Goodaye all, here in sunny but windy Mackay, I can’t use my new butane torch to do my strap ends. That was one of my jobs for this week-end. I even managed a park opposite Supercheap in Roma yesterday morning to buy it and some batteries. At first I was due to be here Friday night and that would have given me way too much time, but the engine fan put that back more than a day and then another minor delay with a hose with a hole in it, though in a very strange place and still can’t work out why it failed there, but glad it happened where and when it did and happy the bloke coming the other way let me know about the smoke, which he could see but I could not and the brake smell.
It did happen to be in a spot where the Stopping bay signs were missing, the two half posts still in place, but the big and frequent skid marks show others have struggled to see it in the dark, so now there are some green reflectors there too. Later that night between Capella and Middlemount, a car did stop and ask was I OK as I was doing the thing I don’t, again marking another site as there are few along there. A truck also slowed but I gave him the thumbs up and waved him on. He was stopped at the Fitzroy Road intersection rest are and I called him up asking if he knew about the green reflectors and he did not, but said they sounded like a good idea and I agreed.
But then had to ring the Policelink number about a black cow on the side of the road and the lady said it was a Triple 0 call next time, but she would pass it on. I did mention there were plenty of mine employees out that way, but I had just passed some tiny little car that would not have done well with the size of the animal involved.
The NHVR did have some posters made when the Newell was completed, but they were too big and I have asked them to redo and make them a bit smaller, so I can put them up on noticeboards in roadhouses where there are now new or more sites done.
More for you to do, there is a survey out re truck parking in Sydney, you may even recall it as an election promise, so go to www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/western-sydney-heavy-vehicle-rest-area and do your bit. Have you got your submission ready for the NSW inquiry. I am up to nine pages and while it is certainly critical in places and does cover some rest area issues in detail, we may not get another chance to list such things to the NSW government.
I have certainly tried over the years and many of those I first spoke to have long gone. Some listen and do recognise I am genuine and what I raise could be a problem, but obviously there are those above or in the decision making roles that don’t, or we would have perfect roads and plenty of rest areas. But we can dream can’t we?
So audiobooks done, Owner Driver column in, most of family chatted with, truck clean inside, just some books to sort, caught up on some industry news and had a few other calls to solve the industries problems, I wish. The wind is still blowing and the rain is coming and another of our trucks has turned up, lets hope he is going somewhere else or my plans for doing some green reflectors on the Dingo road and loading tomorrow afternoon may suffer. Till next week, Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.
TRUCKRIGHT 