0600 hours and we are arrive outside the Santa Maria entrance at Monza circuit. My friend jumps down from the truck and pushes the button to alert the security. After a few minutes, the gate slides open and we drive on through to where the truck is parked. Bags are loaded up into the cab and the truck is started. The long winded process of loading our digital tachograph cards into the tacho begins. Why this electronic piece of shit has been approved for standard fitment in trucks is beyond me. It is a slow, and sometimes, very complicated process to ensure that you select the correct information to be recorded on your digicard. Whoever sanctioned this is an idiot. We have a Siemens unit. They are also made by Actia and Stonebridge, but they all use the same useless interface.
As we start to move, a figure runs towards us. It,s one of the other teams truckies and he needs some directions to get out of the circuit. Most people use the Verdana entrance when they arrive and do not even know about the Santa Maria. The Verdana is only in use in the daytime. I have to do my usual hand waving and speaking slowly as I do not speak Hungarian.
Some teams have gone back to their bases through the Mont Blanc Tunnel or Frejus Tunnel, depending on their location in Europe. We go a different way and thankfully, we hit the Autostrada before the morning traffic rush and head back towards the Brenner Pass. As we turn on to the Autostrada del Brennero, we see the first road sign that tells us that trucks are not allowed to overtake. These are new signs and now it means that you cannot overtake for the next 367km. This overtaking ban goes right the way into Austria. I can see why it exists but not for 367km.
Its enough to make you SCREAM !!!!.
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| No overtaking |
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At least the weather is better than last time and some of the snow has melted making for some beautiful scenery. People work hard to pay to come on holiday and see this but we get paid to drive through it. NICE.
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| View across the south Tirol |
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| Brenner Toll |
As we go further into Austria and then Germany, the sky becomes grey, the sunshine disappears but at least we can now overtake. We have to go back to Dusseldorf to have the brakes on the trailer overhauled and repaired. Trying to find a hotel is proving to be difficult. The Autobahn hotels have rooms available but there is absolutely no place to park. Finally, we remember a hotel just before Limburg and we park up at a place that I have named "Hamburger Hill" due to its location and a big 20 metre high, McDonalds restaurant sign.
ToJa trucks in Neukirchen-Vluyn welcome us the following day with hot coffee and the promise of a quick repair .
http://www.toja-nfz.de/
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| Wheel hub |
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| Very expensive brake parts |
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| Trailer suspension airbag |
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| Brake drum |
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| In the pit underneath the trailer |
All brake problems resolved and its on up to Rotterdam though some very heavy Dutch traffic. The next race is in Spain so the truck will be unloaded and then reloaded with everything needed for the next few races and will be going straight from one race to the next for the next month or so. This helps keep our companies costs down and gives us, the drivers, a break.
