- 5 weeks ago
Rookie Truckers Season 1 Episode 1
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Short filmTranscript
00:02G'day, I'm Steve Graham. I've spent my life driving trucks across Australia.
00:10Bloody pain in the arse, Camel.
00:14It's a tough job. This is a bastard of a bit of road.
00:18Now, we've got a big problem in the industry.
00:21Aussie Trucking is at a crisis point.
00:2426,000 drivers are needed to fill a huge labour market gap.
00:28Australia relies on us.
00:30Supermarket shelves will be stripped bare.
00:33They need our trucks.
00:35But now, after decades behind the wheel, a generation of drivers is about to retire.
00:43We have a massive crisis, a driver shortage.
00:47So me and my mates are going to do what we can to pass the torch and get the next
00:51generation ready.
00:52He reckons he wants to be thrown in the deep end, I'm throwing him in at 100 miles an hour.
00:56I think I have a problem.
01:01Living the dream.
01:02This is so bloody stressful.
01:04Come on buttercup, you'll be alright.
01:06I have faith in you.
01:08If the trucks stop, the nation stops.
01:23I've been driving these bangers here for 55 years, something like that.
01:33I'm getting up to 10 million kilometres, the equivalent of 10 times to the moon and back.
01:40I've got a couple of good mates coming in today.
01:43My name's Sludge and I'm 57.
01:49I've done everything.
01:51Dangerous goods, fuel, out in no man's land.
01:55It's a tough job.
01:58My name is Glen Yogi Kendall and I'm 48.
02:05I've been trucking for about 27 years.
02:09I've done general, I've done overnight, I've done parcel freight.
02:14I can go from anywhere in Australia to anywhere in Australia.
02:18It takes a very special type of person to become a distance truck prop.
02:22I'm going to ask them to give me a hand.
02:24Good to see you fellas, good to see you.
02:27Yogi, good to see you mate after all this time.
02:30Well fellas, there's a real problem in our industry.
02:34There's not enough new truckies stepping up to the plate.
02:36There's a lot of jobs and no one to fill the job.
02:39You know, we're responsible for making sure that supermarket shelves are full.
02:43That hospitals have got the equipment that they need.
02:45Everything comes on a truck.
02:47Third biggest industry in Australia.
02:48Yeah.
02:49We need people to step up and fill the gaps.
02:51Between our three brains, there's so much swimming around in the head there.
02:54We've got a lot of knowledge.
02:55Let's share it with some people.
02:58I've contacted a few rookies who want to give it a fair go.
03:01We need to go and instill a bit of knowledge.
03:03Yeah, spend a bit of time with them.
03:04Spend a bit of time.
03:05Let's get these rookies ready for Australian roads.
03:07Some of the harshest environments in the world.
03:09Yep.
03:10We will have them on Australian roads, doing it the right way.
03:13I'm pleased to have you on the team.
03:15Let's pass it on fellas.
03:26Well I just finished a job up in Broome and I'm on my way south home.
03:30But I'm coming up to Mount Magnet and there's a rookie I've got my eye on that's going to be
03:35in Magnet this afternoon.
03:36A young fellow out of Ireland, Eric Scully.
03:38Eric's been here in Australia under a year and he's worked his way into quad road trains already.
03:45You know in Western Australia, iron ore mining is worth about a hundred and forty billion dollars a year.
03:51And there's big money to be made driving the quads that carry it.
03:54We're talking four trailer road trains, two hundred tons and plus.
04:05I know that Eric's a bit of a snap happy character.
04:08I don't agree like getting out on social media.
04:13I don't know what to tell you.
04:16The animals in Australia are f***ing stupid.
04:20Why?
04:21I swear to God, look at the mountainous chicken thing.
04:26As he fell out of that...
04:28Jesus Christ.
04:30Oh you f***ing bastard.
04:41I'm going to go and have a chat with him.
04:43He's got one of the biggest rigs around.
04:46Two hundred plus tons, ninety eight wheels on the road.
04:49I've got to be happy in my mind that he's not a loose cannon out there rattling around on our
04:55highways with that sort of gear.
05:01Eric.
05:03Hi. Nice to meet you.
05:04Good to meet you in person mate.
05:06Very good.
05:06Yeah.
05:07So having fun on social media gave me some impressions in my mind that I just wanted to straighten out
05:13with you.
05:13I hope that's not the real Eric.
05:15Oh God, no.
05:16You pick your moments.
05:18You think you're the king of the road and you think you know it from being back home.
05:21You get humbled when you come out here because you don't know anything.
05:24Well, I'm really pleased to hear about that because we don't want loose cannons running around in quads.
05:29No.
05:30Coming from a nice little green country like Ireland, how do you like the vastness of the Australian outback, mate?
05:37How are you handling that?
05:38Being alone in essentially a box, it's something that you definitely have to build your mental strength out there.
05:47One thing that I suppose always gets me through my days, I'm forever on FaceTime with my mother.
05:56I'm never afraid to pick up the phone.
05:59Good on you, mate.
06:02That's a big part of it, being out here on country.
06:05Yeah.
06:06That's why I'm annoying you and mentoring you.
06:08Absolutely.
06:09To try and give you some advice so that you're out there in the public domain with the rest of
06:14us.
06:14Yep.
06:14And we're all mixing it up safely.
06:16It's been an absolute pleasure.
06:17Take care of yourself out there, alright?
06:19Thank you very much. You too.
06:19I'm very upbeat.
06:21Under that outgoing extrovert exterior, there's a sensible, responsible, deep thinking driver in there.
06:31There's a good bloke in there.
06:46First day in the superquad.
06:48First time I've ever pulled one, so, yeah, it's a massive step up for me.
06:53For the likes of Steve to turn around and say, yeah, nah, you're a good buck.
06:57Keep the wheels turning, it's a really good feeling.
07:00I mean, he's an absolute icon for anybody who loves trucks.
07:04So, yeah, for him to give me the AOK, it meant an awful lot.
07:09You know, I reckon Eric's got all the qualities that we need in a rookie.
07:13He hasn't got the experience yet.
07:15My big worry is, I wonder how he's going to go out there on his own with the isolation.
07:21He's got to be on his game, that boy.
07:23I'll call him later, check on how he's going.
07:27But, I'm going to leave him to it and get this load home.
07:32Checking your tires.
07:34If they're silent, that's when you've got a problem.
07:38It will eventually just go bang and rip the whole lot around it off.
07:46Pretty much ready to roll out?
07:48Oh, yeah, one more thing.
07:49We would not possibly go without giving her the cross to keep me safe.
07:53This is holy water from Nock, back home in Ireland.
07:57Renowned for being really holy stuff.
07:59Powerful.
08:00If it was alcohol, it would be like vodka.
08:03My mother sent it out to me and she made me promise to bless my truck.
08:06Did you bless the truck?
08:07I did, ma'am.
08:08I did.
08:09She's blessed from head to toe.
08:11The Pope would be proud of me.
08:12Hopefully we won't have any problems on our trip.
08:21Hello, here we go.
08:22First time driving the quad.
08:31Yeah, super quad rolling out there from the servo.
08:38It's a long truck.
08:40I nearly need my doculars to see the back of it.
08:45Time to hit the outback.
08:51Eric will drive 380 kilometers from Mount Magnet to pick up iron ore at Waluna.
08:58Then it's 530 kilometers to drop it off in Kalgoorlie
09:03before returning to Waluna to repeat the journey.
09:07It's a total of almost two and a half thousand kilometers,
09:11taking four brutal 15 hour days.
09:20I got a cheese line.
09:22It is twice the size of anything I've ever driven.
09:26That's in weight, length, axles, tires, you name it.
09:30It's twice the size at least.
09:34In the UK, the biggest trucks are 18.55 meters long.
09:39In the USA, 24.4 meters.
09:43Western Australian quad combination trucks are 60 meters long
09:48and carry 200 tons fully loaded.
09:53It feels empowering to be on the road with a super quad.
09:56The longest combination you'll see on a public road in the world.
09:59To be heading for the mine pulling something like this.
10:04It's definitely something I'm proud to be doing.
10:12You've got four trailers behind you, swaying.
10:19One thing I was told when it's from road trains is,
10:22your mirrors are for when you're going backwards.
10:24When you're going forwards, don't look at them.
10:27Because all you'll do is you'll give yourself anxiety.
10:29Because you'll watch those trailers bounce and sway.
10:33The more that happens, the more you try and correct it,
10:35and the more you're actually making them bounce and sway.
10:48Copy the oversize.
10:51When you get a clear straight, let me know and I'll try and come around.
10:55So that's a five meter long load.
10:58But the trailer itself is four meters wide.
11:02I want a dead straight run that I can see for at least a kilometer coming up the road.
11:08So that I have a chance to get every single part of this truck around him and in,
11:13without putting myself under any pressure.
11:15As you get to the right hand lane, might take 30 seconds to a minute.
11:20I don't know, but it feels like a long time.
11:22Here's a prime example of what you want to avoid.
11:25So there's a cow on the side of the road.
11:27They are like, oh man, there's a flock of them.
11:30Every one of those guys there are liable to run out in front of me.
11:39That's a big unit.
11:42Although, boys, whenever you're ready, you just give me the heads up and I'll come around.
11:47All right, I'll hold them in. You're good, incoming.
11:53This is definitely one of the more challenging aspects of the job.
11:57You're going after the squad, bud.
12:00Right-o, I'll start winding her up.
12:02Take it in performance mode.
12:04Just so I have every bit of beans to get the speed up and get past him as quick as
12:09I can.
12:12Right-o, I'm gonna put her in the right hand lane there now and come around.
12:25This is definitely not where you want to be.
12:29A bend, up the road, man.
12:31Yeah, man, I'm not going for this one on the bend.
12:33Not a hope. I'm gonna just pull in behind you, right?
12:36Keep it going, mate. Keep it going, man.
13:04Keep it going, man.
13:06Beautiful way out here.
13:07My name is Shelley Roseby.
13:09I'm 40 and I'm from Gunnedah, New South Wales.
13:16I live here with my husband, Matt, and our beautiful children, Sam, Harriet, Tilly and Gigi.
13:22We've got a cropping and livestock farm.
13:24We have beef cattle.
13:26But I'm a PE teacher and primary school teacher by trade.
13:30That's where I've spent the majority of my time.
13:33I've got a lot of history in the family with trucking.
13:36I remember being in the truck from a baby and it was always a happy place.
13:40That's the dream. Go full-time truck driving.
13:43Hello!
13:44How are you? Lovely to meet you.
13:46So I hear you want to sort of start your own transport company and get bigger and better.
13:50That's the plan. So hopefully this will be the first baby.
13:53And then we'll go onwards and upwards from there.
13:57With our own farming and having to pay for haulage of our grain,
14:01it was becoming too much of an expense and something that we had to eliminate.
14:04And the only way we could do that is by buying a truck.
14:07We've purchased it for $40,000.
14:10It was probably the most stress that we've ever felt financially as a family.
14:14But we had to take that leap and risk it.
14:17So the goal now is to actually make money from the truck.
14:20She's got to get it viable.
14:21She's got to get her license up and get two trailers on the thing and start making some serious money
14:26and pay the truck off and make it all work.
14:31Shelly's licensed to drive a heavy combination vehicle.
14:35A truck with a trailer connected by a pivot joint.
14:39With Sludge's guidance, she's aiming for the highest class of heavy vehicle license in Australia.
14:46A multi combination or MC, which would allow her to drive B doubles and triples.
14:54For a fuel efficiency, it just doesn't make sense to be running one trailer.
14:57We get paid per tonne over here, so I really have to step it up.
15:01And that's the big goal, the big need to get the MC license out in the same truck.
15:05That's the next step.
15:05That's the next step.
15:06Two trailers.
15:07Two trailers.
15:07You've got some time to teach me?
15:08So have you done some backing and stuff?
15:10With two trailers?
15:11Yeah.
15:11No, I've never even driven with two trailers.
15:13Oh my God.
15:14So that's, well that's in a time.
15:16I heard you're a good teacher.
15:17I'm a good teacher, don't I?
15:19So I hear you've got a big job coming up tomorrow.
15:21I've got a couple of firsts to sort of tick off, so going and picking up some hay.
15:26And my sisters are actually coming over, they'll be in trucks as well.
15:30So we're going to run that over the mountain to mum and dads.
15:33I haven't carted a full load of hay on a semi before.
15:37The hay is a shit of a thing.
15:38The hay just jumps off.
15:40Yeah, no, it's pretty nerve-wracking.
15:42It's a bit daunting.
15:43Very daunting.
15:44And especially, you know, you haven't been driving that long.
15:46No.
15:46Even though it's tied on, hay's still a shit of a load that can move and slide.
15:50So she's got to be super smooth and gentle.
15:54Oh, here we go.
15:56Here we go.
15:57I've got a little test that I want to play on her.
16:00So I'm going to fill a drum up with water and put it on the back of her truck
16:03and get her to take me for a bit of a run.
16:05And she's not allowed to spill the water.
16:07I'm going to give her shit if she spills the water.
16:12So when we get up here, the shed, we're going to do a lap around the shed.
16:23Oh, I can see it coming out the top.
16:27Oh shit.
16:28Oh shit.
16:30Oh, not smooth.
16:32That's the problem.
16:32Hello.
16:33Yeah.
16:34Wow.
16:35There's a hail fall off if you're not smooth.
16:38Rookie error.
16:40Broke before you get to corners and drive around the corner.
16:43You don't break halfway around the corner.
16:46Gently.
16:52Hey, Angel.
16:56Shelly's truck has a notoriously complicated gearbox.
17:00An 18 speed Eaton Fuller Road Ranger.
17:04With a splitter button and a range button.
17:06The gear shifter is used in complex combinations to shift between gears, high and low range,
17:14and bottom, middle and top gearboxes.
17:20If you are gearing down and you do cock it up, jump to a three in one hit.
17:27Don't try and go to the one you're going to.
17:29Bypass it and do two.
17:33Wow.
17:34Well done.
17:40Stop.
17:41Oh.
17:42Yes.
17:47God, there's water coming out of it.
17:49That is not nice.
17:51Yeah.
17:53But at least I know you can actually use the brakes.
17:55You did well.
17:56Is it still upright?
17:57I don't know.
18:01How did we go?
18:03Oh, there you go.
18:04It's got a measuring thing on it.
18:06Ninety.
18:06So you've lost 20.
18:09What was the worst part?
18:11But I reckon the drum slipped on the floor.
18:13That might have been going around that corner fast.
18:16I'd prefer not to lose any probably.
18:18There's room for improvement.
18:20But I am surprised.
18:21It's better than what I thought.
18:23I was shitting myself about it.
18:30The hay run is for Shelley's parents who need it trucked to their farm.
18:35But it'll be a severe test.
18:40It will take her along some of New South Wales' most treacherous roads.
18:47From Gunnedah, she's taking on the Oxley Highway, 380 kilometres to her parents' farm in Kempsey.
18:57Up the steep pass at Moonby.
18:59And along the dangerous, narrow, winding roads that cross the Great Dividing Range.
19:06I've never driven that road with a semi full of hay.
19:11So that's going to be a huge learning curve and a challenge I'm petrified about.
19:15The load she's taking over this road is a tough ask for any trucker,
19:20let alone a rookie that's never done one before.
19:22So it's going to be a big push for her.
19:26I've got three sisters and we've always grown up really close.
19:29And still, even though we're a few hundred kilometres apart,
19:33we speak to each other every day.
19:34Hello. Nice to meet you.
19:36I'll have a truck and we'll be all going in convoy.
19:40It gives me more confidence doing it when I have them with me.
19:44Four sisters that drive trucks.
19:46That's a bit of a handful.
19:47It's what we do.
19:48We've got a farm.
19:49Yep.
19:50So we use the trucks to cart the cattle, to cart the hay.
19:53Yeah, it's not really an optimal time to get the hay given the weather,
19:56but we've had flooding over it on the coast.
19:59So we need to supplement feed the cows until the grass comes back.
20:04Yeah, but everyone's still got to be fed, don't they?
20:06Yeah, they do. They do.
20:07That's the trouble.
20:16Yeah, keep coming a bit.
20:19That'll do. Stop there.
20:22Oh, shit.
20:24It's a big load of hay, even for a person like me.
20:27Like, I'd be very careful with that load of hay.
20:30That's a pretty big effort for a first run.
20:33It's too much.
20:34The girls are worried that it's too big a load.
20:37Going out through the mountain pass is what they're concerned about.
20:41Being a rookie, she is green, she is learning, so we don't want anything stupid to happen first time out.
20:49You're the driver.
20:50You're the driver.
20:50Mate, you're cool.
20:51What do you want to do?
20:53Do you think it will unsettle the load too much to take off the top layer?
20:57Yep.
20:58If we can get a top layer off it, it'll make no difference.
21:02Right.
21:03Let's look at taking a layer off.
21:04Right.
21:04Let's go and see if we can get one off.
21:06Yes.
21:07So the tool's been made now to unload the top layer.
21:11That's it.
21:12Real slow.
21:15Stop.
21:24Rooking trucking.
21:25We'll get it right.
21:27This is just as well I decided to stay and give her a little hand today.
21:39I reckon that's alright, eh?
21:41Let's get it back in the shin.
21:48Wrong way.
21:52Other way.
21:53Straighten your truck up.
21:55Just straight now.
21:56Straighten your wheel.
21:58Whoa!
22:00Go forward.
22:01She has to move.
22:02Go forward and come over.
22:08I can't get a f***ing gear.
22:10Go forward and you need to move the back of the trailer over to your right.
22:15Forward.
22:16Alright, swing your truck over to the left.
22:20Righto, stop there.
22:23Okay, now come back in and put the left hand down.
22:27And that'll move the trailer over to the right.
22:30Bit more harder.
22:35Straighten up.
22:36Now straighten up.
22:36Slow down.
22:38Chase your trailer.
22:40Chase your trailer with the truck.
22:41Chase.
22:42Stop.
22:43Stop.
22:49F***.
22:50That's a big unit.
22:51The trailer is four metres wide.
22:57Yeah, man.
22:57I'm not going for this one on the Benz.
22:59Not at home.
22:59Keep it going, man.
23:01There's a power up front, mate.
23:03Power up there.
23:04We'll start everything down for you.
23:05Alright.
23:06Oh, no problem.
23:06I appreciate that, boys.
23:09Still clear up the front.
23:11We're all ready to get them going.
23:14I'm gonna pay you down.
23:16This is definitely not where you want to be.
23:21Safe you Hail Marys.
23:28Don't f***ing look in the mirrors.
23:36Alright.
23:42I'm gonna pull me heavily.
23:44Oh, lads.
23:45No.
23:48I don't ever want to do that again.
23:51Ha.
23:52That's it.
23:53That is one of those situations where you get a cold shipper down your spine.
23:59You're not going to see something like that in Ireland.
24:01But yeah, to have something five metres wide just barrelling down the road that you have
24:06to just deal with, it's not something that happens.
24:10The dump trucks that'll be that size.
24:12If you were to put one of those in Ireland and fill up the bucket, so we'd have no country
24:16left, we'd be swimming.
24:26I'd better check in with Eric and see how he's going, I think.
24:35Steve, how are you getting on?
24:36Not bad, Eric.
24:37What about you, mate?
24:38I had to get around a five metre wide oversize.
24:42That was a challenge definitely with the size of a yoke that I am.
24:47And to be fair, I didn't realise that there was a pilot up the road.
24:50I actually thought I was communicating with the driver.
24:52I do understand mistakes will be made and we've just got to learn from them.
24:57Establish who you're talking to and then go.
24:59That's it, yeah.
25:00Just keep an eye on your fatigue, you know, you're out there by yourself.
25:05Yeah.
25:05Well, that can get you down a bit if you let it get hold of you.
25:08Yeah.
25:09But I just have to, I suppose, keep reminding myself that what I'm doing is for me and it's important.
25:15Yeah, I'm pleased you're handling it. You've worked out a way to stay on top of it and you're still
25:22doing it. Good.
25:22No problem, I appreciate it.
25:24Good on you, mate. You take care, aye?
25:26Bye-bye.
25:41You can see as far to the horizon. There's very little to actually look at out here.
25:53You're sat here on your own in a little box with nothing to take your mind off your mind.
26:02So you've no choice but to sit here with yourself and stew, think. So that can play games with your
26:10head.
26:13Effectively, what you're doing is you're gone into solitary. Prisoners don't even go into solitary for as long as you
26:19do.
26:22It's definitely, it's not a job, it's a lifestyle. And it's one that has its downfalls.
26:40We're pretty much here. Just pulling into the mine, so this is where we've got to put the theory into
26:53reality.
26:55It's one thing to put an empty trailer. It's another thing when there's 132 ton of a payload going into
27:03it.
27:03So, yeah, it's been exciting up until now, but this is where it gets real.
27:14When you're going in and out of the line, you want to try and keep the dust to a minimum.
27:20Obviously, we're in the outback, so you kind of can't. Because, well, it's made of dust.
27:33D-C-T-1-4-4-1. D-C-T-1-4-1.
27:43Important, as an Irish book, we are trying to communicate with guys.
27:48Apparently, we're hard to understand. I don't see how. We speak perfectly normally. The rest of the world has the
27:54problem.
27:54But, yeah, slow, steady, 1-4-4-1. And then they hear us. And sometimes they don't. But it's okay.
28:08Because it means I get to talk to somebody other than myself.
28:15Right. That's that. We're here. We're about to get loaded.
28:18Drop the iron on my seat because otherwise I can't reach the controls.
28:21Put it in neutral so that my truck doesn't try to drive off when I rev it up.
28:27And...
28:32Right now, we are being loaded with iron ore in our first trailer.
28:37We are going to get...
28:3917 tons.
28:42So, in total, we're allowed a payload of 132.96 tons.
28:50That's a lot of tons.
28:53Now, we are on to our final trailer.
28:58Soon enough, we'll be rolling out.
29:03But I have already identified a challenge.
29:07The location we've loaded is right at the bottom of the hill.
29:13It's going to be painful to even get this thing moving.
29:17Let alone getting it up the hill.
29:23Do you want to roll back a bit?
29:25You better run up that hill.
29:27Or you'll be alright.
29:29Yeah, no, I'll roll her back.
29:34Quads are not something that's been designed to go backwards.
29:39Yeah, they'll probably do you, man. Just try there.
29:42Again, Irish people aren't exactly designed to drive quads.
29:46So, it's a win-win.
29:50Alright, this is not fun.
29:54Run!
29:57What are you doing, mate?
30:01You need to do it.
30:08Straighten your truck up now.
30:10Straighten your truck.
30:13Slow down.
30:14Ride the clutch a bit, Shell.
30:16Straighten the front wheel up.
30:19Okay, that's it.
30:20Just keep coming back.
30:21Steady.
30:24Righto, steady up.
30:25Ride the clutch a bit.
30:27That'll do it.
30:27Leave it there, please.
30:29Jesus, what sort of trucker are you?
30:32This is so bloody stressful.
30:34Come on, buttercup.
30:35You'll be alright.
30:36Grab this here.
30:37We can get up there to do the tarp, so it's all that matters.
30:40Yep.
30:41We're back on track again.
30:42So, now we're just pulling the tarp down, getting her all tied up nice and neatly.
30:46We don't need anything happening on her first load.
30:48And it is her first load of hay, so it's got to be right.
30:52It's looking good.
30:54I've got a job that I've got to get done.
30:55So, I'll head off now and then I'll get in touch with her tonight or tomorrow and see how she's
31:01gone, just to make sure it's all gone well for her.
31:02Thanks for everything.
31:03Okay.
31:05Thank you for all your help.
31:06Alright.
31:07See you girls.
31:08Safe travels.
31:21To help warn her of approaching hazards on the journey, riding in convoy are Shelley's sisters, Jodie and Amy, and
31:30niece Alyssa.
31:32First challenge, Moonby Range.
31:35From here we'll head up Moonby.
31:41Here we go.
31:42First one's a steep one, so it's a really hard long pull.
31:46It can be so difficult if you don't get the gears right and that's what I'm really dreading.
31:59Come on down.
32:01Keep slipping through the gears, mate.
32:05See now, Sludge told me if I miss it, go to the next one.
32:12Come on.
32:13Come on.
32:13Come on.
32:13And I can miss it again.
32:15Oh, come on, babe.
32:16Work with me.
32:20Ugh.
32:22Right, Rev.
32:23Rev.
32:24Here.
32:28Here we go.
32:31I can't get a gear.
32:32Just keep working through it.
32:40I found third.
32:42You all right?
32:43Just keep it going.
32:45As long as you've got a gear and your temperature's right, you'll be fine.
32:49There's nothing wrong with the gearbox.
32:51It's the driver.
32:53It's a fair bit steeper.
32:59Hey, hey, hey.
33:00Not too hard on her.
33:01Keep your revs down into an appropriate level.
33:08Nearly missed her coming up.
33:13Keep an eye on those gauges.
33:17She's almost there.
33:18Can't you taste the finish line?
33:22And that's Moonby Range.
33:24Accomplished.
33:25Rookie shell.
33:26All done and dusted, mate.
33:28Well done.
33:28My foot is just, like, f***ing shaky.
33:32You were looking for the truck.
33:33My foot is, like...
33:36You know, from nerves.
33:39Ugh.
33:39Little cherry puff there.
33:42Woo!
33:43Holy jelly.
33:48Shelly has no time to celebrate.
33:51Now she has to negotiate the notorious Walker Mountain.
33:57This is the biggest challenge of the day.
34:00The pull over Walker Mountain, there's so many blind corners.
34:06It can be a really dangerous road.
34:08It's unfortunate, but it has killed a lot of people.
34:14Really tight, windy, hilly.
34:16Lot of corners, you're on the wrong side of the road,
34:18getting around the corners with the flat top 45 foot.
34:22Getting over this mountain will be interesting.
34:24And especially, you know, she hasn't done it before.
34:29I am nervous.
34:30Definitely.
34:30100% I'm nervous.
34:32It's a road that I've not driven with such a big load on.
34:38And such a long trailer.
34:40The length of the trailer will really change my course of trajectory around those corners.
34:51Trailer cuts across the corner.
34:53So if I'm not out far enough when I take that corner,
34:56then the trailer will cut across straight behind me.
34:58They're so tight.
35:00Always got to be really vigilant about what's coming the other way.
35:07We've got Joad up ahead.
35:09She'll call anything that's coming around any of those tight corners
35:12that I need to sort of hug the line or get over the other side of the line for.
35:17And then Amy's behind us.
35:19She'll let us know if anything's behind.
35:23Car.
35:24Van.
35:25Van.
35:25Van.
35:26And a link reader and caravan.
35:28Roger.
35:30On a bad, bad corner.
35:35Keep it high, Shell.
35:37Keep it high.
35:38Keep her up, Shell.
35:39Keep her up.
35:48Oh, shit.
35:55That's it.
35:56Keep going.
35:57It's very bloody narrow.
36:01Thanks, mate.
36:03I could see.
36:05I should have been in the gutter.
36:06But look, that's my arrow.
36:10Motorbike coming.
36:12I need that side, boys.
36:14Oh, man, it's careful.
36:16Yeah, you had to readjust then.
36:17Far out.
36:19He was coming very fast.
36:23The challenge of this road really takes over people when they're on their motorbikes.
36:34Craft zone for 40-something kilometres.
36:39Almost hold your breath.
36:41Because I've seen how it ends.
36:46About ten years ago, I was actually driving this road in a car.
36:50And I was the first responder to a motorcycle accident.
36:55And we did CPR for over an hour.
36:58We didn't survive, unfortunately.
37:00And it was really hard to, I guess, walk away from that situation knowing that, you know, he wasn't going
37:13home.
37:13His family were never seeing him again.
37:15And that we were the last people to sort of see him alive.
37:18So...
37:18And, like, I didn't sleep that night.
37:20I was on my way to mum and dad's.
37:22And I remember lying there thinking, you know, that his partner would have been told by then.
37:26And what she would have been going through.
37:28Like, you don't want anyone to sort of think about that.
37:30And what his children would have been going through.
37:35Like, it's really awful.
37:36I just, um...
37:39Tragic.
37:40Really tragic.
37:59What a view.
38:01What a view.
38:03Oh, say it, say it. What a view.
38:05Oh, yeah.
38:06What a view.
38:15It's beautiful, isn't it?
38:22Great feeling knowing that I've come over there and done it for the first time.
38:27If you've got the ability and the skill to get over there and drive that road safely, you can navigate
38:33anything, really.
38:34So, it's good for the next steps that I want to take in regards to getting that next licence.
38:41So, it's really good practice for me and really good experience to get.
38:47Just heading into Kempsey, so we're, um, on the home stretch to deliver this hay, so that's a really good
38:54feeling.
38:54Thanks, girls.
38:55Can't believe we've made it.
38:57You're welcome, mate.
38:58No worries.
38:59You had a great trip over.
39:00You drove really well.
39:01Yeah, mate.
39:02Thanks for stepping up and bringing this load over for us.
39:04It's a fantastic help for us.
39:06Next time, we'll put the extra layer on the top.
39:15It's so good to be here.
39:20Hey, Sludge.
39:21Hello.
39:21How are you?
39:22Yeah, good.
39:22Thanks, mate.
39:23How have you been going?
39:24We've, um, got over the mountain and conquered it.
39:28Oh, beautiful.
39:30Yeah, it was, um...
39:31Did you lose any?
39:32No, didn't lose any.
39:33Oh, well, you've done great.
39:34Congratulations.
39:35Thanks for all your advice yesterday to get us over the mountain today.
39:38Ah, that's all good.
39:40All right.
39:41Have fun.
39:41See ya.
39:42Hooroo.
39:42Bye.
39:44Bye.
39:45Good to share that and have that positive sort of reinforcement that you've done the right
39:50thing and that things went well.
39:54How are ya, babe?
39:56I couldn't be prouder.
39:57She's taken these steps to start her trucking career, um, really by herself and probably
40:03she did better than I had expected because she hasn't had as much driving experience,
40:08especially on that type of road.
40:10But, yeah, I couldn't be prouder.
40:12Yeah, no, it's such a good sense of relief to get it done and dusted.
40:16Yeah, I'm super impressed and super proud that she's actually pulled it off.
40:19It's, it's really good.
40:20It's good to see.
40:22Yeah!
40:26Yeah!
40:35Yeah!
40:39All right, you're in the quad.
40:40Come on, Mike!
40:41You're fully loaded.
40:42Get outta here!
40:49I'll drive over there for you, I'll tell you.
40:52Yeah, show them how to drive it over.
40:55Jesus Christ.
40:58Unbelievable.
41:03Oh, man, I think I might have got something.
41:07Just leave it in that gear and crawl over the top.
41:10Yeah, I will do.
41:13Yeah, we are rolling out.
41:16Just about.
41:19I'm very nearly good for you to get in a moment.
41:23Which is a bit embarrassing.
41:27I'm doing it.
41:29I'm here in Australia, I drive it to be massive ropes.
41:36Would this mean that I can now claim to be the king of the road of Ireland?
42:02I'm here.
42:11I'm here.
42:14I'm here in the road.
42:15So let's just go and do it.
42:19Oh, ****.
42:20That was close.
42:23You got my winged mirrors.
42:25I'm very, very sorry about that, buddy.
42:27****.
42:28****.
42:29****.
42:29****.
42:33I'm here there.
42:34Move, move, move.
42:35Not good on my behalf.
42:39This has been an embarrassing run.
42:41So, bye.
42:42But, eh.
42:43Ah, I'm pointing out.
42:44But, yeah, I can't get any worse.
42:46****.
42:51Problem.
42:54Problem.
42:56Problem.
42:58Welcome to ****.
42:59Superquiet, huh?
43:01We've, um, gotten ourselves into this bit of a mess.
43:04If I keep coming, that triaxle will scrape off the face of that rock.
43:08The very same as the Titanic did the iceberg.
43:12Oh, you don't **** do it to me.
43:15Ah.
43:15So, what's up, Eric?
43:17How was fun?
43:18I ran out of fuel.
43:19Ah, and I thought about an oil and it didn't.
43:22Ah, why?
43:24It is never ending.
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