The hidden life of a lorry driver

Long hours, fear of robberies — and living for the weekend. The country would grind to a halt without hauliers such as Rob Piper. But do they get the respect they deserve? In this fascinating look at the life of a lorry driver, Sirin Kale went on the road with someone at the epicentre of a global supply chain crisis to find out what life is like spending Monday to Friday in a 44-tonne, 12-wheeled vehicle. In this condensed version of the three months she spent travelling, Kale reveals how although conditions are better and safer than before, there are overlooked emotional and physical stresses of working a job that keeps the world running. 
 "There are so many people like Piper, all over the country. They bring everything from our fuel to our medical supplies and, for the most part, they do it quietly, without recognition. 'Lorry drivers are the forgotten side of the supply chain jigsaw,' says Anderson. 'Consumers see the last mile and the people who deliver parcels to our front doors. But they don't necessarily see the lorry drivers.'"