Heavy Haulage Australia's rapid rise in popularity is a result of the impressive work that they do. However, with popularity came skepticism, and the authenticity of the show has come under the microscope.
Things shown in MegaTruckers are so extravagant that they have made it a show that every car enthusiast should watch. Jon Kelly and his crew are shown as a group of rowdy truck haulers living the extreme lifestyle this profession offers. The reality show first aired on the A&E Network back in 2012 and quickly became a mega-hit.
Apart from the adventurous day to day tasks of truckers, one main focal point of the show is Jon Kelly and how he has to manage to try to keep everything running smoothly.
The show can sometimes go from being believable one moment and then go over the top the next. So we thought we would finally bust the myth and separate what's real and what's fake on MegaTruckers.
They Face Real Issues
A look into the hardships and culture of the Australian trucking industry was very nicely portrayed. They showed how the team met with day to day issues on site and how they would have to develop spontaneous solutions to cope with them. Dealing with such problems often results in a waste of time and resources. This gives a detailed look into the day-to-day struggles of trucking.
One exciting event in the eighth episode shows that they were unloading cargo onto their trucks from a ship. Most people are unfamiliar with what goes into this task, and the show was very informative. There was a slight unbalance in the cargo's weight, but this required the settings of the truck bed to be changed on the spot. This was bound to take them almost 40 extra minutes, and they faced a lot of heat from the captain of the ship over it.
They Are Really Megatruckers
Behaving at work as a trucker was shown quite elaborately in the show as the crew members were not at all asked to act in any 'appropriate' manner. They were rather seen going about their tasks in the way any trucker would do. An excellent example of this is the profanity they use towards each other.
The language used on the show is raw and unfiltered, and it gave the show something unique. No one would have been hooked on the show if it wasn't for how much smack they say to one another all day long.
Trucking Is A Real Business
It's no secret that Jon Kelly came from humble beginnings, and at times he forced to show just how much the business meant to him. Jon often needed to act decisively and, at times, rudely with his crew to keep them in check. This was a sign of the difficulty of the actual business going on. They had many things a real company has, including a rough-edged boss with millions on the line and some employees slacking on the job and getting in trouble.
Another sign that Heavy Haulage Australia was a legit business performing in the market is the significant losses they suffered after a decline in the Australian mining industry. Their company felt the brunt of the industry's struggles and it wasn't helped by the recession that was happening all over the country.
The Drama Is Fake
Many attempts were seen to spice up what was going on in the show. There was a workplace feud shown between the two coworkers Keith and Wayne, in the show's 4th episode. Seeing such work-related rivalries in real life is nothing uncommon, but the way they show this with the help of them talking bad things about one another to the camera was rather cinematic. Reality TV does require such a sort of drama for ratings, but there isn't much tolerance for it in real life.
It's All An Act
Making the day to day processes of HHA presentable on the Television screen was not an easy job. There had to be multiple retakes of shots, cinematic effects, time-lapses, interviews, roaming filming, and stop-gap filming during the show. Seeing all this happen while they go around with their daily routine isn't believable. As it would create some serious issues for the crew and their performance. Then again, the primary purposes are to look good for the cameras so it's understandable.
Heavy Haulage Australia was claimed to be worth more than $40 million by Jon, but a different thing was seen when they later tried to sell the firm. It was seen that not only were they finding it difficult to find high paying buyers, but most of the things had to be auctioned. It was a bitter end for Heavy Haulage Australia.
Jon was shown as an influential person and an ego that suited all that he did and his own but its all fake. So while the show may be good for reality tv, there are too many inaccuracies for it to be taken too seriously. It comes as a surprise that it isn't regarded as one of the fakest car shows on tv, but maybe that's because it was only on for one season.