Otira Viaduct, New Zealand, in a Truck + Trailer

Taking a full load (44.5 tonne or 98000lbs) up Otira Viaduct, South Island of New Zealand. 17% gradient road (very steep!!).

Driving a 2004 Freightliner Argosy 8x4

Music is "Good Times" by Allan Jackson

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• new zealand trucks
• new zealand roads
• otira
• tnl
• line haul
• truck driving

[mrexcavatoroperator]

iv done that trip driving a truck , just wait until it snows , & sitting in the cab waiting for the snow plow ,

[N8Oman]

@mrexcavatoroperator haha yeah ive done it in the snow and was called by the snow plow 'TNL do not go any further until me and the grit truck are in front of you' !

[QUIX4U]

So ...? It's a 17% gradient road

(!! But - are You sure - that is - very steep !! )

Seems to me - just a gentle grade ..?

Especially as Ur powering along at a sedate 18kmph?

Ever tried the ZIG_ZAG?

That'd stuff Ur 18kph - right down to around 8kph

And U'd be too busy crunchin gears

(to EVER hold that camera)

? ZIG ZAG ?

... Oh yes - I can hear U screaming - NO WAY ...

[N8Oman]

@QUIX4U That is a very steep section of road and the 18kmph is as fast as the old girl would pull lol do you have a video link of this 'ZIGZAG'?

[tutaneka]

yea its a lot better now that road i rember driving up the old zig-zag, she was tough one you had to disconnect the trailers at the bottom and bring them up seprately and on most of the cornrers you had to keep the foot down to keep momentum or the truck would slide and get caught up on rock face.

[QUIX4U]

@N8Oman Hi again .. as I said in a priv message to you -- a yr or so ago .. Nice one-- excellent video -- keep on truckin my freind... (And -- if Ur ever down this way -- and get stuck in our snow .. maybe I'll help U too-? (just as I did for a Balclutha Deer Cartage "trucker" -- whose small "MT" 12 tonner went sideways on him ... last Sunday - at Island Block - Raes Junction) see my vid - and read all about it -- inside there somewhere - !

[QUIX4U]

@launchsquid And the reason I asked ..? IS IT STEEP ..!

I've trucked UP & down .. a little short street .. somewhere a little south of there..

It's in Dunedin...and it's just called:

BALWIN St.

Next time Ur down this way -- try it.

[QUIX4U]

@launchsquid ?

OMG -- I said that -- over a yr ago (WOW) -- and in jest too-!!!

So? Here have a squiz at this vid (& see if Ur a real trucker):

It's entitled something "really" SIMPLE -- just 4 people "like" U :

audioswapped insideout upsidedown inversed reversed sdrawkcaB CircleDisco imprisoned dreams(ES)cape

[launchsquid]

@QUIX4U it is a steep road, no two ways about it. I drive a bus over it every day. the camera does make it look flatter than it is though.

[kingy002]

The Zig Zag use to be on the hillside at the 4.00 min mark before they built the Viaduct. 35 yrs ago we came down it in a MKIV Zephyr and the brakes failed. The bloody thing use to jump out of second gear which didn't help either. The old man managed to pull it up on the handbrake. I was about 10 yrs old and only now when I travel this difficult piece of road do I realise what danger we were in.

Nice video mate. It sure is still a good climb. Everything works hard up this stretch.

[Robfreightliner]

id like to do that with my argosy and mte gear at about 100 tonnes that should sort her out eh

[SamEEE12]

Wally @3:45