Convoy 41 – Part 1

Diary of our most unusual convoy – to be continued!

(Narrated by Mike)

Let's get started. We'll be in Ukraine by Christmas at the latest.

Thursday May 1st

The drivers of the 41st convoy.

Meeting and then farewell.

Heiligenroth rest area: waiting for the fire service bus and the articulated bus.

Everyone here, let's get started.

And then it's over again. Nothing works anymore. The Setra bus has broken down on the hard shoulder just before the Hattenbacher Dreieck on the A7.

For a short time it worked again.

How do you get to the engine from above? The clothes bags will probably have to come out.

Repairing the car on the hard shoulder is too dangerous. So we wait for the tow truck.

The tow truck is already there.

The Setra hangs on the hook and off somewhere where you can screw things around in peace.

Is it just the fuel filters? A few adjustments, and it'll be running again – right? Well, it probably wasn't the filters after all.

In the meantime, the articulated bus, the fire brigade bus,

the 7.5-tonner, the Vito and Johann on the nearest

Parking lot "Krachgarten"

Let’s see if we can get the ADAC to help us from here.

All the vehicles, except for the Setra and the ambulance, are standing there, waiting for the command to continue.

And as if that weren't enough, we were blocked from leaving by a burning vehicle with a horse trailer. Fortunately, there were no horses in the trailer, so neither people nor animals were harmed.

After the fire was extinguished, everyone except the Setra bus and the ambulance were able to continue their journey. Their destination was the first hotel on the Polish side.

The hotel was not recognizable as such. It was hidden in a huge parking lot, behind a SCANIA office building.

The next morning we were able to admire our hotel, or rather accommodation for truck drivers.

From that point on, we felt like real truckers. What a shame, it was clean, and the night was short anyway. We continued on to the second hotel near the Ukrainian border.

Dirk and Gunther also had the pleasure of traveling with the Setra bus just one day later.

Friday, May 2nd

Friday is quickly told.

We drove a lot. We had to immediately take the vehicles to the customs booth. There we met Peter, who was visibly stressed by the Polish bureaucracy, to prepare the paperwork for crossing the border. Kudos to Peter: I would have thrown in the towel long ago.

After the customs procedure, we finally went to the hotel. Despite the late hour, we still got something to eat. The evening ended with a birthday serenade for Kamil, complete with Black Forest cake.

Saturday May 3rd

Today, the 7.5-ton truck and the Vito are to be transported to Ukraine. We set off at 5:00 a.m. toward the border at the Kroscienko crossing. The crossing has recently been made accessible for small trucks and vans.

Considering that Klaus and I didn't have much experience, crossing the border went quite well.

Upon arrival in Ukraine, we proceeded (as best we could) to the Medyka border crossing, where the vehicles were to be handed over to our Ukrainian partners.

With this film I want to show that the road to Medyka was not only long, but also very "rocky".

We were very worried that after the long journey, we would only be able to deliver the vehicles in pieces. For this reason, please forgive us for the slight delay in handing them over.

Instruction for the 7.5-ton truck

Handover, of course, with clean windows and a full tank.

A satisfied pickup customer.

The handover of the fire service bus took place at the same time.

Job done. On Saturday, Frank, Klaus, Johann, and I headed home. We drove to Katowice, where we spent the night.

Addendum:

The Setra bus wasn't the only problem child. The articulated bus repeatedly had problems with its joint and wouldn't move forward.

(My joints weren't feeling well at times either - but I still didn't blow a fuse) :-)

Since Sascha couldn't find any more accommodation, he quickly made himself comfortable in the bus with a bed and sleeping bag. RESPECT.

Sunday, 4.5.25

The buses and the ambulance are on their way to their destination.

Thank you

to the mechanics, thinkers, planners, navigators, our customs clerk in the fight with the customs booth, our pick-up and delivery service with the blue rocket, who takes tools and paper to wherever they are needed, to the donors, donation acceptors, our bookkeeper who will soon be inundated with receipts again (enjoy the time until May 13th) and to everyone I have just forgotten.

Sequel follows!