This was a brand-new experience for us. We were approached by a TV production company to be filmed for two episodes of Trucking Heavy in 2023. They followed us around for several days in different locations as we moved two different boats.
Click here to watch the TV trailer https://youtu.be/kkVfMp3yo6k
The first boat we moved was from Hayling Island to Rye, and the second one was Southampton to Felixstowe Docks.
Both of these loads needed an Escort Warning Car due to the mighty 4.2m beam, and Gillie was very happy to also star in the program as the escort driver; ha!
There was a good deal of fun and banter between us all (and some nerves) and the shows are well worth a watch on the Catch Up TV app “My5” – it’s on the channel “5Action” (Series two, episodes one and three).
https://www.channel5.com/show/trucking-heavy/season-2/episode-1
People have asked us “what was it like having a TV crew with you?” Well, to be honest, after we got over the idea of having a constant camera on our windscreen and a microphone on our lapel, it felt pretty normal. We were interviewed in the office and at the yard, and sometimes the cameraman would interview us as we drove. I would say that the two crew became friends by the end of all the filming. After the initial nerves, you can see that we thrived on the experience and enjoyed it all immensely! It has been a good promotion for our business.
It was very interesting to see the final cut that was aired. A drone was used on one occasion as we went over the Orwell bridge near Ipswich, and seeing how the footage was used from the permanent cameras on each of the windscreens was interesting too. The dramatic voice-over adds to the entertainment value. It was amazing to see how every piece of footage came together to make the episodes. We feel very happy that we have been portrayed as a professional, caring small business with expertise, and with each of our strong personalities coming through.
We hope you enjoy the episodes; watch this space, because there is talk of us making more episodes this year!
