Colourful cargo: Cristian Salguero and his Arocs 1845

“Albero is very versatile,” says Cristian whilst watching a digger drop the golden-coloured aggregate into the tipper of his Arocs 1845. “What I really like is the strong yellow colour it has,” he adds. In the Sevillian quarry, the air is especially dry. The sun is shining at its brightest and glistens on the mounds of Albero.

Cristian has worked in aggregates transport for the past decade. “Albero is the latest big trend,” he says. “It’s practical and aesthetic, plus it can be used both in building and in designing outdoor areas.”

A few minutes later, the driver of the digger gives him the all-clear: the tipper is full. Cristian nods, climbs into the Arocs and drives to the weighbridge: 24,500 kilogrammes – spot on.

The professional driver leaves the quarry and drives around eight kilometres to the “Los Alcores” shopping centre. There he enters the construction site where a department store is being built. The team there need several tonnes of aggregate for the concreting work and ground-levelling. Albero is great for this type of application, because it can be compacted very effectively.

Cristian waves to the site foreman and carefully enters the construction site which is still very uneven. A colleague shows him the unloading location. Cristian manoeuvres carefully, then stops his Arocs and looks into the outside mirrors before actuating the hydraulic tipping mechanism.

“Before you open the rear tailgate, you need to make sure that it has the right tipping angle,” he says. After unloading, he slowly drives his vehicle back onto the road, before repeating the route and the procedure as many as fifteen times a day.

“I like it when I get to switch between the road and the quarry,” says Cristian. “When I’m driving, I enjoy the peace, and when I’m loading and unloading I always get to meet other colleagues. So it’s the best-possible combination really,” he confirms.

Demand for Albero is growing. Exhibition grounds, Andalusian pilgrimage trails, inner-city parks, football pitches… There are only very few locations where this material wouldn’t be suitable. “Not only does it look good, but it’s also especially durable, hard-wearing and dries quickly which means that no mud or sludge forms when it rains,” explains Cristian.

The route is short and the golden-coloured quarry is already visible in the distance The sun continues to shine silently. Cristian smiles.

Photos: Begoña Tremps