Goodaye all, well after that lovely week-end in Melbourne, loaded out Monday, visited Dubbo, bed, radio, bed then up for a service and mad day trying to catch up on some of the things I had hoped to do ready for TRUCKFEST. Fitted some conspicuity tape and new mudflaps, had some rims changed, then had quick tea with some of the family and off again to Moree, to bed then unload and reload Wednesday, back through Dubbo that evening and on to Parkes, load and then had a problem with a missing bolt that tried very hard to screw my plans, but got going, bit of a long night, but into Newcastle Thursday to unload and still bloody raining.
Rang Bruce at TRUCKFEST, might get there with a dirty truck with the weather, but in the end it was fine or sort of in Sydney, got the set washed at Smeaton Grange and they even did the tyreshine, thanks fellas and got to TRUCKFEST just before 6PM with a gleaming truck and trailers. Had a list of jobs to do, set up banners and was ready for the opening Friday morn.
The weather did not help, but Saturday was a roaring success and the rain held off till about 5PM, but slowed attendance Sunday as well. All I spoke to rated it a success, you can’t control the weather and we all hope it will go and grow and become a major fixture on the trucking calendar. Congratulations to Bruce and Brendon and all the team behind them, the volunteers and all who made the effort to attend. The truck rides were an absolute hit and there were five trucks running at times and the sweet sound of GMs running round the block (yes, the Superliner was good too) was nearly as good as the musical entertainment. A terrific event that would have been a fantastic starter, but the weather just doused it a bit and you can’t stop that!
I had one of the nicest visits at such an event ever. This fellow came in, looked a bit nervous but introduced himself and said ” I am not involved in trucking, have never driven a truck, but have always had an interest in how things get delivered to us all. I have read everything you have written, listed to radio and podcasts and just want to thank you for what you do.” Now I had a number of Truckies do the same, but to come from a member of the public, was such a change and a really nice thought and made my day.
Then we wrapped up a but early at TRUCKFEAT and I took the truck back to the yard, my son drove in and picked me up and we headed to the Opera House for the NSW launch of Road Safety week. There was a family there, directly impacted by a crash and like others, they told their story to try and prevent others from ending up in the same reality. None of us go to work, and in our job, you will forever be on the road, and expect to not get home! Yet our actions and that of others, can change that in less than a second.
You can make a pledge, you can convince yourself you will do everything right and safely, then someone else won’t and you and or them could die. Please give it some thought. At the end they lit the Harbour Bridge and yes, me being the shy and quiet fellow, spoke with the Minister John Graham and he has agreed to come and do a trip in the truck, the head of Transport for NSW and asked about the new school program they announced and whether it will have a sharing the road with trucks component and then gave a list of three savage dips on the Newell that it is taking too long to fix.
It was said in the meeting that those involved with road safety have to use their networks and get these messages out (and I had asked could I take the prime mover there, but it would have been a challenge) and again, in some ways, we are still too often left out, but I do appreciate the fact they invited me and so did seek further involvement.
It was said they thought the NHVR wanted to do the trucking things, but it is the car drivers we need to educate about sharing the road with trucks, we need the rest areas to manage our fatigue and to have toilets like normal people and we need the bloody roads fixed, not just patched and sealed over the broken parts, because they will then fail and we will be yet again, blamed for damaging the roads they do not fix properly.
Nor do they recognise or consider they enormous rise in maintenance costs. And if the roads are doing that, they are affecting the truck drivers, body, health and ability to do the job safely, so we haver a long way to go. Till next time, Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.