Asphalt-Cowboys

Trucker Piet is on the road on hot pavement. Normally, the 51-year-old doesn't lose his cool so quickly, because he has been on the road for over 30 years. But at the moment Piet is working as a concrete driver in Emsland and shuffles from construction site to construction site - sometimes a really nasty drudgery. Carrier Marten is well on time. It's a special day for him: the 29-year-old is working with a courier service for large special freight for the first time. He has to load pallets - a round 20 kilos each! From Lake Tegernsee to the Adriatic Sea: Transport entrepreneur Andreas starts on his favorite tour. The route is very familiar to the asphalt cowboy. But this time, despite all the routine, not everything goes according to plan.

In this episode of the new documentary series, "Asphalt Cowboy" Marten has to struggle with the adversities of everyday life as a truck driver. Long waiting times and an acute lack of parking spaces are just two of the many problems he has to deal with. Mighty pressed for time, the trucker tries to make up for lost time on the way to the next loading point. But whether this is enough to complete his workload is another matter. Driver colleague Andreas is now on the road in bella Italia. There, he uses a delay to pursue his favorite pastime: the meticulous truck wash! But the next morning, Andreas has to step on the gas again and bring an express freight over the Brenner Pass. Meanwhile, trucker Piet was able to escape the concrete monkeys on the construction site and after a long time has managed to get hold of a long-distance tour again - with a trailer full of empties, he's off to the Bavarian capital.

Country music and a good mood - the summery trucker festival in Frontenhausen, Lower Bavaria, provides asphalt cowboys with just the right change from the tough everyday life of truck drivers. Here the men finally have time to celebrate. Only transport company Marten has to work on the freeway. This time he has reinforcements on board, because his father is helping him out. But the first problems arise when the trailers are coupled up. Meanwhile, colleague Andreas enjoys the relaxed atmosphere at the festival and is also finding inspiration there in terms of truck refinement. And yet, his truck is already award-winning, just like the one of his colleague Sigi. Driver Piet, on the other hand, doesn't think much of thick engines and expensive equipment. He turns back the clock and trots through the Emsland region with horse and cart, just like the carters in the past.