Out and about in northern Spain with Asser Sánchez and his Arocs 2045

When asked about his favourite place to work, Asser eagerly responds: “Here in the quarry.” Today, he is driving his Arocs 2045 between the terraced formations, diggers and crushers at a site near Oviedo in northern Spain. “The landscape is beautiful,” he says, while pointing towards the ash trees and shrubs that populate the surrounding slopes.

The Asturian has been a driver for almost 20 years, spending most of this time working for the Mota-Engil Group – a company specialising in earth moving and construction haulage. This has given Asser the chance to work on several large-scale projects, including the expansion of the port at El Musel and the cable-stayed bridge in Soto de Ribera.

The current project is a new logistics warehouse. In addition to this, he commutes back and forth between the Bobes industrial estate near Siero and the quarry on different surfaces several times a day. This means the ever-flexible Asser has to frequently adapt his driving style to the terrain.

The daily ritual.

Asser’s daily routine includes around 350 kilometres of driving and a trip to the truck wash. “Beyond keeping the truck clean, I do this for safety reasons,” he says. “The dust on the windscreen, windows and rear-view mirrors makes it difficult to see where you are going.”

Asser is now driving his Arocs on the N-634 national road, around 19 kilometres from the exit to the A-64 motorway. After arriving at the construction site, he strikes up a brief conversation while waiting for the truck to be loaded. “For me, the human touch is important. I could never spend the entire day alone in front of a computer screen,” he says. Whether he is handing over documents after a weight inspection or chatting with a colleague while unloading the truck, Asser always finds the right words to put a smile on someone’s face. “Being nice doesn’t cost you anything and makes the day-to-day easier.”

– Asser Sánchez, driver for the Mota-Engil Group

There are clear blue skies over the quarry today. “It’s not always like this,” Asser says. When the weather turns, he is thankful for the truck’s waterproof automatic tarpaulin system and all-wheel drive. “When it’s wet and the wheels have sunk into the mud, the truck shows you what it can do,” he says. “I can count on the Arocs, even when the terrain gets tough.”

As the sun begins to set, Asser heads home. He will spend some time playing with his son or go for a walk with his wife before dinner. As always, he’s totally flexible.

Photos: Begoña Tremps