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Trucking Heavy Season 4 Episode 10
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FunTranscript
00:00engines. Are you ready? Yeah, ready when you are, Carl. Our trucking heroes are back.
00:07Ranger, off you go. Okay. These are the super heavyweight champions of the road.
00:13Just another day, moving machines. It is very nerve-wracking. Very, very nerve-wracking.
00:20Wielding some of the heftiest hardware in the world. Lift it up, pinch it up. When every
00:26miles of battle. Where's he come from? He's obviously totally ignored us. And every
00:33second counts. Because it's such a big machine, we're going to block the yard, so we need to
00:38be quick. These are the experts making light work. About half an inch off the outlet. All
00:45good. It's going really well, actually. Of the largest loads imaginable. It is quite
00:51easy to make a catastrophic mistake. What a telephone wire. So put your pedal to the
00:57metal. We're committed now. This is it. Things are about to get. Trucking heavy.
01:06Start of the week off with a happy customer. It can only get worse from here, can't it, Mick?
01:09Today, Sam picks up a porter cabin. I've noticed that there's a waste pipe on this end. But
01:23the balance is blown by the bog. It's just a little bit skewy. This is probably the dangerous
01:31thing you can do on the trailer. It's the most dangerous thing you can do in the digger as
01:35well. A dirty digger in a quarry needs driving onto a flatbed. Believe me, when you skid off,
01:43you skid off. And it can be quite a serious proposition to have to sort it out.
01:49All right, again. And in Staffordshire, a problematic pin. No, it's not quite gone in the hole.
01:55Drives deck to despair. F***ing useless.
01:58F***ing useless.
02:02Castleford, West Yorkshire. It's home to a heavy haulier that's on the move 24-7.
02:10Brookdale Transport.
02:13Good, no, no, no.
02:15We move anything from a pallet up to cabins, diggers, wide loads.
02:21It's on site in the hole, yes?
02:23If it can be lifted, we can move it.
02:26Founded 17 years ago.
02:28It's a family-run firm.
02:31We started off with one truck. We've moved on to today where we have 50 vehicles and 50
02:36trailers.
02:38And their division of drivers has just gained a daughter.
02:42Sam, she come to us with high recommendations. Very friendly, bubbly. Always likes to have a
02:49laugh and a joke. But when work comes to work, she will crack on.
02:52This morning, Sam stormed into Market Weight and Yorkshire in her hulking high app, gearing
03:01up to move a mobile site office.
03:04Let's go find our cabin.
03:09Right, so I think this is it. It's a nice tidy cabin. These type of units we have to lift
03:16from the top. We can't lift it from the bottom.
03:17I'm going to spin the lorry around so I'm not completely blocking the yard, set up and load
03:27it.
03:27The box on the blocks is bound for Wales. But before Sam starts to rig, she wants to
03:36figure out exactly where it's going.
03:38I've had a quick look at the postcode. And I can't say, I can't actually say where it's
03:44going. It's an S-Y postcode somewhere in mid Wales. It's like Treg, Treg, Tregle, Tregle,
03:52Treglewin, Tregle. Somewhere south of Newtown.
03:57The prodigious porticabin on its way to the unpronounceable place is fresh off the production
04:06line. It's a 28 foot long, 10 foot wide fortress and weighs in on a whopping three
04:16tons. The same as a fully grown white rhinoceros.
04:21It's time to plan the lift of the office.
04:29So I'm going to pick it up, slur it over the bed of the truck and then spin it. I've noticed
04:34that there's a waste pipe on this end, so I'll probably have the waste pipe to the back.
04:39Years spent shifting site shacks has hammered home some hazardous and hard-learned lessons
04:46for Sam.
04:47Normally on the older ones that have been used before, if you have that soil pipe at the
04:51front of the lorry, you can imagine what's going to come out all over your bed of your
04:55truck. So it tends to become a bit of a habit that you just sit the soil pipe at the back,
05:00just in case. And yeah, I've been tripping many times when I've got covered in s**t.
05:07Now Sam's got to scale the beast, climbing to the top of the cabin to attach the chains to
05:13the upper lifting points.
05:16I'm just shortening the chains a little bit.
05:20Setting the chains correctly is crucial for keeping the lift level and locked.
05:26Because you're always a bit conscious of your chain angles.
05:2815, yeah, you always want to keep your chains at a good angle.
05:39Responsible for reaching out and removing the cargo, is Sam's Fassi F8 20 crane.
05:46With a 16-metre reach, almost as long as a bowling lane, and maximum lifting capacity of 22 tons,
05:56this heavy lifting hero takes extra large loads in its stride.
06:05Rigged up and secured, it's time to take the tension.
06:09But if the load is off balance, it could sit, turn, or even topple.
06:16We'll just give it a bit of a test lift, make sure it's lifting fairly even and fairly level.
06:19It should do, it might be slightly heavier on that end because there's a toilet in it.
06:23But yeah, we'll just sort of take the weight, give it a bit of a lift and see what happens.
06:30As the cabin comes up, Sam's suspicions are spot on.
06:35The bog is weighing one end down.
06:39It's looking a little bit skewy, but it's safe enough, it's sensible enough to carry on, like.
06:49She slowly slews the office over, turns it in line, and hovers it above the flatbed.
06:59But with a 10-foot spread, it's way too wide for her trailer.
07:04Sam needs to park the prefab precisely in the centre of the platform.
07:14The floorboards of the Lariat are in straight lines.
07:17It's normally not too hard to line them up.
07:19It's just making sure that I've got the same size overhang on both sides.
07:24Right, so you're two planks in.
07:32You're one, two, three in a bit, okay.
07:35I'm going to have to pick it back up.
07:47Sam tries again to centre the load, so it's safe for the road.
07:56Right, that might be a bit better, so I'm about two and a half planks there.
08:02Two and a half planks there, that'll do.
08:04Large Lodge landed.
08:13Get the unit strapped down and then we can get moving.
08:16To make the structure safe to move, Sam will need some serious strapping.
08:22So the unit only weighs three tonnes, so we're sort of overkilling it a little bit with the straps,
08:28but it's better to have too many straps than not enough.
08:31Sam is careful not to damage the shiny new shed.
08:37Just put a bit of carpet in, so we don't make scratches on the unit with the ratchet.
08:44It is incredibly important that it's got to be safe.
08:47It's got to be done safely so you know that when you're driving down the road,
08:50that's not going to come off and hurt someone.
08:54Transporting this portly porter cabin needs highlighting on the highways.
08:58Just putting our wide load marker stickers on, because obviously we are ten foot wide.
09:07So yeah, just sort of a bit of a warning to other road users.
09:12Sam's mammoth mission is over 200 miles,
09:16and the winding Welsh wilderness wasn't exactly made for massive motors.
09:23Right, sorted.
09:24Coming up, Sam's slog to the site.
09:29Maybe a bridge too far.
09:31There's a three-ton bridge, and the diversion is about 20 miles.
09:39And an earth-encrusted excavator needs exfoliating before it can embark.
09:45That looks like nothing, does it?
09:47But it's not nothing when it's bouncing through your windscreen, is it?
09:49In Yorkshire, Sam has loaded a lopsided porter cabin.
10:06It might be slightly heavier on that end of the toilet, isn't it?
10:09She had to perfectly centre it on her flatbed.
10:13It's just making sure that I've got the same size overhang on both sides.
10:18Now she's whisking the worksite office to Wales.
10:23But exactly where?
10:25She can't say.
10:27So we're heading to a place just outside of Newtown,
10:32which starts with a T, which is quite Welsh,
10:34and for my Welsh it's terrible, so I'm not going to try and pronounce it.
10:37So we're heading somewhere near Newtown.
10:42Starting in South Yorkshire,
10:44Sam moves mostly on main roads and motorways
10:48through central Wales
10:51to offload the office
10:53in the yard of some civil engineers.
10:56It's a nice, straightforward journey.
11:02It's all major roads
11:04until we get about two or three miles away from the job,
11:07and then it looks like a bit of a country road.
11:10So, obviously, with the cabin being a little bit on the wide side,
11:14watching for things like overhanging trees
11:16and, you know, sticky, outy hedges,
11:19and Wales loves a stone wall.
11:21So just be looking at things like that,
11:23making sure we don't clip anything on the way through.
11:27Sam settles in
11:28for a steady 200-mile spin on major roads.
11:34The journey's going pretty well so far.
11:36It was about three hours' worth of motorway and A roads.
11:40We're still on an A road,
11:41but it's starting to narrow up a little bit.
11:43So we're getting to the interesting bit now.
11:46But as she drives deeper
11:47into the depths of the Welsh countryside,
11:51some of her worst fears come to fruition.
11:55I said there were stone walls in Wales.
12:01I hope it's down here,
12:02cos if we turn down here and it's not down here,
12:04I'm a bit stuck.
12:08Less than half a mile from her destination,
12:11the tight country roads may leave Sam
12:13in a sticky situation.
12:16No, no, how are you, then, La?
12:19Oh, marvellous.
12:21This looks marvellous.
12:24And worse still,
12:25there's a small bridge up ahead.
12:27I don't know where Landon and Bridge is,
12:30but I'm hoping it's less than a 0.3 of a mile away.
12:34The cramped crossing won't take the strain
12:38of Sam in her 20-ton truck.
12:41There's a three-ton weight limit bridge slightly down here,
12:44but I don't know how far down here it is,
12:46although I'm assuming it might be this bit here,
12:48which, if it is,
12:49is going to be a massive problem
12:50because my sat-nav's not picked up,
12:53there's a three-ton bridge,
12:54and the diversion is about 20 miles.
12:58She stalls the delivery and calls the customer.
13:04Her pronunciation prowess will be put to the test.
13:08Hi, it's Sam from Brookdale.
13:10I've got a cabin for you.
13:12Right, where are you?
13:13Are you a bit lost?
13:15A little bit, yeah.
13:16So I've just come into Trefegloos.
13:21Oh, yeah, Trefegloos, right.
13:23Trefegloos.
13:24And I turn left.
13:26It's saying there's a three-ton weight limit bridge down here.
13:28Are you down this road?
13:30We are down there,
13:31but the bridge is further on.
13:34Right, lovely stuff.
13:35I will keep heading down there.
13:37See you in a minute.
13:38Cheers, darling.
13:39Thanks, bye.
13:41And now we know how to say the Welsh name.
13:43Luckily, the yard's gates sit just shy of the brittle bridge,
13:48so it won't need to be overcome today.
13:52It is down here.
13:54So we're now going to have to negotiate this,
13:59which is a little bit skinny.
14:03Finally.
14:04I think we've won with that one.
14:06She steers her way to the cabin's new corner of the countryside.
14:12Hiya!
14:13And it's good news for the offload.
14:16Ah, lovely.
14:16The bags are in.
14:18That's what we want.
14:20Let's go see where it's going.
14:23Whereabouts is it going?
14:26Temporarily where them coons are, they.
14:27I might be best pulling round
14:29and then backing down towards the dumpers.
14:31Sam skilfully places her high-app in the perfect offloading position.
14:43That'll do, I reckon.
14:44And preps for the dismount.
14:47So it'll be the same process as we did to get it on the lorry,
14:50but in reverse.
14:52So we're going to pick it up, spin it that way,
14:55and drop it on these pads here.
14:57The country air may prove problematic.
15:01It's a little bit windier than it was this morning.
15:04But Sam has a solution.
15:06Put a bit of a tagline on it.
15:08May as well have a line on it.
15:10She sets her crane, chains,
15:13and skilfully lifts and sloughs the shed.
15:17Give it a bit of a pull now, so it doesn't go too far.
15:25Coming down quite nice.
15:29How are we looking you outside?
15:31I don't think she's fine as it is.
15:33Yeah, you're fine as it is?
15:34Yeah, I think so.
15:35Hey.
15:36Customers grinning, Sam is winning,
15:39as she plants the port-a-cabin perfectly in place.
15:44Jobs are good in.
15:45Time to pack it up and hit the road home.
15:49Customers grinning it, seem really happy with it.
15:50It's a nice cabin.
15:52Really nice cabin.
15:53Just the long drive home now.
16:02Hardcore hauliers, Fox Brothers,
16:04are big in the business of delivering heavy metal.
16:09They command an army of excavators
16:11and ground-shaking,
16:13earth-breaking machines.
16:21It's Friday morning at the yard,
16:24and a colossal crusher,
16:26dropped off last night,
16:27is still on the back of a flatbed.
16:29We were back in late last night,
16:31so a big machine like that,
16:33we don't want to be messing around with it
16:35when, at night time,
16:36when it's a never long day.
16:39Now transport driver Alex needs to unload it
16:42so he can crack on with today's new jobs.
16:46We're going to get this off now,
16:49and we're off to Anglesea
16:51to get a 30-ton excavator.
16:53A bit of driving,
16:54a nice day out driving.
16:57So, yeah, it's going to be a busy day.
17:00He uses a remote
17:01to control the 36-ton Titan.
17:05Where are you wanting this?
17:08Trailer cleared.
17:11Yeah, pal.
17:12Time to get his rig on the way to Wales
17:15to pick up a mechanised monster
17:18that's finished causing carnage at a quarry.
17:21We're travelling to Anglesea
17:24to go and get a ZX300 attache,
17:29large attache excavator.
17:31Hopefully it's clean and ready to go.
17:33Usually is.
17:33The lads usually leave them clean up there.
17:37The route will take Alex
17:39from his base in Lancashire,
17:42110 miles south-west,
17:45over the Britannia Bridge
17:47to the Isle of Anglesea,
17:49then all the way back
17:51before the local curfew
17:52on heavy vehicles
17:53kicks in at 6pm.
17:58Despite the long drive,
18:00Alex is in his element.
18:02When I was about 12,
18:03me and my mates used to go
18:05to the motorway bridge
18:06near where we lived
18:07to wave at the lorries.
18:09We were absolutely lorry mad.
18:11I never imagined
18:11I would ever drive one for a living
18:13when I was little.
18:16I've been driving them
18:17for 31 flipping years now.
18:21It's a childhood dream.
18:22Can you imagine?
18:23It's crazy, isn't it?
18:26But with those three decades
18:27of experience,
18:29he knows that today's move
18:31is packed with peril.
18:33There's no such thing
18:35as an easy job
18:36when you're loading
18:37diggers onto lorries.
18:41Driving a machine
18:42up a narrow ramp
18:44and going over a balance point
18:46and driving it along
18:47a trailer
18:47at a height,
18:49that is inherently dangerous.
18:51It's probably the dangerous thing
18:52you can do on the trailer.
18:54And when you think about it,
18:55it's the most dangerous
18:56you can do
18:57in the digger as well.
18:59Alex makes quick work
19:01of the motorway
19:02and soon
19:05he's sailing smoothly
19:06across the sea.
19:08We've just cleared the bridge
19:09over the Menai Straits
19:11and we're here in Anglesey
19:13on the Isle of Anglesey.
19:15And this is the old main road
19:17to Hollyhead.
19:19So,
19:1950, 60 years ago,
19:22this would have been
19:22the main traffic to Ireland.
19:25And 150 years ago,
19:26there was an awesome carriage
19:27along here.
19:28because that's how ancient
19:29a roof this is.
19:31And now it's just
19:31a bit of a back road.
19:35It's only 9.30
19:36and he's already at the quarry
19:39to extract the excavator.
19:42So,
19:43I'm just going to check
19:43my machine,
19:44make sure we're the right one,
19:45get my overalls on.
19:46The ZX-300 Hitachi
19:50is a beast of a machine.
19:53The tracks sprawl
19:5410 feet wide.
19:56Its arm stretches
19:57a jaw-dropping
19:5835 feet.
20:01The whole package,
20:02a solid 30 tons
20:04of pure power.
20:06And,
20:07it's got two buckets
20:08tagging along
20:10for the ride.
20:11But this mound of metal
20:16isn't looking
20:17its best
20:18this morning.
20:20So,
20:21it's been left
20:21with a bit of
20:22excess mud on it
20:24that's dried.
20:25And a dirty digger
20:26can be downright
20:28dangerous.
20:29So,
20:30the machine's been dug out
20:31down in the quarry.
20:32But when it came up,
20:34the slop's still
20:34on the machine.
20:37But when it goes on the road,
20:38it has to be
20:38surgically immaculate,
20:40not just a bit clean.
20:42So,
20:42we're digging off
20:43this access now
20:44so it is
20:46spotlessly clean
20:47so it can travel
20:48on the road.
20:51Any debris
20:52left on the digger
20:53could come loose
20:55during transportation
20:56with disastrous
20:58consequences.
21:00That looks like
21:01nothing,
21:02does it?
21:02But it's not nothing
21:03when it's bouncing
21:03through your windscreen,
21:04is it?
21:06Excavator cleaned down
21:07and risky rocks
21:08removed.
21:10It's time
21:11to prep
21:12for the load.
21:15Alex's almighty
21:16Scania V8
21:18specced for heavy haulage
21:21has 590
21:23heaving horses
21:24under the bonnet.
21:27Its trailer
21:28spans
21:288 feet wide
21:30and is stout enough
21:31to tow a staggering
21:3350 tons.
21:35but this is no
21:40ordinary flatbed
21:41and boasts
21:42a fantastic
21:43feature.
21:45It can expand.
21:47When you're putting
21:48a big wide
21:49machine like this
21:49on,
21:51you'd be legally
21:51obliged to have
21:52outriggers.
21:53so thankfully,
21:58from my point of view,
21:59more modern designs
22:00of trailer,
22:01it does that
22:02electronically instead.
22:04With that 3.5 metres,
22:06the digger's 3.5 metres wide.
22:08It's as big as you can get
22:09without having
22:10an escort van.
22:12Alex will have to
22:13drive the excavator
22:14off the ramps
22:15and onto the flatbed.
22:17The stage is set
22:19for the battle
22:20between man
22:21and machine.
22:23Believe me,
22:23when you skid off,
22:24you skid off
22:25and it can be
22:26quite a serious proposition
22:27to have to sort it out.
22:29Coming up...
22:31It's two-way traffic.
22:32There's plenty
22:33of blind corners.
22:35Alex is in a race
22:36to beat the curfew
22:37but has to be careful.
22:41You see how close
22:42that went?
22:45How close?
22:47And a 26-ton crane beam
22:49is cautiously coaxed
22:51onto a carrier.
22:53Coming down.
23:06The rolling fields
23:07of Suffolk,
23:09known for arable farming
23:10of crops
23:11such as wheat
23:12and beet.
23:13But since the early 60s,
23:15something else
23:16has been growing
23:17in amongst this rich
23:19and fertile soil.
23:22This is H.C. Wilson.
23:25One of the country's
23:27leading heavy haulage specialists.
23:30Their massive machines
23:32have been making
23:33mammoth moves
23:34for 60 years.
23:36It was founded
23:37by my parents
23:39in 1963.
23:41Most days
23:42this is a challenge.
23:44We're moving
23:45pretty much anything
23:46that won't fit
23:47in a standard trailer.
23:49All right,
23:50hand down
23:50and go backwards.
23:51There you go,
23:51you come.
23:52Whether it's
23:53two centimetres
23:54over width
23:55or two metres
23:56over width,
23:57that's what we specialise in.
23:58If it's super-sized,
24:01super-heavy
24:02or simply
24:03super-long,
24:04there's nothing
24:05they can't shift.
24:11One morning
24:12back in December
24:132022,
24:15on its way
24:15to collect
24:16a lengthy load,
24:17one of the
24:18firm's finest.
24:20lunch,
24:25I've got some
24:26beef
24:27and some ham,
24:29cheese,
24:30then I'll make
24:31myself a sandwich.
24:32Could have a KFC,
24:34but then that doesn't
24:35help with this.
24:37So,
24:38no fast food today.
24:40But when he isn't
24:41thinking about lunch,
24:42he's concentrating
24:43on the job.
24:45And on today's menu,
24:47a challenge that will
24:48call on every one
24:49of his 20 years
24:50of experience.
24:57This 25-metre-long
24:59load spreader
24:59is just one part
25:01of a huge crane.
25:03More than twice
25:04the length
25:04of two standard
25:05shipping containers.
25:07Its weight is equivalent
25:08to three Tyrannosaurus Rex
25:10coming in
25:11at a colossal
25:1226 tonnes.
25:16This is no
25:17ordinary lift and shift,
25:18but Dick
25:19hasn't got
25:20an ordinary rig.
25:23He's riding high
25:24in a Scania R580
25:27tractor unit.
25:28It's very comfortable.
25:29It's got fridge
25:30in it,
25:31microwave,
25:32television,
25:33kettle,
25:33so you've got
25:34a home from home,
25:35really.
25:36This 580 bhp
25:39beast of burden
25:40can pull up
25:40to 72 tonnes.
25:42And today
25:43it's hitched up
25:44to a triple-extending
25:45low-height
25:46flat trailer
25:47capable of stretching
25:49to an incredible
25:5035 metres.
25:52It's no wonder
25:53it's nicknamed
25:54the trombone.
25:56It's 25 metres long
26:02and according
26:03to my paperwork
26:04it weighs 26 and a half
26:05tonne.
26:06Should be okay.
26:07next task,
26:21extend the trailer.
26:22A 12 metre long
26:31trailer
26:32is about to become
26:34a 25 metre
26:35long trailer.
26:37I've paused the air
26:38for the air tanks.
26:40I've pushed the button in
26:41and I'm going to
26:42stretch the trailer.
26:43It's as simple
26:44as pressing a button.
26:46Well,
26:47almost.
26:47Better put the
26:51handbrake on,
26:51I suppose.
26:52With the rear axles
26:54now firmly locked
26:55in place,
26:56it's showtime
26:57for Deck.
27:00The trailer
27:01has extendable
27:02sections.
27:04First,
27:06the rear.
27:14Deck locks it
27:15into place
27:16with an automatic
27:17securing pin.
27:28Well,
27:29it's one bit done.
27:31He can now extend
27:32the front section.
27:47That should be about
27:51right, should it?
27:52It's about a metre
27:52past, isn't it?
27:54Yeah.
27:55But something's
27:55not right
27:56with the trailer.
27:58It's extended
27:59to the right length,
28:00but the securing pin
28:02hasn't locked
28:03into position.
28:05Until it does,
28:07Deck
28:07is going nowhere.
28:09Now,
28:10it's not quite
28:10gone in the hole.
28:11Look like it's
28:12just gone
28:13just in front
28:13of the hole,
28:14so I need
28:14to pop it back.
28:16We're just
28:16struggling a little bit
28:18with the length
28:19of the stretch.
28:20Sometimes the trailer
28:21slags slightly
28:22with the length
28:23of the stretch
28:23that we have in it.
28:24Sometimes you just
28:25struggle to get
28:26that last pin.
28:28So I'm just
28:29going to try
28:29and pull it
28:30forward a bit.
28:30Again,
28:43the locking pin
28:44misses its hole.
28:46This process
28:46relies on
28:47everything being
28:48level.
28:49But with the
28:50surface uneven,
28:51things aren't
28:52quite going to
28:53plan.
28:54Right,
28:55we'll move it
28:55back a little bit
28:56to see if we can
28:57level the trailer
28:57out a bit.
28:58deck's loader
29:00has adjustable
29:01suspension.
29:03He raises the
29:04front end
29:05a couple of
29:05inches to try
29:06and align
29:07locking pin
29:08and hole.
29:11Hopefully
29:11that I've got it.
29:13It might have
29:13made a difference
29:14because the trailer
29:14is going uphill
29:15slightly,
29:16using the air
29:17on the unit
29:18to try and
29:19level out the
29:20trailer.
29:20It's best on
29:21level ground.
29:22But hopefully
29:22we've got it now.
29:25Deck tries again.
29:28But still,
29:35no luck.
29:37F***ing useless
29:38this mammoth lift
29:40is turning into
29:42a mammoth headache.
29:44Let's go forward
29:48a tiny little bit
29:49for this to fully
29:49go in.
29:50What,
29:51the pin?
29:51Yeah,
29:52you've got about
29:52that much out.
29:53The pin is just
29:54millimetres away
29:56from locking,
29:56but close
29:57isn't good enough.
30:00Fortunately,
30:01Deck has a plan.
30:05Well,
30:05we'll shut it
30:06all up and
30:06start again.
30:08Back to square
30:09one.
30:10deck pulls
30:21forward.
30:32Bullseye.
30:33I saw
30:40that problem.
30:43That's gone
30:43in now,
30:44yeah?
30:44The rear
30:45extension is
30:46now locked
30:47in place.
30:48It's always
30:48them last
30:49couple of
30:50centimetres
30:50that are
30:50important,
30:51apparently.
30:58Trailer ready.
30:59the team
31:00from mammoth
31:00start to
31:01load the
31:02beam using
31:03a gantry
31:03crane.
31:0726 tonnes
31:08of steel
31:09held up
31:10by just
31:11four chains.
31:16How close?
31:23Coming down.
31:24brilliant.
31:36That's good.
31:38Last job
31:39before hitting
31:40the road.
31:41Chain it on.
31:46I shall put
31:47some other
31:47chains on
31:48as well,
31:49because the
31:49more chains
31:50you've got on
31:50it,
31:50the more
31:51confident you
31:51can be
31:52about taking
31:52it down the
31:53road.
31:54Finally,
31:55two hours
31:56after arriving
31:57on site,
31:58he's ready
31:59to get the
31:59load on
32:01the road.
32:04It's the
32:05first 15,
32:0720 mile
32:07before you
32:08get to the
32:08motorway.
32:09That's where
32:10you might have
32:12your problems
32:12because of
32:13roundabouts,
32:14traffic not
32:14knowing what
32:15the trailer
32:15does.
32:16That's why
32:16we have an
32:17escort vehicle.
32:19Right.
32:20I think I'm
32:21satisfied now
32:22that we've
32:23got it right.
32:24everything
32:25should be
32:25OK.
32:27Just put
32:27these away
32:28and we
32:29should be
32:30ready for
32:31that.
32:39In a
32:40quarry on
32:40the Isle
32:41of Anglesey,
32:42Alex has
32:43cleaned down
32:44a digger.
32:45It's not
32:45nothing when
32:46it's bouncing
32:46through your
32:47windscreen,
32:47is it?
32:48Prep the
32:49flatbed.
32:50That's 3.5
32:51metres.
32:51The digger's
32:523.5
32:53metres wide.
32:54And roll
32:55down the
32:56ramps,
32:56ready to
32:57load.
32:58Believe me,
32:58when they skid
32:59off,
32:59they skid
33:00off and
33:00it can be
33:01quite a
33:01serious
33:02proposition
33:02to have
33:03to sort
33:03out.
33:05To move
33:06the mighty
33:06machine,
33:07he'll have
33:08to drive
33:08it on
33:08himself.
33:10He climbs
33:11behind
33:12the
33:12controls.
33:18First,
33:19he must
33:19perfectly
33:20line up
33:20the
33:21payload's
33:21tracks
33:22with the
33:22ramps.
33:23By this
33:24stage,
33:24you're
33:25committed,
33:25really.
33:26If you
33:26start adjusting
33:27it on
33:27the ramps,
33:27it might
33:28slip off.
33:30After
33:31setting down
33:32one of
33:32the
33:32buckets,
33:34he's all
33:36set for
33:37the
33:37ascent.
33:39We're
33:39committed
33:39now.
33:40This is
33:40it.
33:41rolling
33:46up the
33:47narrow
33:48ramps.
33:50One
33:51wrong
33:51move,
33:52and the
33:52iron
33:53giant
33:53could
33:53slip,
33:55slide,
33:55or tip
33:56off.
34:01He's
34:01on board,
34:02but not
34:03off duty.
34:06He
34:07plants
34:07the
34:08first
34:08bucket,
34:09and
34:09swings
34:10round to
34:10scoop up
34:11the
34:11second.
34:18Equipment
34:19safely
34:20stowed.
34:21It's a
34:21trucking
34:22triumph.
34:24That's gone
34:24really well.
34:25I think it's
34:25took about
34:2635 minutes
34:27to do,
34:28really,
34:29which is,
34:29given the
34:30sweeping
34:30off we had
34:31to do to
34:31get it
34:32really dust
34:33free,
34:34it's not
34:34too bad.
34:35Time to
34:36secure the
34:37load using
34:38six chains,
34:39each capable
34:41of holding
34:4210 tonnes.
34:43I can
34:47declare
34:47myself
34:48happy and
34:48ready to
34:49crack on.
34:51Alex now
34:52has to
34:53travel over
34:53100 miles
34:54back to
34:55base.
34:56But the
34:57rules of
34:57the road
34:58mean this
34:59large load
35:00needs dropping
35:01off before
35:01a curfew
35:02kicks in
35:03at 6pm.
35:04And with
35:06his wide
35:07load,
35:07it's not
35:09something he
35:10can rush
35:10through the
35:11island's
35:12country roads.
35:13This is the
35:14most complex
35:15part of this
35:16journey,
35:17in total,
35:17about four
35:18and a half
35:18miles.
35:19It's a narrow
35:20country lane,
35:21it's two-way
35:21traffic,
35:22there's plenty
35:22of blind
35:23corners,
35:24there's plenty
35:24of hedgerows
35:25and walls
35:26that will
35:26impinge
35:27onto the
35:27width of
35:28the vehicle.
35:31You see
35:32how close
35:32that went?
35:33Oncoming
35:33traffic is
35:51not his
35:52only worry.
35:53The soft
35:54verges could
35:55end his
35:55journey in
35:56a jiffy.
35:57This is a
35:58countryside,
35:59that's grass.
36:00If I go on
36:00that, the
36:01thing can go
36:01and open,
36:02just like
36:03that, and
36:04if the
36:04trailer goes
36:05over, the
36:06lorry will
36:06follow it.
36:07Despite the
36:08race to
36:08return home,
36:09Alex must
36:10take it slow
36:11and steady
36:12with his
36:1330-ton load.
36:14The speed
36:14limit for me
36:15is 30
36:15miles an
36:16hour, which
36:16might be
36:17quite frustrating
36:17to the
36:18people behind
36:19me.
36:20And when
36:21we come to
36:21the villages,
36:22here again,
36:24the speed
36:24limit in
36:25Wales is
36:2520 miles
36:26an hour,
36:26which to
36:27this thing
36:28sometimes feels
36:29like you're
36:29going to hit
36:30stalling speed
36:31something,
36:32but you
36:33just have
36:34to get
36:34your head
36:34around it
36:34really.
36:37So if you
36:38can see
36:38that stone
36:39wall, I'm
36:40going to have
36:40to go into
36:41the opposite
36:41carriageway to
36:42get past
36:42that obstacle
36:43no matter
36:44what.
36:45There's a
36:45lorry coming.
36:46It's a
36:47tractor.
36:49After
36:50manoeuvring past
36:51one final
36:52farm vehicle,
36:54Alex makes
36:55it off the
36:55ancient roads
36:56and back
36:58to the
36:58mainland.
37:00We've done
37:01all right,
37:01really.
37:02For a Friday
37:02afternoon,
37:03we've done
37:04OK.
37:06Now he can
37:07power along
37:08the A55,
37:09but time
37:10is tight.
37:12As it
37:13happens,
37:13we've got
37:1410 minutes
37:14to get to
37:15the yard
37:15and 15
37:16minutes to
37:17the embargo.
37:17We've still
37:18got to get
37:18back with
37:18this and
37:19we've still
37:20got to
37:20get it
37:20off and
37:21clean up
37:21and tidy
37:22up,
37:22ready for
37:22Monday.
37:24So the
37:24day is not
37:25finished yet.
37:27It's a
37:28close call,
37:29but the
37:30colossal cargo
37:31cruises to
37:32the finish
37:32line and
37:33Alex can
37:34unload this
37:35evening.
37:40One final
37:42precarious trip
37:43down the
37:44ramps and
37:45his dream
37:46job is
37:47done for
37:48another day.
37:50We got
37:51back inside
37:51the embargo
37:52just.
37:54It's all
37:54clean machine,
37:55it's all
37:55ready.
37:55All he
37:56needs to
37:56refuel him,
37:56he'll be
37:57ready to
37:57go straight
37:57back out.
37:58Just
37:58tidy up
37:59here and
37:59we're done.
38:00I'm still
38:01ready for
38:01the weekend.
38:06Still to
38:07come,
38:08Deck
38:08hits the
38:09road in
38:09his mega
38:10long loader.
38:11You've just
38:12got to be
38:13aware of
38:13everything.
38:14With a
38:15mega long
38:15list of
38:16hazards.
38:17Cyclists,
38:18pedestrians,
38:19people on
38:20their mobile
38:20phones with
38:21their earphones
38:21in.
38:34In
38:34Staffordshire,
38:36HC Wilson
38:36driver Dick
38:37has been
38:38loading a
38:39lengthy crane
38:39girder onto
38:41the back of
38:41his truck for
38:42transport.
38:44He's now ready
38:45to hold this
38:45exceedingly long
38:47load.
38:47once he's
38:50freed himself
38:51from his
38:52overalls.
38:54I'll have to
38:54get some new
38:55ones.
38:59His journey
39:00will take him
39:01200 miles east
39:02to the port of
39:03Felixstow,
39:04but along the
39:05way he'll face
39:06roundabouts and
39:07roadworks.
39:09So this could
39:10be a tricky
39:11trip.
39:13All good to
39:13go.
39:14Deck checks in
39:15with escort
39:16driver Kevin,
39:16who will be
39:18with him for
39:18the ride.
39:19Everything
39:19should be
39:20okay.
39:22It's just
39:22the only thing
39:24I'm worried
39:24about is
39:25roadworks at
39:26the 518
39:27getting round
39:27down,
39:28that's all.
39:29Did you want
39:30me to go
39:30behind you
39:31for that bit
39:31or?
39:32We'll see
39:32what it's
39:33like.
39:33We'll get
39:34on the way
39:34and everybody's
39:36happy then.
39:41580
39:41horsepower,
39:42pulling a
39:4325-meter,
39:4426-tonne beam.
39:47Now on its
39:48way to
39:48Felixstow,
39:49most of the
39:50journey will
39:51be on
39:51straight,
39:52wide motorway.
39:53But to get
39:53there,
39:54Deck's got a
39:55few challenges
39:56ahead of him.
39:59Yeah,
40:00go on Deck,
40:00I'll log these
40:01here, mate.
40:03Driving it
40:04on the
40:05Tingle Carriageway
40:06roads,
40:06where you've got
40:07other traffic
40:07around you,
40:08where car drivers
40:09normally don't
40:11realise what the
40:12trailer does.
40:13You've just
40:13got to be aware
40:14all the time
40:15of what's
40:15around you
40:16and the
40:16space around
40:17your truck.
40:23First test,
40:25a right turn
40:26into oncoming
40:27traffic.
40:29Stop the traffic
40:30coming, mate.
40:31The escort
40:32drivers are a
40:33great help at
40:34times, but a
40:34lot of them are
40:35ex-drivers as
40:35well, so they
40:36know the score,
40:37they know what
40:38they do.
40:42The steerable
40:43rear axles on
40:44the trailer make
40:46the 90-degree turn
40:47look easy.
40:51This is the
40:52desired route
40:53that I was given
40:54and you've got to
40:56stick to it
40:58the best you can.
40:59But even for a
41:00driver with Deck's
41:01experience, the
41:02approaching road
41:03works are a
41:04cause for concern.
41:05This is where
41:08it is.
41:09There are cones
41:10everywhere,
41:12hampering the
41:13left turn.
41:15You've got that
41:16island there in
41:18the middle.
41:19You've got the
41:20traffic light here,
41:21so you don't want
41:21to be too close to
41:23this edge because
41:24you'll end up
41:24taking that traffic
41:25light out because
41:26when you turn
41:27tight like this,
41:29the trailer's
41:30going to go out.
41:35So, you want to
41:40be wary of that
41:41and get it
41:43get it pretty
41:44close to the
41:45cones, kick it
41:47round now,
41:49and we should
41:50be...
41:51OK.
41:55There we go.
41:56All his years
42:00on the road
42:00show their
42:01worth.
42:02Deck takes it
42:03in his stride
42:04and not a
42:05single cone
42:06is crushed.
42:07The more
42:07experience you
42:08have, the
42:10more tight
42:11situations that
42:12sometimes you
42:12get in could
42:13benefit you at
42:14the end of the
42:14day, and we
42:16didn't hit any
42:16cones, and we
42:17didn't knock any
42:18traffic lights
42:18over or anything
42:20like that, so
42:20that's good.
42:21And then, just
42:23a few miles
42:24further down the
42:25road, completing
42:26Deck's full house
42:28of road
42:28nuisances, the
42:30town centre,
42:32single lane,
42:33showcase.
42:35See, this is the
42:36sort of thing
42:37where, I mean,
42:38we are on the
42:39designated route,
42:41but then you
42:42encounter stuff
42:42like this.
42:45These definitely
42:45weren't here this
42:46morning.
42:49That wasn't
42:50there this
42:51morning, because
42:51before he
42:52come to me, he
42:52come down and
42:53had a look at
42:54all this.
42:55So you've
42:55now got, like,
42:57traffic lights
42:58with cones and
42:58a van, and
42:59it's got a
43:00sharp chicane
43:01at the
43:01beginning of
43:02it.
43:05So, but
43:08we'll have to
43:08try and
43:08negotiate it
43:09best you
43:10can.
43:14Kevin, in
43:15the escort van
43:16up ahead, will
43:17clear the
43:18way.
43:19I was
43:19pushing it
43:19in, so.
43:21OK, mate.
43:24It's just, again,
43:25it's just getting
43:25yourself in the
43:26right position
43:27to get through
43:29in the fast
43:29place.
43:31Deck
43:31squeezes
43:32through the
43:32chicane, with
43:33just inches to
43:34spare.
43:40But finally,
43:41the urban
43:42stretch over,
43:43Deck
43:43reaches the
43:44safety of the
43:45motorway.
43:46OK, well
43:50done.
43:51Yeah, mate.
43:54So that was all
43:55that done, then.
43:56Hey, hey.
43:57That wasn't too
43:58bad.
43:59That went pretty
44:00well, really.
44:04We didn't hit
44:05anything, and we
44:06didn't knock anything
44:06over, so that's
44:07always a good thing.
44:08Which is a result
44:10in anyone's book.
44:11And now we're on
44:15the motorway, we're
44:16plain sailing now
44:17all the way to
44:18Felixstown.
44:19Where Deck
44:20can wave
44:21bombayage to
44:22the beam, and
44:23another job
44:24well done.
44:26We'll be right
44:27next time.
44:28We'll be right
44:29next time.
44:30We'll be right
44:30next time.
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