No sooner had my trip to Mumbai been finalised for some official work than the idea of spending time with truck drivers at one of the loading yards in the commercial capital cropped up.
The only hitch was deciding which location to spend time in. Given that I would be criss-crossing the city and the Bombay Port Trust, including the dockyards, which would be choc-a-bloc with truck drivers, options were many.
Ultimately, the choice fell on the loading yard at Kandivli from where Mahindra tractors are pushed out. The location is nothing new to me. Way back in 2011, I had spent an entire night in the company of Zubair Khan of Rinku Commercial Carriers, who had a load of 7 Mahindra tractors for Dharwad stock yard. It was during that trip that my gold chain got snatched en route (Chapter At Razor’s Edge, 10,000 KM On Indian Highways (Second Edition), PP. 10-15).
Mahindra Logistics Vice President Selvan Dasaraj, based in Delhi, and Nasarwanji Huafeed in Mumbai, lost no time in connecting me with the concerned executives at Kandivli, even though it was a weekend holiday.
Once this was finalised, the procurement game began. What to give the drivers: orange, banana, or what? Though we had distributed oranges over a week-long trip in Jharkhand in the company of Dasaraj in mid-April, Mumbai markets were flooded with mangoes, and not a single citrus fruit was in sight – at least in Vile Parle, where I was staying.
The Sundaresans – family friends with whom I was staying – stepped out on a hot Mumbai afternoon in search of fruit. Though mango was the choice, which variety became the next critical issue to be decided. Hapus? Devgarh? .... A few tasting sessions later, the choice fell on Devgarh. Since our requirement was large—150 or more—hard bargaining ensued under the tutelage of Lalita Sundaresan. She was such a tough negotiator; the final price fell from Rs. 450/dozen to Rs. 280/dozen over a two-hour haggling and buying session.
After seeing off my better half at Andheri station, who was on her way to Delhi via August Kranti Express, I dashed across to Kandivli in a three-wheeler with several polythene bags filled with mangoes, guided by Samir Rane, a senior executive, from his home since it was a weekend.
“Go to Gate No.2. Someone will meet you,” I was told.
That is where I ran into Sujit Renose, a Mahindra Logistics
executive, who came out of the factory gate to assist me.
Our immediate destination was the loading yard, hardly 2 km
away.
Being a weekend and the factory closed, the yard was bereft
of activity.
But truck drivers were hanging around in the yard.
Somewhere, playing cards are under the truck. Some cooking
in the opening space. Some were cooking inside the driver's cabin!
A few sat on the parapet, engaged in animated conversation.
Even the two uniformed security guards had nothing to do
seated inside their cabin. They came out to collect their 'quota' of mangoes!
Once Sujit understood the purpose of my visit and the raison
d'etre of mangoes in our custody, he moved into top gear.
Single-handedly, he got into distribution mode (don’t forget that he is a logistics expert!).
The format was very simple and straightforward.
His right hand would dig into the polythene bag and come out
with a solitary mango. Hand it to the driver or assistant, whoever he sees.
Of course, there will be a questioning look on the recipient’s
face.
“Take it. It’s aam (mango) only,” he would say. Pointing to
me standing a few feet away, the French-bearded bachelor Sujit would say
something about my ‘interest’ in truck drivers.
Invariably, holding the mango in one hand, they would climb
down and get into conversations.
Most of them are from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, and incidentally, I had crossed 100% of these states, districts, or even their villages at some point.
Their concerns are the same... RTO challenges, no toilet, and no sleeping/resting facilities en route.
Marriage, away from family, and the consequent absence of physical needs were part
of our conversation.
Safe sex with condoms en route (when they are away from
family for longer periods) did crop up.
The practice of leaving loaded vehicles on the highways for
a day/night near their village, unattended, and then going ‘home’ is not correct, they
were told.
A few observations:
a)
Saw them going with a ‘Pepsi/Coke’ bottle into the
bushes for ablutions. No toilet at the loading yard!
b)
Saw them cooking in an open space or inside the driver's cabin. A covered kitchen facility is possible.
c)
No resting place for them (except inside their
respective trucks or under it).
After the yard visit and distribution, we had the chance
to give away mangoes to children and elderly women in the neighbourhood jhopadpatti (slum).
Then, from the yard to Gate 3, we found some more drivers
on the roadside waiting near their trucks and gave away some more succulent mangoes.
At Gate 3, Sujit called out to some young drivers who
drive tractors from the plant to the loading yard and distributed the remaining mangoes.
Thanks, Sujit!
Thanks, Selvan!
Thanks, Nasarwanji!
Thanks, Samir!
What NEXT?
Destination: somewhere in Rajasthan
Item to be distributed: Balloons for kids .... &
Notebooks, Pen/Pencils for school-going children of drivers
How can you help?
Contribute Rs 100 for balloons/notebooks/pen/, or pencils.
A coffee @ Cafe Coffee Day/Barista costs that much.
Those who are LARGE HEARTED, write to me for banking details.
Cheers
Ramesh
