https://x.com/Teoyaomiquu/status/183502 ... UQCuw&s=19Let me share a brief story about some of the challenges we’re facing with the trucks we’re delivering. As you know, we’re providing engineering equipment, trucks, and other heavy machinery to the Ukrainian armed forces. The process is far from simple, and if you're able to, please consider supporting us—there’s a donation link at the end.
The equipment we purchase is not new and often requires maintenance and repairs before we can transfer it. While we do our best to buy equipment in good condition, pre-purchase inspections can’t catch every issue. We’re fully aware of this and are prepared to handle repairs. New equipment is simply out of our budget—a new 7-ton truck can cost $60,000, while a 12-ton truck with a manipulator arm can run up to $150,000.
@LibertyUkraineF works with a network of partners and volunteers to reduce both delivery time and costs. We also have access to repair shops that help us cut expenses and avoid the high fees charged by commercial repair services.
In my current project, we’re delivering four trucks and a pickup: a 7.2-ton Iveco, a 2-ton Citroën, a 2.5-ton Renault Master, an old Mercedes 809, and an L200 pickup.
One of our biggest challenges—and costs—is getting this equipment to Ukraine for repairs. Our volunteers drive these trucks thousands of miles. Yesterday and today were major travel days.
We had four volunteers on the road—two from the UK and two from Germany—driving the trucks, and here’s what happened:
The Iveco had a coolant hose burst.
The Mercedes started shaking violently at idle.
The Citroën stalled 150 km from Krakow.
The L200 pickup truck blew a gasket.
The Renault Master was missing travel documents.
You can imagine my reaction—I was thinking, "What on earth is happening?" But, everything worked out in the end:
Igor from the UK found a Mercedes repair station that happened to have a Ukrainian worker, who gave us a replacement hose for free.
My brother, @vaycartana, got in touch with Roman, the Mercedes driver, and guided him on how to adjust the idle RPM. The problem was resolved.
Yuri, the Citroën driver, found a partner tow truck that brought the Citroën to a friendly repair station in Katowice. They diagnosed a broken alternator, and it’ll be back on the road in a few days.
For the L200, Yulia, our coordinator, found a repair station that will replace the gasket, and the truck will be ready by next week.
We located the French registration documents for the Renault, and it will be headed to Ukraine next week as well.
Another ongoing challenge is finding drivers with a C-class license, which is required to operate these heavy trucks.
These obstacles are part of our daily routine, but in the end, we always find solutions. After completing maintenance and repairs in Kharkiv and Lviv, we deliver these trucks to the units that need them.
While the hurdles aren’t easy, they save a tremendous amount of money and allow us to help more units. The equipment we provide enables the Ukrainian armed forces to do more with less.
I encourage you to support our latest fundraiser to secure four heavy trucks with manipulator booms. You can donate here: paypal.com/pools/c/97HmgU…
You can imagine my reaction—I was thinking, "What on earth is happening?" But, everything worked out in the end:Един ден от всекидневието на дарителска кампания, купуват пикапи и камиони втора ръка из Европа и ги карат до Украйна. Много е дълго за Google translate... снимки и видеа в линка.
Братовчед на жена ми също е в такава група, закараха вече към 60 коли до Украйна.
NEW OPTION on the CloudyForge project!