On the initiative of DaimlerChrysler AG and under the auspices of the European Union, a convoy of Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks, accompanied by other Mercedes-Benz vehicles, set off at the beginning of September 2003 (some vehicles from Brussels, others joining them in Stuttgart) to carry much-needed aid to Afghanistan. After three and a half weeks, and a journey of 6,000 km through the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia, the convoy reached its destination on September 30, 2003.
The aim of the undertaking was, firstly, to deliver materials which were urgently needed for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and, secondly, to highlight the fact that the TRACECA route provides a cost-effective alternative for transporting goods to the Central Asian region, thus testing cutting-edge truck technology under the toughest of everyday conditions in the process.
