The Business I Could Never Do — But Deeply Respect.

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Recently, I came across a business that truly caught my attention — something I had never really considered before. It’s the tipper business. For those who may not know, this business involves the use of tipper trucks to transport heavy materials like sand, granite, gravel, and other items used in construction. In a way, it’s similar to the regular truck business, but these trucks are mainly focused on building materials.

I got to know more about this business through a friend of mine who once worked with a tipper company. The way he spoke about his experience really opened my eyes to how demanding and risky this line of work is. Before then, I had never imagined that something as common as moving sand could come with so much danger and sacrifice.

One of the stories he told me still sticks with me up to this moment. He said there was a time when they were on a journey, and they were almost involved in a terrible accident because of a reckless truck driver who tried to overtake them on a narrow and bad road.

According to him, it was one of the scariest moments of his life. The way he described it — how the other truck almost lost control and how their driver had to quickly manoeuvre to avoid a crash — literally gave me chills. He told me that in that moment, all he could do was start praying because it felt like their lives were hanging by a thread and to be honest , I could feel the fear in his voice just recalling the memory.

Aside from the dangers on the road, he also explained how they often have to spend nights outside their homes, sleeping in strange places just so they can wake up as early as 4 or 5 a.m. and start their journey. Sometimes, they pass through very unsafe areas to get to locations where they load sand. The thought of passing through thick bush paths, especially when it’s still dark, sounded very scary to me. These are places where anything could happen — accidents, robbery, or even vehicle breakdowns with no help nearby.

Despite how dangerous and difficult this business is, it made me develop a genuine admiration for the people who do it. You have to be strong, brave, and highly committed to even considering staying in that kind of work. These people wake up every day knowing the risks involved, yet they continue to show up and do the work. And let’s not pretend like this business isn’t important — without them, there would be no materials to build our homes, schools, churches, or even our roads.

However, as much as I respect what they do, I know deep down that this kind of business is not for me. The danger is just too much. The roads in Nigeria are already bad, and combining that with the weight of a loaded tipper and the stress of unpredictable situations makes it something I would never want to experience. I honestly value my peace of mind.

But still, I admire these people. They may not wear suits or work in air-conditioned offices, but their job is just as important — if not more. They are the ones helping us build the very things we all depend on, and for that alone, i believe they deserve all the respect in the world.

Thanks for reading.

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