Oct 28, 2024
Experience the rugged, adventurous life of a truck driver in Outback Australia! In this video, we journey through the vast Australian landscape, where road trains — trucks hauling up to seven trailers — brave some of the harshest roads on the planet. Discover the challenges these Australian truck drivers face, from kangaroo-filled roads to scorching 120°F heat. We’ll dive into the role of heavy tow truckers, explore different truck types like cab-over and long-nose trucks, and understand why Australia relies on these mega-trucks for survival across its sprawling land. Join us to see what makes truck driving in Australia one of the world’s most extreme jobs!
Intro
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780
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horsepower 175 ft
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long only in
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Australia made for the
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Outback imagine a place where highways
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stretch on endlessly kangaroos jump
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across the road without warning and
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temperatures soar past 120° F that's
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life on the Australian Outback but
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here's the twist while trucks in America
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might run with just a single trailer in
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Australia it's not uncommon to see
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massive road trains pulling three four
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or even up to seven trailers these
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enormous multi-trailer Giants are
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hauling loads across some of the
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roughest roads in the world but why why
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does Australia need trucks that long and
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why isn't this a common site in the US
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or Canada today we're diving into the
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world of Australian Trucking and what
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makes it so extreme can we get 5,000
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likes to support the truckers
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Community First Things First Australia's
Geography
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geography and population are a big part
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of the story Australia is almost as
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large as the United States in land mass
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yet its population is around 24 million
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significantly smaller than the US 330
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million and unlike in America where
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large populations are spread out across
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various regions most Australians live
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along the eastern coast meaning the rest
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of the land is open Barren and often
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wild to connect remote mines farms and
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towns to the major cities truckers have
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to cover vast often empty stretches of
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land so while in America Trucking
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involves routes with frequent stops and
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smaller loads Australia's sparse
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infrastructure requires trucks capable
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of covering thousands of miles and
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Hauling massive loads to make those
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trips worthwhile the result the iconic
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Australian Road Trin a monster of a
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vehicle unlike anything you'd regularly
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see in North
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America road trains are unique to
Roadtrains
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Australia and play a crucial role in
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keeping the country's economy running
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standard road trains typically consist
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of three 44- ft trailers and can carry
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up to 120 tons these trucks are Built
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Tough equipped to handle the rugged
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roads and extreme conditions of the
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Outback some even haul six trailers at a
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time mainly in mining operations where
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they carry essential resources over long
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distances in comparison you'd never see
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a six trailer setup in the US or Canada
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their infrastructure is built for
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traditional semi-trucks and shorter
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halls with most Trucking rotes passing
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through densely populated areas and
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interstates the road Trin setup wouldn't
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make sense there and it would be too
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dangerous on American
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highways Australia's vast and varied
Truck Types
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landscape demands different typ types of
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trucks for different jobs here's a quick
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breakdown cab over trucks these trucks
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with their flat front design are ideal
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for City Driving in Australia's larger
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cities cab over trucks dominate because
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they're Compact and easier to maneuver
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on tighter city streets plus their
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design gives drivers a better field of
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view which is helpful in dense traffic
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long-nosed trucks known for their
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extended hoods and spacious cabs these
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trucks are perfect for Long Haul trips
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across the Outback with the engine
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positioned in the front they're easier
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to repair on the road a crucial feature
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when you're hundreds of miles from the
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nearest repair shop unlike American and
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Canadian truckers who typically stick to
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one style Australian truckers use a mix
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of these trucks depending on their route
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and load this adaptability is part of
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what makes Australian Trucking so
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unique now let's talk about what it's
The Outback
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really like to drive one of these trucks
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the Outback is not just open and hot
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it's a whole other world of Hazards at
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night the roads come alive with
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kangaroos which can weigh up to 200 lb
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and cause serious damage if hit this is
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why almost every truck in Australia has
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a reinforced bullar or rubar on the
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front without them hitting four or five
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kangaroos on one trip can leave a truck
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severely damaged then there's the heat
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with temperatures reaching up to 120° f
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truckers must carry extra water and fuel
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the extreme weather takes a toll on
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tires engines and brakes meaning that
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Australian trucks are built to be
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resilient regular maintenance is
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non-negotiable because a breakdown out
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there can leave you stranded for hours
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or even
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days Australia has strict regulations
Regulations
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for truck drivers and it's not unusual
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to hear drivers joke about the Book of
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Lies their log book where they record
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driving hours legally Truckers can drive
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up to 12 hours a day but must stop every
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4 hours for a 30-minute break but many
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drivers admit to bending the rules to
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meet deadlines or complete long trips on
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time while it's common to stretch the
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limits the strict code of conduct
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ensures that companies Freight
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forwarders and drivers are all
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accountable and unlike in the US M where
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finds mostly target drivers Australia's
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system holds everyone in the supply
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chain responsible if a company pressures
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a driver to break the law they can be
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fined just like the driver this shared
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responsibility has been a GameChanger in
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keeping roads safer Australia faces a
Shortage
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shortage of truck drivers with many
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truckers in their 50s and fewer young
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people joining the industry this
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shortage is driven partly by the
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challenging working conditions and the
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remote nature of the job drivers often
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spend days or weeks away from home
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living out of their trucks to combat
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this some companies have tried to bring
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in overseas drivers but this approach
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hasn't worked well inexperienced drivers
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unfamiliar with Australia's unique roads
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and Hazards have led to an increase in
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accidents many Australians see this as a
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controversial move arguing that it
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compromises road
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safety for American and Canadian
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truckers this might all sound foreign in
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North America trucks stick to highways
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and are rarely as overloaded as their
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Australian counterparts the concept of
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Road train would likely be a logistical
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Nightmare on North American highways
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where the focus is on shorter halls and
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faster delivery times between densely
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populated cities in America trucks are
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built for comfort and drivers have
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access to plenty of truck stops gas
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stations and repair shops along their
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routes they also enjoy more leeway in
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terms of cab sizes which allows for
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sleeper cabs that feel almost like mini
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RVs perfect for long hauls in in
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Australia though trucks are designed
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with function over Comfort sure they
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might have air conditioning and enough
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space to sleep but every inch is
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maximized for carrying extra fuel water
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and emergency
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supplies so why are Australian trucks so
Conclusion
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long and built like tanks it's a
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reflection of the country itself vast
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harsh and endlessly demanding
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Australia's unique approach to trucking
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isn't just about handling massive loads
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it's about survival and resilience it's
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about engineering solutions that make
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sense in a place where road trips are
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measured in days not hours as the
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Australian Trucking industry faces new
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challenges from driver shortages to
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extreme weather one thing is certain
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these trucks will continue to be a
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symbol of rugged adaptability and with
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that we leave you with a question would
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you take on the challenge of driving a
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road Trin across the Outback
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thanks for joining us on this journey
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into the world of Australian Trucking if
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you enjoyed learning about these massive
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Road trins and what it's like to drive
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across Australia give this video a
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thumbs up don't forget to subscribe and
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hit that notification Bell so you don't
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miss out on more videos like this we've
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got plenty more stories from the world
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of trucks and Beyond see you next time
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