I get near Dalby
35:08and head off
35:10into the night.
35:12The load from hell.
35:27When these logs come off,
35:35I'll have a happy customer
35:37who luckily understands
35:39why I'm late.
35:42But we can't help
35:43the weather,
35:44so that makes me happy
35:45when they're happy.
35:47Yes!
35:47Oh, my God,
35:51I'm so proud to say
35:52I am plumbly unloaded,
35:54so after this,
35:55I'll go back to the farm
35:56and have a rest
35:58and then tomorrow
35:59go and get a feed
36:00of a load of firewood.
36:01I've got to keep
36:02them wheels turning
36:03because I haven't been earning.
36:05I reckon I've got
36:12about 30km to go there.
36:14I need 40 litres.
36:16I've got diesel
36:17into the front trailer.
36:18I don't want to have to stop
36:19and have the rain beat me.
36:21This might be the worst mistake
36:22I've made in a long time.
36:24Maybe I'm being a stupid
36:25old fool
36:26taking a punt on it.
36:27But that's the gamble
36:30I'm about to take.
36:37We might do it, Brodie.
36:39We've got about
36:39a size K to go.
36:48I made it, Brodie.
36:51We made it, boy.
36:54We made it, Brodie.
36:57This is it.
37:00We're going to camp here tonight.
37:02We've made it to the bitumen.
37:04Touch wood.
37:05We're laughing.
37:06Can you do a quick
37:07walk around, please, mate?
37:08Because I'm going to run fuel
37:09from the belly tank
37:10into the front tank, right?
37:12That'll give us enough fuel
37:13to get into Alice Springs tomorrow.
37:15Sounds good.
37:25We're on the bitumen now.
37:26We've got 468 kilometres
37:30to go from here.
37:31I'm on a tight time schedule.
37:34We've got people
37:35who will be starting work
37:38a half to me on time
37:40or it costs big money.
37:45Well, Brodie, boy, here we go.
37:47There's the yard over there.
37:48We've just about pulled it up.
37:50Here we are, mate.
37:53Here we are.
37:58We'll go and see Matt
37:59and find out what's going on.
38:01All right.
38:05How are you, mate?
38:06You're joking.
38:08All right.
38:10It's the whole story
38:11in this business.
38:12Once again,
38:13we've gone hard
38:16to get here
38:17and we're not going to unload today.
38:20We're going to unload tomorrow.
38:24It does frustrate you
38:27in that if I had known this earlier,
38:29maybe I would have gone
38:29a little bit slower
38:30and kept the truck
38:32a little bit cooler.
38:33So, nothing's going to happen today.
38:37Finally, it's in the yard.
38:38After five weeks,
38:38it's all here.
38:40And we're not unloading
38:42until tomorrow.
38:47Hi.
38:48Hello.
38:49Come through this way if you want.
38:50Brodie, you go.
38:51This is yours.
38:52All right.
38:52This is yours.
38:54In some ways,
38:55I'm sort of happy
38:56that we're not unloading
38:57until tomorrow.
38:58Now I can relax a bit
38:59and take Brodie in
39:00to see a surprise.
39:01Did you guys want to have
39:02a hold of a snake?
39:04Brodie is a dead keen naturalist.
39:06He just loves reptiles.
39:08She's going to come
39:09over your shoulders.
39:11Well, I'm taking him
39:12into the reptile center.
39:13You can't feel that weight.
39:15It's a lot heavier
39:15than most little pythons.
39:17And now,
39:18comes a bit
39:19where she strangles you.
39:22Reptiles,
39:23always a cool thing to see.
39:25Oh, look at him.
39:26He's a beauty.
39:27This is Frank.
39:28He's a Spencer's goanna.
39:30Oh, wow.
39:31They do get big.
39:32Well, Brodie,
39:33I hope you enjoyed that.
39:35Yeah, that was awesome.
39:40Coming into Milton,
39:42and Milton's where
39:43they've got all
39:43the main street
39:44of Milton ripped up.
39:49I'm going to move
39:49these cones
39:50around this Milton
39:51tanker here
39:51because
39:52you ain't going
39:53to get past.
39:54Oh, my God,
39:57he's actually moving
39:58clones.
39:59I can't believe it.
40:00Normally,
40:00he'd just be like,
40:01oh, he's fucking up
40:02and the thing's over.
40:03Don't even worry about it.
40:08Yeah,
40:09he should get around there now.
40:10Hauling an oversized
40:12combined mass
40:13of almost 90 tonnes
40:15in a 30-year-old truck
40:17he's only driven
40:18once before,
40:19Sludge is relying
40:20on his problematic pilots,
40:23Paul and Sarah.
40:24When you've got
40:25your partner with you,
40:26they have different ideas.
40:28It's not a bit of roses.
40:32Have you heard
40:33any more about
40:34these roadworks
40:35and Fruitlands, Paul?
40:37I've just heard
40:38that they're
40:39closing the road
40:40at 1 o'clock.
40:42We're going to be
40:43really, really
40:44pushing it hard
40:45to get there.
40:46Roger that.
40:47The team have
40:50less than two hours
40:51to get through
40:51a scheduled
40:52road closure ahead
40:53or risk being
40:55forced to stop
40:56overnight.
40:57After 6 o'clock,
40:58we're not allowed
40:59to drive oversize.
41:00So if they hold us up
41:01too long,
41:02we're not going to
41:02make one of it
41:03at night.
41:04Here we go.
41:05It's into the hills
41:07and the windy stuff
41:08and this is where
41:10I've got to be
41:10super vigilant.
41:12We're coming
41:13into the gorge now
41:14and I've got to be
41:15central in the middle
41:16of the road
41:16so they've got to
41:17stop all the cars.
41:19Well, I don't know
41:19if you can hear me
41:20but there's two cars
41:21after the petrol tanker.
41:24After that,
41:25the road is closed.
41:32Pull over.
41:35Is he stopped?
41:37Pull right over.
41:38Just pull in
41:39as far as you can go.
41:40Yep.
41:43We've got to put
41:44the power dividers in now
41:45because the road's wet.
41:47So that locks the arse
41:48end up giving us
41:49more drive.
41:51F***ing hell.
41:52Shit.
41:56It's just starting
41:57to skid a little bit
41:58and light the tyres up.
42:02I'm just
42:02fighting,
42:04trying to keep out
42:05on the dry bits
42:05of the road
42:06just to keep the traction.
42:09Otherwise,
42:10we wouldn't have made
42:11it over that.
42:11Coming up to where
42:16the road closure is
42:17and it's Dutch and go.
42:18I don't know
42:18if we're going to get this.
42:23Hi.
42:25You guys are starting
42:25sailing, haven't you?
42:26So it'll be fine
42:27if we get through, okay?
42:29Just ask.
42:31We've got a large
42:33transporter,
42:344.3 coming through.
42:35It's about 90 tonne.
42:36We'll just go along
42:38quietly.
42:38Is that okay?
42:39Copy?
42:41Yeah, that's alright.
42:46Yeah, copy, sludge.
42:47Yep, nah.
42:48Giving us the okay
42:49to come through.
42:50We need to get authority
42:50just in time.
42:52We're cutting off here
42:53in four minutes time.
42:55Beautiful.
42:57It's a pretty straight
43:02run home now.
43:11Well, guys,
43:12it's a big thank you.
43:14Mission completed.
43:18Good job, Dad.
43:21To see him back here
43:23pretty much
43:24close to his old self,
43:26it's fantastic.
43:27I'm wrapped, actually,
43:28for him.
43:30I was struggling
43:31after the accident.
43:33Am I good enough
43:34to drive trucks again?
43:36And to have done
43:37what I've done
43:38is huge.
43:39I'm probably lucky enough
43:40to have a second chance
43:41of life.
43:43My father,
43:43he wasn't lucky enough,
43:45but I think he'd be proud
43:46of what I've done
43:47over the years.
43:48Sludge is back.
43:50This time we've crossed
43:51the threshold
43:51and we're going to do it again.
43:56You're going to do it again.
43:59I'm probably too
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