BBC Wales will be airing a brand-new 8-part series from next Friday 3 March, called Truckers: Life On The Road. It will follow the day to day operations of the family-owned haulage company in Llanelli, south Wales – Owens.
Throughout the episodes, the TV crew find out what life is like on the road for the truckers, trampers, couriers and other members of staff working there, as the firm celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
The first episode has the theme of “Truckers are the life blood of Britain”. Without them, shops, construction sites, fuel tanks and kitchen cupboards would go empty. A brand-new series, Truckers: Life on The Road, takes a ride upfront with the kings and queens of the road, as it follows the day-to-day operations of one of the UK’s leading haulage firms based in Llanelli.
Most truckers hit the road for a 12-hour shift. But some will be gone all week. Bouncy, bubbly Tigger is a tramper (someone who sleeps in their truck cab at night). Her week away is due to start with a pickup from Newport before delivering to Manchester. But issues with her truck’s tyre and failure to find an empty trailer set her back right away. This has a knock-on effect later in the day as Tigger hits traffic, leaving a race against the clock to hit her destination before her driving limit is reached – meaning she’d have to stop to avoid a fine.
Over the pandemic, the home delivery market skyrocketed and the company’s courier service are in for another busy day. Driver Gary has 64 drops of 133 parcels over a wide area. Amongst his deliveries is a special birthday dessert for miniature Schnauzer Freddie. Gary explains how the job helped him get back on his feet after splitting from his partner. He was left homeless and often slept in his car or sofa-surfed with friends, but his main motivation to work the long hours is his daughter.
Truckers: Life on the RoadFriday is due to air on Friday 10 March on BBC One Wales, 7.30pm. It will be available on iPlayer elsewhere after the first broadcast.
