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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

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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11 comments:

  1. impressive vehicles! long may they serve your efforts. happy drivers, i bet! :)

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  2. Wow, that's a whole lot of truck power. Those things are Huge. Must be fun to drive.

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  3. Those are huge indeed - my kid would have been fascinated when he was younger!

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  4. Wow, that's a lot of truck! And expensive too I'm sure. Everyone looks very happy not least of all the men who get to drive them :-)

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  5. These trucks are enormous ! Must have been a funny moment when they all arrived ! Very nice pictures of you !

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  6. WOW! They are enormous.Good to see them on the video adn you see you adn grant

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  7. WOW! They are enormous.Good to see them on the video and you see you, Grant and the workers.

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  8. Hope you don't have to change the wheels too often!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  9. They are huge trucks, I like the photos of you and Marita posing on and in front of these big trucks.. Have a happy day!

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  10. that is a fine lot of trucks, they are really nice ones and you did a great video of them. my favorite photo is the one of you and your friend standing up on the truck. great shot... i know the drivers will love having new trucks..

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  11. I'm glad they lined up in proper order. :)

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