La route BR 156, un défi très dangereux

La route BR 156, un défi très dangereux

In this region of Brazil, close to the Equator, the BR 156 road is famous for its difficulty. It crosses 600 kilometers of forest Amazonian between Macapa and Oipoque. Despite the extensive work to make it passable, there are still 165 kilometers of track remaining.

Twice a week, Sandro does the round trip on this road, of which he knows every turn, and every rut. – It has been a long time since I’m taking this route. Day, night, every turn, every obstacle, every bridge. I have a great habit. I know her perfectly.

It’s like I’m coming home and that I had to go to the kitchen. Even with the light off, I know where to go. It is not by chance that Sandro knows the road so well. Although he is still young, he inherited the experience of his father, also a driver.

– I’m 37 years old soon. I’ve been riding for 24 years. I started driving by here at 13 with my father. I’ve seen a lot, a lot suffering, truck accidents. But I have a weapon, the Word of God. I still have it here. From time to time,

Day or night, if I have need to hear a word, it always helps to ride on this road. Everything good that happens or bad in our life, God is always on our side. He never abandons us. For Sandro, unlike Benjamin, becoming a driver was a dream.

– The majority of my colleagues, on these roads, they suffer. Because it’s not a life, This is not the life they wanted. There is a tiring side to staying away from his family, it weighs a lot. I had the opportunity to study, but I fell in love with trucks very early.

For several years, major works, are led by the Brazilian government and bitumen portions appear in the middle of the journey. – Today to do this journey takes 10 to 12 hours, it depends on the speed, but before 15 years back, we could take 21 days to travel 600 kilometers.

This is the track as a whole which will soon be paved. Before, it had to be flattened and cut through the hills, which create impassable quagmires. – Before, it was more sloping than now. Today, it’s more straight. There was always water on the climbs.

It was difficult to move forward the mud and when we went up, there were lots of puddles. It was one more difficulty to climb. It was very high. The climbs were long and very steep, it improved by 60-70%. compared to what it was before.

This is a very relative improvement, because with the torrential rains, the road surface can change in a matter of hours. Drivers are forced to zigzag or to drive on the left, in order to avoid holes. Even on climbs without visibility. So when two truckers cross paths,

They always keep up to date with the news difficulties that the route has in store for them. – There are some big ruts back there. – Is this happening? – You’re going to have to take the turn very wide to align yourself with. I succeeded.

This is how information travels. In this area without a telephone network, mutual aid and communication are natural between the drivers. Here, when a driver breaks down, everyone knows, and ready to offer help. Sandro will not have time to join his colleague, blocked several dozen miles ahead of him,

Because the truckers remain rarely for long without help. – Do you have any news from the guy up front? – Yes, he got away with it. Sandro will not have to intervene, but the The road is getting bumpier and bumpier.

Because the closer his truck approaches Oipoque, and the less advanced the work is. In addition to the many holes and ruts, there are nearly 90 bridges on the route. It is recommended to slow down as they approach before crossing them, because with the rains, the structures wood becomes fragile.

Waiting for their replacement by concrete bridges, drivers have no choice but to risk yourself on these unstable crossings. – I’ll go down to check what is the problem on this bridge. It collapsed, there is fewer sleepers. When I passed here, everything was fine well and now it’s broken. Unpredictable.

However, this bridge which was already broken several times, has just been repaired. – All that is there is old wood. You would have to replace the piece below, but it has already collapsed. To cross this bridge, Sandro just has to hope that the pillars support the 18 tons of his truck.

Sandro is an experienced driver, but with a sudden downpour, he will have to be extra careful. The sleepers, which have become slippery, could deviate the wheels of their trajectory. A passage that plays out a few centimeters away. Left Macapa at dawn, it took Sandro 12 hours, to reach the city border of Oipoque.

Oipoque was once the place supplying the garimpeiros, these illegal gold miners which were rampant in Guyana. Since their departure, activity has declined. The city that produces nothing, is refueled by trucks, who travel from Macapa. Food, construction materials, everything we find here arrives via BR 156. Twice a week, Sandro delivers its goods here.

– I ship, I deliver, and I transport goods to Macapa, to Oipoque. There’s a bit of everything, wood, junk. That’s transportation. Exhausted by the road, Sandro never participates in unloading. And we understand why. – If I had no one to help me unload the goods,

I could no longer drive because of my back. And the fatigue is twice as great. Unloading and driving is too much. His delivery completed, Sandro must return in Macapa and he only has one problem on his mind, Above all, do not return empty. Yet this is what happens most often to drivers.

This is a serious shortfall for the 12-hour return journey. So Sandro walks the streets search for a providential load. We told him about an individual who need to make a big move. A boon. For Sandro who works on his own account, this is an unexpected opportunity to leave loaded,

And to do a little extra money. But when he discovers the extent loading, it will quickly become disillusioned. – An oven, a pram and a bike, what else? – A 2-seater mattress. – That’s all ? – Yes. – I’ll do it to you for 80 Real.

The price is a bit high. The customer tries to negotiate. Deal done. For 60 Brazilian real just €24, Sandro agrees to the move against. It must be said that usually, it touches 250 Real with a full truck, but there, he has no choice. In addition, the customer demands a delivery schedule.

– I’ll arrive around four or 5 a.m., to call him when I am. Sandro is not at the end of his troubles. Sandro is arrested to repair. A driver stops to lend him a hand. – The trip is going to be complicated today. – A little. The problem is the brake shoe.

It’s stuck and I have to unlock to continue. To repair as quickly as possible, Sandro will isolate the brake which blocks its wheel, in other words, neutralize it. This means that there will be no no more brakes on this wheel. – Nobody repairs the road, it breaks cars.

– It’s always like that. My truck has a habit of suffering. – If you need, I am at your disposal. Usually when a guy who knows you Come on, he always tries to help you. If he can help, he does. He comes to propose a solution and then we thank him.

Then he continues on his way, if he has need me or anyone, I help. Whether rich or poor, whether his boss is good or not, it doesn’t matter, we’re all on the road. Here, solidarity is a question of honor, not a question of money.

Sandro will be able to get back on the road to deliver your move. He should have arrived at 5 p.m. the day before, but his half-day delay does not surprise him. – It’s totally impossible to plan an arrival time. It is very difficult, even summer, when there is no mud,

There are a lot of holes and dust. This is house 7013. It was late in the morning that Sandro arrives at his client’s house. In just a few minutes, her lean load will be delivered. Sandro only earned 60 reals for his 12 hour drive. So he leaves immediately, direction Laranjal do Jari,

Where a cargo awaits of agricultural products. It’s only 200 kilometers away and 5 hours drive. – We cross the Villanova bridge, from here to the village of Maraca, the path is more dangerous. There is a place where it climbs and we prefer not to know who is coming opposite.

It is from here that the adrenaline starts to build. This is the most critical, the most dangerous. It’s very slippery around here. For 40 kilometers, Sandro goes face the part he fears the most. Although he knows every rut, he must concentrate to avoid to skid on descents.

He must be extra careful because since its makeshift repair, he has one less brake. If it slips too much, it’s guaranteed exit from the road. For Sandro, the most journey time is completed. To continue the journey, he is in charming company. Halfway, he boarded passengers and their cargo.

As a result, morale is high. His work day presents itself finally better than it started. It’s 3 p.m. when Sandro stops for lunch. Here, we don’t choose our break time, it’s the road and the weather unpredictable who decides. And when it’s time to sit down at the table. Sandro is particularly perky.

He has good reasons, because having passengers with you is a chance, for Brazilian truckers. – Here, in the Mappa and in everything Brazil, there is a tradition. The driver who stops with passengers do not pay, and it is not only done on the local roads, in Oipoque too.

It’s the same across the state. Throughout Brazil this system exists. The end of the break. Sandro left for these last 2 hours of driving. On this track, when a truck breaks down, in the absence of a warning triangle, truck drivers use branches placed on the ground.

For Sandro, it is a duty to stopping to offer help. – You have to maneuver it so that I can tow it in the right direction. – He can’t drive anymore! The truck driver who went to get help, arrives immediately to Take the things over control.

But the means of towing the driver makes Sandro smile a little. – That’s all you have as a towing cable? Where is your cable? – He’s dead, my cable. – You are going to wind this cable in the towing eye, there is a spot in the bodywork.

– I tightened my engine and I’m going to get towed. I’ll go to the next village, where we can tinker with the engine. As Sandro has no space to maneuver, off to a tow in reverse and uphill. Before putting the truck in the direction of travel,

Sandro has to get him off the track so as not to obstruct traffic. He goes back several hundred meters back to reach a Terreplein. But on arrival, his maneuver is not to his colleague’s taste. – Why did you come like that? You could have left straight away.

To go further, not question of using the cable. Vehicles could collide. Need a tow bar. We make do with what we have. A trunk cut on the side of the road, should do the trick. But Sandro has doubts.

– The longer it is, the more likely it will bend. It would be better to shorten it, it will hold. – We put the stick in the tube, and we hook it to the other hook. Normally, it should hold, We’re going to drive slowly. Sandro is not really reassured by makeshift towing.

His truck is his livelihood, and an unfortunate collision could well leave the 2 broken down trucks on the track. – I just want this stick, it lasts until the end without crushing. You have to tie it well because it will grow. It is by driving at walking pace that Sandro tows his colleague,

Until the next habitation. At 10 kilometers per hour he is not ready to reach the goal. No matter how much time is wasted, for Sandro, helping his fellow travelers is an integral part of his profession. Sandro has arrived at his destination, 3 hours late.

He came to take delivery of a cargo of agricultural products, that these villagers count sell in the Macapa markets. – From here to Macapa it is 200 kilometers. All the villagers here live of local agriculture. Here they have Brazil nuts, which are harvested from the wild. They have banana plantations, lemons, squash, potatoes.

Often, I bring them a fridge or a washing machine. Also furniture, equipment for homes. Tiles, wood, bricks, cement. Everything comes from Macapa. It’s a real bond that Sandro created with this small community. In Brazil where the train does not exist, truckers are very appreciated by the population,

Especially by the villagers of trails that are far from everything. Sandro doesn’t like to hang around on the road, even though he arrived after dark, he prefers to leave immediately. If all goes well, he will be in Macapa in 5 hours. On the way back,

Sandro finds the colleague he was towed late in the afternoon. Apparently his breakdown is more serious than he thought. Sandro turns around and stops to take stock with him. – Is it an engine problem? – Yes, Look here at the burnt oil. I found all this when the engine revved.

I have to wait for a mechanic. – They broke a suspension blade. He broke a piston because that there was an escape. It is either a piston which is broken, i.e. a segment. But I think it’s more the piston because there were projections. -Besides, I have some goods in there.

– He can no longer continue his journey. As he has little, I suggested to take everything from mine. If one day I need something, I think it will help me out too. Here, villagers and travelers do not ask for nothing to help these truck drivers. Everyone knows the difficulties of BR 156.

They know what they owe to the men who deliver them, transport them, and create a link with the outside world. Here, in the region and throughout Brazil, we have a saying that goes like this: “Without trucks, Brazil stops.” What’s the point of having trucks if there Are there no truck drivers?

The truck doesn’t drive alone. If you give a very old truck with one driver, if he’s a good driver, it goes, it comes without breakage. No need to have trucks if there are no drivers.

Sandro affronte 600 km de piste amazonienne chaque semaine