HEAVY HAULAGE In The Jungle | Full Documentary

the sao manuel hydroelectric power plant in the heart of brazil deep in the amazon rainforest everything the site needs must be transported through a long and arduous route these transformers weigh more than 200 metric tons each they have to travel 4,000 kilometers before reaching its final destination Megatrans workers are experts. Long distances are easy for them. You have to drive very care

full

y. Our tank is

full

. 1200 liters of diesel. We are using four leases for every kilometer. The transport convoy covers most of the route with ease, but the last 100 kilometers are difficult, it is dusty and hot, the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius in the shade, the conditions are unforgiving, the road is dusty and the bridge is old, this is a demanding job for the workers and the cargo but it is also a bonding experience mistakes can be fatal along the way the river is dangerous a fairy transforms into a barge a very risky maneuver nerves of steel are just part of the job but that It's no use when your luck runs out you never know what will happen in the state of Mato Grosso it is a sleepy little town but it has become an important center for

heavy

venues of all kinds.

Alta Floresta is the last town before the rainforest, which means it is on the route to the Salman Well hydroelectric plant. This transformer which has already been in motion for six weeks will be built at the facility. In the

jungle

, the men have traveled 3,500 kilometers since they began a slow journey north to the heart of Brazil. Now is the time to transfer the goods to a new vehicle. The rest of the trip is not suitable for the long tow. Until now, the transportation has ended. paved roads from now on the

jungle

awaits eight megatrans employees have accompanied the load day and night in a dusty parking lot they prepare to recharge the

heavy

transformer they use enormous wooden beams to secure the gigantic machine while the mobile base is dismantled thomas veitman has He has been organizing heavy rooms in Brazil for 30 years.

He knows all the challenges of the job. The trailer when the transformer was loaded on the trailer had 24 axles so now we have to reduce it to 12 axles to continue and that's where we are. Until now, the length of the transport was almost 50 meters long, 24 axles and two trucks, the load alone weighs 200 tons. Weights like this are more common in Brazil, but this transport remains an unusual challenge, the next 100 kilometers will demand everything from the team. The transformer weighs 206 tons. The complicated part of this transportation will be the crossing of the river and the 100 kilometers of dirt roads. 200 kilometers is where things have gone wrong before, so you have to drive very carefully, with hot dust and dry, potholed dirt roads. the journey becomes dangerous at times progress is a matter of centimeters a previous corridor ended in disaster when a sudden rain softened the path then there is the river crossing with more than 200 tons of cargo the current is gentle but what falls into the water is loses the ferry is old and dilapidated its engine is weak it generally transports cars and small trucks since there are no concrete ramps the ferry cannot reach the shore safer making the load even more risky this driver was barely able to save himself from an accident everything else went wrong under heavy aisles like this there are forward transactions, delays cost money, lost cargo costs more money, Thomas Weitman and his mega trans colleagues are professionals, they will leave nothing to chance, the last six weeks have It went well for the team, but the next six days will decide. between success and failure the transporter is still 50 meters long to ensure that the weight of the transformer is distributed optimally to protect the road but the trailer needs to be shortened at 40 degrees Celsius in the shade it is exhausting work the workers have placed heavy wooden beams under the load 12 axles must be removed from the transport work, which will be carried out mainly by hand in the middle, the load is divided into 24 axles by two heavy steel beams, first the beams are separated and then individual axles can be moved normally federal roads we are limited to 12 to 13 metric tons per axle from this city onwards we will be on dirt road so it will not be possible to continue with 24 axles we have a special permit that allows us to make the trailer It is powered by a power pack at the end of the vehicle, the motor generates enough power to lift and move the entire load as long as everything works, but the remote control has failed, meaning the men will have to steer the beast by hand when the time comes.

It is a risky maneuver. We can do some things with the backup device, but it is much better to use the joystick since all the instructions have been programmed. Braking the direction is more difficult to do. With support in this parking lot, men have some wiggle room they can afford. be off by a meter or so, but that will soon change as they move towards the narrow tracks that lead to the ferry space will soon become a rare luxury thomas veitman begins the next day inspecting the vehicle the next 100 kilometers will be the most difficult of the entire trip the breakdowns mean expensive delays on a German highway no vehicle could continue circulating with these tires the last 3,500 kilometers have left their mark in Brazil the show must go on if one breaks down and it is fine, but it should be repaired in some time with this only the rubber casing is damaged, not the mesh underneath, so we can move on. maybe it's five months.

There are eight tires on a road, if one or two are damaged, we can still keep going, right? 96 tires carry a load weighing over 200 tons, very soon we will see that having damaged tires is important after all the work on the trailer continues, the transport train is being shortened from 24 to 12 axles, reducing the length to about 30 meters, anything more would be too much for the narrow tracks and the small ferry. The men loosen the chains and screws that hold the trailers. These cones weigh 15 kilograms, a weight that they must support several times on the trailer. It acts as a harness to ensure that the transformer is never left alone if a part of one shaft is removed and then the other follows all the shafts remain connected to each other precision work with a weight of more than 200 tons the screws have been stuck by oil and dust this is an exhausting job, the sun is hot and there is no shade, the rear part of the trailer has its own engine so it can drive and steer itself, but the remote control is still defective, so the maneuver must be done first from the vehicle itself, the autonomous part is released which will then transport the load slowly the 12 axles move forward now the self-propelled part will allow itself to surround the other transporters once it is in position the truck can remove the other part from under the transformer while a new truck is prepared nearby a really heavy weight that this Kenworth has finished. 1,000 horsepower and thanks to its transmission the power necessary to face steep slopes the axles apply four metric tons of counterweight to the ground if the Kenworth breaks down on the road the mega trans workers have a real problem here there is no backup, this It means that nothing can be left to chance.

A final inspection is carried out before departure. A few more liters of oil in the engine and diesel. Two from here the truck will only travel 100 more kilometers. A full tank is still needed and that takes time. We have two tanks. with 600 liters each, but we will use four liters per kilometer, that is, 400 liters per 100 kilometers, driving carefully after half an hour both tanks are full the kenworth is ready while the final preparations are made in alta floresta thomas veitman inspects The road that leads to the river, he heads to the dirt road in a pickup truck slowly checking for potholes and other difficult areas.

His 30 years of experience in the transportation industry has taught him the importance of being well prepared on this route to the river and, eventually, to the plant through fields and dense forests. Nine bridges await. They are all made of huge tree trunks but they are primitive structures and can be dangerous were built by sight do not have a complex geometry will soon have to support weights of more than 200 tons The bridge is quite basic, so it is made of tree trunks with some boards on top, but Throughout the Kenworth must be impeccably clean and that takes time.

The trailer is almost ready for the important shifting maneuver. The autonomous base is in a ready position to be moved under the transformer the remote control of the engine does not work, which means that the steering must be done manually, which is difficult and imprecise despite the help of a truck, the trailer must manually steering the equipment is reducing the equipment from 24 to 12 axles anything else would be too long for the next 100 kilometers changing the trailer requires caution and a bit of observation: the autonomous trailer is positioned under the transformer from behind, while the truck tow the previous trailer from the front, even if it is stable, the transformer must not be alone with a weight of more than 200 tons a double support is the best option men drive the trailer under the transformer at a snail's pace adriano ferraz is the construction team leader a kind of foreman and intermediary between the office and the team who has been present throughout the two month trip and is preparing for the end, hopefully a positive one coming from canoes in the south.

So far we've only had a few small problems, like bridges and smaller towns, but the heart ready part is Now we reach the dirt track and the ferry crossing, the team is still going at a good pace, the big truck is ready to go. the last section and the transformer is being secured to the trailer. These steel cables will need to support a weight of more than 200 tons along the way. bumpy road ahead adriano ferraz and his right hand man josé Reino distribute the team radios these are vital for communication thomas veitman has driven the first kilometers of the gravel road it looks good and the team is advancing at a good pace i think the Trailers are ready.

We will leave tomorrow morning and begin transportation. The equipment is ready after four days of preparation. The dirt road awaits the next day. The last preparations in the trailer. The men have been carefully divided and every step counts. The men set up a heavy drawbar. at the front of the trailer, where the truck will be hitched, the remote control of the autonomous trailer has been fixed for now, at least now the trailer is pulled out piece by piece between the two steel beams, this is a precision job that José has assumed supervision. from the platform, he's actually long retired, but he still makes occasional exceptions in cases like this, where his expertise is essential.

It is José who notices the power line above his head a meter ahead and an accident with unimaginable consequences would have occurred. A lucky escape is not always serious. Accidents, but sometimes seemingly small incidents that can delay or even derail the project. The workers had forgotten to fix the bars to the transformer, which they are doing now. The bars are there to lift any obstacles that may arise before the truck gets into position. To tow the trailer, an employee lowers the heavy iron cones using a hammer. Because of all its modern technology, sometimes effort is the only option for workers.

The pressure hoses for the hydraulic system are connected. José Reino makes some final arrangements with the driver, later he will sit in it. the vehicle leading the convoy at 10 am local time the team is ready adriano ferraz gives the go-ahead the heavy transport finally sets off during the last meters the men accompany the convoy on foot later in the jungle this will be the rule Rather than the exception, bumps can be smoothed from the vehicle itself, as long as the technology meets the requirements. The first leg of the trip is the road to Paranaita, a small town on the edge of civilization.

The 40 kilometers should take three hours to complete. This is still a wide and manageable asphalt road the bridges here are made of stable steel and concrete and in reasonable condition the cargo has been in motion for almost two months and the mega trans employees have traveled about 3500 kilometers the destination seems to be within a plant in the jungle arrive in just a few days the journey must be complete the heavy corridor convoy moves slowly and effortlessly tackles the steep slopes paranaita the last town before the jungle is today's destination the team is working for now nature without However, it is proving to be less useful while everything is underway the road is going as planned the news from the river is bad the water level drops suddenly duringthe night so the crossing cannot be made the ferry would run aground and get stuck the heavy hall convoy left high forest three hours ago at 20 kilometers per hour hour the truck moves at a fast pace and the next bridge is stable enough to to pass this paved road leads to paranaita a small town in the middle of nowhere after this everything will change thomas weitman is inspecting the route he is one of brazil's most experienced cargo carriers the transport has gone well so far but the level of the river water is low this could pose problems for the ferry which is used here as a barge a heavy transport truck on a small barge thomas veitman is not happy with the route long before starting we analyze everything the ferry is small and already past its best At the moment its capacity is almost the exact weight of the load about 200 tons it will hold around here there are not many options and the margins in the transportation industry are small here every dollar counts we too I thought about dismantling a barge, bringing it here and putting it back together, that would have been too costly during the crossing.

Conditions must be suitable on land and water if the ferry is not properly moored. Disaster calls for this ship that was forced to abandon the shore by the weight. of the truck in low water levels the opposite is possible when you approach it you have to make sure that it is not completely stuck if it is stuck and you want to get out then you won't be able to, that's why we are going to dig a little more dirt to have a little more depth in the river bed. You can give a license to give a direct and flush license.

The heavy transport convoy is moving forward. You have almost reached your destination, the small town of Paranaita, where the paved road ends after 40 kilometers. The 200-ton transport leaves civilization forever. If the rig gets stranded on the narrow dirt roads it will cause big problems for everyone, no one would be able to pass and megatrans is not the only team transporting goods in this wasteland one last check before the team heads to the river yet There is enough space here to park the convoy on the side of the road. It is dusty. Fine sand is also hard on him.

The engine filter. The truck's first oil change before even starting the trip. The leak is part of the deal. The tires are not. In the best conditions they are showing some wear after 3500 kilometers transporting more than 200 tons I checked the tires and we have two punctures a stroke of luck in the middle of nature practically next door there is a tire repair shop with a vehicle that weighs more than 200 tons changing the tires will be complicated but feasible to change the tire you have to lift the axle using a hydraulic system and remove it from below the experts get to work with a small jack and a very large screwdriver with a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and high levels of dust it is hard work a complete tire change is carried out the mega trans team has eight spare parts but then it gets tight an hour later the work is complete here nothing is thrown away the rubber will be repaired and recycled later either in another tire or a piece of furniture the operation cost the team around seven euros the heavy transport equipment is now on its way to the river 50 kilometers along a primitive dirt road the workers travel most of the way on foot they cannot afford the luxury that nothing goes wrong now if the 200 tons of goods start to slide then it is too late the men check the tires and the load and on the axles it can be adjusted to soften any blow at a height of almost 10 meters the load is not Particularly stable if anything starts to move or tilt and there is no one else there to secure the load this bridge is particularly narrow and old it is made of nothing more than a few thick tree trunks and a layer of mud.

Nail-biting minutes for the team, but the bridge resists dangers lurk around every corner, even on a seemingly safe dirt road, this transport did not survive a few months before another transformer on its way to the Sao Manuel hydroelectric plant turned out be a disaster that cost millions the road had not been properly prepared and suddenly it gave way everything was lost here nothing can be rescued the transformer was cut into pieces there is a whole load There is a lot of copper there that can be reused, but it was cut up and removed , so to get the crane there would have needed a thousand ton capacity, thousand thousand ton capacity, prevention rather than damage control, the men must keep going despite the scorching heat the road is getting narrower the bridge is narrower the crew continues on foot guiding the Kenworth and its heavy load through the field ahead the road is being graded the clay road is rock hard and riddled with deep holes that this grader has been addressing worst holes and potholes on the road for the last two days with a huge additional logistical cost for heavy transport, but it's worth it. 30 hours in transport reaches the river.

The first stage is complete, but that was the easy part. The transport has covered more than 3500 kilometers now the 500 meters across the river will decide between success and failure we are happy to have arrived here okay, it is always complicated on a dirt road as you saw there are many narrow bridges to cross a welcome rest for the men The trip was exhausting and tomorrow the team's biggest challenge awaits. The rest of the day is free. Crew members are often together for months at a time, so they know each other well in this close-knit community. The highlight of the jungle is the communal coconuts. meals in a large group are an important part of the day it is almost like being at home it is almost a difficult business and for observers a strange world the sense of humor is particularly unique one morning dionysio biseta found his colleague dead at the wheel the cigarette still in the corner of his mouth hence his nickname each of us has our own nickname you are dead on the shore the team prepares to cross the landing zones hundreds of tons of mud and rocks have to be dredged the width of the river is low which means the ferry could run aground with the heavy load to avoid having to dig up the ground thomas weitman and josé raino are inspecting the riverbank the clock is ticking here is a way out here is where the barge will dock tomorrow for the transformer We will have to dig a little to make the barge fit, he says everything will go as planned, we will see at first glance that the ferry looks like a small rickety boat.

It is primarily used by the few farmers who live in the area, but since the plant was built there has been more traffic on the ferry. It was modified to accommodate heavy freight transportation It is good business for the operators and an expensive necessity for Thomas Weitman Without the modifications this would be the end of the road for heavy transportation It is just a regular car ferry It was modified a year ago so which can withstand heavy loads, the deck was reinforced and inside they installed transverse and side beams, as well as side tanks to improve stability, the ramps were also reinforced, the ship is even more stabilized for transport with these external tanks, but the ferry is still a risky task.

It is small, the terrain is soft, this ship was not built to carry more than 200 tons of cargo, it has been done many times before, but still you have to be very careful as the stability on this ferry is uncertain, we are barely successful or disaster in such small freeboard. The ferry transports more than 200 tons of cargo deep in the Brazilian jungle for the employees of Megatrans. The key moment is approaching and nerves are on edge. There is no room for mistakes. These are the decisive preparations. The team has been trying to the technology works all day the autonomous trailer has caused continuous problems, especially with the important remote control, without it the crossing would not work because the ferry is too short for the entire convoy a heavy 200 ton transformer a huge tractor a truck accompanying it and some smaller vehicles all this must cross the river in the middle of Brazil the ferry has been reinforced especially for the crossing now additional tanks are on deck to increase the buoyancy of the boat despite the pressure of time this is still brazil and these are the toughest guys in the transportation industry they even take into account the chicken and their eggs the weight limit of the ferry is the same as the cargo that needs to cross almost to the kilogram the tanks should provide additional lift if the boat sinks too low mega trans employees bolt heavy tanks to deck a total of four floats should provide more safety we have secured the tanks so the barge doesn't capsize there is no shade here at noon temperatures rise to almost 40 degrees Celsius but there is no more time for breaks an excavator paves the last few meters of the road before the ferry on top of the heavy transport platform starts moving the kenworth will be used as insurance on the other side because The autonomous trailer will probably not withstand the steep slope from the ship alone, the ferry is already sinking under the weight of the truck.

How will it be able to withstand the load that weighs more than 200 tons? The heavy steel cables should prevent the ferry from deviating, which often happens with serious consequences. The first crossing is a success. The ferry carries its load across the river. The men's next task: placing the 200-volt transformer. tons on the autonomous trailer the responsibility now falls to deonicio bisera, who will lead the charge after eight years at megatrans, who has been entrusted with the most difficult tasks so far. The remote control has kept failing, will it finally work as it should? the trailer approaches the bank at a slow pace even the road is complicated and is almost completely straight the load of more than 200 tons approaches the bank now the trailer is in position first to board the barge it is the driving axle and for good reason , as the team will soon discover that the giant is slowly approaching the ferry and suddenly stops, the ship has sunk so far into the water that the stabilizer is rising too high, the men try. use wooden planks, but with a weight of more than 200 tons it is not enough.

The load is only halfway on the ferry and is applying enormous pressure. The shaft barely reaches the deck but makes the boat rise even higher. The captain accelerates fully. the gas to push it requires two men the captain who must push against the pressure of 200 tons with his little fairy and the man with the remote control deonisio bisera alias jamurrell the cargo is trapped the trailer has pushed the ferry to the bottom water that the ramp is too high for the trailer with its weight of more than 200 tons the captain remains firm and stepping on the accelerator deonisio bisera directs the trailer by remote control so far it does not work correctly game of chance, all the axles of the trailer are steered separately by a hydraulic system, allowing it to slide and smooth out bumps almost like a millipede when one axle gives way, the last one is suspended in the air, for now it is enough to place the trailer on the axle of the platform axle the heavy load is now completely on board the ferry the boat can now slowly move towards the opposite shore where modifications await us on the other side we will have to change the drawbar after landing, otherwise the trailer will not be able to disembark the crossing goes well although the boat is very deep in the water the current is gentle also on this side there are problems getting from the boat to the mainland the Kenworth truck is now the life insurance of the team the autonomous trailer would not make it alone the ferry is sunk in the water and it is a slope steep The men shovel dirt between the ramp and the boat placing some boards to help if the trailer gets stuck here or pushes the ferry, it could be a disaster slowly axle by axle the heavy cargo comes ashore megatrans employees replace the bar shot in front the new drawbar is much more stable it needs to carry more than 200 tons uphill then the big kenworth is placed in front of the load the truck pulls the 200 ton load from the the boat with all its strength thomas feitman is relieved I think everything went well there were some small incidents but that was to be expected but in the end everything went well the cargo arrived on board successfully even though the angle at the beginning was quite large and The disembarkation of the barge was totally fine, no There was no problem, the river crossing was just one more step. 70 more kilometers of road and rainforest await the men and their heavy transport.

Progress is slow, sometimes at a snail's pace, narrow bridges cross the path. In this virtually endless wilderness, under scorching heat, the men drive through an area few people have ever seen. The roads on the other side of the river are relatively wide, but the grades are brutal, up to 17, the Kenworth will handle all of this throughof the dust. and the heat has consumed almost 500 liters of diesel in just 100 kilometers. The trip across this extension will take four more days and then the destination will be within reach, so after 53 days the heavy transport convoy reaches its destination at the power plant. salmonella hydroelectric plant with we traveled almost 4,000 kilometers in seven weeks they managed to get there without accidents, that's the main thing, it took a little longer than planned but, as expected, there were some breakdowns and difficulties in finding the right place in the route. ferry, but overall everything is fine, fine, honestly, it will be a few weeks before the transformer is installed and the unloading will take another two full days and then the transport will continue on site.

Experts lift the 200-tonne transformer using hydraulics. the pistons before pulling the trailer out from under the heavy logs secure the transformer now the giant is safe the load has reached its destination for thomas weitman and the experts at mega trans this is a routine job but they can't help but feel a little bit of pride when the turbines finally spin and the plants start supplying power that we have been delivering to these two factories for three years. We have now delivered its transmission line, so we know the important role we have played when the plant finally begins operating in a few months.

The trans employees will have long gone to work on another route that they don't know yet, but they do know that the load will be big and heavy somewhere in the vast expanses of Brazil.