Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/240655
DRIVER REPORT "When I drive, I feel important and proud of myself. It fills me with satisfaction." ANDR EAS WAHYUDI, TRUCK DR IVER The work also stops in blinding fog and dust. So, when work is possible, everyone works really hard. A Volvo truck at this mine operates round the clock and lasts for as long as 10 years. As the sun rises and the fog lifts, the drivers bend over their white Volvo trucks. The sound of the engines has stopped and music from the drivers' cabs flows between the trucks. One of the drivers has turned up the volume and stretched out, with his legs above the open truck door. The grueling driving at the mine makes tiredness one of the greatest hazards and regular tests are conducted to make sure that no driver is too tired. Andreas drives for 11 hours a day. He admits that it is monotonous, driving the same 18-minute journey day after day. However, this is more than compensated for by the feeling behind the wheel. "When I drive, I feel important and proud of myself. It fills me with satisfaction," he says. Suddenly, he is given the go-ahead and immediately turns on the engine. The sun is already high in the sky above the mine. At the end of the working day, Andreas reverses into his parking space, turns off the engine and jumps out. The moon shines brightly from behind the peaceful clouds, over red piles of soil, the vegetation and the distant blue mountains. Young men in blue shirts and helmets move from the canteen to the trucks, ready to start the night shift. Andreas stands in the moonlight. In Longkali, he was a farmer and truck driver. The opportunity to work and earn money brought him here, together with the chance to develop his skills and make a career. "In the future, when I can afford it, I would like to start my own business in the transport industry, using the experience I have acquired here. Who knows," he says, as a modest smile lights up his face, "one day, I might even buy my own truck." ■ 14 DRIVER 'S DIGEST #1/2014