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  Moshe Arzooan describes trucking in Israel.

First, I will add a little information about myself………..

All my life I have been surrounded by trucks. From the time I was born till now, all I ever lived was trucking. After more than 8 years on the road, (5 of them trucking in the USA) I decided that I wanted to know more about the trucks than just driving them. I finished 2 years of practical engineering studies, and am now working in a truck shop.

Below is the description of a trip with my friend "Moti Cayoti" in Israel.

 

 

 

As you know Israel is a very small country, so when leaving on a trip we are usually back home the same day.

I have entered here, some photos of my friend’s truck taken while I traveled with him. This trucker is one of my good friends; whose nick name is "Moti Cayoti" and we traveled to Eilat, the southern city of Israel. He has been on the same dedicated job for the past 10 years, until just recently when he moved to a new job driving a Volvo hauling a tanker.

 

On his last job he would leave sometime between Saturday night & Sunday morning, and would return the following Thursday night or Friday morning.

 

Driving his red 1996 T-800 Kenworth down to Eilat, Israel (350 km), he would stop in first at Nahal Zin to hook up to his pup trailer. He would then load up 2 containers and deliver them to the port (150 km) at Eilat. After unloading, he would return to Nahal Zin for another load, and after delivering his second load around 4 in the afternoon, he would be off duty until about 4 in the morning and then start a new day. His driving distance would cover about 850 km a day (530 miles). At this time his truck is well past the million mark, and still going strong.

 

 

 

Starting out from Tel Aviv, Israel we head for Nahal Zin to pick up the pup trailer, load containers and then head for the port city of Eilat. 

 

 

"Tazio Novulari" comments on the area in the old days. For those in the western world and not familiar with Israel's road maps, Nahal Zin is also a junction where Israel's Highway 25 hits the Arava road, or Highway 90 to give it its official title. (It is the world's lowest highway, situated as it is at Dead Sea level)

It does not seem like a huge distance but a lot of Israel is very hilly; in the more populated areas traffic is bad and this is all very tiring, and then you have the ascent into the Dead Sea valley, where if you are not careful you would lose your brakes and......  My uncle mentioned to me that in the old days, they used to leave some of the wrecks as a warning to drivers. There was one particular case in which the driver of this Autocar was carrying a load of steel rods on a flatbed trailer. Descending towards the Dead Sea valley, the poor chap had to do an emergency stop;  for once, the brakes did work and the load slid forward and through the cab... You need not guess the rest.

 

MOSHE DESCRIBES A SHORT CUT TO NAHAL ZIN.

Traveling from road 25 you make a right to side road 206. Only trucks and local cars are allowed, and it is a short cut. Just before reaching Nahal Zin we have a notorious section called “Scorpion Hill”. It’s so steep that even running empty, we descend at around 30 kph. When climbing the hill, it is recommended that you stop and put it in first gear. Trying to shift on the hill you could break an axel or damage the transmission.

Some drivers try to downshift while climbing and find themselves stopped and not able to get rolling again. Some tear out the drive line trying to get going, while others just wait for an assisted pull. Some even have to back down just to clear the road. When it is slippery in the winter no one takes a chance and all drive around through the main road, Arava rd. 90.

 

 

Arriving at the assembly yard, we hook up to our pup trailer, load and prepare to head out for Eilat. A quick equipment check first finds a flat tire on the lead trailer, and has to be serviced before leaving. With what I call single duals, you have to repair first as there is no dual tire to keep the axle up off the ground.

 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

Eilat is Israel's southernmost city in the Southern District of Israel. Adjacent to the Egyptian village of Taba and Jordanian port city of Aqaba, Eilat is located at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, which is the eastern sleeve of the Red Sea (the western leading to the Suez Canal).  Eilat's weather is very hot and dry due to its proximity to the Negev, Sinai, Arabian and Sahara deserts. Temperatures at summer are often in excess of 40°C, (over 100° F), and in winter of 22°C (Over 70° F), both very high even for the relatively hot Israel.

 

     

 

Arrive at the port, unload, fuel up,  recheck the equipment, and then do it all over again.

 

 

     

There are some dedicated truckers in Israel, so much so that they have tatood their trucks onto their arms.

Moshe has a Peterbuilt on his arm while his friends have their favourites. One  has both arms covered.

(Starting his own personal fleet,so it seems.)

 

Moshe will be adding more photos to this web site, showing friends, and describing their different trucking trips in and around Israel.


 

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Moshe Arzooan would like to hear from other truckers around the world.

Click here to e-mail Moshe

 

All photos are copy write to Moshe Arzooan