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Who Would Be a Tour Driver

The real secret of overland tours

By Lennie HardinghamPublished 5 years ago 9 min read
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A typical over-land breakfast.

It's not a job, it's a way of life

No two days are the same is a serious understatement, when it come to overland touring. High altitudes and bitter coldness one minute, arid and motionless desert the next.

Who would be an overland tour driver? To answer that I will first have to explain what overland tours are.

Over-landing itself is driving a suitable vehicle though countries and continents to and through the far corners of the globe. Over-landing is driving a car, usually a 4x4 with as few as one person and sometimes in a convoy of other 4x4's. They range from weeks away to months, sometimes many years.

You can learn more about over-landing from my book, by going to the link below:

Over-landing in south America

An over-land tour would involve more people to form a group. You would get a tour leader and a tour driver. They would both have their roles to play but when needs must, they should help each other to keep the tour running smooth and the pax happy.

"Pax" is a term used in the transport industry for over 70 years. Its meaning is passengers, although it's really short for passengers with passes.

Most companies use regular 17 to 26 tonne trucks, kitted out with coach seats. They will have good all round visibility to ensure the paying customers have the best views and experience possible as they tour countries and continents.

After the first few days in the back of a truck, most Pax are asleep. Either sleeping of an hangover or through sheer boredom of the endless hours of sitting. As an over-land tour driver, whenever I spotted something of interest, I gave two short blast of the air horns. Frantically, everyone would be at the windows shouting at each other, "where do we look?" But with up to 35 sets of eyes searching, it was never long before they caught on.

These trucks are usually old, with a crazy amount of hard worked miles. They are however maintained constantly. The driver will have to do regular checks and servicing, after all, they have to got to go into extremely remote areas, with tough terrains. The truck will be kitted out with tools and spare parts that will see the vehicle through any eventuality.

It will have a kitchen. This means a couple of long tables, plastic cups and plates and all the food needed for your journey.

To help accommodate the passengers, there will be enough camping seats to sit on, tents to sleep in, for them nights under the stars and storage for the multitude of bags they bring.

During a typical tour, you would get to do plenty of adventurous excursions and sight seeing. Whilst you journey within the truck, you would be expected to pull your weight. This could mean helping to prepare food or set up and clean up the kitchen.

So, who would be a tour driver?

You can understand the attraction. Free world travel, exploration and adventure. However, it's certainly not all glamour, and there's always work to be done.

The obvious part of the job is of course driving. Although I love driving on difficult terrains, it can be stressful if you get lost. GPS is not as good in less developed countries, maps can be less accurate, and signs are not in English, if they exist at all.

Trying to keep it all together

I would always do my best to plan my route the night before but there are always road closures or political unrest that will disrupt your plans and send you off in the opposite direction. It was during a trip through the Andes, when we got diverted and a 400 mile detour put a real dampener on the day.

The roads turned to gravel, as they got steeper, curvier with bigger drops, and driving at 5000 metres in the wrong direction started to take its toll on the truck and passengers. Then Bang!! Two tyres blew out and just as we reach the peak of one of the highest roads in the world. Changing one 250 kilo truck tyre in normal circumstances with basic tools and a rickety bottle jack is testing enough. But two tyres with oxygen levels at a dangerous low and a cliff drop of at least 1000 ft to contend with would certainly be pushing my resolve. Getting the passengers involved with the aim to make them feel useful and important was a must to keep morale up, even if it was making a brew. Also to take their minds off of the slowly creeping night fall and dropping temperature.

With the help of the exhausted passengers, mainly due to the lack of oxygen, the tyres were changed. Right, we're on our way again, or so we thought. Just a couple of miles later as the steep, gravel mountain roads started heading downwards, a fight broke out. The fight was between me and the steering wheel. "There was no power steering at all." It was truly a dangerous situation, as I tried with all my might to get a 26 tonne truck around the hairpin bends, whilst standing on the brakes.

The steering fluid hose had burst and now the race started to try to fix it. I took the chance to look for a spare one, even though I know it would take up very precious time. I always knew which spares I had in the locker and was sure there wasn't a spare hose, as they are specialised and high pressured. I have always had a saying and during this day it would come into force on a lot of occasions.

There is always a way.

The hose was ripped apart beyond repair, it was getting darker and colder, there was no way to contact anyone, and the passengers were very restless and weary. It was as if it hit me on the head. Just as I gave up looking after searching everywhere twice, I came across my own personal rusty old tool box. Sitting right on top was a used but usable power steering hose but would you believe it we didn't have the correct tool to remove the old one.

Left with no option, I made the decision to drive as slow as possible to a town some 40 miles away. I knew it would be dangerous but it was the better of the 2 situations.

I'm the one in the overalls

Although we hadn't seen any other people in 14 hours whilst we were on this extremely treacherous pass. It had only been 10 minutes since we left for the second time, and out of nowhere was a service station. It was closed, however, but there were trucks there, which were being worked on by a group of locals. Not only did they have the right tool but they had spare fluid to replace what we had lost.

Not out of the woods, it was still another 4 hours before we reached the hostel to finish the end of an epic day.

Responsibility

Being a driver is a lot of responsibility of the Pax safety and comfort. The safety and reliability of the truck is down to you. Finding parts you need in countries where language is a barrier can be a very tedious chore. You tend to be in local taxis the majority of the time, having to put your ears through the arduous task of having to listen to local music, as you go from place to place trying to solve problems.

You are expected to pretty much do whatever it takes to keep the Pax safe and happy, even when the unforeseen happens. You may have to give way to any plans you may have at a moments notice and remain with the vehicle where ever it is, whilst the group get to safety.

I've been stranded on mountainside roads, jungles, deserts and in places where time doesn't even exist, or so it seems, with a broken truck. Having to wait there for many days, whilst somehow the company can get a part to me, that may or may not even fit. It's not so bad if it's a bustling town, where you could at least eat and drink and maybe chat to someone. But that is not always the case. Most of the time you find yourself in the village of the damned. Nothing open anywhere, just the one or two people who give you a look as though it's lunch time and your the main course.

Seven days

It's a seven day a week job. Early starts and late finishes. You don't always get to see the sights you hoped you would. The countless times I have driven tours to Cusco in Peru and have never been to Machu Picchu. This would be where I would spend nine days repairing and improving the truck.

You are also looked upon as a person to shares troubles and complaints to. Whilst always keeping a cool a head, and mustering up your problem solving skills and no matter how much you get on well with the Pax, you will never please all of them. Even if they are friendly to your face, their review of you after their trip will tell a different story.

It's not for the money.

If you are money orientated, look for any other job. On average I would say you get around $25 per day. However, you don't spend that much. Your flights and accommodation are payed for and some times you get free meals and activities. When passengers leave, you would usually get a tip, on average of around $50.

If you refrain from painting the town red and remember you are working, then you can build up a nice little lump sum at the end of each tour.

Also within your task is the truck's accounts, which you are responsible for. So, you must keep every receipt and record of your expenses, as a tour company will hold you accountable for any loses.

So, if you still would find this an exciting way of life

Is it worth all the hassle? Fuck yeh.

OK, the money is crap, the hours are crap, and Pax drive you crazy. It can be very stressful and you often have to go through shit.

But, there are not many jobs that give you so many experiences and experience and what a way to learn. You will grow every area of your life, if you let it and gain and give respect from and to so many others.

You will, without even realising it, have the times of your life. You'll always have life long friends and memories that can never fade. You'll be an inspiration to others and even yourself. Most of all, you will certainly be living your life to the full.

Happy Trails

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