The Atlas Mountains, Morocco
It was here that my colleagues lost their lives aboard a tanker truck.
That's where it happened. It was right there.
National Route 9 Tizi n'Tichka Pass
The driver lost control of the tanker.
The assistant fell all the way down but fuel poured over him and he caught fire.
Truck driver Omar Ait Mbarek
In Morocco, you must be on guard.
Always take it slow on any road you haven't tried before.
The Atlas mountains is like home to me.
The situation here is a bit difficult. People do small-scale farming.
It was not right for me and I needed to work.
One day, I saw a truck that had lost its load.
I helped the driver and later became his assistant.
I started driving small trucks,
and then moved on to my first heavy-duty truck, a Volvo F88.
The road is hard. It's not just about steering and driving.
You have to watch for people's safety. Turns can be exceedingly sharp.
Blow your horn at a distance, make safe turns
and since you carry fuel, you must always keep your truck safe.
It's a very hard job.
Look at those hooks. They might pull someone down.
People don't think of the disaster they can cause
until it happens and then it's too late.
You don't want to have an accident here.
If the fall doesn't kill you, ambulances and hospitals are far way.
I have so many memories on this road.
Once, we were driving on a slope and the truck driver tells me:
"At this turn, things can really go either way for us."
We were carrying 34 tonnes of mining ore.
Then he tells me: "Our brakes have overheated, my friend".
The brakes didn't work and he relied on the engine braking.
The engine emitted this noise: "Psshtt, psshhht".
I was 21 or 22, and strong.
I replied: "I will stay here no matter what happens."
"If we fall, we fall together."
Thank God, we made it down the mountain alive.
Driving provides me with an indescribable high.
Looking back, this work make me feel good.
The memories make me feel great.
I have never had an accident and I've never caused others harm.
The memories are good.