25: Catching Up with Zac Moore

0:02Hello and welcome to Matt's Truck and Growth podcast. Mat Ireland hosts them once again. Today I am joined by a friend of a friend, basically. My good friend Ian suggested I speak to this young chap and so made contact and here we are to talk. So let me introduce you to Zac Moore. Zac, how are you? Yeah, very good, Matt. Jolly good. Nice to speak to you. We've been chatting sort of via WhatsApp for a little while now and I think you've got quite an interesting story that people like to hear but um before we get into that bit we'll take it right back to the beginning how did you get involved in the world of transport was it did you have family working in it or just an interest in childhood in trucks or where did it come from uh well because it's my father he drove like you know in the 70s started driving so obviously i was uh young when you get the school the school holidays where was I going in the truck of him having a look around the country you were going in the passenger seat yeah so was it just was it just UK work he did or did he do continental yeah UK yeah cars transport at Melton in Suffolk really W Carter haulage yeah that's very well known yeah 70 well I wrote I wrote the life story of Bob Carter who was one of the brothers yeah which you probably wouldn't have known so yeah Yeah, Colin.

1:25I think I remember her name. Colin. Edward, yeah. Colin, Edward and Leslie. It was the CEO group. So I take it he was doing containers then? Yeah. Mostly? Yeah, mostly containers. Felixstowe before. I can remember the little roads going through to Felixstowe all through Marlesham, sort of Brywall. And then they put in the oil as well. Yeah, Brywall Hill. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So what was your dad driving? Did he have a multitude of trucks there or was it? Yeah, I didn't used to go with him a lot when he had the ERS because there's not a lot of comfort in any of those. No. I think it must have been about 1976 time they got the Evacos.

2:14Yeah, yeah. I think so. They were like, you know, wow motor then, you know. Yeah. so then I used to go with the double bunk so yeah the Fiat they call it Fiat didn't they with a pretty big cab yeah that was it yeah so then I'd go a lot more with him then you know yeah just all over the country you know down in London night soap down the Italian bridge in London I think it had been yes in the truck park there yeah yeah and have a have a look around and Grantham I've got a lot of fond memories at Grantham getting jackets bought me off placing bands and things like that you know wrestlers yeah which is quite amusing because you see them on telly and you think yeah they don't they don't like each other and they're in the services a lot of them I'd go I speak manners or big daddy or something like that and they're in these services yeah and you're like having your mind blown yeah yeah and watching that a little black and white television yes that was it but there's no there wasn't no comfort really no to be fair so that was like everybody I think just earning money to live in you know way most of the time and then off again you know Yeah, absolutely.

3:49Hard life. Yes, it was. But at the time, there wasn't anything spectacularly better than anything else, was there? So the Iveco or the Fiat cab was a pretty big cab, especially in comparison with a lot of the others. So it's quite luxurious, really, especially having two bunks. That was quite a treat, especially not having to sleep across the seats in a day cab. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, sunbeds, I think, where my dad used a sunbed. and lay it out across the seat. So, you know, pretty sure. Really? Yeah, certainly not the best, was it? But we've definitely come a long way since then, haven't we?

4:29Yeah, definitely. There's a definite change in the car. And I think they're putting toilets in them, which I believe my mum wrote Mercedes-Benz a letter because she was rather upset a couple of years ago that the problem with lorry drivers and having to, you know, there's nowhere to really stop anywhere. So she said, before it happened, they got toilets in the caravan, like caravan sort of thing, you know, and I said, I don't really know, that's probably a good idea. She wrote on my letter. Yeah. The fake events are some, you know, random thing, what she would do. And I think now, I did see something a few months ago that some of these lorries have now got sort of like port of these in them toilets yeah i've i've seen yeah i i've seen a jerk there's a german company offering it as a conversion on a mercedes that's about all i know at the moment so i can't imagine any of the manufacturers will ever offer it as a an optional extra but again it's a why has it never been done because it just makes perfect sense doesn't it really um yeah there's the argument of you know having it in the cab and you know sort of going to the toilet where you eat kind of thing but it's it's it's a necessary it's needed especially in the uk it's not quite so bad in europe but it's certainly something we could do with really so whether it takes off yeah uh whether it takes off or not i don't know but it's definitely better than going in a small bottle and then hiding behind your seat exactly yeah yeah nowadays with the and i've sent them these small sort of toys you know they've got a bag in them I think they're rats up you know they're all you know pretty much on the ball these days with all that sort of thing so and like you say it's better than if you get caught short somewhere do it in a cab than outside or fall under a ditch with a bucket you know yeah exactly yeah definitely and there's more and more things on social media and whatnot with like local councils clamping down on drivers going to the toilet in hedges and things like that, which I do get.

6:41I get both sides of the argument because there is nowhere to go, but also going on tarmac and concrete does make it stink, and it's not particularly nice, and people don't clean up after themselves. So it's a very difficult one to judge, really. So having that option and just removing the fact that you might get a fine for going is win-win, really, isn't it? It will potentially pay for itself, so to speak. I think there was some, wasn't there some old law that goes back to horse-drawn carriages? That the driver, and I think it was in a highway code or something, that the driver of vehicle could pee on his wheel.

7:21As long as he was peeing on his wheel, he was allowed to do that. I think there was, but I think it's since been repealed and it's not part of, I think. I need to have a little check-up on that, but I've got a feeling they've got rid of it. But, you know, yeah, which sounds about blooming right, doesn't it? I mean, we've digressed a little bit here, but it's always good. So when you left school, you obviously couldn't go and drive a truck straight away. What sort of path did you take from school? I cycled round every garage in my area trying to get an apprenticeship for a macabre. Sort of thing at my interest today.

8:04Had a little bit of luck, as in I got a job, got a job, but as I'm on yacht schemes, I think it's£25 a week and I was working eight till six at night. And that didn't last long because£25 a week isn't a lot of good. I think I've been on a potato machine for£63 a week for nine till three. and then went down to 25 and then i was running to me yeah obviously i had must uh be moped things like that so you need a bit of money there you know so i'll then went yes a diy for a two and a half years uh yeah bike license car license done that and then went to the local authority on rubbish on the dust carts special okay yeah yeah and that's where i got me class two with them yes and just I was just did anything there you know for a few years did you enjoy doing the dust cut work because I've never actually really my younger brother did it for a while and he quite enjoyed it there's got to be a lot of interesting sights I'd say on that sort of thing well when I started on there they'd only just they'd gone into the black bin bags you know yeah so it wasn't loose The households had them, but you've got people wintertime, hillbillies putting ash and things into their blood plastic bag, and you've got to pick it up and it will just stretch, you know, nearly have it over.

9:44You know, I'm probably not likely. Or I've even had, in the pubs and hotels we used to go to, they still had the cast sort of bins really heavy. I don't know what the hell they were made of, but they were heavy. And then they're loaded. And I went over one day because I chugged on my shoulder and then hit a quarter washing line. You know, so that all ended in a disaster. But that'll keep you fit. You go through a pair of boots, as I'm sure your brother did, probably about a month, month and a half. You go through a pair of boots, you'd wear them out. yeah just so so much walking and picking i suppose a lot of the manual i guess a lot of manual labor has been taken out of it nowadays with with wheelie bins and lifting up so i mean you've still got to drag a fairly potentially fairly heavy wheelie bin and i know people that i know have put things like bricks and whatnot into into their black bins so something like that's going to weigh a lot a lot but um yeah it's got to be a debt and i presume as well this was a time before recycling and whatnot.

10:54So it's just lit. Everything just went in the bin. Yeah, everything went in the bin. And we took it to a landfill, which was an old quarry that had been dug out. And then you were just put empty in the vehicle, just in the quarry. And then they went over it with a, what was it called, a Hanamag? A big dozer with spiky wheels, you know. Yeah, with a steel roller type things. That's right. Yeah, they did. Then, in that day, I could go up there and I knew all the guys there, obviously, and they'd have me drive up and run a bag. Really? Scrapers, all sorts. You know, and that was wonderful. Yeah, I bet.

11:34Drive anything, messing about. Fantastic, yeah. But, yeah, we used to go up to some tricks with the driver. If I weren't driving, I'd be relieved. I don't have anything driver come load up. And we used to go coat bottles and things like that, plastic ones and just put them in the bag. So when you press to get the cycle into the dust cart, that hit the bag and made a bang, or that would pop out, you know, down the road sort of thing, you know, far around the bag. But, yeah, that was good. Let's say we used to do job and finish. Yeah. So I encouraged you to be on the move. Get a move on. Yeah, yeah.

12:17And then I think they did change it. And why did you do more work and that sort of thing? And I thought, no, I've had enough of this. So I did then transfer over to the sewage side on the tank. Yep. So got into that, really. Was that still class two? Yeah, yeah, class two, yeah. Yeah, I got my dad a job there at the council. because he was, by that state, he was doing trailer fitting, agricultural trailers, fitting highbrides to them, that sort of thing. And I thought that'd be better. He'd be better off on the tankers and he did like it. But unfortunately, he died. He was 48. Oh, really? Yeah.

13:04So then I transferred over and sort of go, he's Laurie, really, you know. Yeah. And did that for a few years with them. And they then changed to a private company. Cool, yeah, yeah. I wasn't going. I had to stay because of septic cane houses. So I had enough of them, really. But then that's about nine years I've done with them. Yeah. Then I went off to see another local guy, Turner's, AA Turner's. Right, okay. Whereabouts were they? Marlesham. Oh, were they? Okay, yeah. Yeah, but that's only one man sort of thing. It's me and the boss. Right, yeah, yeah. And his wife. And I worked for him for 27, 28 years.

13:59Crikey. So what was that doing? Engaging tanks. Oh, got you. And working with angling water. Yes. On their sites. That name. They have great... Grey Volvos? Yeah, did have, yeah. When I started there. With like the name and like a banner, like a semicircular. Yes, in red. Yeah, I remember them being about now. Right, OK. Yeah, I think his father started that with, actually with Binder, you've heard from Master Heard of Binder. Yeah, Binder group, yeah. Very big. Yes. Charlie Binder and all that. His father started that business the same time as Terry, my boss, his father. I don't know what his name was, started his business.

14:53So they've been going for the same amount of time. And that's the sort of 60-odd years that they've sold out. He sold the business. I'd gone 27 years. And he wanted to sell it then. But that's still, I think it still runs on the name of Turner. Right. but they call it Tanker and Turner's Tanker and Services now, I think. Colchester, but I've decided declined the offer to go and work with them. Right, okay, fair enough. In a polite way. Yeah, I'm always polite. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, I had a lot of years working on my own, using my initiative and running them trucks. I guess and I guess I guess it was a lot like every day was different really as well even though it's the same sort of thing yeah it was all so it must have been plenty of variety to keep you interested especially if you if you're lasting that long at it yeah yeah I enjoyed it it was hard work hence why I haven't got a lot of fat on me yes you know you just never stop you know and my philosophy was as soon as I get done I can get out of here you know So I did, you know, you get to know.

16:13The thing I liked about it was you get to know your customer. I'm not very good with names. Bill, George. Yeah. Matt. I've been called far worse. You've played them all, haven't we all? Yeah. But I can always remember what their children were doing or their wives or something like that. So you'd always catch up each year, you know, because there's usually a yearly visit sometimes more, sometimes less, you know, that'd be five years later, you know. So that was good. I did enjoy it. Yeah. And like I say, I'm glad that I did finish. Like I say, he was selling that. He was, you know, I was just doing this thing called Toopy.

17:00Don't really have a lot of faith in any of that. I don't like that idea. No, fair enough. so I left and then I put myself through my car and that was actually I'd known you were talking about Ian a friend of mine I'd met him at Parham he looked after a site there yes that's the one so I used to go in there and do a tank so we got talking because we're in the motorcycles very passionate so then I left Mr Turner He sold his business and I then put myself through my class one. Yeah. Can I ask, so how old were you then at that point, roughly? So in your 40s? Oh, no, older than that. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah.

17:52I was, I think it was 2017. Okay. So quite recent then. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, something. I think it was 2018. Yeah, because I thought, to be fair, Matt, I used to see how my dad lived in that in these lorries years ago, and I thought, who the hell wants to do that? I liked driving and enjoyed driving trucks, but I didn't want to live in a truck. Live in one, no. There's a lot to be said about sleeping in your own bed at home. There really is. Yeah, and I was always in the garage messing about my bikes. so if I was away from that and that space that would you know that wasn't good for me yeah but I thought when I left them I thought I'll put myself through get me class one because I need to go and do something else and it just opens up options doesn't it yeah yeah and we've all got our own money and survived that's it and where we are around that this area there's not a huge amount of sort of class two or category C work is there because we're in a rural area, a lot more of it is C &E, isn't it?

19:04So just having them up as a wise move, really. Yeah, so my passion is still in lorries. I like doing it and thought, well, actually, I thought, well, I should have done that years ago, but I thought, well, age is just a number, isn't it? So I just thought, and that was a really good company. If Switch, blimey, I can't think of the name of them. I've done this series work, so I just passed them going down to the family concern. Why can't I think of their name? Hamillons. Hamillons. Is it Hamillons? In orange trucks? Yeah. Yeah. Hamillons. Yes, yes. Nice family. I turned up there. I think the Monday I finished with Turner, went down to the job centre.

19:52They were absolutely useless. Didn't like them at all in there. Never needed them, never will. And they went down there and the young lady, I think it's her daughter, they're a family business. Yeah, they are. I think it's Walter Hamilton because I did, well, I still do occasionally driver training, but I do that for a company out of Norwich now. But yeah, I did for a while. I'm not going to mention the name of the company that I used to work for because there's a lot of reasons not to. But need to say, I've done quite a lot of training around it. I know a few of the guys from Hamilton's I think it's Walter or Wally Hamilton.

20:30I'm sure it's his daughter and his son. Because they've also got to play some Kings Lynn. They have, yes. Yeah, right. And I think Norwich. I think. I'm not sure. I don't think. I can't remember seeing any around Norwich. I don't think they do, no. But, yeah, quite a large company. Yeah. Yeah, and they were good. But still family, yeah. Yeah, and they were helpful. you know they were quick as well I must have gone you know the right time because I think that was a Monday Wednesday I went out for an assessment four half days then my test you know and the following week I was doing that and passed on the Friday brilliant and then on the Monday I started with John Ho John Ho Ho that's it Howie yeah yeah who gave me a job through I think because you know Ian and you know I sort of spoke to him and so I was on the peas on the pre-truck for a little while yeah I've done the peas I love the pea harvest that smells gorgeous doesn't it I love it it's just well I like the sitting about and lay by doing nothing part as well although one day I did for for John I sat there's a big lay by at Saks Mundum and at the time I lived in Saks Mundum and he said right go go go and park and wait you know we'll give you the call when when when it's time to go down to the farm and I thought shall I go shall I pop home it's like the moment I walk through my door I'm going to be going back the truck aren't I so I'll just I'll just go and sit in the lay by and I sat in that lay by eight hours really eight hours yeah about a mile from my house I sat in that lay by eight hours waiting to go down in towards Eigan just because that's the nature of the pea harvest isn't it sometimes it's really quick other times it's just you sit about waiting waiting waiting and then yeah it took that long the night guy i was sharing a truck with my mate rob by the time i got the call i gave him a shout to say right i'm going down because my time's getting on because i'd already tipped at um old and broad just run down i met him i met him at old broad in the morning like six got in the morning down the lay by i phoned and said right i'm now going down a load so I'll meet you on the way back up and it took that long by the time I got to Iken he pulled up in his car so all I'd done that day was tip Alton Broad sitting the lay by down to Iken he pulled up in his car I took his car home and he started his night shift it's just yeah a bit crazy that's just hot bed you know he's done that I've been down a few times where I'd meet him because I had to do something go again my daughter do something with her and he'd met me on the slip road at Wicker Market, you know, so I could take his truck.

23:23But that's just like a village running around. That's like the circus running around for a month or two. It really is. And it's just full on. It is 24-7, just whoever you can find to cover a 12-hour shift if you can. Yeah. But, yeah, I do certainly enjoy it. So, yeah, it's good fun. Mella's better than shit. That's true. I love that. Very true. I like the smell of the peas. much more pleasing on the nose. Oh, yeah. But, yeah, so I did that. And then got the opportunity, a mate of mine worked at Orwell Trucks. Yes. And Mercedes at Miles from here. And he offered me a – he gave me an opportunity to go and work there.

24:08And I thought, okay, this is good because I'm really into, you know, like engines, truck, you know, that sort of thing. So I was messing about with them. so I thought yeah that sounds like a good idea sounds a bit more chilled maybe you know so went down there and I've been there ever since nearly nine years now so what does the job involve what you're doing now then well I a bit of anything I do anything you just get many tasks that you just do but that's basically picking the MOTs, trucks up, bringing them back, service trucks to bring back, taking them back, maybe go and get some parts if they're stuck to somebody to do that and looking after the workshop, you know, making sure they're clean and tidy and just not running it, but just using your common sense to keep things tidy, you know, that sort of thing.

25:11So I've been, I really enjoy that, you know, And it's a bit easier on your body. Yes. I've had to find lifting things with forklifts is better. And easier, definitely. Especially as we enhance in years. I think that's a life point. Yeah. You can't get wiser if you get older. Absolutely. Definitely. Yeah, work smarter, not harder. That's the one. Absolutely. I knew there was a saying for somewhere. Yeah, but it's like, forklifts are designed for lifting. That bugger will lift anything. Absolutely, yeah. I, on the other hand, don't want to. No, I've served my time in the bins doing that. Thank you very much.

25:56Yeah, and pumping pipes about, you know, that's like, that's an army exercise in a setup that is getting them off and dragging them. I wish they were all just one pipe away. Yeah. But yeah, it's hard been there ever since, really. and you still get and you still get the drive trucks occasionally yeah so they get all the time yeah yeah exactly so not many with the trailers on but we have our test trailer which we have I take that out well for MOTs obviously we need that and I do take it out just to hear the mechanic sort of done some work and needs needs the truck testing with weight on it you know just to see see if everything's alright with it really before it goes back to the customer so yeah and that's a good variety you know obviously new to older stuff trucks the new one they've got So have you so being with Mercedes have you had the opportunity to drive the electric Actros yet or not because there's not many Yeah, I'll prove them.

27:10What do you think of them? Well, I don't like electric for a start. Fair enough. I don't see the point of that. Yeah. I mean, for an example, if I'm doing the MOTs and I put the diesel 500 horsepower truck, you know, put the test emissions, the exhaust, put a sensor in it, I'm looking at what? 0.026 of milligrams or whatever the measurement is in that that's coming out. If I turn and put a hose pipe on that exhaust and put it in the cab, I'm not going to die. No. Why do they keep saying these are so bad? Older ones. I remember when I used to drive trucks years ago and the blues, the fumes. Blues.

28:06Yeah, honestly, that was good. And, you know, so now it's a lot better, obviously, because, you know, you're going to be fine. Yeah. But, yeah, they all go okay, the electric. You know, they're very quiet. Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah. Because the only electric truck I've driven years ago, I had a test drive and a hybrid, was the electric Atros. and I was shocked at just how quick it was off the mark. That was good fun. It was only off-road, but yeah, the chap from Mercedes-Benz in Northern Ireland was at the show over there. He's like, go on, put your foot down. He's like, all right. And we just lost the veto that come to pick us up.

28:51Up to 56 miles an hour. Up to 56, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. That's a bit of a brick wall, isn't it? But, yeah, you know, they do go, I think they're starting 600, 600, 700 miles to a charge, something like that. But then I think batteries, they tend to deplete in winter time with a load on, you know, all that sort of thing. That's the ideal situation, isn't it? Yeah, it is, yeah, without the radio on. Yeah. yeah i mean i i think um because i'm i'm quite interested by all in the alternative fuels and how everything's going to evolve because it's whether we like or not it will evolve and that will be sort of like customer driven won't it rather than the driver but uh to me like you like self let's just say lombard shipping in ipswich because we know them do the pallet network stuff like an electric truck for them is ideal because it's not going far is it so you just charge it up in the yard potter about delivering your pallets around it's which is the stow market back at the end of the day put it on charge job done and that's that's good for stuff like that but the longer stuff we haven't got the infrastructure as yet whether we will ever get it I don't know that's an argument for another day I guess but yeah it just it just intrigues me the whole the whole system yeah I've been in the Lombards and seen that a couple of trucks there and Bulbos and the fan because of the heat obviously when they're plugged in, them fans, they go, ooh.

30:24Yeah. You know, because I'm going in there at about seven o 'clock at night to pick up a truck to go back for six weekly or something like that, you know. Although they're mostly gone to get in Volvos now. Yeah. Oh, fair enough. But yeah, I saw a car and I'd pick them up and all you'd hear was just, hmm. Yeah. Probably on the back and something. Probably on the power. Yeah, on a diesel generator probably. you know I didn't say that oh yes we'll leave that bit out yeah yeah that but yeah I don't know I'm not convinced convinced by no I don't I don't think it will take over I think there's there will always be a place for diesel just because it's so efficient and it's so common but I think various other methods will come along and they'll they might end up being a kind of viable alternative but I think diesel will be here for certainly until I retire I would say I would have thought but you can't predict the future I guess can you no no they put the spoon in or the finger in to dabble about the things don't mate and tell you it's a good idea and this is that and that's such a bad idea the diesel but I don't get it that's advanced as well the diesel engine is advanced you know and we're we've still got them haven't we but like I'm saying we've got to be infrastructure yeah like anything haven't you that's it yeah this episode of Matt's Trucking Great Podcast is proudly sponsored by Creasy Drainage if you're dealing with block drains flooding or drainage problems Creasy Drainage is the team to call they provide professional drainage services for homes and businesses including drain unblocking repairs septic tank emptying and CCTV drainage surveys They're known for fast response times, honest advice, and getting the job done right the first time.

32:25For reliable drainage services you can trust, check out Creasy Drainage. The details will be in the show notes. But, yeah, they're all, you know, that's not as though. Everything advances. Yes. As we did from steam engines to everything else. That's it. They're maybe nuclear-powered next, you know. Well, I mean, ironically, I think we kind of went from steam to electric near on at the start, didn't we, before the internal combustion engine. We had it right at the beginning. So, yeah. Yeah, I did nigger. A electric milk float. When I did it, I was nine. And so that was then, that was 70s, 74. Was that the Unigate dairy machine, was it?

33:15I don't know who the company was. I thought, I can drive that. It crashed into a gate down the estate. But that was electric. Huge, you know, huge power was on that. You know, to jump, get in there for your foot, to jump, away it went. Off you go. I can have a clue. Oh, fantastic. At least it would have been low speed. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

33:43But when you're that young, everything is fast, isn't it? That's true. once you get used to it you know yeah yeah I was a bit bad like that oh fair enough we shall go into too much more of that then no no so I also I also believe you do a bit of an interesting sideline through someone you've met at Orwell is that right yeah I did I we got to go because I think where I work that was Orwell Trucks then it went to was it Prem or something like that? And then it's been Motus, South African. And then last year that was bought up the East Coast by Sarga. Sarga, that's right, yeah. Prem. Yeah. A big company.

34:32So the daughter came over with some other people to introduce themselves to us all. And at the end of it, well, actually I've done my homework a bit and realised that Roland Javon races in the Paris Dagger. He's a Paris Dagger racer. And that's a passion of mine since 20, 30 years, since you could first see it on the television sort of thing, randomly at night. So I've always followed it because of the trucks, motorbikes, and that just was... It's got everything, hasn't it? Yeah, these blokes and women are just amazing where they had to go and what they had to do. you know for a month so i thought this guy does that so his door was there so i basically said any questions and i think the only question was me getting all right do you think there's any chance i could get on the back car yeah your dad good dad he raced and she smiled alia that was um and said um maybe we'll see so yeah and then i think a month later that they had a big uh Their main introduction to take us over was at Witten.

35:48Yeah. I was placed there, so we had some food and that sort of thing, you know. And Ronan was there with his wife and there, so I thought, well, I need to speak to this man about the Dakar, you know. And luckily, he sort of walked near me, so I attached myself to him talking to the doctor. He speaks English, not a huge amount, you know, like my French, you know. Yeah. So he was showing me, very nice man. He was showing me pictures on his phone the year before when they were racing and he'd knocked the front wheel caught a rock, you know, in there, just as the helicopter was coming over filming.

36:36Yeah. Great. And then brilliant moment, you know. Yeah. So they had to throw that out. But yeah, and then I said to him, asked him, you know, is there any chance I could get on the team? And he looked at me and smiled and said, well, maybe, you know. Yeah. And that was in the May. And obviously most people would say, you know, that ain't going to happen. No, that's it. Yeah. No. Either beyond putting that politely, what most people say to me. That's it. And I'm a great believer. Well, I'm going to ask, you know, If you don't ask, you don't get. It's as simple as that, isn't it? And that was bloody right, you know.

37:16So then in December, Anne, his wife popped over and I got called in the office. I think most people thought I was getting sacked or something, maybe, or I'd done something wrong. But she turned up and said, you better get a suitcase if you've got one because you're going. Wow. that far and i was literally like literally wow you know well yeah couldn't believe it so then i went uh i did pop over to france to meet ronan again and then i said in december i flew out to paris um and then the next day over to um saudi to end up in in yambu yambu yeah for a month well and travelled round with it. But that was a crazy experience.

38:13There's nothing, I don't think it's not a lot prepares you for it. No. It's not a holiday. No, definitely not. I knew it wasn't going to be a holiday, but I didn't know anything about the workings of an F1 race team, which is what they're equivalent to in the desert and what that entails. You have a rough idea. You've got to move everything. you've got until you get there. You don't know, do you? No. So what was your role in it all then? I was going to be a support driver. So I did drive a couple of trucks. They were MAN, Richard. But I've never seen an overhang on the back of a truck that long before.

39:02honestly I was like well is this is this alright you know these things are all full of supplies obviously for that race you know that car sort of thing you've got to have everything they've got four I think it runs four one of the team we were in that's Gazoo Toyota and they got four brand new cars which is five months old and then my boss uh ronan he's he's got his car another toyota and another guy there you know so six six yeah and they've all got their mechanics three mechanics to a car and then every other specialist you can imagine to do with gearboxes they strip everything their motors everything every night you know they come in so i'm but i sort of got there looked out and thought all these people know exactly what they're doing.

40:04Yep. It's like, well, what am I going to do? I can go and empty a bin. Yeah. I'm having a rat, empty in the bins, keeping things tidy and then just really trying to get in to be part of the team, I think, you know, to be not useless. I want them, you know, somebody's giving me an opportunity. I want to make them proud. Make an impression, definitely, yeah. Yeah, to show that I'm not, you know. Not thinking you're on the jolly and you're here to work. Yeah, yeah. You just can't do that, man. Honestly, that's crazy. I'm for a mum, you know. Obviously, my boss is there. He's racing. But, yeah, I just, you live in a tent, you know, and there's no sleep, really.

40:50And I think you begin to understand, well, you wonder how people sleep in wars, you know. But that, you're in the pits beside everything, trucks. Obviously, there's trucks, cars, and nothing stops. There's no quiet area. There's people tearing up and down. And I think the last thing they put on them cars at night is the, I can't think about this, aluminium or steel undertray to protect the other side of it. Well, before they're doing that, they're thrashing it with a sledgehammer, straightening it out. you know you just got everybody's test and you know running up beside you you know you're like you're only 10 feet from the the main from where the mechanics are working and they'll be working most of the night to get that everything prepped to get them out the next day yeah and that's what it's all about you know yeah so when you're driving the truck is the four-wheel drive as well do you are you actually driving on desert were you actually driving on desert or was it just tarmac uh that was mostly the trucks they're tarmac um apart from the odd little bit you know but but you're just running the road doing we'd we'd get you'd have a meeting at so we say eight or nine o 'clock at night and you hold what you're doing for the next day or next two days what's happening so and that is like military that's like you are moving out of and you've got to be gone by three o 'clock in the morning everything's got to be packed done and ready to go because you've got to do seven eight hundred kilometers and then you get there and have to set everything up you know again that's like a bit like that bit like but not like it like repeat village you know all they're moving around side to side but everything's got to go with you because that's all you've got you know yeah yeah so um so yeah we just get like we've got to be everything's got to be done packed we i was doing we did a canteen you put like a canteen up yeah in our area you know what we what we're assigned everything has to be parked a certain position you know and everything that is just all very much military and uh we i think it took us about two and a half, two hours to put this up all together.