24th December 2023

Goodaye all, Merry Christmas and a TRUCKING Good New Year to all. If you are still on the road, I hope you get some time off with family and loved ones, if not, stay safe out there and watch out for all the lunatics in cars. Thanks for the well wishes and comments from all and I look forward to continuiug to do what I can to see the roads safer next year. In that vein, yes I did my submission to the NTC, but they have a survey out for those who don’t want to read all the extras.

We are currently preparing a short, five-minute survey to help supplement responses to our C-RIS.

The survey is particularly targeted at heavy vehicle operators but includes questions that are directly relevant to drivers also.

In particular, survey responses will be sought to help inform further analysis on the relative costs and benefits of options in the next Decision Regulatory Impact Statement (D-RIS).

The first part of this survey asks some general questions about the responders’ organisation.

The second part of this survey comprises six questions about assumptions made in the C-RIS, including those relating to time spent completing the written and electronic work diary.

It also canvases views on the detailed options set out in the C-RIS, with an optional free text field for further comments.

To participate please click on the link below.

which will not transfer to here and I can’t copy it, please try the NTC website, thanks Rod.

https://forms.office.com/r/ny7XUz98vV

So you can’t say I don’t keep trying, please consider this, because if we have five drivers respond and every police department and road authority says different, who will they listen to? I will be on the road Boxing day, call out and say goodaye. Till next year, Safe Travelling, Rod.

20th December 2023 Merry Christmas and a TRUCKING Good New Year.

Goodaye all, last week started late due to getting the front diff seal done, so I loaded Tuesday for Brissie, got held up getting away so I could take another driver up with me and then I was running all week to keep up. A few glitches and issues, mostly outside my control, brought a b-triple back southbound, and was then to take one north, but the drops planned and the time was a bit keen, so back up as a double and do some drops down the Gold Coast, get loaded and then decided to stay Friday afternoon and attend Brisbane depot Xmas dinner, thanks all for an interesting evening.

Back to the yard for a kip and off early Saturday morning, but had still not heard back from farmer I was delivering to. Rang again from Gundy, found the farm was out of town a bit, but he knew I was coming and was waiting for me. Got there at noon, unloaded and headed back to Dubbo, had tried to ring the depot for plans for that afternoon to load and go again Sunday evening, but got back to the yard, no paperwork, no freight and no answer on the phone, so went home.

Rang again Sunday morning, first no answer, then rang other partner in crime and was told, “No the freight never got unloaded, you are loading tomorrow morning” which was OK, more time to finish the yard etc, but I did wonder whether it would lead to another week like the last. It didn’t, but by Sunday evening, I was musing and thinking, bugger, the blog will have to wait, with a plan for Monday evening, but it was then near midnight when I got into Melbourne after finding and visiting a place I had never heard of to do a delivery and managing to pick up something just before they went home, only to have to back 500m back up the dead end street, but all good fun.

Did some local loads in Melbourne Tuesday morning for over the break for other drivers to pick up, then loaded for Sydney and got in this morning to split trailers and go and get wet doing the deliveries. They weren’t happy to see me either, the yard was about to be shut for their Christmas party, but got the “A” trailer unloaded and made a plan for them to ring me when ready for the B. Done and back to the yard to clean all the turntables and skidplates, doing the b-triple meant I had to grease the back skidplate which then dirtied the turntable and in pissing rain in the yard today, I had to move the B ASAP for another driver to get his load, so could only give it a scrape off.

Onto plan D or E, not sure now, but loading tomorrow morn and then home and off Boxing Day to central Qld and all ready have to reload out of Brissie, head back to Dubbo and then deliver on the 2^nd and load in Melbourne on the 3^rd, so it is all planned. We will see what happens next.

Trip up the Hume in the rain last night, heard little on the UHF except abuse of someone doing the wrong thing. From where I sit, it was mostly bravado and bullshit. None of the “Mate, that wasn’t the best choice” or such, it was abuse form the start and I can’t help but feel it only helps the abuser think they have made things better. I doubt they have and if anyone else would agree with them.

So in the spirit of the season, I have been doing my own, “Ring a mate for Christmas” campaign as I have done for many years. But we have got the NRFA involved and should have something out this afternoon. So if you have a mate you haven’t heard from or spoken to in a while, give them a call and check how they are going and wish them all the best for Chrissy and a TRUCKING Good New Year. Some I have spoken to have been very thankful for the thought and the call and of course, I have also spoken to most of the TIV supporters as well.

Certainly had some idiots in Sydney in the rain, all within a few minutes, no one can wait or will look first it seems. Yes we are all in a hurry, but it is too late after the event when you have messed up.

I will see what happens Saturday evening, may do a blog, but if not, may I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a TRUCKING Good New Year. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.

9th December 2023 The one thing wrong with EWDs.

I will say “hello” instead of the usual Goodaye as I am sitting in our Sydney depot because I went to a truckshow 2 weeks ago. We all lived with a 7 day period in the logbook since its inception, till the fatigue experts got involved and decided we had to have night rests and then also brought in the 14 day period for two consecutive and two other night rest in the 14. Anyone who has worked shift work (and I am told this is the only research available re shifts and fatigue) knows and will understand the issue of changing shifts and most agree as does the research, that if you change shifts, it takes your body at least two days to acclimatise.

So in the past we worked 7 days, had our 24 and maybe even slept at home in a bed and then shook ourselves and went back to work on the road and in the truck. Those who did overnight, had their day and or home time set, aircon, dark curtains, dad’s asleep routine and coped well and I believe were then safer in some ways, than someone who worked different hours every day and trip. But the fatigue “experts” knew better, they wanted to make sure we now break our shift twice, yes we can work nights, but there is also the “night hours “ penalty, and we can break shift and have their required two nights rest, then break shift again to go back to night work, so they are setting us up to fail, because they know better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry this is long and winded and I have submitted it, explained it, detailed it to all and sundry, but as you all know, none of them have to do it, none of them live on the road or god forbid, in a truck. None of them really care about whether you can pay your bills, if you know what day it is because you are forced to change shifts twice a week and none of them ever will. But they all know better than us and not enough of you ever took the time to try and explain it to them, so it was me and a couple of others over the last 20 years and that was not enough.

Hence this leads me to here. Having left the truckshow 2 weeks ago on Saturday afternoon after a 26 hour break, then never using my 14 in one day, having breaks and then a 32 hour break in Mackay last week, I went into Sydney Friday morning after a 7 hours break Thursday in Dubbo, then another 7 at Bathurst, then into Sydney to swap trailers, load and back home. Going well with the traffic and everything else, got loaded and thought and rang work, I will stop and sleep on the way home, this load only for Monday? Yes that’s fine. Only to log back in after loading and be warned I had 47 minutes till a 24 hour break required.

MMMM. Checked all my hours, yes enough hours to get home, but not too many hours, but that 14 day period. Now with a normal logbook, I would not have known and realistically, neither would many others. I could have got home, had two days off and all good, but no, these experts who have more say than anyone doing the job, disagree. With the tracking, cameras and bridges, no way I could do it, the EWD would show a breach and that was that. Of course work then rang and asked when I would be in with the load, the customer now wanted it today, Saturday and I said, sorry, I rang and checked and then told of 24, so not till tomorrow night. They sorted that and another fellow will deliver tomorrow morning.

I have asked now for a warning for approaching maximum hours and there is an update I haven’t got that warns you of the upcoming 24, but what a waste of my time, yes I know, no one else cares. I don’t want to work 17 hours a day, 7 days a week all year, yes we must have rules or some will be pushed, but why must the rules punish you and affect your life even more by “making” you safe.

I got a call from a friend now involved in all this law stuff, he was returning my Christmas call and I explained some of this and he said, “I do understand and recognize what you are saying and you would think common sense would have some sway, but now being involved with the bureaucracy that is involved in getting any change through, I can see and have empathy for your frustration, but it all takes so long and is so hard, you wonder how anything gets fixed and improved.” So what hope have we got?

Nice and warm here in Sydney, just had lunch, now a cuppa, done this, emails, audiobooks, Facebook friend requests, Owner Driver column, might have a kip, then clean the truck and visit home. Take care all, Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.  

3rd December 2023 Muggy Mackay

Goodaye all, been a busy week, 5700 k, nearly filled the page of loading and unloading activities and got my NTC HVNL RIS reply in, did our last Truckie Tuesday till next year and now in muggy Mackay. Had an issue with a broken U bolt, noticed strange tyre wear and thought, do I really want to look underneath, did and found it broken. None in next village Gunnedah, none in Narrabri, finally found one in Moree, only could not get anyone to fit it through the normal channels. Rang a fellow I knew of and he and his crew went out of the way to help and the 5 minute job to replace it took much longer as it always does. Thanks very much Steve and helpers.

There are three of us here to unload in the morning and I have already asked to go first. I got here last, the U bolt certainly didn’t help, I loaded second, but the other two trucks are going the other way to me and I explained and they said, ‘You go first then”. There is a good reason for this as if I don’t, I won’t get loaded tomorrow. What good mates.

A driver just walking out said, “Are you still on that thing, you have spent half your break on it” meaning my laptop in the drivers lounge. Of course, that is how I at least try to keep up. Some of the stuff you see, or hear about, much of it you don’t. Yes I did my “Audiobooks for the road” update, answered some friend requests, responded to some emails, read up on some other stuff, replied to NRFA emails and then wrote one of complaint to BP about the bowsers and the fact they won’t lock on and I have complained for the last three trips up here.

I had planned to drop the trailers and straighten the chassis plate, had to turn into a bugger of a driveway, round and up a steep slope and the piece which has the reflector, mounted below the clearance light, hit the plate and bent it down. The leading edge of the trailers have skidded across it before, but I have got a grinder here and there and the reflector bit is now gone and I will have to cut two reflectors down and fit them to the coaming rail. Another little job still to do. And it was warm and muggy and I was trying to catch up after a busy week.

Downloaded some new audiobooks earlier as I had finished all I have with me as discs or on a thumb drive, just got a text to say we can unload a bit earlier in the morning, so that is looking good. Texted the other driver who has gone to his truck and he will tell the third. Cooling down now, ready for a shower and bed. Just had a call from my niece, had left her a Christmas message and we chatted for a bit and she has asked me to visit and now I know where, will have to try and drop in. Spoke with most of my children during the day and will get back to my “D’s” tomorrow ringing those I know and wishing them a Merry Christmas and a Trucking Good new Year.

One fellow had a go at me last week saying I was a bit early, but lots of people to ring and catch up with. How many mates do you have, that you have not spoken to in months. They may well be ok, but as with some I have got to starting with the “As”, they have said they really appreciated the call. Ring a mate, particularly if you have not spoken for a while and wish them all the best. Let me know how it goes. Hope to be in Melbourne Wednesday and might even get to visit Dubbo for a bit after that. Till next week, Safe travelling, Rod Hannifey.