1st July 2018

Goodaye all. One of our major issues is that the laws under which we operate are made and policed by those who do not have to live by them. I do not know any driver who wants to work 17 hours a day, 7 days a week, but I know a lot who want to do the job and get home safely to a family they see too little of.

They also want to be able to drive when they are fit and to sleep when they are tired and until we all become robots or have autonomous vehicles, each day and each person needs to be able to deal with their day and their fatigue individually. Again, we all recognise there is a need for rules and whilst we are all human, there will be those who will break the rules, for whatever reason or intent they see as pushing them to do so.

As interstate drivers we operate across state borders and both need to recognise the law varies, but we would also like one day to have Australian road rules for all, not different rules in every state. Few others really have to regularly deal with this issue, that crossing an imaginary line on the ground means you can be fined for something that was legal on the other side. I think we have made some improvements, but we all live in one country, not seven.

Even with our national laws and regulations, when changes are put up for comment, how many even get to know of the proposals or changes and how many will then comment or contribute, possibly thinking they will not be listened to or worse, are not confident they can explain in words, a problem they would struggle to explain talking to someone, who does not have to live on the road under those rules.

It is hard to keep track of changes unless you are linked in and then there is the further problem of over supply of information and being able to trawl through it to what you need and or what is important. How do we balance all this?

If you have a solution, let me know, but we must try to make the effort, because if we do not, we will not be heard and we will be given laws and rules that do not make the roads safer, or make our job better, but will convince someone else they have made a difference, even if it makes things worse. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.

24th June 2017

Another big week on the road, new drive tyres and a couple of positive comments from drivers. One asking about my TRUCKRIGHT videos, aimed at explaining the aims of TRUCKRIGHT and another after a good discussion from Narrabri to south of Coonabarabran thanking me for the chat. Yet another thanked me for my column in Owner Driver magazine, saying he enjoyed reading it and I told him this is my 16th year, having only missed one column in that time, due to pneumonia. I gave out a number of copies of Owner Driver to customers along the road and some new ones made comments on the truck, one saying, it was the best looking rig he had ever had, come in to load there.

I was offered the chance to write a column after winning the National Professional Driver of the Year in 2001 and have been involved with road safety since 1999. I hope you have seen the video on the NRMA Facebook page, “We share a 10 hour drive”. At my last look it had well over 800,000 views on that page alone and the vast majority of the comments were positive. Let me know what you think.

I am currently trying to line up a few caravanners for a shoot for a television show pilot in a couple of weeks and have just reviewed my weeks audiobooks on the Facebook page, Audiobooks for the road. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.

17th June 2017.

I have had a very good media week. The interview I did with ABC Radio National about audiobooks went to air on Wednesday in the Books and Arts show (and will be repeated on Sunday at 2PM in the Books Plus show on RN) I did filming in Melbourne for the ABC TV show Catalyst for an episode on sleep due to air in August and spoke with the local paper about new and improved rest areas on the Golden Highway for the Friday edition.

This on top of having a big week, travelling nearly 6000 kilometres and also managing to spend an hour on the phone with the NHVR re Green Reflector Marking of Informal Truck Bay Funding, time on the phone with the NTC re the current draft of the new Load Restraint Guide, having had a driver bring it and some concerns to my attention and eventually getting home to promote responce to the new code on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and to start this blog.

A couple of good comments on my new Facebook page, “Audiobooks for the Road”, some nice comments from drivers and a couple from customers about the truck and its curtains and messages, along with offered support from another industry magazine to help promote the TIV and its aims. Never give up, is the plan. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey. http://www.truckright.com.au

Welcome to the TRUCKRIGHT blog.

My name is Rod Hannifey and I am an Aussie truckie. My normal run is Dubbo to Melbourne and then to Brisbane and back to Dubbo, so across three states each week, around 4000 kilometres. I am an employed driver working for Rod Pilon Transport, but drive the TRUCKRIGHT Industry Vehicle, which aims to show another side to how truckies are all too often portrayed by the media and then, so perceived by the public.

We have some magnificent looking trucks running up and down Australia’s highways, some promoting tractors, or vineyards or products on their trailer curtains, but none which promoted the road transport industry or road safety. My dream was to see such a vehicle, a working truck, that also tried to show a different side to the job. The photos on the side depict many sizes and types of trucks and includes road safety messages and industry information.

Over the coming months, I want to explain the aims and intents of the TRUCKRIGHT Industry Vehicle (TIV), showcase those who have supported this effort, show you a bit of life on the road and seek support to make the roads we travel on safer for all. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey. http://www.truckright.com.au

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