Morocco Part 1

My friend Lambert, has woken up early to take me to the airport. I arrive at Heathrow on a cold English morning, only 5 degree Celsius. Next stop will be Madrid and then a quick change of plane to Valencia. A 15 minute taxi ride later and I am at the circuit to collect our truck. Valencia circuit charges us over 170 euros to leave it in secure parking since the last race. But, it is still a cheap option for us and it is in a safe place. I have to leave the other driver, who will help me take the truck to Morocco, after his luggage gets lost by the airline.
 

parking permit

When I arrive at the circuit,one of the German truckies is sat in his truck, with a very sad face. He arrived a few hours before me but he is going no where as his truck has a flat battery and nobody at the circuit can help. As the trucks have 24 volt electrics, you need to jump start it from another truck. A car will just not do. We connect the jump leads to my truck and a look of relief appears on his face. I joke that he must pay me 50 euros as a recovery fee.
Unfortunately for him, the next morning, he needs my help again. The truck needs yet another jumpstart. But once he starts driving, the alternator will have plenty of time to recharge the batteries.

As I write this, I am still waiting for my 2x50 euros recovery charge !!

Road to Algeciras

Three of the WTCC trucks set off for the port of Algeciras, in southern Spain, which is a 9 hour journey. We have to leave at this time to ensure that we are clear of the Valencia area due to a truck ban on the roads, caused by the Easter holiday. After an hour of driving, my friend gets a call from the airline to say that his bag is now in Valencia. There is no way we can turn back, so arrangements are made to have it sent to Marrakesh. I do offer to give him a new pair of socks as compensation.

Parked up in Algeciras port

We cant use this boat as we are still waiting to clear customs.

We arrive in time to go to the office of our shipping agent who will help us clear Spanish customs. After waiting a few hours, we are told that everything is okay and we will be on the 2100 hours boat to Tangiers. It is 2030 hours now.None of us were expecting to leave tonight and the thought of having to spend the night in the trucks, in Tangier port, is not want we really want. We now have half an hour to get back to the truck parking area and drive into the departure lanes for the ferry. A very old boat awaits us and once on board, we have to complete immigration cards and have our passports checked by the police on the boat.
The whole system for getting a truck from Spain to Morocco is not as simple as making a booking on the internet, or from a ticketing office. It seems that you have to clear customs first, then get issued a ticket to get on the boat, and then you have to wait until there is space for your truck on whichever boat is due to leave next. This means that you could be waiting for up to a day. Depending how many trucks ahve been given a ticket. How the shipping companies can operate like this, I do not know?

It is dark when we finally roll down the loading ramp of the ferry, onto Tangiers Med 2 port area. The truckies are glad that this part of the journey is over. As we need to complete Moroccan customs and the offices are now shut, a night in the trucks is our only choice. And at least the new port area seems better than the old one.
A cool but dry morning in Morocco gives me chance to see what I couldn't see in the dark.

NOW HOW CAN I START TO DESCRIBE TANGIERS MED 2 ????????????

Tangiers Med port

It is certainly big and surrounded by steep hills and at least 3 security fences. It has a few small cafeterias and toilet blocks. The cafes only take Moroccan money,no euros allowed, the menus are only in Arabic, and the toilets have all been stripped of their seats and working mechanisms so you cannot flush them. The toilets are a real last resort unless you absolutely and positively need to use them. I went to four different toilet blocks, both male and female, and not one of them worked !! Maybe it is a good thing that we cannot buy any food.

Need to use the toilet Sir? Forget it.....

Abandoned van in Tangiers port

Plenty of parking space is one thing that Tangier port does have. Even though some of the spaces are occupied by broken down or abandoned vehicles, that the owners have long forgotten about recovering. As for the port security, it is definitely better than the old port. But the approximately 3 metre high fence around the inner port seems to be under constant "attack" by the many groups of children and adults that are desperate to stow away on a truck and be carried over to Spain, hopefully for a better life than they have in their own country. These people will have no passports and will be dealt with as illegal immigrants if they are caught entering Spain. What fate awaits them, I do not know.
These people have already penetrated the outer port fence which is much higher and topped off with barbed wire. The smaller, inner port fence, is definitely not an obstacle for them. They hang around the railway track that runs inside the port and spend their days trying to jump the small fence, while the security men and dog patrols are not looking. We witnessed one "attack" which lasted for 2 hours. People dive under the trucks and play "hide and seek" with the security. Some of them seem to be known by the security staff as we witnessed quite normal conversations taking place through the fence. These people are desperate and we can hear their shouts for food and money.
On our return trip back to Spain, we will be checking under our trucks again, the same as we had to do in the old port.                             

Stowaways inside the parking area, hide from security

Waiting for their chance !!

Port security with potential stowaway behind the fence.

More stowaways are confronted.

I also see a few faces of some "shipping agents" that I remember from my previous races in Morocco and they are not people that I would wish to deal with again. This year, we are using a bigger and more trustworthy company, to help us with the tiresome legalities of customs clearance.  I cannot see what process happens next but I am pretty certain that it does not mean taking your place in a queue and waiting for your turn. I will leave you to make up your own minds of how this is done !
Many calls are made to our shipping agents in Morocco and eventually they arrive to collect our carnets and present them to the customs officials.
How we manage to talk and communicate is quite funny. This group of truckies is made up of 4 different nationalities and languages. Somehow, we all try to speak something and make ourselves understood. We certainly have plenty of time whilst we stand around. Everyone has taken the sensible precaution of bringing some food. This is generously shared amongst us. Our truck has a generator so the microwave oven can be used we can supply the other truckies with tea and coffee while we wait, and wait, and wait, and wait a little bit more. Patience is a virtue !

Our carnets are returned to us.

Early afternoon, and our carnets are returned to us. But for one unlucky team, a clerical error by the Spanish shipping agents means that they are refused customs clearance and must wait until this is sorted out. Another 4 hours, stuck in the port, awaits them. We all feel very sorry for them but can do nothing to help. It is not something that you want good friends to endure, especially through no fault of their own. We say goodbye and have to follow the shipping agents vehicle as we go through 2 checkpoints in the port. These men at the checkpoints, certainly try to  look very "official", but do not really check anything. We continue to follow our agents vehicle while much hand waving is done by these fluorescent jacketed "officials".

Our agent runs towards an "official" in his fluorescent vest while another "official", stands in his box.

I have joked with the other truckies, many times, about what I have called the "Moroccan Wave". The "officials" seem to perform this in a very random manner, using their hands, usually in opposing directions from the other "official" and is very, very confusing. It can involve a simple, small flick of the wrist. Or can be a complete movement of the arm. While one guy waves you in one direction, the other guy will wave you in a totally opposite direction, or signal you to halt. This will continue for a short time before they either agree, disagree, or they get moved aside by a bloody big truck! I would love to make a video of all these "officials" hand movements, piece them all together, put some music to it and post it on Youtube. I am sure it would be a big hit.

The final police checkpoint

Finally we reach a set of big,stone archways. This seems to be the actual Moroccan police checkpoint. I can see no paperwork being shown to him by our shipping agent, only a conversation and we are finally free to leave.
Or so we think !!!!!!

Around the corner and halfway up a hill, an "official" has slowed a line of trucks to a slow crawl for absolutely no reason. Our agent is forced to jump out of his car, run up the road, and then comes back to us and tells us to just drive around him. And guess what the "official" does? He waves us on ! Climbing up the hill, away from the port, our agent stops his car, and we say thank you as we pass him and urge our trucks up an almost never ending hill, up and away from Tangiers Med 2.

The never ending hill as we leave the port

I feel like I have aged 5 years after yet another trip,getting into Morocco. Why does something, that in other countries, that we visit, have to be such a monumental task. All I want to do is do my job. Hopefully helping provide some entertainment that will benefit the country hosting the many races around the world.

The almost 700km drive to Marrakesh is bliss compared to the 0km that I did in the port. I get an SMS from the Hungarian drivers asking me to slow down so that they can catch up with me. The climb up the long hill and the traffic, has meant that they have been left far behind. This is their first time in Morocco and I have helped them from Valencia, through Algeciras port and Tangiers, I do not have to keep them close behind me and I tell them to follow the motorway signs to Rabat, then Casablanca and finally Marrakesh. You do not have to turn off this road at all and if you cant read a road sign, then you need to get a different job.
It is dark when we stop at the last toll booth before Marrakesh and all the trucks are all together again. To reach the circuit on the other side of Marrakesh means that we have to drive through the centre of the town. Big, red signs show that no trucks are allowed through the centre, but we drive on through, past police traffic controls as they DO realise that we are here to entertain their people and a small relaxing of the law is not going to upset anyone.

Motorway maintenance !

Can I have a lift please?

Due to the race being in April, it is my first chance to see the countryside looking so green. On previous trips, it has always been sun baked and not very nice to look. But some things do not change, and that is the many people and animals that you see on the side of the busy motorway. People stand by the side of the road, trying to hitch a ride to where ever whilst the many sheep, horses,donkeys,goats and even cows, help save the Moroccan highways agency money, by keeping the grass nice and short.

Pit road wall signs

The following morning, the trucks are washed and the unloading of equipment starts again. Slowly over the next few days, the activity will increase. Tents and buildings will be put up, and the paddock will start coming to life.
In my mind, I can only think that I still have to make the return journey back to Spain.

I have not included my usual total kilometres travelled by the teams, to get to Morocco. This is due to the fact that many trucks have remained in Spain after the Valencia race. But we are still using up lots and lots of diesel. Ensuring that the many holes in the earths ozone layer continue to expand.
WTCC brings you Real Racing, Real Cars.
And a very good sun tan as well !

Temporary garages take shape

Wednesday morning in the paddock

Wednesday morning in the pit lane

One Way, or Another.

Phone calls that I made yesterday have revealed mixed feelings about the trip to Morocco. And an email today has confirmed this. A first "wave" of trucks have already arrived in Marrakesh. Problems have arisen again, but these are different to what we have experienced in the past.

It seems that we do not have the choice of ferry boats, and sailing times, available as in previous years. One reason seems to be due to the fact that our trailers are so low to the ground and some ferry companies cannot guarantee good access, on and off the boat. I mentioned this is my last blog post.
Also, the new port is handling alot more freight and car traffic but there seems to be a shortage of customs and other officials to deal with this.
One good point is that due to the security at Tangier Med port, there does not seem to be several hundred people walking around offering to wash your truck windows with an oily rag. Sell you food, a toy camel, fez hat or pair of Moroccan slippers. Believe me, when you are constantly getting people knocking on your truck door or windows for 8 hours, it gets very,very annoying.

I have spoken to some truckies in other forms of motorsport and it is a recurring problem with some developing countries. They want to host these different events but they seem to forget about how difficult it can be to enter their countries. I do not expect us to just turn up and NOT follow standard customs procedures but it would be good if the organisers hosting the event would help out in some way. Instead, they spend their time arranging pre race golf tournaments or welcome ceremonies for people who only ever fly in by plane. There just doesn't seem to be any concern for how the teams are meant to transport cars and all the other equipment to the circuits.
The extra money that the teams must pay to attend races like this is huge.

Even when European countries and the Eastern Bloc had quite strict borders, a race truck could normally get across without too much delay as the customs realised what the purpose of your visit was. A smiling and polite Truckie also helped !

The next time you turn on your television, play with your iPhone, eat fruit, etc, etc. I hope that those of you reading this will spare a thought for ALL freight drivers who have to cross borders, in and out of different countries. It takes a lot of knowledge and patience to negotiate the customs "minefield". Without them, the shops and businesses could not function.

 Weitracon are doing their best to help us all and to ensure that we can get through the docks and reach Marrakesh in good time. More trucks are due to make the journey on Tuesday. Myself included.

                                                                  INSHAA,ALLAH

The Road To Spain....and beyond.

The road to Zaragosa

The English sun might be shining, but it is still very cold as we drive towards Portsmouth. The 30 hour ferry crossing to Spain gives me chance to read a book, drink very poor coffee, and as luck would have it, even see a few dolphins as the ferry gets close to Santander. Our destination is Valencia, via an overnight stop in Zaragosa. Every time that we travel along this road, there is either a new bit of motorway that has been built or new petrol stations and service areas have appeared. We invested in a new sat nav(GPS) for the truck, but we are forced to look at a map as the sat nav just does not know where we are !!!!   SO MUCH FOR TECHNOLOGY.


As much as I like Spain, I feel that after the WTCC has raced at Valencia for 7 years,, we need to visit another circuit. It is not a very good circuit for overtaking and I am bored of the hotels and facilities that the teams use, year after year.
Maybe this is just my point of view???


The trucks are washed, parked up, and the paddock gets ready for the weekends entertainment.

         Early morning in Valencia                                       Picture courtesy of PHOTO 4

In my previous Blog post, I mentioned Morocco. And once again, the talk around the paddock is all about how the trip across there will turn out.
I get sent some SMS from an English television company who have just been covering a golf tournament in Morocco. Despite the new Tangier Med port and the extra security around it, it seems that the government officials are still up to their old tricks. They were stuck at the port, waiting to return to Spain for 3 days and it was only after intervention by the staff of the King of Morocco that they were finally allowed to get on a ferry and return to Spain.

This year, the truckies of the WTCC, are combining forces with WEITRACON GmbH & Co. KG.
With Wietracon,s expertise, we hope to beat the system and WIN !!!!!!!!!!

Damage to a trailer

One major issue for most of the truckies will be how to drive the trucks on to the ferry at Algeciras and take them off in Tangier. If a high or low tide coincides with the loading times of the ferries, the ramps leading on to the boats can be at quite a steep angle. Due to the shape and dimensions of the race trucks, we do not have alot of ground clearance at  the back of the trailer. Whether we drive up or down a ramp onto the ferry, the back end of the trailer can touch the ground.

SOMETIMES WITH SOME VERY EXPENSIVE DAMAGE.

Ground clearance is minimal

To stop this, we can raise or lower the air suspension on the trailer and the tractor unit. It helps if we have someone to watch us as we make the slow and cautious journey onto or off the ferry.

A little bit better !

As you can see in the photographs, the back of the trailers are very close to the ground. We can change the height of he trailer by turning a valve, left or right to raise or lower the suspension.

Air suspension control for the tractor unit

We can also do the same with the rear set of wheels on the tractor unit by using the controls situated inside the cab. Using a combination of the 2, we should be able to ensure that the back end of the trailer doesn,t hit the ground. Or prevent the front part of the trailer from contacting the back of the tractor unit when we negotiate the ramp.

Tractor wheels, suspension UP

Tractor wheels, suspension LOWERED

Trailer wheels, suspension UP

Trailer wheels,suspension LOWERED

Ferry wheels

We are lucky as we have another aid to ensure that we do not scrape the underside of the trailer. Our trailer is fitted with a set of "ferry wheels" which will touch the ground before the trailer does.  no other team has these. Hopefully, we will all make it to Morocco without any trailer damage.

Concerning the Eco friendliness of all these vehicles, approximately 31500 kilometres has been travelled by all of the race trucks to get to Valencia. With trucks averaging 3km per litre of diesel, I will let you do the mathematics !!!
The trip has proven relatively trouble free, with only one truck suffering gear selection problems on the way here. This truck will be taken to a local service centre, in the next few days, to be fixed.

Some teams are staying on in Valencia to re-prep the cars before heading to the next race. This is to try to save the cost of returning back to their bases and then driving back down to Algeciras. Other teams will leave their trucks at the circuit and collect them in 7 days time, ready for Morocco.

Morocco.....The Country That Travels Within You.

The title for this blog post comes from the 2012, official slogan, for the Moroccan Tourist Board. I am really not sure what it actually means or how it relates to the experience of Morocco.

With the race on April 15 getting closer, the truckies have been asking questions and trying to make travel arrangements. Mine and the other truckies past experiences of driving in Morocco have been terrible. The old Tangiers port in the centre ville was very unorganised. From the moment that you drove off the ferry, you found yourself stuck in this port of corruption and chaos. You didn,t know who was a port official and who wasn,t. Your paperwork and passport was taken by these people and they just seemed to disappear into the melee. Not knowing where they had gone and how long you would be sat in the port, was just the beginning of your nightmare. And you experienced exactly the same when you returned to Tangier. That was on top of all the other problems that I encountered. I would like to tell you these stories but I do not think it is appropriate to write them down here. But if they happen again, my fingers will be moving, fast and furiously, on this keyboard. I am hoping that, for this years race in Marrakech, things SHOULD be better.

A lovely little map !

Tangiers now has a new port which has recently opened, called Tangier Med 2. It is situated 40km to the east of Tangier. Its actually closer to Ceuta, another Moroccan port. Ceuta has the same bad reputation as the old Tangier port. Whether the old regime of port officials has moved as well, only time will tell. It was not a good advert for Morocco. May be our trip through the port will be as smooth and as quick as a magic carpet ride.

Welcome to the new Tangier Med 2

The drive from Tangiers to Marrakech was actually quite pleasant, except for driving around the ring road of Rabat, which was very slow due to the volume of traffic. The street circuit of Marrakech will also be improved from 2010 with more cranes and better track staff. Its a long and arduous task for the teams to come here and then watch so many laps of a race behind a safety car. Again, I hope that this year will be a better experience for everyone.


I shall remind you all of the following words;

In shaa'Allah ( إن شاء الله‎) is an Arabic term to indicate hope for an event to occur in the future. The phrase translates into English as "God willing" or "If it is God's will"


Or as most of the western world say......................... FINGERS CROSSED !

Dont forget that you can move your cursor on to the pictures, and click on them. This will open up the lightbox and you will be able to view them much better.                                                        

No overtaking.....for 367km

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 !!!!.

No overtaking

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.

View across the south Tirol

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/

Wheel hub

Very expensive brake parts

Trailer suspension airbag

Brake drum

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.

Zen....and the art of wheel washing.

For the truckies who also have the arduous task of looking after the tyres, comes the inevitable job of keeping the wheels clean. Does this help with the speed of the car? Does it stop the mechanics getting their hands even dirtier than they already are? Does it keep the inside of your very expensive tyre warming blankets clean? Or do they do it because they are bored and have no other jobs to do?
NO,NO,NO and NO !!!!!!!!!!
Appearance is everything at this level of motor sport. With television crews and photographers everywhere, a nice shiny car with dirty wheels is just not acceptable. So here is a short guide.

                                                   How do you get this wheel, clean?

The answer is plenty of paddock tap water, elbow grease and some strong cleaner. Some teams opt for the cleaning spray and a rag but this takes even more hard work and is used more as a quick fix. When multiple sets of wheels need attention, the first choice is water.

Water soluble cleaner

 

 

Spray on cleaner

For those teams lucky enough to have silver or black wheels, the cleaning process is a bit easier as these colours will hide the dirt better if the cleaning process is not 100%. For all other colours of wheels, white being a very popular choice, you must clean,clean,clean.
Now that you have decided on how to clean your wheels properly, where are you going to wash them?
The floor is the obvious choice. But squatting down or bending down is hard on the legs you are forced to constantly shift position as each wheel is washed and then moved out of the way before you move on the next one.

Old skool washing

Not good for the knees !

The second option is to use one of the wheels as a stand while you wash the others. This is a little bit easier but is still a flawed method as you may still have to squat or bend down. And when you get to that last wheel, you are back to washing on the floor again!

Better, but not perfect.

The third and most practical and sensible way is to make yourself a wash stand. No more hard work for your legs and back. You can even fit your wash stand with rollers to help spin the wheel when you wash it. Your water is kept in the wash stand so you do not have big puddles of water for the rest of the team or passers by to step through. And the guy washing the wheels can keep a good eye on the ladies walking around and even pose for the odd photograph for the fans.

The only down side to the wash stand approach is that it is one more piece of equipment that has to be packed up and put on the trucks but your body will love you for doing it!!!
So the next time you happen to be walking around a race paddock and see the truckies washing wheels the hard way, you can tell them about Zen, and the art of wheel washing.
Due to current European Health and Safety guidelines. I must warn you of the dangers of exposing your hands to constant wheel washing as I would not want your hands to look like this.........

La dolce vita

It was a very cold start to the day in Monza, but warmed up at 1100 hours. Some trucks had arrived yesterday and were already washed and parked outside their garages. The rest of the teams arrived yesterday evening and today.. The truck wash area in Monza is big, so we do not have teams waiting to use the water taps.This can be very annoying when you have so much other work to do. A peculiar feature here, is that the taps are not above ground. The teams have to lift up metal covers in the tarmac to be able to connect their hosepipes. Walking around the paddock today, I find out that 2 teams had punctures on the trip to Monza and both were on the trailer tyres. Luckily, no damage was done to the trailers. This means that the punctures happened at slow speed otherwise the tyre would have started falling apart and hitting the bodywork as the driver tries to slow down .The race trailers can sustain very expensive damage to the area around the wheels when a puncture happens. The cost to replace the tyre and repair and repaint the trailer bodywork can run into several thousand euros. One unlucky team suffered a blown turbo on the truck engine, but thanks to some very quick repairs, they were able to arrive here with the car and equipment. Teams do not want to be spending so much money just getting to the circuit, especially when they are on a tight budget. Also, having your truck parked up in a busy paddock on the race weekend, with loads of damage, is just not a good advertisement.

It was good to see new teams, new paintwork, new graphics and even some new trucks in the paddock. I have done some "rough" calculations and the total amount of kilometres travelled to Monza by all the race trucks, the tyre support and fuel supply vehicles amounts to approximately 27700 kilometres. And they will do the same amount getting back home.
And I have not included the hospitality trucks or the trucks who carry all of the advertising banners which are positioned around the circuit.
Trying to make race cars environmentally friendly and "green" seems to be a minor problem when you compare it the cost of getting them and everything else to the race track!!!!

 I have also updated the truck requirements for Spain and Germany in my previous post "Its the law", for those who are interested.

I have been talking to most of the truckies today, and with their support, I hope I can keep you informed and interested. Now that the season is getting underway, I will be doing some technical articles about race track facilities that affect them and also some detailed information on the various jobs they do. So bookmark my blog and keep reading it.

Tomorrow, there is a test day for those teams who need it and official testing starts on Saturday.Don't forget to tune in to Eurosport television to watch all the WTCC races live.ENJOY

paddock view

Paddock view

Messing around on the top of a truck

Zero to 14 degrees celsius, in 3 countries and 300km

Cold

Waking up at 0700 hours, our first job today is to see if the truck has got a parking ticket or if we have been clamped. Stopping in Hollendau Autobahn services last night, we noticed that there were signs in the truck parking area, saying we had a maximum waiting time of 2 hours. Admittedly, it has limited parking for only about 20 trucks, but we were left with no choice but to park up and take our obligatory 9 hour break.

Getting colder

THE EUROPEAN UNION RULES AND REGULATIONS STRIKE AGAIN !!!!! And you will keep those lawyers that I mentioned, in my last post, very happy if you do not comply. With no parking problems, its time for a quick breakfast and then head towards the Brenner Pass and push on through to Italy. With Monza only 300 kilometres away, we set off from a very cold Germany. Normally, Monza has been a race that has happened later in the year so we do not have to deal with these sort of temperatures.Unfortunately, as we head towards Austria, the sky is grey and the view is rubbish. We have to get our Austrian truck tax sorted before we go too far and we can fuel up the truck at the same time.

About as cold as it gets

Go Box

Brenner Pass Toll Booths

 We had some problems with our Go Box the last time we were in Austria and got a fine so we are keen to check that we have enough credit on the Go Box in case we have the same problem.The Go box is a small electronic device which attaches to the front windscreen of the truck. As we pass the overhead gantries which are positioned along the Autobahn, it should emit a beep. This sound means that the system has registered you passing a set point on the road and a percentage of your credit is deducted for the distance that you have travelled. These overhead gantries are sometimes fitted with cameras so that the registration plate of the truck can be taken. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.......and it,s more food for those lawyers should you wish to argue. My co-driver starts worrying when the Go Box beeps 4 times as we enter the toll section of the Brenner Pass, as he has never heard it beep so many times before. The 4 beeps means that as we pass through the toll, the charge has not been taken from our Go Box. We are meant to stop and have it checked within 5 hours or 100kilometres, whichever is sooner. According to the instructions, we might have problems again!! Oh dear. It might be a faulty box that we have, so an exchange may be needed. We will put that on the " things to do list". Continuing on up through the snowy mountains, passing ski slopes that run parallel to the road. and the Brenner See which is frozen and covered in snow. The speed is governed not by the speed limit, but by the truck in front of us. For almost 200 kilometres, there is one sign after another saying no overtaking for trucks. It,s eco terrorism at its slowest. I would like to elaborate on this but I will save it for a future post in my blog.

After a long, slow climb upwards, we take a slow descent across the Austrian-Italy border, and are still governed by the no overtaking rule. It gives us ample time to take in the scenery and gradually watch the sun emerge and the outside temperature climb to a much more pleasant, 14 degrees Celsius. This area of the border has changed and moved, many times over the years and you can see from the signs over factories and buildings that they are struggling with their identity and language. Some signs are very Italian and others are Austrian. And the local population probably speak both languages fluently.

Skiing by the road

Sunshine and scenery on the Italian side of the Brenner

Arriving at Monza around 1700 hours, we take a route to the circuit that we know. Italy is renowned for its road signs that point somewhere but take you nowhere. The roadworks have been ongoing for years and we navigate by recognising semi demolished bridges and local landmarks. For such an internationally famous race track, it is remarkably easy to get lost.The roads around the circuit are not really suited for a 16 metre long race truck.Through the gateway to Monza park, and into the tunnel that goes underneath the circuit, we recognise some familiar faces of the WTCC organisers. Some very abusive but not unfriendly words are exchanged with a smile on every ones, faces and  it,s time to park up and go the hotel. A relatively, trouble free journey for us. I hope the readers of this blog are slowly starting to realise that we do not just get in the truck and drive.It bears no comparison to going abroad in your car with a sat nav to guide you on your way. The many different road laws that we have to deal with and knowledge of the route that we take are pivotal to ensuring that the trucks get to their destination safely and trouble free.

Sat on a boat and going nowhere fast

Mind that paintwork

We are finally on our way to the first race of the season at Monza, Italy.  We have travelled on this route, many, many times. An overnight boat from Hull to Rotterdam will be our home for the next 12 hours. The food on board, never seems to change. The fixtures and fittings are getting tired and worn out. The toilet system seems to block up with amazing regularity. And the standing joke is that you are never, ever told an arrival time. It is normally around 0830, give or take a bit hours but the announcement over the ships tannoy system always says "We will arrive on schedule" They never say the exact time. Maybe this is just part of a relaxed Dutch attitude.

Unlike the cross channel ferries, this is not a roll on, roll off. We have to go backwards on this one. Reversing the truck onto the boat takes some concentration as you are leaving the darkness of the port and entering the bowels of the ferry with its very bright lights. Not very easy on the eyes and it is certainly a tight squeeze, as you can see in the picture.

Due to some issues with the brakes on the trailer, we are forced to go via a truck centre in Dusseldorf  for an experienced view of whether or not we can carry on. With over 1100 kilometres to the track and a trip through the mountains, plus the return journey, we need to make safety our prime concern. Not just for us but for all the other people on the roads. An out of control truck does some major damage in an accident.You will certainly feel the full force of the law if you are found guilty of negligence if an accident occurs.


 In the UK, we are now required to take a CPC training course. For the older drivers, we have until 2014 to complete it. Newer drivers should have it all ready This should apply across all EU member states as well.

Certificate of Professional Competence in National And International Road Haulage

 

  To attain a CPC,  candidates must pass or have passed the core module 1. Freight National is achieved after additionally passing modules 2 and 4, or passing modules 1, 2 and 4 together. Freight International is achieved by holding passes in modules 1, 2 and 4 and additionally passing module 6; or, passing modules 1, 2, 4 and 6 together.

                               
                                                                 CONFUSED ?????


This is meant to ensure that all truck drivers are fully conversant with all road laws, tachographs and the amount of hours you can work, basic first aid and a duty of care when driving. This goes back to my point about our situation with the brakes. Ignore the early warning signs and suffer the consequences later. e.g. losing your licence, big fines and possibly a stint in jail.

View from my seat.

In this world of health and safety for everyone, I really think that we are trying to wrap everyone up in cotton wool for protection. Is this making a safer place for us all or are we just keeping the lawyers in business. I think that there might even be some basic human rights issues going on here. Once you pass a recognised driving test, we are then forced to undertake additional training. If you are not trained properly, then the insurance companies will not insure you and then we are back to the lawyers again. But every time we are faced with new rules and regulations, the cost of putting on a race for people to watch, goes up, and up and up !!!

I hope that I have not bored you with my ranting and raving. But its my blog and my thoughts. I think that everyone,s opinion of this will be different. I am sure that in the motor sport business, the teams do their utmost to ensure that their truck drivers are competent, capable and courteous. After all, we are representing the team we work for. And if we behave irresponsibly, the general public and other road users will certainly remember us in our very distinctive vehicles.

It,s the Law !!!

trouble ahead ??

With the start of the season approaching, I thought it would be interesting to compare the costs of keeping these trucks on the road. Not only does it cost thousands to buy, or lease, or rent the trucks and trailers, each country requires that the truck and trailer meets certain safety requirements. This means that they must be taken to a certified workshop where safety checks and routine maintenance take place.

These trucks and trailers are as important to the teams and the fans as the cars and equipment they carry. To buy or lease the tractor unit(that's the front part) costs each team a size able part of their yearly racing budget. Add to that the cost of custom paintwork and graphics and watch your money disappear !! With the trailer units costing upwards of £150000, depending on the fixtures and fittings inside them. You can see why not everyone can afford brand new equipment. Bear that in mind, next time you walk through a race paddock and pass comment about the condition of the trucks and trailers on show. Believe me when I say that every team would like to have the shiniest, most stunning trucks, parked behind their garage. But in the real world, this is not always possible and its down to the truckies to try to make them as pleasing to the eye as possible. We do not have the budgets and workforce of our Formula 1 counterparts. So we try as hard as time and money allow to ensure that teams, promoters and you the fans, can walk between them and admire them. And don't forget, that as you walk around the paddock, try not to rub your bags, umbrellas and anything else that will scratch and mark our paintwork or leave your empty drinks cans,beer glasses, or coffee cups on the nearest available part of the truck. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

And so to a list of all things relating to the LAW. Documentation, chassis, steering,  brakes, electrical, and suspension must all be checked to ensure safe operation. The following is intended as a rough guide.

In the UK, trucks must pay an annual tax to use them on the road. Most race trucks are classed for private use, costing £165 per year. Safety inspections are also needed and as the trucks and trailers are not used on a daily basis and do not incur high mileage, we can get away with an inspection every 13 weeks.

In Hungary you need to pay a one time, weight tax – but not for the main government, just for the local government. The fee is variable, it depends on the local government, more or less £5900. Every year the truck and trailers need a technical inspection.. For the truck it is £108 and for the trailer is £44.Yearly road tax is £688.

 In Italy you must have the truck and trailer inspected every year.£150. Government tax must then be paid for the truck and trailer, yearly. £680 and £320.

In Germany, truck and trailer have a twice yearly inspection called TUV. Government road tax costs approximately £650.

In Spain, the truck and trailer have to be checked and inspected, twice a year and pay a yearly tax of £275.

Obviously, the European Union are not trying to make every country do the same. YET !!!