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Trucking Heavy Season 4 Episode 10
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00:00These are the super heavyweight champions of the road.
00:04Just another day, moving machines.
00:07It is very nerve-wracking. Very, very nerve-wracking.
00:10Wielding some of the heftiest hardware in the world.
00:13Lift it off, pinch it off.
00:15When every mile's a battle.
00:19Where's he come from?
00:21He's obviously totally ignored us.
00:23And every second counts.
00:25Because it's such a big machine, we're going to block the yard, so we need to be quick.
00:29These are the experts making light work.
00:32About half an inch off the outlet.
00:35All good. Going really well, actually.
00:37Of the largest loads imaginable.
00:40It is quite easy to make a catastrophic mistake.
00:44It's a hell of a one-way.
00:45So put your pedal to the metal.
00:48We're committed now. This is it.
00:50Things are about to get...
00:52Trucking heavy.
00:54Start of the week off with a happy customer.
00:58It can only get worse from here, can't it, Mick?
00:59Today, Sam picks up a port-a-cabin.
01:10I've noticed that there's a waste pipe on this end.
01:13But the balance is blown by the bog.
01:16It's lifted a little bit, Stewie.
01:18This is probably the dangerous thing you can do on the trailer.
01:22It's the most dangerous thing you can do in the digger as well.
01:26A dirty digger in a quarry needs driving onto a flatbed.
01:31Believe me, when you skid off, you skid off.
01:33And it can be quite a serious proposition to have to sort it out.
01:39Right again.
01:40And in Staffordshire, a problematic pin.
01:43No, it's not quite gone in the hole.
01:45Drives deck to despair.
01:48F***ing useless.
01:52Castleford, West Yorkshire.
01:54It's home to a heavy haulier that's on the move 24-7.
02:00Brookdale Transport.
02:03Good play, good girl.
02:04We move anything from a pallet up to cabins, diggers, wide loads.
02:11It's on site in the hole, yes?
02:13If it can be lifted, we can move it.
02:16Founded 17 years ago, it's a family-run firm.
02:21We started off with one truck.
02:22We've moved on to today where we have 50 vehicles and 50 trailers.
02:28And their division of drivers has just gained a daughter.
02:31Sam, she come to us with high recommendations.
02:36Very friendly, bubbly, always likes to have a laugh and a joke.
02:40But when work comes to work, she will crack on.
02:43This morning, Sam stormed into Market Weight and Yorkshire
02:47in her hulking high app.
02:51Gearing up to move a mobile site office.
02:55Let's go find our cabin.
02:57Right, so I think this is it.
03:02It's a nice, tidy cabin.
03:04These type of units we have to lift from the top.
03:06We can't lift it from the bottom.
03:12I'm going to spin the lorry around so I'm not completely blocking the yard.
03:16Set up and load it.
03:17The box on the blocks is bound for Wales.
03:22But before Sam starts to rig, she wants to figure out exactly where it's going.
03:29I've had a quick look at the postcode.
03:32And I can't say, I can't actually say where it's going.
03:35It's an SY postcode somewhere in mid Wales.
03:38It's like Treg, Treg, Tregle, Tregle, Treglewin, Tregle...
03:44Somewhere south of Newtown.
03:49The prodigious port-a-cabin on its way to the unpronounceable place
03:54is fresh off the production line.
03:57It's a 28-foot-long, 10-foot-wide fortress
04:02and weighs in on a whopping 3 tonnes.
04:08The same as a fully grown white rhinoceros.
04:15It's time to plan the lift of the office.
04:19So I'm going to pick it up,
04:20slip it over the bed of the truck and then spin it.
04:23I've noticed that there's a waste pipe on this end
04:26so I'll probably have the waste pipe to the back.
04:29Years spent shifting sight shacks
04:31has hammered home some hazardous and hard-learned lessons for Sam.
04:37Normally, on the older ones that have been used before,
04:40if you have that soil pipe at the front of the lorry,
04:42you can imagine what's going to come out
04:44all over your bed of your truck.
04:45So it tends to become a bit of a habit
04:47that you just stick the soil pipe at the back, just in case.
04:52And, yeah, it's tripping many times when I've got covered in...
04:54Now Sam's got to scale the beast,
04:59climbing to the top of the cabin,
05:01to attach the chains to the upper lifting points.
05:06I'm just shortening the chains a little bit.
05:10Setting the chains correctly is crucial
05:12for keeping the lift level and locked.
05:15Because you're always a bit conscious of your chain angles.
05:18Two, four, six, five, six...
05:19Fifteen.
05:21Yeah, you always want to keep your chains at a good angle.
05:25Responsible for reaching out and removing the cargo
05:32is Sam's Fassi FA-20 crane.
05:36With a 16-metre reach, almost as long as a bowling lane,
05:41and maximum lifting capacity of 22 tons,
05:45this heavy lifting hero takes extra large loads in its stride.
05:51Rigged up and secured, it's time to take the tension.
05:59But if the load is off balance,
06:02it could sit, turn, or even topple.
06:06We'll just give it a bit of a test lift,
06:07make sure it's lifting fairly even and fairly level.
06:09It should do.
06:10It might be slightly heavier on that end because of the toilet in it.
06:13But, yeah, we'll just sort of take the weight,
06:16give it a bit of a lift, and see what happens.
06:19As the cabin comes up, Sam's suspicions are spot-on.
06:25The bog is weighing one end down.
06:29It's looking a little bit skewy,
06:31but it's safe enough, it's sensible enough to carry on.
06:39She slowly slews the office over,
06:43turns it in line,
06:44and hovers it above the flatbed.
06:49But with a 10-foot spread,
06:52it's way too wide for her trailer.
06:56Sam needs to park the prefab
06:58precisely in the centre of the platform.
07:04The floorboards of the Lariat are in straight lines.
07:07It's normally not too hard to line them up.
07:09It's just making sure
07:10that I've got the same size overhang on both sides.
07:14Right, so you're two planks in.
07:22You're one, two, three in a bit, OK.
07:26The load is skew-width.
07:28One side is set over too far.
07:32Drive like this,
07:33and it could cause a collision.
07:35I'm going to have to pick it back up.
07:37Sam tries again to centre the load,
07:41so it's safe for the road.
07:46Right, that might be a bit better,
07:48so I'm about two and a half planks there.
07:52Two and a half planks there, that'll do.
07:54Large Lodge landed.
08:03Get the unit strapped down,
08:04and then we can get moving.
08:06To make the structure safe to move,
08:09Sam will need some serious strapping.
08:12So the unit only weighs three tonnes,
08:14so we're sort of over-killing it a little bit
08:16with the straps,
08:18but it's better to have too many straps than not enough.
08:21Sam is careful not to damage the shiny new shed.
08:27Just put a bit of carpet in,
08:28so we don't make scratches on the unit with the ratchet.
08:34It is incredibly important that it's got to be safe.
08:37It's got to be done safely,
08:38so you know that when you're driving down the road,
08:40that's not going to come off and hurt someone.
08:44Transporting this portly porter cabin
08:46needs highlighting on the highways.
08:48Just putting our wide load marker stickers on,
08:53because obviously we are ten foot wide.
08:57So, yeah, just sort of a bit of a warning to other road users.
09:02Sam's mammoth mission is over 200 miles,
09:06and the winding Welsh wilderness
09:08wasn't exactly made for massive motors.
09:13Right, sorted.
09:14Coming up...
09:17Sam's slog to the site.
09:19Maybe a bridge too far.
09:21There's a three-ton bridge,
09:23and the diversion is about 20 miles.
09:29And an earth-encrusted excavator
09:31needs exfoliating before it can embark.
09:35That looks like nothing, does it?
09:37But it's not nothing when it's bouncing through your windscreen, is it?
09:39In Yorkshire,
09:52Sam has loaded a lopsided porter cabin.
09:56It might be slightly heavier on that toilet, isn't it?
09:59She had to perfectly censor it on her flatbed.
10:03It's just making sure
10:04that I've got the same size overhang on both sides.
10:08Now she's whisking the worksite office to Wales.
10:13But exactly where?
10:15She can't say.
10:17So, we're heading to a place just outside of Newtown,
10:22which starts with a T,
10:23which is quite Welsh,
10:24and for my Welsh it's terrible,
10:26so I'm not going to try and pronounce it.
10:27So we're heading somewhere near Newtown.
10:29Starting in South Yorkshire,
10:33Sam moves mostly on main roads and motorways
10:38through central Wales
10:41to offload the office
10:43in the yard of some civil engineers.
10:47It's a nice, straightforward journey.
10:52It's all major roads
10:54until we get about two or three miles away from the job,
10:57and then it looks like a bit of a country road.
11:00So, obviously, with the cabin being a little bit on the wide side,
11:04watching for things like overhanging trees
11:06and, you know, sticky, outy hedges,
11:09and Wales loves a stone wall.
11:11So, just be looking out for things like that,
11:13making sure we don't clip anything on the way through.
11:17Sam settles in
11:18for a steady 200-mile spin on major roads.
11:24The journey's going pretty well so far.
11:26It was about three hours' worth of motorway and A roads.
11:29We're still on an A road,
11:31but it's starting to narrow up a little bit.
11:33So we're getting to the interesting bit now.
11:36But as she drives deeper
11:37into the depths of the Welsh countryside,
11:41some of her worst fears come to fruition.
11:45I said there were stone walls in Wales.
11:51I hope it's down here,
11:52cos if we're turned down here and it's not down here,
11:54I'm a bit stuck.
11:58Less than half a mile from her destination,
12:01the tight country roads may leave Sam in a sticky situation.
12:06No, not that way, then, La.
12:09Oh, marvellous.
12:11This looks marvellous.
12:14And worse still,
12:15there's a small bridge up ahead.
12:17I don't know where Landon and Bridge is,
12:20but I'm hoping it's less than a 0.3 mile away.
12:24The cramped crossing won't take the strain
12:28of Sam in her 20-ton truck.
12:31There's a three-ton weight limit bridge slightly down here,
12:34but I don't know how far down here it is,
12:36although I'm assuming it might be this bit here,
12:38which, if it is,
12:39is going to be a massive problem
12:40because my sat-nav's not picked up.
12:43There's a three-ton bridge.
12:44And the diversion is about 20 miles.
12:48She stalls the delivery and calls the customer.
12:54Her pronunciation prowess will be put to the test.
12:59Hi, it's Sam from Brookdale.
13:00I've got a cabin for you.
13:02Right, where are you?
13:03Are you a bit lost?
13:05A little bit, yeah.
13:06So I've just come into Trefegloos.
13:11Oh, yeah, Trefegloos, right.
13:13Trefegloos.
13:14And I turn left.
13:16It's saying there's a three-ton weight limit bridge down here.
13:18Are you down this road?
13:20We are down there,
13:21but the bridge is further on.
13:24Right, lovely stuff.
13:25I will keep heading down there.
13:27See you in a minute.
13:28Cheers, darling.
13:29Thanks, bye.
13:31And now we know how to say the Welsh name.
13:33Luckily, the yard's gates sit just shy of the brittle bridge,
13:38so it won't need to be overcome today.
13:42It is down here.
13:44So we're now going to have to negotiate this,
13:48which is a little bit skinny.
13:53Finally.
13:54I think we've won with that one.
13:56She steers her way to the cabin's new corner of the countryside.
14:02Hiya!
14:03And it's good news for the offload.
14:06Ah, lovely.
14:06Bags are in.
14:08That's what we want.
14:10Oh, let's go see where it's going.
14:13Whereabouts is it going?
14:15Temporarily where them coons are, they.
14:18I might be best pulling round
14:19and then backing down towards the dumpers.
14:22Sam skilfully places her high-up in the perfect offloading position.
14:33That'll do, I reckon.
14:35And preps for the dismount.
14:37It'll be the same process as we did to get it on the lorry,
14:40but in reverse.
14:42So we're going to pick it up, spin it that way,
14:45and drop it on these pads here.
14:48The country air may prove problematic.
14:50It's a little bit windier than it was this morning.
14:54But Sam has a solution.
14:56Put a bit of a tagline on it.
14:58May as well have a line on it.
15:00She sets her crane, chains,
15:03and skilfully lifts and slews the shed.
15:06Give it a bit of a pull now, so it doesn't go too far.
15:15Coming down quite nice.
15:19How are we looking your ass at?
15:21I don't think she's fine as it is.
15:23Yeah, you're fine as it is?
15:24Yeah, I think so.
15:25Hey.
15:27Customers grinning, Sam is winning,
15:29as she plants the port-a-cabin perfectly in place.
15:34That was a good one.
15:35Time to pack it up and hit the road home.
15:39Customers grinning it, seem really happy with it.
15:40It's a nice cabin.
15:42Really nice cabin.
15:43Just the long drive home now.
15:51Hardcore hauliers, Fox Brothers,
15:54are big in the business of delivering heavy metal.
15:59They command an army of excavators
16:01and ground-shaking,
16:03earth-breaking machines.
16:11It's Friday morning at the yard,
16:14and a colossal crusher,
16:16dropped off last night,
16:17is still on the back of a flatbed.
16:20We were back in late last night,
16:21so a big machine like that,
16:23we don't want to be messing around with it
16:25when at night time,
16:26when it's a long day.
16:27Now transport driver Alex needs to unload it
16:32so he can crack on with today's new jobs.
16:38We're going to get this off now,
16:39and we're off to Anglesey
16:41to get a 30-ton excavator.
16:43A bit of driving,
16:44a nice day out driving.
16:45So yeah,
16:47it's going to be a busy day.
16:50He uses a remote
16:51to control the 36-ton Titan.
16:56Where are you wanting this?
16:58Trailer cleared.
17:01Yeah, pal.
17:01Time to get his rig
17:03on the way to Wales
17:05to pick up a mechanised monster
17:08that's finished causing
17:10carnage at a quarry.
17:12We're travelling to Anglesey
17:14to go and get
17:15a ZX 300
17:17attache,
17:19large attache excavator.
17:21Hopefully it's clean and ready to go.
17:23Usually is.
17:23The lads usually are even clean up there.
17:27The route will take Alex
17:29from his base in Lancashire,
17:32110 miles south-west.
17:35Over the Britannia Bridge
17:37to the Isle of Anglesey.
17:39Then all the way back
17:41before the local curfew
17:42on heavy vehicles
17:43kicks in
17:44at 6pm.
17:48Despite the long drive,
17:50Alex is in his element.
17:52When I was about 12,
17:53me and my mates
17:54used to go to the motorway bridge
17:56near where we lived
17:57to wave at the lorries.
17:59We're absolutely lorry mad.
18:01I never imagined
18:01I would ever drive one for a living
18:03when I was little.
18:05I haven't been driving him
18:07for 30,
18:08it's 31 flipping years now.
18:11It's a childhood dream,
18:12can you imagine?
18:13It's crazy, isn't it?
18:16But with those three decades
18:17of experience,
18:19he knows that today's move
18:21is packed with peril.
18:23There's no such thing
18:25as an easy job
18:26when you're loading
18:27diggers on solaris.
18:31Driving a machine
18:32up a narrow ramp
18:34and going over a balance point
18:36and driving it along
18:37a trailer
18:37at a height,
18:39that is inherently dangerous.
18:41It's probably the dangerous thing
18:42you can do on the trailer.
18:44And when you think about it,
18:45it's the most dangerous
18:46you can do
18:47in the digger as well.
18:48Alex makes quick work
18:51of the motorway
18:52and soon he's sailing smoothly
18:56across the sea.
18:58We've just cleared the bridge
18:59over the Menai Straits
19:01and we're here in Anglesey,
19:03on the Isle of Anglesey.
19:05This is the old main road
19:07to Hollyhead.
19:08So,
19:0950, 60 years ago,
19:12this would have been
19:12the main traffic to Ireland.
19:15And 150 years ago,
19:16the Orson carriage
19:17along here.
19:18That's how ancient
19:19a roof this is.
19:21And now it's just
19:21a bit of a back road.
19:25It's only 9.30
19:26and he's already at the quarry
19:29to extract the excavator.
19:32So, I'm just going to
19:33check my machine,
19:34make sure I've got the right one,
19:35get my overalls on.
19:36The ZX-300 Hitachi
19:40is a beast of a machine.
19:43The tracks sprawl
19:4410 feet wide.
19:46Its arm stretches
19:47a jaw-dropping 35 feet.
19:51The whole package,
19:52a solid 30 tons
19:54of pure power.
19:56And it's got two buckets
19:58tagging along
20:00for the ride.
20:01But this mound of metal
20:06isn't looking
20:07its best this morning.
20:10So, it's been left
20:11with a bit of
20:12excess mud on it
20:14that's dried.
20:15And a dirty digger
20:16can be downright dangerous.
20:19So, the machine's been dug
20:20out down in the quarry.
20:23But when it came up,
20:24the slop's still
20:24on the machine.
20:26But when it goes
20:27on the road,
20:28it has to be
20:28surgically immaculate,
20:30not just a bit clean.
20:32So, we're digging off
20:33this access now
20:34so it is spotlessly
20:37clean so it can
20:37travel on the road.
20:41Any debris
20:42left on the digger
20:43could come loose
20:45during transportation
20:46with disastrous
20:48consequences.
20:49That looks like
20:51nothing, does it?
20:52But it's not nothing
20:53when it's bouncing
20:53through your windscreen,
20:54is it?
20:56Excavator cleaned down
20:57and risky rocks
20:58removed.
21:00It's time to prep
21:02for the load.
21:05Alex's almighty
21:06Scania V8
21:08specced for heavy haulage
21:11has 590
21:13heaving horses
21:14under the bonnet.
21:17Its trailer spans
21:18eight feet wide
21:20and is stout enough
21:21to tow a staggering
21:2350 tonnes.
21:29But this is no
21:30ordinary flatbed
21:31and boasts a
21:33fantastic feature.
21:35It can expand.
21:37When you put in
21:38a big wide machine
21:39like this on,
21:41you'd be legally
21:41obliged to have
21:42outriggers.
21:43So thankfully,
21:48from my point of view,
21:49more modern designs
21:50of trailer,
21:51it does that
21:52electronically instead.
21:54With that 3.5 metres,
21:56the digger's
21:563.5 metres wide.
21:58It's as big as you can
21:59get without having
22:00an escort van.
22:02Alex will have to
22:03drive the excavator
22:04off the ramps
22:05and onto the flatbed.
22:07The stage is set
22:09for the battle
22:10between man
22:11and machine.
22:13Believe me,
22:13when you skid off,
22:14you skid off
22:15and it can be
22:16quite a serious proposition
22:17to have to sort out.
22:19Coming up...
22:20It's two-way traffic.
22:22There's plenty of blind corners.
22:25Alex is in a race
22:26to beat the curfew
22:27but has to be careful.
22:31You see how close
22:32and a 26-tonne crane beam
22:39is cautiously coaxed
22:41onto a carrier.
22:43Put it down.
22:56The rolling fields
22:57of Suffolk,
22:59known for arable
22:59farming of crops
23:01such as wheat
23:02and beet.
23:03But since the early 60s,
23:05something else
23:06has been growing
23:07in amongst this rich
23:09and fertile soil.
23:12This is H.C. Wilson.
23:16One of the country's
23:17leading heavy haulage specialists.
23:20Their massive machines
23:22have been making
23:23mammoth moves
23:24for 60 years.
23:25It was founded
23:27by my parents
23:29in 1963.
23:31Most days
23:32is a challenge.
23:34We're moving
23:35pretty much anything
23:36that won't fit
23:37in a standard trailer.
23:39All right,
23:40hand down and go backwards.
23:41There you go,
23:41you come.
23:42Whether it's
23:43two centimetres over width
23:45or two metres over width,
23:47that's what we specialise in.
23:49If it's super-sized,
23:51super-heavy
23:52or simply super-long,
23:54there's nothing
23:55they can't shift.
23:57One morning back in December 2022,
24:05on its way to collect
24:06a lengthy load,
24:07one of the firm's finest.
24:15Lunch,
24:15I've got some beef
24:17and some ham,
24:19cheese,
24:20and then I'll
24:21make myself a sandwich.
24:22Could have a KFC.
24:24But then that doesn't
24:25help with this.
24:27So,
24:28no fast food today.
24:30But when he isn't
24:31thinking about lunch,
24:32he's concentrating
24:33on the job.
24:35And on today's menu,
24:37a challenge that will
24:38call on every one of
24:39his 20 years of experience.
24:41This 25 metre long
24:49load spreader
24:49is just one part
24:51of a huge crane.
24:53More than twice the length
24:54of two standard
24:55shipping containers.
24:57Its weight is equivalent
24:58to three Tyrannosaurus Rex,
25:01coming in at a colossal
25:0226 tonnes.
25:06This is no ordinary
25:07lift and shift,
25:09but Deck
25:09hasn't got an ordinary
25:11rigged.
25:13He's riding high
25:14in a Scania R580
25:17tractor unit.
25:18It's very comfortable.
25:19It's got fridge in it,
25:21microwave,
25:22television,
25:23kettle,
25:23so you've got
25:24a home from home,
25:25really.
25:26This 580 bhp
25:28beast of burden
25:30can pull up
25:30to 72 tonnes.
25:33And today,
25:33it's hitched up
25:34to a triple extending,
25:36low height
25:36flat trailer,
25:38capable of stretching
25:39to an incredible
25:4035 metres.
25:42It's no wonder
25:43it's nicknamed
25:44the Trombone.
25:50It's 25 metres long
25:52and according to my
25:53paperwork,
25:54it weighs 26 and a half
25:56tonnes.
25:56Should be okay.
25:57next task,
26:11extend the trailer.
26:14Right,
26:15pins are out.
26:18On the stretch.
26:19A 12 metre long
26:21trailer
26:22is about to become
26:24a 25 metre long
26:26trailer.
26:27I've passed the air
26:28for the air tanks.
26:30I've pushed the button in,
26:31I'm going to stretch
26:32the trailer.
26:33It's as simple
26:34as pressing a button.
26:36Well,
26:37almost.
26:40Better put the handbrake on,
26:41I suppose.
26:42With the rear axles
26:44now firmly locked in place,
26:46it's showtime
26:47for deck.
26:50The trailer
26:51has extendable sections.
26:55First,
26:56the rear.
27:04Deck locks it into place
27:06with an automatic
27:07securing pin.
27:08He can now extend
27:22the front section.
27:23The front section.
27:38That should be about right,
27:42shouldn't it?
27:42It's about a metre past,
27:43isn't it?
27:44Yeah.
27:45But something's not right
27:46with the trailer.
27:48It's extended
27:49to the right length,
27:51but the securing pin
27:52hasn't locked
27:53into position.
27:55Until it does.
27:57Deck
27:57is going nowhere.
27:59No,
28:00it's not quite
28:00gone in the hole.
28:01It looks like
28:02it's just gone
28:03just in front of the hole,
28:04so I need to
28:05pop it back.
28:06We're just struggling
28:07a little bit
28:08with the length
28:09of the stretch.
28:10Sometimes the trailer
28:11slags slightly
28:12with the length
28:13of the stretch
28:13that we have in it.
28:14Sometimes you just
28:15struggle to get
28:16that last pin.
28:18So I'm just going
28:19to try and pull it
28:20forward a bit.
28:20Again,
28:33the locking pin
28:34misses its hole.
28:36This process relies
28:37on everything
28:38being level.
28:39But with the surface
28:40uneven,
28:41things aren't quite
28:43going to plan.
28:44Right,
28:45we're moving back
28:46a little bit,
28:46see if we can level
28:47the trailer out a bit.
28:48deck's loader
28:50has adjustable
28:51suspension.
28:53He raises the front
28:54end a couple
28:55of inches
28:56to try and align
28:57locking pin
28:58and hole.
29:01Hopefully that
29:02I've got it.
29:03It might have
29:03made a difference
29:04because the trailer
29:04is going uphill
29:05slightly,
29:06using the air
29:07on the unit
29:08to try and level
29:09out the trailer.
29:10It's best on
29:11level ground.
29:12But hopefully
29:12we've got it now.
29:15Deck tries again.
29:16But still,
29:25no luck.
29:27F***ing useless.
29:29This mammoth lift
29:30is turning
29:31into a mammoth
29:33headache.
29:37I have to pull
29:37forward a tiny
29:38little bit
29:39for this to
29:39fully go in.
29:40What,
29:41the pin?
29:41Yeah,
29:42you've got about
29:42that much out.
29:43The pin is just
29:44millimetres away
29:46from locking,
29:46but close
29:47isn't good enough.
29:50Fortunately,
29:51Deck has a plan.
29:55We'll both be
29:56shut it all up
29:56and start again.
29:58Back to square one.
30:10Deck pulls forward.
30:12Bullseye.
30:29I saw that problem.
30:33That's gone in now,
30:34yeah?
30:34The rear extension
30:35is now locked in place.
30:38It's always them
30:39last couple of centimetres
30:40that are important,
30:41apparently.
30:48Trailer ready.
30:49The team from
30:50Mammoot
30:50start to load
30:52the beam
30:52using a gantry crane.
30:5726 tonnes of steel
30:59held up
31:00by just
31:01four chains.
31:02up close.
31:13Coming down.
31:14Down.
31:23Brilliant.
31:25That's good.
31:26Last job before
31:29hitting the road.
31:31Chain it on.
31:36I shall put some
31:37other chains on as well
31:38because the more
31:39chains you've got on it,
31:40the more confident
31:41you can be
31:42about taking it
31:42down the road.
31:45Finally,
31:45two hours after
31:46arriving on site,
31:48he's ready
31:49to get the load
31:50on the road.
31:51It's the first
31:5515-20 mile
31:57before you get
31:58to the motorway.
31:59That's where
32:00you might have
32:02your problems
32:02because of roundabouts,
32:04traffic not knowing
32:05what the trailer does.
32:06That's why
32:06we have an escort vehicle.
32:09Right.
32:10I think I'm satisfied
32:12now that
32:12we've got it right.
32:14Everything should be okay.
32:17Just put these away
32:18and we should be
32:20ready for that.
32:21In a quarry
32:30on the Isle of Anglesey,
32:33Alex has cleaned
32:34down a digger.
32:35It's not nothing
32:36when it's bouncing
32:36through your windscreen,
32:37is it?
32:38Prep the flatbed.
32:40We've got 3.5 metres.
32:42The digger's
32:423.5 metres wide.
32:44And roll down
32:45the ramps
32:46ready to load.
32:48Believe me,
32:48when you skid off,
32:49you skid off
32:50and it can be
32:51quite a serious
32:52proposition
32:52to have to sort out.
32:55To move
32:56the mighty machine,
32:57he'll have to
32:58drive it on himself.
33:00He climbs
33:01behind the controls.
33:03first,
33:09he must perfectly
33:10line up the payload's
33:11tracks with the ramps.
33:13By this stage,
33:14you're committed,
33:15really.
33:16If you start adjusting
33:17it on the ramp,
33:17it might slip off.
33:20After setting down
33:22one of the buckets,
33:23he's all set
33:27for the ascent.
33:28We're committed
33:29now.
33:30This is it.
33:36Rolling up
33:37the narrow ramps.
33:40One wrong move
33:42and the iron giant
33:43could slip,
33:45slide,
33:45or tip off.
33:47He's on board,
33:52but not
33:53off duty.
33:56He plants
33:57the first bucket
33:58and swings round
34:00to scoop up
34:01the second.
34:08Equipment
34:09safely stoned.
34:10It's a
34:11trucking
34:12triumph.
34:14It's gone
34:14really well.
34:15I think
34:15it's took
34:15about
34:1635 minutes
34:17to do,
34:18really,
34:19which is
34:19given the
34:20sweeping up
34:21we had to do
34:21to get it
34:22really dust free,
34:24it's not
34:24too bad.
34:26Time to secure
34:27the load
34:27using six chains,
34:30each capable
34:31of holding
34:32ten tons.
34:36I can
34:37declare myself
34:38happy and ready
34:38to crack on.
34:41Alex now
34:42has to travel
34:43over a hundred
34:44miles back
34:45to base.
34:46But the rules
34:47of the road
34:48mean this
34:49large load
34:50needs dropping
34:51off before
34:51a curfew
34:52kicks in
34:53at 6pm.
34:55And with
34:56his wide load,
34:57it's not
34:59something he
35:00can rush
35:00through the
35:01island's
35:02country roads.
35:03This is the
35:04most complex
35:05part of this
35:06journey,
35:07in total,
35:07about four
35:08and a half
35:08miles.
35:09It's a narrow
35:10country lane
35:10where it's
35:11two-way traffic,
35:12there's plenty
35:12of blind corners,
35:14there's plenty
35:14of hedgerows
35:15and walls
35:16that will impinge
35:17onto the
35:17width for the
35:18vehicle.
35:21You see how
35:22close that
35:22were?
35:23Oncoming car,
35:24it just
35:24seemed to
35:25register that
35:26they were going
35:26to bump
35:27into the
35:27lorry.
35:28This lorry
35:29is slightly
35:30over the
35:30white line.
35:31You would
35:32expect the
35:32motorists
35:33to slow
35:34down and
35:35hopefully
35:36not run
35:37into the
35:37big digger
35:38that's
35:38coming the
35:39other way.
35:40Oncoming
35:40traffic is
35:41not his
35:42only worry.
35:43The soft
35:44verges could
35:45end his
35:45journey in a
35:47jiffy.
35:47This is a
35:48countryside,
35:49that's grass.
35:50If I go on
35:50that, the
35:51thing can go
35:51woof and
35:52over, just
35:53like that, and
35:54if the trailer
35:54goes over, the
35:56lorry will
35:56follow it.
35:57Despite the
35:58race to
35:58return home,
36:00Alex must
36:00take it slow
36:01and steady
36:02with his 30
36:03ton load.
36:04The speed
36:04limit for
36:05me is 30
36:05mile an
36:06hour, which
36:06might be
36:07quite frustrating
36:07to the people
36:09behind me.
36:10And when we
36:11come to the
36:12villages, look
36:12here again, the
36:14speed limit in
36:15Wales is 20
36:16mile an
36:16hour, which
36:17to this thing
36:18sometimes feels
36:19like you're
36:19going to hit
36:20stalling speed
36:21or something,
36:22but you just
36:23have to get
36:24your head
36:24around it,
36:24really.
36:27So if you
36:28see that
36:28stone wall,
36:30I'm going
36:30to have to
36:30go into the
36:31opposite carriageway
36:32to get past
36:32that obstacle,
36:33no matter
36:34what, there's
36:35a lorry
36:35coming, it's
36:36a tractor.
36:39After
36:40manoeuvring past
36:41one final
36:42farm vehicle,
36:44Alex makes
36:45it off the
36:45ancient roads
36:46and back
36:48to the
36:48mainland.
36:50We've done
36:51all right,
36:51really, for a
36:52Friday afternoon,
36:53we've done
36:54OK.
36:56Now he can
36:57power along
36:58the A55,
36:59but time
37:00is tight.
37:02As it
37:03happens, we've
37:03got 10
37:04minutes to
37:04get to the
37:05yard and
37:0515 minutes
37:06to the
37:07embargo.
37:07We've
37:08still got
37:08to get
37:08back with
37:08this, and
37:09we've still
37:10got to get
37:10it off and
37:11clean up and
37:11tidy up, ready
37:12for Monday.
37:14So the
37:14day is not
37:15finished yet.
37:17It's a close
37:18call, but the
37:20colossal cargo
37:21cruises to the
37:22finish line, and
37:23Alex can unload
37:24this evening.
37:25one final
37:32precarious trip
37:33down the
37:34ramps, and
37:35his dream
37:36job is
37:37done for
37:38another day.
37:40We got
37:41back inside the
37:42embargo, just.
37:44It's all
37:44clean machine,
37:45it's all ready,
37:45all he needs
37:46is refueling,
37:46he'll be ready
37:47to go straight
37:47back out.
37:48Just want to
37:48tidy up here,
37:49and we're done.
37:50I still was
37:51ready for the
37:51weekend.
37:52Still to
37:57come, Deck
37:58hits the road
37:59in his mega
38:00long loader.
38:01You've just
38:02got to be aware
38:03of everything.
38:04With a mega
38:05long list of
38:06hazards.
38:07Cyclists,
38:08pedestrians,
38:09people on their
38:10mobile phones
38:11with the
38:11earphones in.
38:22In Staffordshire,
38:26HC Wilson
38:26driver Deck
38:27has been
38:28loading a
38:29lengthy crane
38:29girder onto
38:31the back of
38:31his truck for
38:32transport.
38:34He's now
38:34ready to
38:35haul this
38:35exceedingly
38:36long load.
38:39Once he's
38:40freed himself
38:41from his
38:42overalls.
38:43I'll have
38:44to get
38:45some new
38:45ones.
38:49His
38:50journey will
38:50take him
38:51200 miles
38:52east to
38:52the port of
38:53Felixstow,
38:54but along
38:54the way,
38:55he'll face
38:56roundabouts
38:56and road
38:57works.
38:59So this
38:59could be a
39:00tricky trip.
39:03All good
39:03to go,
39:04Deck checks
39:05in with
39:05escort driver
39:06Kevin,
39:07who'll be
39:08with him
39:08for the
39:08ride.
39:09Everything
39:09should be
39:10okay.
39:10The only
39:13thing I'm
39:14worried about
39:14is road
39:15walks at
39:16the 518
39:17getting
39:17round down
39:18that's all.
39:19Did you
39:20want me to
39:20go behind
39:20you for
39:21that bit?
39:22We'll see
39:22what it's
39:23like.
39:23We'll get
39:24on the
39:24way and
39:25everybody's
39:26happy then.
39:31580
39:31horsepower,
39:32pulling a
39:3325-metre,
39:3426-ton
39:36beam.
39:37Now on
39:37its way to
39:38Felixstow,
39:39most of
39:40the journey
39:40will be
39:41on
39:41straight
39:41wide
39:42motorway.
39:43But to
39:43get there,
39:44Deck's
39:45got a
39:45few
39:45challenges
39:46ahead of
39:47him.
39:49Yeah,
39:50go on
39:50Deck,
39:50I'll
39:50hold these
39:51here,
39:51mate.
39:53Driving
39:54it on
39:54the
39:55tingle
39:55carriageway
39:56roads,
39:56where you've
39:57got other
39:57traffic around
39:58you,
39:58where car
39:59drivers
39:59normally
40:00don't
40:01realise
40:02what the
40:02trailer
40:02does.
40:03You've
40:03just got
40:04to be
40:04aware all
40:04the time
40:05of what's
40:05around
40:05you and
40:06the space
40:07around
40:07your
40:07truck.
40:10First
40:13test,
40:15a right
40:15turn into
40:16oncoming
40:17traffic.
40:19Stop the
40:20traffic coming,
40:20mate.
40:21The escort
40:22drivers are a
40:23great help at
40:24times, but a
40:24lot of them are
40:25ex-drivers as
40:25well, so they
40:26know the score,
40:27they know what
40:28they're doing.
40:28the steerable
40:33rear axles on
40:34the trailer
40:35make the
40:3690-degree
40:36turn look
40:37easy.
40:41This is the
40:42desired route
40:43that I was
40:44given, and
40:46you've got to
40:46stick to it
40:48as best you
40:48can.
40:49But even
40:49for a driver
40:50with Dex
40:51experience,
40:52the approaching
40:53roadworks are
40:54a cause for
40:55concern.
40:55This is
40:58where it
40:58is.
40:59There are
41:00cones
41:00everywhere,
41:02hampering the
41:03left turn.
41:05You've got
41:05that island
41:06there in
41:08the middle,
41:09you've got
41:09the traffic
41:10light here,
41:11so you don't
41:11want to be
41:12too close to
41:13this edge,
41:13because you'll
41:14end up taking
41:15that traffic
41:15light out,
41:16because when
41:16you turn
41:17tight like
41:17this,
41:19the trailer
41:19is going
41:20to go
41:21out.
41:25So, you
41:29want to be
41:30wary of
41:31that, and
41:32get it
41:33pretty close
41:35to the
41:35cones, kick
41:37it round
41:37now, and
41:39we should
41:40be...
41:41OK.
41:45Here we go.
41:46All his
41:49years on
41:50the road
41:50show their
41:51worth.
41:52Deck
41:52takes it
41:53in his
41:53stride, and
41:55not a single
41:55cone is
41:56crushed.
41:57The more
41:57experience you
41:58have, the
42:00more tight
42:01situations that
42:02sometimes you
42:02get in could
42:03benefit you at
42:04the end of
42:04the day, and
42:05we didn't
42:06hit any
42:06cones, and
42:07we didn't
42:07knock any
42:08traffic lights
42:08over, or
42:09anything like
42:10that, so
42:10that's good.
42:12And then,
42:13just a few
42:14miles further
42:14down the
42:15road,
42:16completing
42:17Deck's full
42:17house of
42:18road
42:18nuisances.
42:20The town
42:21centre, single
42:22lane, showcase.
42:25See, this is
42:26the sort of
42:27thing where, I
42:28mean, we are
42:28on the
42:29designated route,
42:31but then
42:31you encounter
42:32stuff like
42:33this.
42:35These definitely
42:35weren't here
42:36this morning.
42:39That wasn't
42:40there this
42:41morning, because
42:41before he
42:42came to me, he
42:42came down and
42:43had a look at
42:44all this.
42:45So you've
42:45now got
42:46traffic lights
42:48with cones
42:48in a van,
42:49and it's
42:49got a sharp
42:50chicane at
42:51the beginning
42:52of it.
42:55So, but we
42:58will have to
42:58try and
42:58negotiate it
42:59the best you
43:00can.
43:00Kevin, in the
43:05escort van up
43:06ahead, will
43:07clear the
43:08way.
43:09Oh, he's
43:09pushing it in,
43:10so.
43:11Come on, Kevin.
43:14It's just, again,
43:15it's just getting
43:15yourself in the
43:16right position
43:17to get through in
43:19the fast place.
43:21Deck squeezes
43:22through the
43:22chicane, with
43:23just inches to
43:24spare.
43:29But finally, the
43:31urban stretch
43:32over.
43:33Deck reaches the
43:34safety of the
43:35motorway.
43:39OK, well done.
43:41Yeah, mate.
43:44So that was all
43:45that done, then.
43:46Hey, hey.
43:47That weren't too
43:48bad.
43:49That went pretty
43:50well, really.
43:54We didn't hit
43:55anything, and we
43:56didn't knock
43:56anything over, so
43:57that's always a
43:57good thing.
43:58Which is a result
43:59in anyone's
44:01buck.
44:04And now we're
44:05on the motorway.
44:06We're playing
44:07sailing now all
44:08the way to
44:08Felixstowe.
44:09Where Deck
44:10couldn't wave
44:11bon voyage to
44:12the beam.
44:13And another
44:14job well
44:15done.
44:20We're
44:25working
44:25on the
44:28wallp espaço
44:29Right.
44:30We're
44:30aging.
44:32You
44:43are
44:45not
44:45right.
44:47You
44:47don't
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