South america home to true veterans of the road we join them on a voyage of discovery from the state of go us in brazil to sao paulo and the state of some to qatar they not and finally to the small city of minnesota its in northeastern argentina. Probably a. Few years back you can claim a place to get a lot of what you. Look at these trucks may be museum items back in germany but im still believe rolling back the years on the roads of brazil the told a. Number of outnumbered. Our journey begins in the brazilian state of call us at a truck stop thats packed with old timers this one looks a little worse for wear head is definitely on the rusty side was. To be able to go straight. To the way from bellaire. I want to try and load up some watermelons here and bring them to sao paulo. And does he always go the same way. If i get the prophecy ive been taking the same route for 38 years from sao paolo to bellingham and from the south part of it would one when i get back to south paolo ill have a 970 kilometer journey and hire me and i want the fish in my truck is still going after 6000000 kilometers on the clock although i have had to replace the engine a few times i spend more time caring for it with than for my family. That. Will not be that lived my life is spent in the truck. I did go to school but i dropped out to fulfill my childhood dream which has now become a nightmare for me mark but if you love roses you have to live with the thorns to write. Not a bad. Song what are those thorns for. Roberto if it ever does susa is no 64 years old. His truck has helped him take care of 3 wives and 10 children he says with pride. This is el sights a popular truckers diner in the area. Roberto lovingly calls his truck im not allowed on the yellow one its 40 years old. You going to keep your money elses husband was a truck driver too. Thats him here with the 1113. There are load of them still on the roads of brazil 1313151320 extension 13. The 1st from mercedes brazil good vehicles from a group of godliness its diesel not blood that runs through the veins of these men even their families get the bug. And yes cut me open and youll find these old. Truck driving is in our blood nothing. To eat and if i have the money to get a new truck it will be another mercedes you know who never really. The diner is located by the truck stop near sardine polish a small town about 1200 kilometers north of south palo. From here its just a few minutes drive to the offices of a fruit wholesaler. The company purchases entire harvests from farmers and then sells the product set markets in the cities. Roberto is hoping to get a delivery to sao paulo because its close to where he lives. Have faith in the lord with all your heart reads the company sign. Joins other drivers sitting outside. There all waiting to be assigned a delivery. Of the little. League were looking a little that way it can take hours if not longer. Is the only sometimes its 2 or 3 days depending on demand. At long last a Company Representative emerges and has deliveries to assign to come. Out for 150. 00 day ice for ton of property so with that money youd be broke by the time you got to sell paolo thats all she has to offer. But. Its all about supply and demand when there are fewer trucks available the price rises when there are a lot like now the price goes down market patience is a virtue in brazil and specially for Truck Drivers its the only offer they receive all afternoon. Youre looking maybe itll work out tomorrow god willing is a. Little. It isnt easy. To push son the plans to send them up above. Et al says steiner the truckers can recharge their own batteries while also feeling old. Home sick come in. The soup the legal battle has been on the road for 12 days and today is his beloved wifes birthday. Loved to play he sends her happy return still cut the food. Sajida. Long she told me tomorrow ill probably be able to load a delivery and be in sao paulo on sunday. Love love love. Love love. To play the next morning there are even more trucks lined up outside the wholesaler. The cost of the competition and speculation among buyers is paid by the drivers. Plague but most of it is no good for trucks drive off without a buyer for the watermelons. They load up and set off you but they dont know where they will ultimately be unloading. What the host sale or fruit talk now does is try to find a buyer. You can cut me they then send a fax for the driver to print out at a gas station. Thats the sales license which the driver needs to be allowed into the market. In. The beer double for my vehicle but i dont set out until i know where im headed to avoid stress on the road. At least that gets us who are left with any law. Also as of the day its our time thats being spent and money for food theres no point getting the union involved they might resolve your current problem but then youre blacklisted and you wont get any more jobs from anyone youve got money to pay my way which might explain why bridges mantras are rare source of comfort also seen on the trucks themselves thanks to all deals i cant say if i get on the road today well see about thanks thanks dave roberto decides to set off despite not having a precise destination for his delivery 1st he has to have his truck wait while empty to ensure the weight of his load can be verified when delivered at the other end thank god then he continues to the plantations to pick up 15 tons of watermelon. The state of going us is dominated by big landowners especially cattle breeders. They control the farming sector while also Holding Political posts in brasilia the connections they enjoy in the capital enable them to constantly expand their land assets they then lease their fields to local farmers. The farmers sell their produce to the wholesalers thanks. Love. Book. Club. This is the best part of the journey when the trucks loaded up and we can finally get going. Whatever the youngins can do so can the. 15 tons of watermelon on board headed for the state of south palm its a 1200 kilometer journey from here which will take him 3 days. Over half of all goods transported in brazil are delivered by truck along very poor roads roberto has his own motto adorning his precious truck for the sake of life is worth living and it. Was. Just going to. Change. Those boys and. We should. Be as he thought of. That actually. Going to make god but i must. Be in. About. A year after that film was shot the german car maker mercedesbenz opened a factory on farmland just 20 kilometers outside. The factory would make these all trucks and later buses to. Almost half of the trucks and buses on the roads of the country were built by Mercedes Benz told brazil but despite the companys high profile our film crew were not allowed inside the factory gates here in south. Pole. But a privately run museum in the town does open its doors specially for this man a nice surprise for 80 year old quality engineer the scented dungeon level who used to work at mercedes dope brazil on. This in the mail this ones from my time at the company it has the heart of mercedes. Although the body was made by nicola fadia soon a call. To her so i feel nostalgic. I. Went so i really miss that time. Measuring the workers used to call the company by my mercedes. I want my money yes its. In my time and there were 15000 people working there there were 3 cooperative stores for the workforce you could buy everything you needed for one month even clothes and house or appliances of it and at the end of the month it would be taken off of your wages for it by me but it was way cheaper than regular stores because the Company Bought it and even then i passed that. I mean if you also had excellent medical care provided inhouse for staff and their families i missed this and the company also had a football pitch for staff and a club where we could have dances to celebrate the festus joining us we were there all the time on friday we go home but on saturday well be back again. And say in office i feel. Mom a mercedes is now a distant memory priscillas facing a serious economic crisis demand on the truck market has slumped and Mercedes Benz dough brazil has already seen redundancies and severance packages perhaps its no coincidence that the management are not keen on a foreign t. V. Crew taking a look around. The state to have robertos trip to south. A little bit. A bit. As follows. Love to. Get. Hold. Of the old trucker songs help to keep his spirits up while hes on the road. Laughing. Love. To a. Club. It was. A. Bit like the last. Done. For. Who would you fancy something new and better in life. But given the chance to swap im not sure my heart would be in it so the only thing weve been partners for so many years in my trucks never made me unhappy oh you can was it meets my expectations its a really sound truck no bill got there its perfectly happy when i drive slowly want to get out but when i step on it because i have a deadline to me also no problem a good up doc i be the think that i cant help it i like it. I feel comfortable with it even when im asleep busy busy thinking of music to. Listen to the sleep. That. Every cent account says roberto you have to watch your budget tend up with any money in your pocket that means only getting gas where he can get a discount alito and diesel here const 0. 70. A group of the moment lose 3 re isolator but i get a discount rate of moving on my feet chasing the. Police wont immediately. Double out of. The money we have to cover highway toll charges then Everything Else ourselves the companies dont pay a cent to their homes. As long as the drivers are on the road the wholesalers. And Distribution Companies continue to play the market and the drivers. Roberto goes to ask if a fax has arrived for him. Hes expecting one his delivery order from the company for tuck. In the loft i still dont know where ill be taking the watermelons these are the forms of a strong liberal who saw. The only information he does have is the approximate direction hes heading with his 1513 model truck and its 15 time load of melons. To. His journey takes him through the state of maine arise past an Indian Sugarcane fields. The lights on the horizon are not a city they belong to the enormous sugar refineries. Another tiring day at the wheel comes to an end. Its friday and bankers short and painters is looking forward to the weekend hes checking the weather and. Where in the state of pattern in the southwest of brazil you. Lives here on a farm belonging to his mother along together with his wife letitia. And and his mini mercedes and their city neon 600. 00 make the monthly. So you believe his music. Is 23. 00 jordan is 24. 00 the couple are sprucing up a small framed truck for their sunday excursion. Jordan bought it secondhand and restored it himself. For me she said. But ive always been crazy about mercedes. You know when i was 16 i made a paper model of this truck which i still have today. Its an old love. The top hole and its taken from my fathers 1st truck childhood memories. Into that and it was really difficult to find the original parts for the restoration. I spent 2 years searching for the white protective hubcap for example. Not decorated 6 in the 1970 s. And eightys people thought that would bring good luck and more jobs. This number plate holder was already made like that by mercedes to sort of your feet. Its an original part that i found and restored. And let me see i got married in december during the summer in brazil. There were 3 of us you me and our truck. Plant every little detail. I had my dress on lets lets down the side to make it easier to get in and out. When you made a little truck for our. People here we were so happy that day. Many of the people in the region are the descendants of european settlers and economic refugees families who have now been here for 5 generations. Coming in the most of the city my forefathers come from tree here in germany they started to farm the fields here back then the brazilian government gave away land to immigrants. Immigrants who settled all the way down to floaty are no police on the coast of Santa Catarina state they also included many italians such as the forefathers apollo luis. Theres a little film playing in my head when i look at this vehicle my father used to drive it i learned how to drive while i sat on his lap. When i was 14 i started helping him at the wheel although i didnt have a license. Polo is now a Building Contractor and a collector of vintage mercedesbenz models. Areas today covered with tower blocks used to be dense forest land. Back then we were given permission to cut down trees. We would load up a truck like this with timber 4 times a day and then take it to hospital as a shop some floor not. For heating fuel. Polo has tracked down veteran mercedes models all over the country hes now restored 8. Legged. To. His most recent acquisition is this 312. He was already 10 years old when i was born i was born in 67 and the truck and 57. Trucks like this helped to build the roads in brazil by transporting materials. This was the 1st mercedes model the engine brakes tires and axles are all original parts. Take it for a drive 1st to see if you like it says his mechanic. The starter the clutch theyre all from 1957. Its like you know theres no secret to these engine was with a pair of pliers and some wire youll never have a breakdown like this one. Will start it up and well see. Thank you all those veterans are not exhibition items theyre used for their original purpose thank you. Theyre in good shape and because theyre more than 15 years old i dont have to pay any road tax. The maintenance costs are really low to. Those of my since i use the flat face as we call the 321 all the time insurance for a new one will be too expensive plus theres no place a new model can get to this baby care out of my. Lot of. Bills salted to buy sound when i knock on the tires tells me whether they have enough air in them. Being good luck to all said there might be a puncture from a nail somewhere just was i didnt build this lucky or the tire like this currently costs 800. 00 re ice which is too much. Like it so after a while i swap the front tires to the rear 4 and then get them retreaded. If since he said he that only costs 550. 00 s. They will do the positive for me and id love to give it a general overhaul but earning so little and having to pay for all those things while on the road means you have to choose. Either get the truck restored or feed your family so im constantly having to postpone it and in the meantime the rust is getting worse from my. You. Know its sunday and roberto is around a 100 kilometers away from some follow up and was. About to. Go on but my. Mother. Had to. N. G. O. S the. Casual mailbox man these guys were must dos to go with these melons you know. The sprawling metropolis that never sleeps the main wholesalers market is located in the downtown area its late by the time roberto arrives and he still has no delivery order but he heads down to the market nonetheless. The woman at the gate wants to know what goods he has on board having no delivery order means roberto will have to leave his truck by the entrance to the car park. It will be safe there she assures him. Roberto is now just 50 kilometers from home but hes worried that parking his truck unload there would put them at risk of being stolen. Night and day trucks roll up here from all over brazil 12000. 00 a day in total. Was. Many of the drivers have been waiting several days to unload their deliveries not a good sign for roberto. Their patient man but sometimes the Truck Drivers get fed up especially when they see their fruit beginning to rot sometimes reports roberto they open their truck bed side panels and dump fruit onto the street but unloading their anger like that will only hurt themselves he says theyre basically throwing away their own pay judge a. F. P. You can often wait for 4. 00 days or more at the market and no one is paying for your meals let alone all those last days. Some drivers resort to trying their luck in the lottery. And the baritone has had enough he goes looking for the representative of his customer for talk who he was supposed to meet here with all that he. Was and this is where the city supermarkets and other retailers buy their property is. Against the backdrop of the economic crisis crime is a growing factor there have even been robberies at the market itself the newspapers have almost daily reports of trucks being stolen and their drivers abducted many do not survive says roberto. Was the market is a good shooting location for pain its the route out a cheap. Show that caters to Truck Drivers oh look at me oh you know up with the governor of a baritone as vocal in his praise of his beloved truck but silent about the conditions he has to work under. He finally tracks down his crew tax contact. To see whether the man is still making calls to find a buyer salvi i just want to unload. It well ill bring them to a Company Warehouse in about 2 hours of all a bit better than a ok all i want is my money. And all i have left is 2 and a half 1000 re ice about 640 euros for a journey of 6000 kilometers and 13 work days into this and yes one of the cars. Both of you know me great compared to even look to be pretty sharp cantina these. Mentor but also some fabric of the best way to. Convince Sally Robbins i want to show you. It was the automakers 1st factory in latin america mercedesbenz argentina was founded in 1951 specializing in trucks and buses. Its management would later face accusations of having collaborated with the military dictatorship in argentina but its products are to this day idolized by many in the country. This is northeastern argentina. The heartland of the countrys cowboys and rangers a guy. Its. To. Late. To this small city in this province with a population of 45000 just so happens to be called may say this guy the. Gallup. Poll out loud music. In the region is the birthplace of the gauchos but also has strong associations with the national drink tonic wheat amat 81st consumed by indigenous peoples. Mercedes the town doesnt take its name from the card which it predates by several decades they say it is is a name given to girls in spanish. A mercedes means our lady of mercy in the month dedicated to families she comes to visit School Children at home a. Couple of transportation in the city of mess it is comprises a fleet of old buses all of them vintage Mercedes Benz models. That is drunk everywhere including at this family run car workshop. We saw god and his 19 year old son for a condo are the owners of the buses used to ferry message danos all across their city. And a lot of money. I got from i think it was all the work that you will never sell them. Theyre part of our family heritage and i want to see it in again something handed down through the generations my father was a bus