High cost of living: How truck drivers are using dangerous survival tactics
Long distance truck drivers are susceptible to armed robbers seeking to steal their goods.
Have you ever driven a truck? For the adventurous, driving a truck must be an experience they want to tick off their bucket list.
But for the less adventurous, the idea can be daunting, and for good reason.
Over the years, local truck drivers have earned an ugly reputation and depending on who you ask, their list of sins is endless.
Here in Nakuru, trucks are a common sight on the roads thanks to its strategic location making it a major transport hub in the country.
Mtaa Wangu visited one of the most common stops for these trucks to find out what it is like to travel long distances in these vehicles.
During the day, the truck stop at Salgaa looks like any other town with everyone going about their business, but as night approaches, the town, which is a common truck stop, comes to life with many trucks parked on the side of the road.
The common misconception when it comes to truck drivers is that some rarely use their breaks, so it is not uncommon to hear the phrase "hizo gari zao hazina brakes" in a conversation about trucks.
But there is a reason for this. According to most truck drivers, they use the freewheeling method to cut costs.
"The cost of living is high at the moment, so you try to save money wherever possible. Fuel being one of the most expensive commodities, you would choose to cut costs to be able to spend the money on other things," said Ezekiel Njoroge.
"Whenever we are going downhill, or even when we are on the highway, we often freewheel and once you do that for a long stretch, your fuel consumption is reduced to a minimum," he said.
Mark Omollo, another trucker, highlights other problems that force a trucker to freewheel.
"We have various truck stops in the country and you often find that many of the drivers, especially the young ones, would often indulge in excessive drinking and with the ladies. This leads to them overspending and sometimes even using the fuel money given to them by their employers. This forces them to save on fuel by opting for freewheel," says Mark.
However, he agrees that it is very dangerous driving, especially for the heavy trucks, as it becomes very difficult to brake when you need to.
"I know of some drivers who have had accidents simply because they lost control of their vehicles, the main reason being this careless driving," he said.