Destination Kabul!

Transcription

Destination Kabul!

Destination Kabul!
Undergo corrupt police
Drive in the desert
Troubleshoot problems autonomously
Dodge the dangers of war
Face polar winter and burning summer
Remain calm in the face of unpredictable officials
…
These are some of the skills required by drivers making the route Rotterdam - Kabul!
... Are them the extreme truckers?
Text Ferdy De Martin
Photos Rynart International
TOPRUN your N°1 Truck website!
On www.TOPRUN.ch, every day we have more than 3000 different visitors coming from all over the world (see orange
dots).
150’000 is the average amount of visitors every month.
Low cost + Interactivity + extremely fast update + world Wide Impact => ADVERTISE on TOPRUN !
Interested? Please contact Ferdy De Martin – ferdy @ toprun .ch
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© Ferdy De Martin 2012 – www.TOPRUN.ch
Why by road?
As several countries in Central Asia, Afghanistan is a landlocked country who dependent on port outside of its borders. By road, there are three main entry points;
 South-west Iran, from the port of Bandar Abbas, you can reach Kabul after passing through the cities of Bam, Mashhad and Kandahar, but the goods for the
US army or NATO can’t transit to through Persia because of the embargo imposed by USA and some European countries.
 Southeastern Pakistan, from the port of Karachi and through the very impressive Khyber Pass. A beautiful area but a real cutthroat held by the Taliban. The
rebel attacks are frequent and drivers carrying supplies for NATO are prime targets.
 The only access from the north is via one of the highest road tunnel in the world, the Salang tunnel. This is the route used since 2010 by the 58 trucks of
 Rynart International, a real logistical challenge of 15,000 km.
Figure 1 - 5 brand new Volvo FH 12 ready for the journey to Afghanistan
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Figure 2- The blue line show the actual route, the orange the shortest route via Iran, the red the connections with the sea.
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A detour of 1,000 km
The grouping of goods is done in Rotterdam, the driver and his truck leave the European community at the border between Poland and Belarus. Avoided by the south, the
Russian capital shows only the crowded peripheral. Further, in the direction of Siberia, the convoy up to the city of Penza crosses the Ural Mountains and the Volga River is
spanned opposite the city of Samara. A long drive on national roads punctuated by police checks and nights in parking TIR secured by armed guards.
The trucks leave Russia to rush into another huge country, Kazakhstan. The route bypasses the Aral Sea from the east and passes through the Baikonur space centre. From
there the road is a thin straight line, dividing in two a totally flat and desert landscape, sustaining 45 ° C in summer and -45 ° C on the worst of the winter. In some places, the
potholes are proportional to the vastness of the panorama.
Figure 3 - The crossing of Russia toward Siberia is not a cakewalk, especially in winter
Figure 4 - - Near the Ural Mountains, trucks imported from the United States are mixed with European
and local brands such as Kamaz or Kraz
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The caterpillar operator that created the issue
During defrost and wet weather, this region becomes a vast morass; heavily loaded convoys will be bogged down to their axles. Few crafty men quickly realized they could make money by negotiating to extract the
truck from the mud, with their caterpillars from the former Soviet Army. These same operators were seen digging potholes that will be fatal to the passage of the next truck.
Figure 5 - At the end of the winter, the main across Kazakhstan is just mud and ice (Photo FB)
Figure 6 - Side wind and ice... (Photo FB)
Figure 7 - The great landscape of Uzbekistan
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Figure 8 - www.KELSA.co.uk
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Figure 9 - Parking near the customs between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Figure 10 - The Silk Road has it is since hundred years.
Figure 11 - The checkpoints are common on the roads of Central Asia
Figure 12 - Last parking before leaving Uzbekistan to return to Afghanistan
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Figure 13 - WC! Only in case of emergency ...
Figure 14 - The queue of trucks waiting to enter Azerbaidjan
Figure 15 - On the Silk Road, it is not uncommon to find camel
Figure 16 - 7,000 km away of the workshop, no need to call the boss, you should be autonomous
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The Silk Road is not so smooth!
Uzbekistan is the last country to be crossed by drivers. Its borders, customs procedures and tax severely hamper the pace of the convoy. Between Tashkent and Samarkand,
the wheels of the Volvo roll on a millennium trail, the Silk Road. Very well maintained around the big cities, it quickly regains its medieval look in the valleys of Tajikistan.
Further south, the river Amu, spanned by the bridge of friendship, is the natural border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. In this vast area of transit, Willy Betz built a
logistics warehouse. At this location, the cargo is transferred on the famous Afghan jingle trucks.
For Rynart drivers, the journey does not end there, no way to transfer goods to another truck because their job is to personally deliver the shipment to Kabul. Just 470 km
more but a real of Russian roulette game!
Figure 17 - Very few commercial traffic to return to Afghanistan, the wait should not be too long
Figure 18 - Daily activity for long-distance trucker, the improvised meal on the side of the trailer
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Figure 19 - The river Amu, forming the border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan,
is spanned by the Friendship bridge
Figure 20 - The gate opens, it will be possible to enter in Afghanistan
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Figure 21 - Mazari-Sharif, the first city in northern Afghanistan
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Figure 22 - On the road to Kabul, during the lunch break, they wash your the truck for 15 Euros
Figure 23 - Despite the dangers of attacks, daily activities seem to proceed normally
Figure 24 - Waiting at the check point
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Figure 25 - At the approach of the Afghan capital, the military presence intensifies
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Figure 26 - NATO convoy
Russian roulette with a Kalashnikov
The shortest route to get to Kabul is through the mountains of the Hindu Kush. They stand in front of the truck like an elusive fortress. To relieve the effort of the vehicles that
cling to it, the Salang tunnel cut the rise of a few hundred meters high. Built in 1964 by Russian, 2.7 km long, two-way, without ventilation or light, the tunnel entry to over
3,400 m altitude. Partially destroyed in 1982 by the explosion of a tanker, which makes more than 170 dead, he was re-opened to traffic in 2004, at the present day, it is up to
16,000 vehicles passing through daily.
February 8, 2010, a series of at least 17 avalanches hit the area around the tunnel, engulfing miles of road, killing 150 people and causing over 400 casualties. Hundreds of
cars were completely submerged by snow. The Afghan National Army and NATO have used their helicopters to rescue least 2,500 people trapped more than a week inside
their vehicles.
The snow is not the only calamities that struck this winding road, Taliban ambushes are not uncommon. To ensure optimum safety, the trucks carrying goods for NATO, are
preceded and followed by an escort of fiercely armed. Despite this impressive protection, in 2011, a Rynart’ driver, was caught in a crossfire between the NATO and the
rebels. A rocket went through both sides of his semi-trailer, but without exploding, ripping the side of the trailer like a banana peel on 1 meter in diameter! This has not
discouraged the driver to make his delivery and return with the scars of war to Holland, creating surprise and lengthy explanations on each customs control.
Figure 27 - The road began its ascent toward the Salang Tunnel
Figure 28 - Night stop
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Figure 29 - On the way to the Salang tunnel
Figure 31 - no light no ventaliation inside
Figure 30 - The entrance of the tunnel
Figure 32 - Engine failure right in the middle of the tunnel
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Figure 33 - It was necessary to use snow chains inside of the tunnel
Figure 34 - Almost at the top
Figure 35 - One truck as broken is gearbox inside of the tunnel.
So there is plenty of time for Rob to enjoy the scenery
Figure 36 - the entrance of the main tunnel
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Figure 37 - When Europe meet Asia
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Figure 38 - The Afghan trucks, nicknamed ‘’Jingle Truck’’ are recognized by their exuberant decoration
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Figure 39 - The impact left by the rocket that went through the semi-trailer
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Figure 40 - Top class meeting!
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Armoured trucks?
Since years, Rynart is faithful to the Volvo. For this trip, the FH12 perform well their mission. The semi-trailer Schmitz refrigerators are equipped with diesel tank of a very
large capacity so that the refrigerators can run independently for very long periods. The trailers are loaded out of any kind of merchandise, ranging from food imported from
the United States to civilian clothes. Packing lists are long and very detailed. When the loading is done, the trailer will not leave the yard of the company until the documents
have not been pre-accepted by the customs of all the crossed countries, and especially by the Afghan customs. This is an important point that avoids long days of waiting at
the border and in some cases, the loss of perishable cargo.
Recently a 4-axle Volvo FH12 was added to the fleet of trucks carrying the rotation Rotterdam - Kabul. It’s mainly intended to take over in the winter when the road of the
Salang tunnel becomes too narrow for long semitrailers.
Figure 41 - This is a new Volvo FH 4 axles specifically built to replace the long semi-trailers
at the height of the Afghan winter
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Figure 42 - Vehicles are stuck in the tunnel, traffic will be paralyzed for a few hours
Figure 43 - A few Km more and the convoy will enter the Salang Tunnel
Figure 44 - Near the summit, the chains are used even in late spring
Figure 45 - Here, in 2010, a series of avalanches killed 150 people
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Figure 46 - Over 3,000 m altitude, the engines run out of power quickly. The services of the Afghan roads are always ready
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Figure 47 - Near Kabul, the road has suffered due to the endless passages of armored vehicules
Figure 48 - No doubt we are in Afghanistan
Figure 49 - On the road to Kabul
Figure 50 - Entering Kabul
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Figure 51 - Rob Rynart, performs 1-2 times a year the journey Holland to Afghanistan
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Drivers, not fighters
Rob Rynart, who took over the business from his father in 2007, does not hide to prefer hiring Turkish or Kazakhs drivers for this destination. Rob regularly receives requests
from Dutch truckers who wish to make one or two trips for the adventure, but the investment, time and money for visas and permits, is not a profitable operation.
These transports, begun in 2010, are primarily a business calculated at the lowest price. Moreover, the 58 trucks that make these rotations, receive no additional equipment
or special paint. Rob invokes the discretion but it is primarily for economic reasons. The boss said he could save more than 1,000 km if its trucks can go along the route
Rotterdam - Istanbul - Tehran - Kabul, over excellent roads and relatively safe, even deep into Iran, but once again the embargo prohibited.
One thing is certain, the work of the ‘’extreme truckers’’ have a positive impact on the morale of the troops based in Afghanistan.
Figure 53 - Crossing Afghanistan with NATO escort
Figure 52 - Rob Rynart and two of its drivers are have a good meal in a restaurant in Kabul
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Figure 54 - After 7,500 km, safely delivering the goods in the warehouses of customer
Figure 55 - Unloading at the customer warehouse
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Figure 56 - Quality light bars by KELSA - www.KELSA.co.uk
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Figure 57 - Rob Rynart negotiates with Daoud to keep an eye on the truck parked for the night
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Figure 58 - Rinus and Rob Rynart
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A family story
Founded in the 30s, this family business is rapidly moving into international transportation. In 1950, Rynart trucks were heading to Paris, Naples, and Athens. In 1967, the first
rotations to Tehran were successful made.
In 1969, Philips launched a TV assembly plant in Pakistan, they contacted Rinus Rynart, Rob's father, asking him if he can organize a transport from Rotterdam to Karachi,
this was never down before, without even a reconnaissance trip, Rinus sends two semitrailers that where able to carry this first commercial run in 24 days and even managed
to find cargo for the return! Within few months, more than 50 trucks where doing these rotations of 30,000 km. A documentary, call ‘’Express Karachi’’ traces this road
adventure! Its available for purchase from www.toprun.ch.
The closure of the Suez Canal and clogged ports in the Middle East hampering the development of Gulf countries, the need of overland transport was almost endless. As for
many other European haulers, it was the time of the big boom of road transport to Arabia. Rynart trucks where delivering cargo to destination like Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and
Iraq.
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Figure 59 - In 1969, Rinus Rynart sent two trucks from Holland to Pakistan, no one have made this journey before!
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Destination Kabul!

Transcription

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