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00:00Get ready to restart your engines.
00:06Are you ready?
00:07Yeah, ready when you are, Paul.
00:09Our trucking heroes are back.
00:12Ranger, off you go.
00:13Hey.
00:14These are the super heavyweight champions of the road.
00:18Just another day moving machines.
00:22It is very nerve-wracking.
00:23Very, very nerve-wracking.
00:25Wielding some of the heftiest hardware in the world.
00:28Lift it up.
00:30Wings it up.
00:30When every mile's a battle.
00:34Where does he come from?
00:36He's obviously totally ignored us.
00:38And every second counts.
00:40Because it's such a big machine, we're going to block the yard, so we need to be quick.
00:44These are the experts making light work.
00:47About half an inch off the yard, sir.
00:50All good.
00:51Doing really well, actually.
00:52Of the largest loads imaginable.
00:55It is quite easy to make a catastrophic mistake.
00:59Well, it's a hell of fun, were you?
01:00So put your pedal to the metal.
01:03We're committed now.
01:04This is it.
01:05Things are about to get...
01:07Trucking heavy.
01:11Start of the week off with a happy customer.
01:13It can only get worse from here, can't it, Mick?
01:14Today...
01:21Somebody's wanting to walk.
01:23Hauling a hulking Highland holiday home.
01:26When it is good, and the weather's nice, you're paid to be a tourist.
01:30Has Ewan on the high road to hell.
01:34Well, I don't know what's happening here.
01:35While in Birmingham, three fathers of the steam age...
01:41It's not every day you get a big gold statue travelled from Redditch to Birmingham.
01:47...make a dazzling comeback.
01:49It's pretty bright, isn't it?
01:50But raising the three-ton trio proves problematic.
01:55These things have to be precise.
01:56Welcome to Scotland.
02:04Land of rugged terrain, unpredictable weather and lots of locks.
02:10Here the sheep roam free and the trucks roam even freer.
02:19Where horsepower meets the highlands and the loads are heavier than the local shortbread.
02:26Thousands of trucks carrying colossal cargo criss-cross the country every day.
02:34One mega-mover used to working these roads is Ewan.
02:40The majority of where we go with this kind of thing is remote, interesting places.
02:50He loves moving massive loads in his motherland.
02:54Up the A9's beautiful, especially at this time of year.
02:58If it's dry, it's nice, because you've got all the snow in the hills.
03:01And the temperature's quite cold, so it should be nice and frosty.
03:05So at least when it's frosty, it's nice and clear.
03:07It's plenty to see.
03:09So we've a lot of stuff in the diary to do all over Scotland,
03:14which is a good thing, looking at quite an abundance of work just now.
03:18His journey through the world of haulage has been long and winding.
03:22So I'm driving lorries 19 years.
03:28I had various different jobs doing fridge work, delivering food stuff.
03:32I never, ever found anything that ticked all the boxes and gave a bit of appeal
03:38until I started shifting caravans and lodges and various other types of mobile homes.
03:44It just, it's a bit different, because you're delivering a product that somebody actually wants
03:49and somebody appreciates the effort to get it there.
03:53He now specialises in hauling hefty holiday homes to idyllic locations.
04:00And after years of working for others,
04:02Ewan bought a truck and never looked back.
04:05Despite being the boss, this is not a one-man band operation.
04:25His most loyal co-worker is with him on every job he does.
04:30I've got my wee spaniel, wee cocker spaniel, Millie, that goes everywhere.
04:35Every week I've worked for my daughter.
04:36She's been with me in the truck.
04:39It's a great company.
04:40You can talk her way to her.
04:42And you don't need to worry about any back chat.
04:45She's a great companion.
04:47Today he's gunning it to Glasgow to collect a caravan
04:51that he'll be hauling north for one lucky customer,
04:55looking forward to life on a lock.
04:58Caravan site we're going to tomorrow.
04:59There's a country park, quite a nice, nice park, nice place.
05:04Views up there are good.
05:06But right now, this rolling residence is residing in a concrete jungle
05:10at Glasgow's SEC Convention Centre.
05:16Everyone's obviously out of the show yesterday
05:17and they'll be setting up another event in the SEC.
05:21The large lodge is 35 feet long, 12 feet wide
05:26and tips the scales at a whopping 6 tonnes.
05:29That's the same weight as an African elephant.
05:35Ewan's got to shift this holiday home in a hurry
05:38because the Exhibition Centre's car park has to be cleared
05:42in the next few hours.
05:44Where are you? Come here!
05:49Your paws dry.
05:52His load is one of the last waiting to be picked up.
05:56Over the course of last week,
05:58there's been a holiday home, water home, caravan exhibition.
06:02So we've got this one out of here to go up to a site up at Fort William
06:06that we do.
06:08But most of them's already gone.
06:10Ready on site to help Ewan haul this hefty house today is Chris.
06:15Grab the end of that.
06:16Moving a mobile home is no trivial matter.
06:20The first challenge is getting it up and onto the trailer.
06:29Ewan positions ramps perfectly in line with its wheels.
06:35Ready to roll it on.
06:38Next up, he wrangles the winch line.
06:42Time to hook up and hope it holds.
06:45The winch that we used to pull the caravans on with
06:48has got two chains at the end of it.
06:51So you hook each one chain on the other side of the axle.
06:55So one left, one right.
06:57At least it's no raining and it's kind of half dry
06:59for lying underneath it.
07:06Ewan uses the controlled power of his winch
07:09to slowly creep the moving mansion toward his trailer.
07:15But the uneven car park is proving problematic.
07:20See what I mean?
07:22It's all right, it's all right.
07:24And could derail the pull.
07:26See what I mean about the ground?
07:28Just runs away.
07:29Coming up...
07:34Ding-a-boi would have moved across here
07:36when you beat your indicates run.
07:38Road users in a rush make life risky.
07:41If you show them an open and folk will try and pass you
07:43where they shouldn't pass you.
07:45And Dave struggles to secure his load.
07:49It means taking it all back off again now.
07:51I think it'd be better if we can.
07:52Where are you?
08:05Come here!
08:06In Scotland.
08:08At least it's no raining and it's kind of half dry
08:10for lying underneath it.
08:12Ewan and Chris are loading a six-ton mobile home.
08:15We've got this one out of here to go up to a site up at Fort William that we do.
08:20From a car park in Glasgow.
08:28See what I mean?
08:30It's all right, it's all right.
08:31Just runs away.
08:33But the bumpy ground has stopped the pull.
08:36Ewan pauses to check the wheels.
08:38That one's all right.
08:39He goes again.
08:46And uses a bit of brute force to keep the move true.
08:56Inch by inch, the cargo cautiously trundles up the narrow ramps.
09:01It's a precise art.
09:03And Ewan is a master.
09:05Put your hands on, I've had it done.
09:17His years of experience pay off.
09:20With a perfectly positioned payload.
09:24We're all good.
09:25It's on anyway.
09:27Preventing the carefully crafted construction from twisting,
09:31or worse still,
09:32falling off in transit,
09:34requires every possible precaution.
09:37Jacking up the chassis and taking the weight off the wheels,
09:40and then putting wooden blocks in to support it.
09:43So then it carries the weight in the road and it makes it safe.
09:46But an obstacle on the onward journey
09:48means Ewan has some extra work to do.
09:52Because of where we're going,
09:53it needs to be that bit higher.
09:55So we've got to put extra blocks in.
09:57If you go into the site, you're over a railway bridge.
09:58So the parapets of the bridge, so high.
10:02So that kind of...
10:03The caravans would normally never be up as high in the trailer.
10:06But you need to have them up that height to get them over the bridge
10:08to get into the site.
10:09So it's a bit more thought process.
10:13The truck is loaded.
10:15Millie is on board.
10:17And Chris is in his support vehicle.
10:20Are you ready?
10:21The house is ready to roll
10:29on a two-day journey.
10:37No, we get loaded only too bad.
10:38Just over half an hour.
10:40So we're currently out on the M74 now
10:44on the south side of Glasgow.
10:46Sitting at 12 feet wide
10:48means a direct drive to its destination
10:51isn't an option.
10:53To avoid narrow roads
10:54will require a 50-mile detour.
10:58A nice run.
10:59Pretty picture-ish, because it's nice.
11:04This mega-move will stop first at Perth.
11:08After a quick kip,
11:10it's on to Dalwini.
11:12Where police will escort the wide load
11:1545 miles through tight country roads
11:19to its final resting point
11:22just outside Fort William.
11:28This being the wind that's at,
11:30you've got to be aware of
11:32other things overtaking,
11:33passing you,
11:34like trucks, buses,
11:35things like that.
11:36You can't see everything.
11:38Make sure, obviously,
11:39that nobody's trying to do anything silly,
11:42because everybody,
11:43if you show them an opening,
11:44folk will try and pass you
11:45where they shouldn't pass you.
11:47Eagle-eyed Chris
11:48is on the case of a driver
11:50in a hurry.
11:51Think that boy would have moved
11:52the cross-car when you put your indicator on
11:55and he's getting up
11:55and I'll snide him?
11:57No, but that's just the way it is.
12:00There's no point of getting worried about it.
12:01It's just the way they are.
12:04Ewan has seen it all before.
12:07There's no point of getting stressed
12:09about what other folk are doing
12:10because it's just pointless.
12:13The whole idea is to try
12:15and keep the lorry rolling all the time.
12:16It makes everybody's day a bit easier.
12:19Tearing up the tarmac,
12:21he hits Perth by nightfall.
12:24And he's ready for a well-earned break.
12:28The journey's went good.
12:29We're just at Perth tonight
12:33where we are going to park up
12:37for the evening.
12:38We've got a bit of facilities
12:39and we're going to go and get showered
12:40and get dinner.
12:41At least it's dry tonight.
12:43So we'll get a walk with the dog, I think.
12:46But Ewan can't clock off
12:48until he's given his cargo a once-over.
12:56Just a wee kind of check when we stop,
12:59make sure we've not got a puncture
13:01or the load's moved
13:02because at least we've got a puncture at night
13:05or a problem.
13:06You can address it tonight
13:07rather than try to address it tomorrow.
13:09The load is ship-shape and safely stored.
13:12But there's one team member
13:13that still needs to do her job.
13:17Come on.
13:18On the grass, quick.
13:21Quick.
13:22As dawn breaks north of the border,
13:33Ewan and Chris are waking up
13:34to day two
13:35of their mega-move
13:37of the mobile home.
13:38We're just leaving Perth
13:59to head up the nine again
14:02in the middle of the Cairngorms
14:04and then we go to Dilwine
14:05and then we meet up with
14:07two police Scotland officers
14:08who are going to assist us
14:10with that part of the last part,
14:12kind of maybe hour and a half
14:13of the journey from Dilwine
14:14over to Corpick at Fort William.
14:17The road's, you know,
14:18that great over there
14:19so the police assistance
14:20is required
14:21to make the whole thing safe
14:24for everybody,
14:24for us and for other road users.
14:3455 miles down today
14:36and it's time
14:38to hit the brakes.
14:41So, this is us
14:42at Dilwine,
14:44which is the...
14:45Maybe you can rinse that
14:45at the back of you then,
14:46or just sit bare arm?
14:48No, just sit where you are.
14:49They're fine.
14:51We're just at Dilwine
14:52where we meet the police
14:54for the escort.
14:56So, we'll just wait here.
14:58Get a walk a wee minute.
14:59I think somebody's wanting...
15:01Somebody's wanting a walk.
15:03Are you?
15:04I think somebody's wanting out.
15:05Look at you.
15:10On the grass.
15:18The village of Studley,
15:20Warwickshire
15:21has a secret.
15:23A heavy metal secret.
15:27The mountainous mounds
15:29moved with their massive machines
15:31by oversized hauliers
15:33and not just big.
15:36Sometimes,
15:37they're packed with history
15:39as heavy as their haul.
15:42Back in 2022,
15:45driver Dave Hemmings
15:46heaved a much-loved
15:48but tricky load.
15:50We're going to take
15:51the Golden Boy
15:52out of storage,
15:54load it onto the wagon
15:55and then secure it
15:56and then secure it
15:58so we're all ready to go
15:59tomorrow morning
16:00into Birmingham.
16:02The company
16:03previously oversaw
16:04the return of the floozy
16:06back to her jacuzzi
16:07in Birmingham's city centre.
16:11Now,
16:11the Golden Boys,
16:13a statue honouring
16:1418th century steam
16:16pioneers
16:16Matthew Bolton,
16:18James Watt
16:19and William Murdoch
16:20is also ready
16:21to go home
16:22to the city.
16:24They help turn
16:25into an industrial powerhouse.
16:28There's three people
16:29on one plinth,
16:32three individual statues,
16:34but it's all one statue.
16:35All in a gold-coloured alloy
16:40of some sort.
16:42Heavier than even
16:44the biggest white rhino,
16:46this three-headed beast
16:47weighs in at a hefty
16:49three tonnes.
16:53Transporting it
16:54is a delicate operation
16:56that requires
16:57the meticulous planning
16:58of engineering manager
16:59Matt Cobain,
17:01who's forensically
17:02checked the site
17:03and statue
17:04for any pitfalls.
17:05Lots of challenges
17:08with a move
17:09of this type.
17:11This is a gold-gilt statue,
17:13so we have to be
17:13very careful
17:14of the surface finish,
17:15which is easily damaged.
17:17The other thing
17:18which makes it quite tricky
17:19is that central gravity
17:21is estimated
17:23to be somewhere
17:23in the middle.
17:25If we were to lift
17:26from the base,
17:27the statue would try
17:28and actually overturn.
17:29So we need to lift
17:31from the strongest points
17:33as high up
17:33as we can find.
17:35Taking on the lift
17:37is Dave's
17:38DAF CF Rigid.
17:41A 330-horsepower
17:44tractor unit
17:44boasting a 7-metre-long bed
17:47and a crane
17:49able to deadlift
17:50an impressive
17:515.8 tonnes.
17:53It'll just be
17:56the forklift
17:57to load it.
17:58So,
17:59yeah,
18:01one of the big forklifts
18:02will just put it
18:03on the wagon.
18:03forklifting the 3-tonne monument
18:33inside its 1-tonne crate
18:35without scratching
18:36the refurb gilding
18:37takes every ounce
18:39of Dave's 17-year
18:41heavy haulage experience.
18:43I want to make sure
18:45the crate is in the centre
18:47of the bed
18:48of the wagon.
18:49If I match up
18:50either boards
18:51on either side
18:52I'll know
18:53when it's in the centre.
18:55Just distributes
18:56the weight
18:57on the wagon
18:58evenly.
19:00Looks like
19:01it's got to come over
19:02about a board
19:02and a half.
19:03Until the boys
19:11sit dead centre
19:12on the bed
19:13they could lose balance
19:14in transit
19:15and fall.
19:16To avoid
19:17such a calamity
19:18Dave will also
19:19strap the load
19:20to his truck bed.
19:24Unfortunately
19:24you have different
19:25length straps
19:26but some of them
19:27might not reach
19:28the other side.
19:29Once he finds
19:30a strap long enough
19:31to go over
19:32his golden cargo
19:33Dave employs
19:38his golden arm
19:40I shouldn't have
19:41got it with that one.
19:42Perfect.
19:45Ratcheting down
19:46the straps
19:47secures his load
19:48and Dave's ready
19:49to haul
19:50these three
19:51fathers of the
19:52steam age
19:53to their
19:53new home
19:54tomorrow.
19:56The reason
19:56I like the job
19:57so much
19:57is mainly
19:59the variety.
20:00You rarely
20:01do the same
20:01job
20:02twice in a week.
20:04I don't suppose
20:05there's that many
20:06people about
20:06who can actually
20:07say they
20:08enjoy their work.
20:10That can't be
20:10a bad thing
20:11when an all
20:12seven done.
20:14Dave might
20:15lose some
20:15love for his
20:16job
20:16if Matt's
20:17unhappy
20:17with his
20:18afternoon's
20:19work.
20:21Thoughts on
20:22that?
20:23Taking the
20:23top of the
20:24crate off
20:24to make it
20:25easier to
20:25sling tomorrow.
20:28Means taking
20:28it all back
20:29off again
20:29now.
20:30I think it'll
20:30be better
20:30if we can.
20:32Right.
20:32To make life
20:32easier tomorrow.
20:33My preference
20:34is yes,
20:35split the top
20:35off here
20:36where it's
20:36easier
20:36and then
20:37we'll
20:38sling them
20:39straight out
20:39there.
20:40You've only
20:40got the
20:40one lift
20:41then,
20:41pick it
20:41straight out
20:42round onto
20:43the plinth.
20:43Yeah.
20:44Because otherwise
20:45that's going
20:46to be awkward
20:47to try and
20:47sling as
20:49one.
20:49Yeah.
20:49Okay,
20:50right,
20:50thank you.
20:50Okay,
20:51Matt.
20:51He wants
20:52us to take
20:53the top
20:53off to
20:55make it
20:56easier on
20:56site to
20:57get the
20:57statue out
20:58of the
20:58crate.
21:00Bit more
21:00work here
21:01in the
21:01yard now,
21:02but makes
21:04sense.
21:04To make
21:06the statue
21:07easier to
21:08rig and
21:08lift tomorrow,
21:09engineer Dave
21:10Cockleberg
21:11sets to
21:12work on
21:13removing the
21:14crate's top
21:15half.
21:18I shall
21:19come back
21:19and secure
21:20it back to
21:21the wagon
21:21in the
21:22morning.
21:23The wagon
21:23will stay
21:23here for
21:24the night
21:25now.
21:26Hopefully
21:27we'll be
21:27good to
21:27go,
21:28as expected
21:29around about
21:30seven o'clock
21:30in the
21:31morning.
21:31Coming up...
21:38Ewan must
21:43avoid
21:44vehicles...
21:45They didn't
21:46stop,
21:46just kept
21:47going.
21:48...and
21:48dodge
21:49dangling
21:49branches.
21:51The trees
21:51just where we
21:52are in front
21:53of us now
21:53are starting
21:53to hang
21:54into the
21:54road.
21:55And in
21:56Birmingham...
21:57It's very
21:57bright,
21:58isn't it?
21:58These three
21:59boys need
22:00to stay
22:01golden.
22:02I just
22:02don't want
22:02to bang
22:03the sides
22:03of the
22:04crate and
22:04wrist-chipping
22:05pintware.
22:19In
22:19Scotland...
22:20Ewan is
22:23awaiting the
22:23police to
22:24escort his
22:2512-foot-wide
22:26mobile home
22:27through the
22:28narrow roads
22:29to Lock
22:30Linney.
22:32After a
22:33quick sniff
22:34and a stroll
22:34for Millie
22:35the Mott,
22:36it's all
22:36paused to
22:37the pavement
22:37because the
22:38police have
22:39pulled up.
22:41It's fresh,
22:41isn't it?
22:42Despite the
22:43cold weather,
22:45Ewan is
22:45optimistic about
22:46the onward
22:47odyssey.
22:48They are
22:48pretty chill.
22:49I've had them
22:49both before.
22:51So,
22:51they are
22:52pretty chill
22:52on what
22:52they are
22:53doing.
22:54It's fine.
22:54It'll be
22:55good.
22:56Easy enough
22:56for them.
22:58Time to
22:59haul this
23:00house into
23:01the highlands.
23:05Just you
23:05need to be
23:06telling me
23:06what's coming
23:07because they
23:08say we're
23:08a lot of
23:09narrow and
23:09narrow bits
23:09along here.
23:12No bother.
23:14Today it's
23:15three degrees
23:15and it is
23:17bitter.
23:19When it
23:19is good
23:19and the
23:20weather's
23:20nice,
23:21you're
23:22paid to
23:22be a
23:22tourist.
23:23Basically,
23:24when the
23:24weather's
23:24nice,
23:25you're
23:25paid to
23:25be a
23:25tourist.
23:27The
23:27police are
23:28ploughing
23:28a path,
23:29keeping the
23:30road clear,
23:31so this
23:31mighty mobile
23:32mansion can
23:33mosey on
23:34without causing
23:36chaos.
23:37This stretch
23:38road we're on
23:38just now is
23:39one of the
23:39single carriageway
23:40bits, so at
23:41least with the
23:42police being
23:42far enough
23:43ahead, they
23:44can get
23:44lorries and
23:45big things out
23:45of the way
23:46for us before
23:46we get to
23:47them, in
23:47theory.
23:49This time of
23:50day is not
23:50too bad in the
23:51winter, but in
23:52the summertime it's
23:53just constant with
23:54cars and coaches
23:56and more homes and
23:58caravans.
23:59A lot of the
23:59tourists, they
24:00don't understand
24:01what the van's
24:02doing or the
24:02police is doing,
24:03and then they
24:04come round a
24:04corner and then
24:05they see you
24:05with the lorry
24:06and the wind
24:06and the load
24:07and then they
24:08panic, they
24:09freeze and the
24:09next thing they're
24:10sitting in the
24:11middle of the
24:11road.
24:14The police soon
24:15prove their
24:16worth.
24:26As they manage
24:27a long line of
24:28oncoming vehicles
24:29so Ewan can
24:30cruise past.
24:31Aye, spot on.
24:33I'll get them
24:33here, no bother.
24:35Everybody's pretty
24:36much out of the
24:37way.
24:38Couldn't really be
24:39any better than
24:39that.
24:4329 miles, so
24:45probably about 50
24:46minutes from here
24:47to where we're
24:48going.
24:49So we've maybe
24:50got another couple
24:51of miles of this
24:52kind of single
24:52carriageway and
24:54then we're back
24:54onto Tulane A
24:56road.
24:57So it's not too
24:58bad.
24:59I don't know
25:00what's happening
25:00here.
25:01Chris's stop
25:02there in that
25:02corner.
25:03When hauling
25:04mighty mobile
25:05homes, not
25:06knowing what's
25:07lurking around
25:08blind corners
25:09is never
25:10good.
25:11Just watch
25:11here, just
25:12coming round
25:12the corner.
25:14I think it
25:14might be the
25:15move that
25:15came up on.
25:18Aye, aye,
25:19aye.
25:20They didn't
25:20stop.
25:21Just kept
25:21going.
25:23Probably don't
25:24get me to get
25:25on.
25:25luckily for
25:27Ewan, Chris
25:28is acting as
25:29his advanced
25:30eyes on the
25:31bendy back
25:31road.
25:35Flagging
25:35every hazard.
25:37as he rolls
25:53deeper into
25:54the rugged
25:54highlands, an
25:56upcoming obstacle
25:57is weighing on
25:58his mind.
25:59road.
26:00It's deep
26:00rooted and
26:01demands respect.
26:02up where we
26:10are today,
26:11and most of
26:12Scotland, when
26:13you leave the
26:13motorway network,
26:15your biggest
26:15problem is
26:16trees.
26:17Because
26:17caravan's not
26:19the most robust
26:20thing.
26:21All the time
26:22try to avoid
26:23touching them,
26:24but sometimes
26:25you end up
26:26with a pile of
26:28small branches
26:28that's hanging
26:29off trees.
26:30And in the
26:31tin caravans,
26:32it takes
26:32very, very
26:33little to
26:34mark them.
26:38Up ahead,
26:39the police
26:40escorters pulled
26:41over a parade
26:42of oncoming
26:42traffic, bringing
26:44the flow to a
26:45full stop on a
26:46narrow, tree-lined
26:48road.
26:51We're meeting
26:53this stuff here
26:53now, and
26:55obviously, she's
26:57not too bad
26:57of it.
26:59But if you
26:59look at the
27:00trees that's
27:01hanging over,
27:01it'll get by
27:03her, OK, but
27:04I'm probably
27:06actually going to
27:07let them come
27:08forward, or let
27:09them go here.
27:10It's too
27:11tight.
27:12There you go.
27:14So Ewan finds a
27:15safe spot and
27:16lets the traffic
27:17come to him.
27:18Even though there's
27:20enough room in the
27:20road for me to get
27:21past, the trees
27:22just where we are
27:23in front of us
27:24now are starting
27:24to hang into
27:25the road, so
27:26it's probably
27:27better letting
27:28them too
27:28pass.
27:30You really need
27:30to just see your
27:31eye on the
27:31ball.
27:35For the sake of a
27:36minute or two,
27:36there's no point
27:37to try to be a
27:37hero.
27:38We're literally
27:39eight miles away
27:40and then you
27:40damage it.
27:41It just
27:41doesn't make
27:42sense.
27:42Finally, the
27:47team are at the
27:48outskirts of
27:49town.
27:51Aye, aye, aye,
27:55we're all right,
27:56we're all right.
27:58This is just
27:59I just need to
28:01let that,
28:02probably let that
28:03stuff come because
28:04we have that car
28:05sitting, it's a bit
28:05narrow.
28:07But despite the
28:08police escort, a
28:10bus is blocking
28:11the way.
28:11And this one
28:13isn't budging.
28:17The bus says
28:18the bus driver
28:19is sitting
28:19flapping his
28:19hands at the
28:20policeman.
28:23Oh, we've
28:23just got a bit
28:24of a standoff
28:25between the
28:25policeman and
28:26the bus driver.
28:27The bus driver
28:28is sitting
28:28gubbing and
28:29flapping his
28:29hands at the
28:30policeman.
28:32There's only
28:33one person
28:33going to win
28:34it at that
28:34debate.
28:38Why would
28:38you sit and
28:39argue with
28:39a policeman?
28:39You know what
28:41I mean?
28:42They're always
28:43going to win.
28:45Got that big
28:46smile at the
28:47bus driver.
28:50Smile and wave,
28:51smile and wave.
28:58He's sitting there
29:03with a big
29:03crab at
29:04here doing
29:04and the
29:04arms folded.
29:15Ewan's not
29:16letting road rage
29:17get the better
29:18of him.
29:19He's cool as a
29:20cucumber behind
29:21the wheel,
29:21eyes locked
29:22ahead and
29:23things are
29:24looking up.
29:25sun's shining
29:26so that
29:27makes everything
29:28better.
29:29It doesn't
29:30matter how
29:30bad traffic
29:31is, if the
29:31sun's shining
29:32it's a good
29:32day.
29:33We're only
29:34probably half a
29:35mile away from
29:36where we're
29:36going, so
29:37mile, half a
29:38mile, so
29:39we're not too
29:40bad.
29:4220 hours since
29:43loading, the
29:44boys are just
29:45metres from
29:46their lock
29:46side destination.
29:48But this
29:48portable holiday
29:49house is
29:50nowhere near
29:51home and
29:52drive.
29:52just you
29:53take the
29:54van out
29:54the other
29:54side of
29:55the bridge
29:55and stop,
29:56put far
29:57it in to
29:57the left
29:58and we'll
29:58get the
29:58van out
29:59of the way
29:59because we'll
30:00need to get
30:01a bit of
30:01watch over
30:01this bridge
30:02here.
30:06Off
30:06public roads,
30:08the police
30:08peel away.
30:12Cheers.
30:14But now
30:14Ewan must
30:16guide the
30:16vehicle across
30:17a narrow
30:18bridge.
30:22Back in
30:25Warwickshire,
30:26it's a big
30:26day for
30:27heavy hauler
30:28Dave Hemmings.
30:30It's now
30:31ready to
30:32strap on
30:32and be
30:33delivered.
30:35Once the
30:36Golden Boys
30:37are securely
30:38strapped down.
30:39These little
30:40black marks
30:41on the
30:41straps indicate
30:42the tonnage
30:43that they're
30:44good for
30:45strapping.
30:46So this
30:46one's got
30:47five lines,
30:48it's a
30:48five ton
30:48strap.
30:49After five
30:52years away,
30:53this iconic
30:54Second City
30:55statue can
30:56finally go
30:57home.
30:59I think it's
31:00time we
31:00headed into
31:02Birmingham.
31:08Despite
31:09expert
31:10strapping,
31:10once he
31:11hits the
31:11road,
31:12Dave must
31:13still make
31:13sure that
31:14the boys
31:15stay planted.
31:16You can
31:19feel the
31:19actual
31:19height,
31:20the body
31:21rocks a
31:21bit when
31:22you're
31:22going round
31:23corners.
31:25From the
31:25ground up,
31:26the statue
31:27measures just
31:28over 15
31:29feet,
31:30well below
31:30minimum
31:31height of
31:31any man-made
31:32main road
31:33overhead hazards.
31:36We're a
31:37foot under
31:37the legal
31:38height.
31:40But in
31:41the heavy
31:41haulage game,
31:42nature can
31:43ruin even
31:44the best
31:45laid plans.
31:46Sometimes,
31:47particularly if
31:49it's been
31:49raining, some
31:50of the trees
31:50hang lower.
31:52So you
31:53have to keep
31:54an eye on
31:55overhanging
31:55trees.
31:58Twenty-odd
31:59years ago, I
31:59was actually a
32:00bus driver in
32:01the city.
32:02You get a
32:03lot less
32:03hassle moving
32:04items about.
32:07It actually
32:08makes you
32:09quite proud that
32:10you get to
32:11do jobs like
32:12this.
32:13It's not
32:15every day you
32:15get a big
32:16gold statue
32:17travelling down
32:19the roads from
32:20Redditch to
32:20Birmingham.
32:24We're literally
32:25about half a
32:26mile from the
32:27site now.
32:30Safely at
32:31Centenary Square.
32:33So, directly in
32:35front of us over
32:35there is the
32:36concrete block
32:38that this statue
32:39is going on.
32:42Dave teams up
32:44with Engineering
32:44Manager Matt,
32:45who needs the
32:46load in the
32:47perfect lifting
32:48spot.
32:51Probably take
32:52quite a few
32:52shunts to get
32:54as square as
32:55they want me
32:55to.
32:56this kerb's
32:58going to be
32:59awkward, that
33:00one a little
33:01bit.
33:03You're going to
33:04want to cut
33:04across here
33:05really?
33:05Cut!
33:06Yeah.
33:07Cut across
33:07there and then
33:07swing the front
33:08across.
33:09Yeah, basically,
33:10as soon as I'm
33:10clear of that
33:11kerb, that
33:12probably...
33:13Put a timber
33:13against there.
33:14Yeah.
33:15I mean, they're
33:15about two inches,
33:16two and a half
33:17inches deep.
33:17They're just
33:18sharp, aren't
33:18they?
33:18tyre shredding
33:25kerb edge
33:26masked, Dave
33:27painstakingly
33:29moves his
33:29cargo in.
33:34And thoughts
33:36can finally
33:37turn to the
33:38lift.
33:39Yeah, perfect.
33:39Thank you, Dave.
33:40Yeah.
33:41To successfully
33:42raise three
33:43tons of
33:44heavyweight
33:45history, Dave's
33:46crane must be
33:47stable.
33:48For that, he'll
33:49need his
33:50weight-bearing
33:51outrigger legs.
33:53I'm going to
33:53extend them,
33:54although I'm not
33:54going to put them
33:55down yet.
33:56It's just to give
33:56us an idea of
33:57where the
33:58outrigger mats
33:59have got to go.
34:04Before placing
34:0520-plus tons
34:06of pressure
34:07onto some of
34:08Birmingham's
34:09poshest paving,
34:10the team must
34:11protect it.
34:13So just checking
34:14when we have
34:16the aluminium
34:17rigger pads
34:17set up,
34:18that we're not
34:19going to be on
34:20this drain or
34:21these slabs,
34:22and that we're
34:22not going to
34:22cause any damage
34:23to any underlying
34:24surfaces or have
34:25any movement or
34:27settlement of
34:27the ground.
34:30Sweet spot
34:31located, the
34:32alley mats can
34:33be laid.
34:34and with the
34:38outriggers down,
34:39Matt immediately
34:40consults his
34:42lifting plan.
34:43We're actually
34:44going to use a
34:45three-tonne sling
34:46instead of a
34:46five-tonne sling
34:47around the body.
34:49That's just so that
34:50we can actually
34:51physically get them
34:52through the small
34:52gaps in the
34:53statue.
34:54We then have
34:55two pull lifts
34:56and another
34:58three-tonne sling
34:59up to the
35:00crane hook.
35:01With no lifting
35:02points to hook
35:03onto, this lift
35:05relies on three
35:06perfectly placed
35:07and properly
35:08secured slings
35:09that won't slip.
35:11basically, they
35:13thread the one
35:14end through the
35:14other end, pull
35:16it tight and
35:16that creates a
35:17what they call a
35:18choke on.
35:21Once it's on the
35:22plinth, only
35:23Allerley's slinger
35:24Wayne is
35:25authorised to
35:25de-rig the
35:26monument.
35:29It's just my
35:29harness here.
35:31Every time you
35:31work at height,
35:32you've got to
35:33clip onto something
35:34just to minimise
35:36the risk of fall.
35:37It's very bright,
35:38isn't it?
35:39It's nice,
35:40actually.
35:41It's quite nice.
35:43In the meantime,
35:45it's Dave's job
35:46to ensure the
35:46statue remains
35:48in pristine
35:49condition.
35:50I just don't
35:51want to bang
35:51the sides of
35:52the crate
35:53and risk
35:54chipping the
35:54paint.
35:55May Wayne's
35:56here.
35:57We'll knock
35:58that side out
35:59of the crate
35:59and take the
36:00handrail off.
36:01I've got an
36:02impact gun thread
36:03there.
36:03It's screwed
36:04in.
36:04It's screwed
36:04in.
36:11Crateside
36:13removed for
36:14a cleaner
36:14raise, Dave's
36:16ready to start
36:17carefully lifting
36:18the three-ton
36:19monument.
36:24OK, Dave.
36:25But as soon as he
36:33does, there's a
36:35hitch.
36:41A bit longer
36:41still.
36:42It's going to have to
36:43be, yeah?
36:43Yeah, back down.
36:44It's picking up
36:46on that side
36:47first rather than
36:49at the same
36:49time.
36:50Each Golden
36:51Boy is attached
36:52to the lifting
36:52cable with
36:54individual slings
36:55and chains.
36:57But because
36:58one is shorter,
37:00the lift is
37:01uneven.
37:03It's just a
37:04case of trial
37:05and error as
37:06far as what's
37:08the right length
37:08for these top
37:09slings.
37:11To correct the
37:12discrepancy, Matt
37:13lengthens the
37:14short sling.
37:17OK, Dave.
37:19Yeah.
37:25And this time,
37:27the fathers of
37:28the steam age
37:28go full steam
37:30ahead.
37:31OK, Ian.
37:40Until they're
37:41hanging above
37:43the plinth.
37:44We need to
37:45make sure that
37:45we land the
37:46statue level.
37:47If one side of
37:48the statue is
37:48to touch down
37:49first, we could
37:50actually end up
37:50chipping or
37:51breaking a
37:51corner.
37:52Right, back to
37:53you a touch.
37:55With statue
37:56restorer Ian
37:57Clark watching
37:58intently,
38:00every millimetre
38:01matters.
38:01matters.
38:02But these things
38:06have to be precise.
38:10He's got markings
38:11all on the top
38:12of the plinth,
38:13which it's got to
38:14line up with
38:15exactly.
38:16So just a tiny bit
38:18of fine tuning.
38:21We're just waiting
38:22on Ian giving
38:23the head's
38:24in position.
38:25It's looking
38:26good.
38:27Yeah, that's
38:30what we like to
38:31see, a
38:31smiling Ian
38:32Clark.
38:35It's job
38:36done.
38:38Attached to
38:39the crane arm
38:39with his own
38:40harness and
38:41lanyard, Wayne
38:42sets to work on
38:44the D-rig.
38:45Don't damage
38:47my new
38:47slings, Wayne.
38:49I'm really
38:51pleased with how
38:52that lifted.
38:53It's always a bit
38:53of a tense
38:54moment for
38:54something that's
38:55irreplaceable
38:56really, and so
38:57fragile.
38:58So yeah, great
39:00job by everyone.
39:03The job went
39:03well.
39:04We knew there'd
39:05be a little bit
39:05of tinkering
39:06about with the
39:07slinging and
39:08that, because
39:09it's not a
39:10normal load.
39:12It's all
39:13installed and
39:14everybody appears
39:15to be happy,
39:15so that's
39:16good.
39:24Still to
39:25come, Ewan
39:26battles the
39:27bridge.
39:28We need to
39:28have it up on
39:29the trailer to get
39:30it over the top
39:30of the handrails.
39:32And gets ready to
39:33bring the house
39:34down.
39:35It's good to just
39:35bend, a bit of
39:36bananas.
39:45deep in the
39:51heart of the
39:52highlands, Ewan's
39:54hold a 3.9
39:55metre wide
39:56holiday home
39:56across 150
39:59miles.
40:00Now, finally, at
40:01the gates of the
40:02holiday park, there's
40:04just one last
40:05hurdle.
40:06He must squeeze it
40:07over a narrow
40:08bridge.
40:09We've been
40:09over it a few
40:10times, so we
40:10know the
40:11height, we need
40:12to have it up on
40:13the trailer to get
40:13it over the top
40:14of the handrails.
40:15When loading up
40:16yesterday, Ewan
40:18played it smart,
40:19raising the house
40:20on wooden blocks
40:21to give the holiday
40:23home a crucial
40:24boost, a few
40:26extra inches to
40:27clear the bridge's
40:29railings.
40:30But now comes
40:32the moment of
40:33truth.
40:33Did the maths
40:35measure up?
40:36Has the house
40:37got the height
40:38to clear the
40:39crossing?
40:39line.
41:09We didn't hit it
41:14so.
41:15We had enough
41:15clearings.
41:17Ewan is finally
41:18on the banks of
41:20lovely Loch
41:21Linney.
41:25The view like
41:26that is, when
41:30it's a day like
41:30this, you can
41:31see for miles
41:31it's breathtaking.
41:33It's breathtaking.
41:35One of the
41:36loveliest places
41:36we've come to
41:37hang.
41:38But he doesn't
41:38have too long to
41:39admire this
41:40beauty spot.
41:41Because now,
41:42it's time to
41:43deliver.
41:47Get the
41:48airlines out
41:48like that.
41:49Get the
41:50coop.
41:51Yeah, yeah.
41:54Just jacking the
41:55caravan up to get
41:56the weight off
41:57the blocks and
41:57get the blocks
41:58out.
42:07They ready
42:08the ramps.
42:09So, we're just
42:13using the blocks
42:14that we had to
42:15block the caravan
42:15up to put
42:17underneath the
42:18skids.
42:19Obviously, to carry
42:19the weight,
42:20because if not,
42:20the skids would just
42:21bend like bananas.
42:29Heavyweight winch
42:30deployed.
42:31The six-tonne Titan
42:32begins its slow,
42:34steady roll
42:35towards terra firma.
42:36Towards terra firma.
42:44One missed step,
42:46one missed ramp,
42:47and this whole mission
42:49could become one
42:50big mess.
42:51It's off, but not yet
43:06in its permanent
43:07pitch.
43:08Time to engage.
43:10That's over.
43:11Straight on the way.
43:12Yeah.
43:14Got to try and
43:14take that chain off
43:15at the wheel.
43:20The site owner
43:21trundles over in
43:23his tractor.
43:24Back a wee bit.
43:27To transport it
43:28into position.
43:29Now, the irresponsibility.
43:33Our winch is off.
43:35It's off our ranks.
43:36It's all his now.
43:39At the end of a long
43:40two days,
43:42it's time
43:43to take off.
43:45Job done.
43:46I need to get people
43:47outside,
43:47and then we're away.
43:57Next time.
43:58We want to turn left,
44:00and he wants to
44:00come out there.
44:01Landing a 60-foot-long
44:03maritime monster
44:04leaves Mark
44:05in a tight squeeze.
44:06There's a bus
44:07coming down,
44:07so we'll hang on here.
44:09He's here.
44:10It takes sharp eyes
44:11and steady focus
44:13to safely berth
44:14a boatload
44:15of big trucks.
44:16We don't have
44:17any cameras here
44:18or any parking sensors,
44:19so it's all done by eye.
44:21And a super-sized
44:22cylinder takes
44:23to the skies.
44:24Pinch up a tiny bit.
44:25Hold it there.
44:26Hold it there.
44:27But comes back
44:28down to earth
44:29with a bump.
44:31Try it nice and steady,
44:32and I mean steady.
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