Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/132138
Right now the salt flat is dry but during the rainy season of the summer months, the nearby Popoo lake floods and covers the flat with a layer of water. In some places the depth can be up to a meter (3 feet). "That is why we build up a supply of salt in Colchani before the rain comes, and load from there. Neither us nor the producers work in the salt flat during the rainy season." Paulino, Edgar and Ivan throw the last few shovels of salt on to the trailer bed. The work has taken a little under three hours. Then they are given a ride back to Colchani by one of the many cars working in the tourism trade in the area. Before Dario heads back, he and his truck are caught in a sand storm. The wind pounds in from the nearby stone deserts and builds up sandy brown clouds on the horizon. The fine dust falls on to the salt flat. Dario sits in his cabin waiting for the storm to calm down. "It usually only lasts no more than an hour, then it exhausts itself," Dario explains. He turns on the radio where a news anchor runs through the local summary in staccato. He is right, the storm passes and in the distance the ominous clouds draw away from the salt flat as Dario starts up his engine. ■ FACT FILE THE COMPANY THE TRUCK Name: Cooperativa de Transporte Pesado Nal. e Inter. "11 de Julio" LTDA Technical data: Volvo FH16 tractor with a Brazilian trailer made by Randon. Intended for long distances and heavy loads, this 2005 truck has a 16.1 liter in-line six-cylinder engine with 610hp and it boasts 2800nm of torque at 1000-1500 rpm. Background: Established 2007 Location: Uyuni, Potosi, Bolivia Number of employees and trucks: 26 employees, 23 trucks, 20 of them Volvo FH Operations: Domestic and international transport of mining equipment and supplies to, and minerals from, the Uyuni area to the neighbouring provinces Oruro and Cochabamba and to Chile. Other: A co-operative assisting the owners and drivers of the trucks with logistics, paperwork and customs declarations. How is it used: Used for transporting borax and sulphur from the mines in the area, and salt from the salt flats both internationally and domestically. A typical assignment takes 14-18 hours. Approximately 43,500 miles. THE AREA PERU La Paz BOLIVIA Sucre Pacific ocean 62 miles Salar de Uyuni IL AZ BR 05-22 14:50 Since the salt accelerates rusting, the work is hard on the trucks. Dario explains that quite a bit of maintenance work is necessary: "After every second trip in the salt we wash the trucks carefully with water. Then we spray them with oil and grease to protect them during the next trips." Every year approximately 28,000 tons of salt is extracted from Salar de Uyuni. The extraction process is simple but labor intensive. The salt, which is moist, is piled up by hand to dry overnight before it is loaded. Suddenly, the endless whiteness is interrupted by silhouettes in the distance. After a while the pyramid shaped piles of salt become more pronounced. Dario stops his truck, climbs down and explains to Edgar, Ivan and Paulino, how the work shall be done. First three piles of salt are to be loaded on one side of the trailer bed, then the truck is turned around and an additional three piles are loaded on the other side. "It is important to load from both sides so that there is no imbalance," Dario explains. He points out into the distance. "In this area the salt is solid enough that there are no problems driving heavy trucks here, but over there it is softer. Over there the trucks can sink into the salt." PA R AG UAY CHILE ARGENTINA DRIVER 'S DIGEST #1/2013 VTM_1_13_US_en.indb 15 DDQ113PG008-19_30-31_Common Pages.indd 15 15 2013-05-22 14:50 5/22/13 10:17 AM