Mwadui Giants

After many months of waiting, several machines of the new fleet,  eventually arrived in Dar es Salaam port. Grant arranged a driver to drive the 1000 km to the city and escort the convoy of vehicles back to Mwadui. Between Christmas and New Year I posted about meeting the drivers when one of these trucks arrived in town. 

Finally the day arrived when the trucks would be commissioned. The invited client arrived at the workshop and joined the company's management and staff. 

Grant welcomed everyone, then Johan explained the afternoon's proceedings 

Johan attached a bottle of champagne to the boom of a crane while the driver lifted it to the required height

We watched ...

...and eventually the bottle was exactly as Johan wanted it!

Johan asked me and Arlen (the client GM) to christen the truck

Whoopee! 

Marita wanted to pose on the truck. I joined her

Arlen, Johan, Ayoop and Grant 

Grant laid on sodas for the workshop staff

Then I lined them up in front of a truck and photographed them

The next morning at 7.45 Johan and crew drove the trucks out of the workshop yard and onto the mine. Once again the Client was invited. Arlen rode in the first truck with Johan; Marita traveled with Poena and three drivers brought the other machines up in the rear. Grant and I awaited them on the mine haul road so that I could video the excursion! 

We followed them into the mine 

Five brand-new trucks ready to be handed over to the drivers

While waiting for the handover, Marita and I posed at the trucks - now on the mine!

Grant's production supervisor, Touro (center), gives a speech before handing over the keys to the first five drivers doing the first shift

Grant, Johan and the team pose in front of the trucks

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